Little Slate Project; Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho County, ID, 35423-35425 [07-3158]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 124 (Thursday, June 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35423-35425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3158]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Little Slate Project; Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, Nez Perce National Forest will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document analysis 
and disclose the environmental impacts of implementing watershed 
improvement activities and timber harvest and within the Little Slate 
project area. Actions include: Construction of temporary roads, road 
reconstruction, road decommissioning of existing roads that are no 
longer needed, trail relocation and watershed, riparian and soil 
restoration. Individuals interested in actions of this nature are 
encouraged to submit comments and become involved in the planning 
process.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
at the address below on or before July 20, 2007. The draft 
environmental impact statement is expected to be released for public 
comment in November 2007 and the final environmental impact statement 
is expected to be completed in May 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Jane Cottrell, Forest Supervisor, 
1005 Highway 13, Grangeville, ID 83530, or via facsimile to 208-983-
4099. Comments may be sent via e-mail to comments-northern-nezperce-
salmon-

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river@fs.fed.us. The subject line must contain the name ``Little Slate 
Project'', for which you are submitting comments or address with ATTN: 
Little Slate on written correspondence.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
    All comments, including names and addresses, when provided, are 
placed in the record and are available for public inspection and 
copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Jennie Fischer, Team Leader, Nez 
Perce National Forest, 1005 Highway 13, Grangeville, ID 83530, or phone 
(208) 983-4048.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Little Slate project area is located on 
the Nez Perce National Forest in northern Idaho within Idaho County. 
The project area lies approximately 14 air miles northeast of Riggins, 
Idaho and 25 air miles south of Grangeville, Idaho. The project area 
encompasses approximately 35,000 acres and includes Upper and Middle 
Little Slate Creek, Boulder Creek, Van Buren, Turnbull, and Rubie Creek 
subwatersheds, which are tributaries to Slate Creek, which flows 
directly into the Lower Salmon River. The project area also includes 
small portions of John Day, Allison Creek and White Sand Creek.

Purpose and Need for Action

    There is a need to improve watershed conditions, manage and restore 
forest vegetation, and reduce hazardous fuels. Components of this 
project include: Timber harvest, fuels reduction, watershed and soil 
restoration, mine reclamation and access management (roads and trail).
    The actions proposed for implementation would treat vegetation, 
including the use of timber harvest, through the following activities:
    Forest vegetation would be treated using a combination of methods 
on approximately 4,104 acres. This combination would result in some 
regeneration (clearcut) harvest (2,165 acres), shelterwood harvest (649 
acres), and commercial thinning (1290 acres). Ground based logging 
systems would be used and post-harvest activity fuels treated. 
Approximately 17.4 miles of temporary road would be constructed to 
access the timber harvest areas described above, and decommissioned 
following activities. Approximately 4.9 miles of road reconstruction 
would occur on the 643 road for hauling. Approximately 72 
miles of existing roads would be reconditioned (deferred maintenance 
activities) and for watershed improvement prior to use for the 
activities. A combination of slashing and burning on approximately 860 
acres would be used to enhance Whitebark pine regeneration in four high 
elevation areas. Broadcast burning 1,329 acres following harvest 
activities and allow backing of fire into riparian area within 
lodgepole pine areas. Re-develop a Forest Service rock source would 
provide material for this project and others across the forest (1 
acre).
    As part of this project, activities would be implemented to meet 
Forest Plan requirements for upward trend in fish habitat and water 
quality. The amount of watershed restoration work required to produce 
an upward trend has not yet been determined. These following activities 
would maintain or improve watershed conditions in the subwatersheds in 
the project area.
    Reducing water quality impacts on existing roads, including those 
planned for use under this project through road reconditioning. Reduce 
impacts from Trails, 88, 303, 308 through 
relocation (2.85 miles), new construction (2.9 miles) and 
decommissioned (3.2 miles). Reduce impacts and maintain Trail 
133. Decommission approximately 47 miles of existing road 
using techniques ranging from abandonment, or re-contouring. Restore 
soil productivity and watershed function on approximately 30 acres of 
previously impacted areas. Improve channel morphology, floodplain 
function and instream habitat through riparian restoration on 
approximately 2.5 miles of Little Slate Creek. Planting riparian areas 
with native grasses, forbs and woody species where needed to promote 
bank stability and/or streamside shade. Approximately 20-50 acres would 
be treated to stabilize and reduce gully and surface erosion a result 
of historic grazing on sensitive soils near Nut Basin point. Channel 
stabilization (5 sites) where channel headcutting is occurring, in 
riparian areas with historic mining activity. Mine rehabilitation to 
reduce erosion and water quality impacts at 10 inactive placer sites. 
Improving upstream passage for fish and other aquatic species at 6 road 
crossing sites identified as being full or partial barriers. Improving 
or removing road crossing (15 stream crossings) that may be undersized 
to accommodate a 100-yr streamflows, including associated bedload and 
debris; and prevent diversion of streamflow out of the channel and down 
the road in the event of blockage.

Forest Plan Amendment

    It is likely that a Forest Plan amendment would be needed to allow 
implementation of timber harvest and fuel reduction activities in some 
areas with past ground disturbance. This amendment would also be 
applied forest-wide.
    Past activities have caused detrimental soil disturbance in some 
areas proposed for timber harvest. The proposed amendment would state, 
``Where detrimental soil conditions from past activities affect 15 
percent or less of the activity area, a cumulative minimum of 85 
percent of the activity area shall not be detrimentally compacted, 
displaced, or puddled upon completion of activities'' and ``Where 
detrimental soil conditions from past activities affect more than 15 
percent of the activity area, the cumulative detrimental soil 
disturbance from project implementation and past activities shall not 
exceed the conditions prior to the planned activity and shall provide a 
net improvement in soil quality.'' This would provide consistency with 
Regional soil quality guidelines.

Scoping Process

    This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process in compliance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act and its implementing 
regulations (40 CFR part 1500). As part of the scoping period, the 
Forest Service solicits public comment on the nature and scope of the 
environmental, social, and economic issues related to the rulemaking 
that should be analyzed in depth in the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement. A scoping letter outlining these actions described here is 
being mailed to over 400 interested individuals and organizations. In 
addition, the Salmon River Ranger District will post notices within the 
project area this summer along roads and trails solicit comments on the 
proposal. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be mailed to 
all those who responded during the scoping period.

Preliminary Issues

    The Interdisciplinary Team has identified preliminary issues 
associated with potential effects on the proposed activities: On 
threatened and endangered wildlife species and habitat; on old growth; 
on soil productivity; on threatened, endangered and sensitive fish and 
fish habitat; on the consistency with the anticipated total Maximum 
Daily Load (TMDL) for the 303(d) listed streams in the Lower Salmon 
River, on Inventoried Roadless Area or unroaded

[[Page 35425]]

areas; on Riparian Habitat Conservation Area; and on changes to public 
access on roads and trails, including recreational and mining claim 
access.

Possible Alternatives

    The NEPA implementing regulations require that an Environmental 
Impact Statement evaluate alternatives. possible alternatives to be 
considered in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement include: No 
activities in Inventory Roadless Areas and decommissioning of the end 
of 2002 Road from the junction of the 2002C Road.
    Additional alternatives may arise from public comments, analysis or 
new information.

Decision To Be Made

    The decisions to be made in response to this analysis include (1) 
Are vegetation management and restoration activities needed and if so 
where, what activities, when and how would they be implemented? (2) 
What transportation systems (road and trail) are necessary in the 
analysis area and how will they be managed? (3) Are the fish habitat 
and water quality improvement activities for Forest Plan upward trend 
requirements needed and if so where, when and how would they be 
implemented? (4) What mitigation is needed to assure forest management 
activities are consistent with the Nez Perce Forest Plan and 
environmental law? (5) is the amendment, for soils, to the Nez Perce 
Forest Plan necessary to implement the proposed actions and other 
future activities? (6) What implementation and effectives monitoring is 
needed?

Estimate Dates

    The responsible official for this project is the Nez Perce Forest 
Supervisor. Comments to this notice should be sent to the address and 
contacts identified above and should be submitted within 30 days of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. A Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected to be available in 
November 2007 and a Final EIS in May 2008. Should an action alternative 
be selected, implementation would be initiated in the spring of 2009. 
Implementation of any or all of the actions authorized with this 
decision may occur utilizing the stewardship contracting authorities 
granted in Section 347 of the 1999 Interior Appropriations Bill.

Comments Requested

    The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will 
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
    Reviewers should provide their comments during the comment period. 
Timely comments will enable the agency to analyze and respond to them 
at one time and to use them in the preparation of the Environmental 
Impact Statement, thus avoiding undue delay in the decision-making 
process. Furthermore, the more specific and substantive the comments, 
the better for reviewers and the agency alike. Reviewers have an 
obligation to ``structure their participation in the National 
Environmental Policy Act process so that it is meaningful and alerts 
the agency to the reviewer's position and contentions.'' Vermont Yankee 
Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 552 (1978). Dept. of 
Transportation v. Public Citizen, 541 U.S. 752, 764 (2004). 
Environmental concerns that could have been raised at the draft stage 
may therefore be forfeited if not raised until after completion of the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement. Comments on the draft should be 
specific and should address the adequacy of the draft and the merits of 
the alternatives discussed (40 CFR 1503.3).

    Dated: June 22, 2007.
Jane L. Cottrell,
Forest Supervisor, Nez Perce National Forest.
[FR Doc. 07-3158 Filed 6-27-07; 8:45 am]
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