Six Rivers National Forest, California; Orleans Community Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project, 59069-59071 [E7-20547]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 201 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59069-59071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20547]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Six Rivers National Forest, California; Orleans Community Fuels 
Reduction and Forest Health Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Six Rivers National Forest proposes to address hazardous 
fuels and forest health concerns through the Orleans Community Fuels 
Reduction and Forest Health (OCFR) Project, under the Healthy Forest 
Restoration Act. The area affected by the proposal includes National 
Forest System lands surrounding the community of Orleans, California, 
which includes Tribal Trust Lands and portions of the Panamnik World 
Renewal Ceremonial District. The objective of these treatments is to 
provide strategic suppression locations across the landscape while 
reducing contiguous fuel accumulations and chance of catastrophic 
fires. Approximately 2,721 acres of forest would be treated by either 
ground-based, skyline, or hand systems.
    The planning area is located on National Forest System lands 
administered by the Orleans Ranger District in Humboldt County, 
California, specifically, within the upper tributaries of the Lower 
Middle Klamath watersheds. The units are located in portions of: T. 10 
N., R. 5 E., Sections 1, 12, 13; T. 10 N., R. 6 E., Sections 4-9, 16-
17; T. 11 N., R. 5 E., Sections 1, 12, 13, 24, 25, 36; and T. 11 N., R. 
6 E., Sections 4-9, 16-21, and 28-33.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by November 19, 2007. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected February 2008 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected May 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Bill Rice, at Orleans Ranger 
District, P.O. Drawer 410, Orleans, CA 95556, or phone (530) 627-3291. 
Comments may be submitted by e-mail in Word (.doc), rich text format 
(.rtf), text (.txt), and hypertext markup language (.html) to comments-
pacificsouthwest-six-rivers-orleans@fs.fed.us. Comments may also be 
hand delivered weekdays 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Orleans Ranger District 
Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Rice, at Orleans Ranger District, 
phone (530) 627-3291 (see address above). More information is available 
at https://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sixrivers/projects/ea/ocfr/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of this initiative is to provide strategic fire 
suppression locations across the landscape while reducing contiguous 
fuel accumulations and chance of catastrophic fire to the community of 
Orleans and Tribal Trust Lands. This action is needed because decades 
of fire suppression and loss of cultural burning in these fire-adapted 
forests has significantly changed species composition, tree density, 
stand structure, and surface and ladder fuels. This action responds to 
the goals and objectives outlined in the Six Rivers Forest Plan, and 
helps move the project area towards desired conditions described in 
that plan (Six Rivers National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
1995 (Forest Plan)). Specifically, there is a need: (1) To reduce 
hazardous fuel conditions and impacts from wildfires to the community 
of Orleans, Tribal Trust Lands, and the immediately surrounding forest; 
and create conditions that produce less than four foot flame lengths 
(FP, p. IV-116); (2) To enhance cultural values associated with the 
Panamnik World Renewal Ceremonial District through forest

[[Page 59070]]

health and a reduction of fuels (FP, p. IV-114); (3) To reduce stand 
densities (FP, p. IV-77); (4) To promote the development and 
maintenance of diverse stand structures and species composition (FP, p. 
IV-73) and; (5) To begin steps to restore fire-adapted ecosystem 
functions, such that when fire returns to the ecosystem impacts are 
minimized (FP, p. IV-116).
    In addition, there is an opportunity to manage vegetation within 
portions of the Riparian Reserves to accelerate the development of 
late-successional forest characteristics in overstocked early mature 
seral stands. The application of stocking level control in these stands 
would accelerate the attainment of desired vegetation characteristics 
in Riparian Reserves (LRMP IV-49). Attainment of desired vegetation 
characteristic is part of the Aquatic Conservation Strategy goals of 
maintaining and restoring the species and structural diversity of plant 
communities within the Reserves (LRMP IV-108).

Proposed Action

    The action proposed by the Forest Service to meet the purpose and 
need is to reduce fuel accumulations on approximately 2,721 acres of 
forest by chipping and/or mastication, understory burning, hand piling, 
jack-pot/pile burning, or removal off site. In forest stands that need 
thinning to reduce fuels, end-line, ground-based, hand, and/or skyline/
cable-logging systems would be used. Potential fire impacts would be 
reduced in fuel reduction zones along key ridges and other key 
locations adjacent and within the Orleans Community. Implementation of 
the proposed action activities would occur over the next five to ten 
years as funding allows and grants are obtained. Implementation funds 
would come from a variety of sources such as grants, appropriated 
funds, and community partnerships.
    Proposed vegetation treatments would reduce the density of 
understory, low- to mid-canopy-level trees, and codominates, while 
promoting the development of large trees. Some canopy-level thinning 
would occur to promote the growth of mast-producing hardwoods and 
diverse forest structures. Canopy thinning by selective whole tree 
removal would occur in a few select places to provide clear visibility 
from viewpoints associated with spiritual activities.
    Some selective thinning within portions of Riparian Reserves would 
be accomplished through a combination of skyline yarding, tractor 
yarding, and hand thinning. In the case of tractor thinning, yarding of 
trees would be accomplished through end-lining of selected trees 
without heavy equipment entering Riparian Reserves. No stream crossings 
would occur. No other road activities would occur in Riparian Reserves. 
In previously unmanaged natural stands growing on moderate or better 
quality sites a minimum of 60 percent average canopy closure would be 
maintained after initial thinning and fuels treatments. Sawlogs that 
are removed during treatments (an estimate of 7 to 10 mmbf of initial 
volume) would also be sold as a by-product of forest health treatments. 
No commercial harvest would occur in old-growth stands.
    In a few areas, accessible only by foot, surface and understory 
ladder fuels on federal lands adjacent to private property would be cut 
and treated by hand, within a 300-foot buffer. No commercial harvesting 
or road construction would occur in these areas. To implement this 
project and plan for future resource management needs, approximately 
2.1 miles would be constructed and added to the forest road system. Of 
these, 1.2 miles would be roads constructed on undisturbed ground and 
0.9 miles would be constructed on an existing alignment. Approximately 
4.6 miles of temporary roads would be constructed for this project. Of 
these, three miles would be constructed on undisturbed ground and 1.6 
miles would be on existing alignment. An existing temporary road, 
located in the Riparian Reserves, would be decommissioned. All 
temporary roads created for the project are located outside of Riparian 
Reserves and would be decommissioned after use. A project specific 
Roads Analysis has also been completed for this project.
    Log landings would be used for skyline and tractor logging, and for 
decking and disposal of forest residues. Approximately, 19 new disposal 
sites and 54 new landings and/or disposal sites would be created. 
Approximately 94 existing landings may require minor earthwork to 
expand dimensions and minor clearing and/or blading. Landings would 
vary in size from \1/4\ to \1/2\ acre in size. In addition, hazard 
trees along the haul routes would be felled and removed during 
implementation of the project. Hazard trees felled within Riparian 
Reserves would remain on-site. Water would be collected from existing 
sources.

Responsible Official

    Tyrone Kelley, Forest Supervisor, Six Rivers National Forest, 1330 
Bayshore Way, Eureka, CA 95501.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Whether to proceed under the proposed action or action as modified 
will be decided by the responsible official.

Scoping Process

    The OCFR Project original proposed action was released for public 
scoping February 13, 2007. Based on public feedback during scoping and 
seven public field trips, the Forest Service has a new proposed action 
and is repeating the scoping and comment period.

Permits or Licenses Required

    Road encroachment permit(s) may be needed from Humboldt County 
Roads Department for new road intersections and potential logging on 
County roads--Ishi Pishi, Bark Shanty, and Red Cap.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process and comment 
period which guides the development of the environmental impact 
statement.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be 
prepared for comment. 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.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important 
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
draft environmental impact statements must structure their 
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is 
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may 
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, 
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action 
participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that 
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to 
them in the final environmental impact statement.

[[Page 59071]]

    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft 
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is 
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the 
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft 
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives 
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer 
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: October 12, 2007.
Tyrone Kelley,
Forest Supervisor.
 [FR Doc. E7-20547 Filed 10-17-07; 8:45 am]
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