Medford-Park Falls Ranger District, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Park Falls Hardwoods Project, 1587-1588 [2010-214]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2010 / Notices
ADDRESSES.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Medford-Park Falls Ranger District,
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest,
Park Falls Hardwoods Project
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of Intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement.
AGENCY:
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service,
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest,
Medford-Park Falls Ranger District
intends to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) to document the
analysis and disclose the environmental
effects of proposed land management
activities, and corresponding
alternatives within the Park Falls
Hardwoods project area. The primary
purpose of this proposal is to implement
activities consistent with direction in
the Chequamegon-Nicolet National
Forests Land and Resource Management
Plan (Forest Plan) and respond to
specific needs identified in the project
area. The project area is located on the
Park Falls unit of the Medford-Park
Falls Ranger District, ChequamegonNicolet National Forest, approximately
13–15 miles northeast of Phillips,
Wisconsin. The legal description for the
area is: Portions of the eastern Sections
of Township 37 North, Range 3 East;
Township 38 North, Range 3 East; and
Township 39 North, Range 3 East;
Fourth Principal Meridian.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received within
30 days of publication of this notice to
receive timely consideration in
preparation of the draft Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The draft EIS is
expected May 2010 and the final EIS is
expected November 2010.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
District Ranger Bob Heimes, c/o Jane
Darnell, Medford-Park Falls Ranger
District, 850 N. 8th St., Medford,
Wisconsin 54451. Comments may also
be sent via e-mail to
jdarnell01@fs.fed.us with a subject line
that reads ‘‘Park Falls Hardwoods
Project’’, or via facsimile to 715–748–
5675.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane
Darnell, NEPA Coordinator, Medford–
Park Falls Ranger District,
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest,
USDA Forest Service; telephone: 715–
748–4875 (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). For a
mailing address, see above under
VerDate Nov<24>2008
15:14 Jan 11, 2010
Jkt 220001
Copies of documents may
be requested at the same address.
Another means of obtaining information
is to visit the Forest Web page at
https://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/natres/
index.html. Click on ‘‘Park Falls
Hardwoods Project’’ under the ‘‘Current
Proposed Actions’’ heading.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
information presented in this notice is
included to help the reviewer determine
if they are interested in or potentially
affected by this proposed project. The
information presented in this notice is
summarized. Those who wish to
comment on this proposal or are
otherwise interested in or potentially
affected by it are encouraged to review
more detailed documents such as the
Proposed Action for the Park Falls
Hardwoods project and the draft EIS as
these documents become available. See
the preceding section of this notice for
contact information.
Purpose and Need for Action
The Park Falls Hardwoods project
primarily falls within the area defined
in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National
Forests 2004 Land and Resource
Management Plan (Forest Plan) as
Management Area (MA) 2B. MA 2B is
described in the Forest Plan as having
a desired condition as an uneven-aged,
northern hardwood, interior forest.
Guidance in the Forest Plan identifies
this area to be managed for relatively
continuous mid to late successional
northern hardwood and northern
hardwood-hemlock forest communities
where large patch conditions and a
relatively continuous canopy is
maintained or recreated. The primary
purpose of the Park Falls Hardwoods
proposal is to implement activities
consistent with direction in the Forest
Plan and to respond to specific needs
identified in the project area. Through
an analysis of the existing conditions
within the project area compared to the
desired conditions as documented in
the Forest Plan, six needs for action
have been identified (A–F):
A. Need to Maintain and Improve
Forest Health (Forest Plan Goal 1.4):
Nine needs have been identified related
to forest health.
There is a need to understand the
processes controlling forest-atmosphere
exchange of carbon dioxide and the
response of these processes to climate
change.
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an
introduced insect that has the potential
to devastate all native ash species
similar to what occurred to the
American chestnut and American elm.
There is a need to identify site-specific
strategies to control or minimize
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
1587
impacts to ash and the forest ecosystem
from EAB.
There is a need to re-establish
healthy, vigorous forest in areas
impacted by disease and wind damage.
There is a need to restore and expand
Canada yew populations within the
project area.
Most of the mid to late successional
upland forest within the project area is
well over the stocking levels prescribed
in the Forest Plan to maintain forest
health and productivity. There is a need
to treat these areas to promote forest
health and vigor.
There is a need to reduce the amount
of early successional species (primarily
aspen) within the project area. For MA
2B, Chapter 3 of the Forest Plan has a
desired condition for aspen of a
maximum of 10% of the upland forest.
The existing condition is that aspen
comprises about 25% of the upland
forest type.
The majority of the hardwood forest
within the project area was established
70 to 80 years ago and is comprised of
trees that are all about the same age. In
MA 2B, the Forest Plan describes the
desired condition for the area as mid to
late successional uneven-aged northern
hardwood forests. There is a need to
increase the amount of uneven-aged
hardwood forest within the project area.
Much of the hardwood forest within
the project area is connected in large
blocks. There are some instances,
particularly in the southern portion of
the project area, where treatment of
early successional forest to convert it to
later successional species, will increase
the potential and meet the need for
larger patches of the desired forest type
(hardwoods, spruce, pine, hemlock,
oak).
As described earlier, the 2B
management prescription calls for
upland forest of primarily mid to late
successional species. While there is an
overabundance of early successional
species in the project area, the early
successional species that are present are
also overabundant in the older age
groups, with limited representation in
the youngest age groups (0–10 years of
age).
B. Need to Maintain and Improve
Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive
Species Habitats (Forest Plan Goal 1.1):
Based on monitoring, the habitat for
spruce grouse (a sensitive species) as
identified by the Forest Plan is near the
minimum threshold identified for this
species forest-wide. There is a need to
increase the amount of habitat for this
species where feasible. The project area
contains some habitat for spruce grouse
which could be improved and
expanded.
E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM
12JAN1
1588
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2010 / Notices
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
C. Need to Maintain and Improve
Coldwater Fisheries (Forest Plan Goal
1.5): There is a need to reduce the
amount of aspen adjacent to streams
within the project area, particularly cold
water streams. Beaver activity (primarily
feeding or utilization of aspen close to
these streams) results in lack of shade
trees adjacent to the stream and
potentially leads to increases in water
temperature, making it unsuitable for
cold water species.
D. Need to Maintain or Enhance the
Quality of the Recreation Experience
(Forest Plan Goal 2.1): The Fould’s
Creek spring ponds have long been
utilized as a recreational fishery. Also,
there are currently no designated nonmotorized trails within the project area.
Some of the project area is designated
for non-motorized public access, so
public access is limited to foot travel.
There is a need to provide adequate foot
travel access within the project area
which would improve the quality of the
recreational experience.
E. Need for Supplying Wood Products
(Forest Plan Goal 2.5): The harvest
activities being proposed to meet the
needs for action would result in the
availability of wood products, including
pulpwood, sawtimber, and biomass
products. Environmentally sound
harvest through commercial timber sales
would meet this need.
F. Need to Develop and Maintain
Capital Infrastructure (Forest Plan Goal
3.1 Transportation Systems): Based on a
roads analysis, there is a need to
provide an adequate, safe, and efficient
transportation system in the project
area. More specifically, total road
densities are slightly above the desired
road density in portions of the project
area, some roads are in areas susceptible
to resource damage, other roads are
located in areas where there are no
foreseeable access needs, and some
areas lack access.
Proposed Action
The proposed land management
activities (proposed actions) to meet the
needs of the area include the following:
A. The following tree harvest activities
address the needs to maintain or
improve forest health in the project
area: (1) Selection harvest on about
14,500 acres; (2) Improvement harvest
on about 1,400 acres; (3) Thinning
harvest on about 150 acres; (4)
Shelterwood harvest on about 380 acres;
(5) Overstory removal harvest on about
160 acres; and (6) Clearcut harvest on
about 450 acres. Selection, thinning,
and improvement harvest are types of
harvest activities that remove only a
portion of the existing trees to
encourage regeneration of an
VerDate Nov<24>2008
15:14 Jan 11, 2010
Jkt 220001
understory, to encourage age-class
development, or to encourage growth,
health and vigor in the remaining trees.
Other proposed projects related to forest
health include restoration of about 2
acres of Canada yew by supplemental
planting and fencing and restoration of
desired tree species (conifer and oak for
example) through supplemental
planting within a portion of the
proposed harvest areas.
B. The following project addresses the
need to maintain or improve Regional
Forester Sensitive Species habitat
(spruce grouse habitat): Supplemental
planting and retention of spruce on
about 50 acres.
C. The following project addresses the
need to maintain or improve coldwater
fisheries: Retention of shade trees and
discouragement of aspen adjacent to 12
miles of coldwater streams.
D. The following project addresses the
need to provide and enhance recreation
opportunities: Designation of about 6
miles of walking trails.
E. The following project addresses the
need for supplying wood products:
Proposed harvest activities will be
conducted through commercial timber
sales with an estimated 91 million board
feet of pulpwood and sawtimber
products, and potentially 14,000 dry
tons of tree top material which could be
utilized for biomass.
F. The following projects address
transportation needs for timber harvest
and for providing a safe and efficient
transportation system to meet
administrative and public access needs:
(1) New permanent road construction of
about 12 miles; (2) New temporary road
construction of about 1 mile; (3) Road
reconstruction of about 43 miles; and (4)
Road decommissioning of about 29
miles. In addition, the proposal includes
designation of about 16 miles of road
that would be open to public highway
vehicle use and another 14 miles that
would also be open to OHV (off
highway vehicle) use.
Possible Alternatives
Alternatives to the proposed action
that are currently being considered for
display in the draft EIS are as follows:
The required No Action alternative.
Other alternatives will be developed as
the analysis progresses.
Responsible Official
Bob Heimes, Medford-Park Falls
District Ranger, Chequamegon-Nicolet
National Forest.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The primary decision will be whether
or not to implement the proposed
projects or alternatives of the projects
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
within the project area that respond to
the purpose and need. The decision will
also include resource protection
measures as identified in the applicable
Forest Plan standards and guidelines.
The decision may also include
monitoring requirements and whether
Forest Plan amendments are needed to
implement the decision.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the environmental
impact statement. Comments in
response to this solicitation for
information should focus on (1) the
proposal; (2) issues or impacts from the
proposal; and (3) possible alternatives
for addressing issues associated with the
proposal. We are especially interested in
information that might identify a
specific undesired result of
implementing the proposed actions.
It is important that reviewers provide
their comments at such times and in
such maimer that they are useful to the
agency’s preparation of the
environmental impact statement.
Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer’s concerns and
contentions.
Comments received in response to
this solicitation, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will
be part of the public record for this
proposed action. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and
considered, however.
Dated: January 4, 2010.
Jeanne M. Higgins,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010–214 Filed 1–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Deschutes and Ochoco National
Forests Resource Advisory Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Deschutes and Ochoco
National Forests Resource Advisory
Committee will meet in Redmond,
Oregon. The purpose of the meeting is
to review proposed projects and make
recommendations under Title II
(division C of Pub. L. 110–343
reauthorized and amended the Secure
rural Schools and community SelfDetermination Act of 2000 (SRS Act) as
E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM
12JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1587-1588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-214]
[[Page 1587]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Medford-Park Falls Ranger District, Chequamegon-Nicolet National
Forest, Park Falls Hardwoods Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest,
Medford-Park Falls Ranger District intends to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the
environmental effects of proposed land management activities, and
corresponding alternatives within the Park Falls Hardwoods project
area. The primary purpose of this proposal is to implement activities
consistent with direction in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests
Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) and respond to specific
needs identified in the project area. The project area is located on
the Park Falls unit of the Medford-Park Falls Ranger District,
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, approximately 13-15 miles
northeast of Phillips, Wisconsin. The legal description for the area
is: Portions of the eastern Sections of Township 37 North, Range 3
East; Township 38 North, Range 3 East; and Township 39 North, Range 3
East; Fourth Principal Meridian.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
within 30 days of publication of this notice to receive timely
consideration in preparation of the draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). The draft EIS is expected May 2010 and the final EIS
is expected November 2010.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to District Ranger Bob Heimes, c/o
Jane Darnell, Medford-Park Falls Ranger District, 850 N. 8th St.,
Medford, Wisconsin 54451. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to
jdarnell01@fs.fed.us with a subject line that reads ``Park Falls
Hardwoods Project'', or via facsimile to 715-748-5675.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Darnell, NEPA Coordinator,
Medford-Park Falls Ranger District, Chequamegon-Nicolet National
Forest, USDA Forest Service; telephone: 715-748-4875 (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). For a mailing address, see
above under ADDRESSES. Copies of documents may be requested at the same
address. Another means of obtaining information is to visit the Forest
Web page at https://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/natres/. Click on
``Park Falls Hardwoods Project'' under the ``Current Proposed Actions''
heading.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information presented in this notice is
included to help the reviewer determine if they are interested in or
potentially affected by this proposed project. The information
presented in this notice is summarized. Those who wish to comment on
this proposal or are otherwise interested in or potentially affected by
it are encouraged to review more detailed documents such as the
Proposed Action for the Park Falls Hardwoods project and the draft EIS
as these documents become available. See the preceding section of this
notice for contact information.
Purpose and Need for Action
The Park Falls Hardwoods project primarily falls within the area
defined in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests 2004 Land and
Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) as Management Area (MA) 2B. MA
2B is described in the Forest Plan as having a desired condition as an
uneven-aged, northern hardwood, interior forest. Guidance in the Forest
Plan identifies this area to be managed for relatively continuous mid
to late successional northern hardwood and northern hardwood-hemlock
forest communities where large patch conditions and a relatively
continuous canopy is maintained or recreated. The primary purpose of
the Park Falls Hardwoods proposal is to implement activities consistent
with direction in the Forest Plan and to respond to specific needs
identified in the project area. Through an analysis of the existing
conditions within the project area compared to the desired conditions
as documented in the Forest Plan, six needs for action have been
identified (A-F):
A. Need to Maintain and Improve Forest Health (Forest Plan Goal
1.4): Nine needs have been identified related to forest health.
There is a need to understand the processes controlling forest-
atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide and the response of these
processes to climate change.
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an introduced insect that has the
potential to devastate all native ash species similar to what occurred
to the American chestnut and American elm. There is a need to identify
site-specific strategies to control or minimize impacts to ash and the
forest ecosystem from EAB.
There is a need to re-establish healthy, vigorous forest in areas
impacted by disease and wind damage.
There is a need to restore and expand Canada yew populations within
the project area.
Most of the mid to late successional upland forest within the
project area is well over the stocking levels prescribed in the Forest
Plan to maintain forest health and productivity. There is a need to
treat these areas to promote forest health and vigor.
There is a need to reduce the amount of early successional species
(primarily aspen) within the project area. For MA 2B, Chapter 3 of the
Forest Plan has a desired condition for aspen of a maximum of 10% of
the upland forest. The existing condition is that aspen comprises about
25% of the upland forest type.
The majority of the hardwood forest within the project area was
established 70 to 80 years ago and is comprised of trees that are all
about the same age. In MA 2B, the Forest Plan describes the desired
condition for the area as mid to late successional uneven-aged northern
hardwood forests. There is a need to increase the amount of uneven-aged
hardwood forest within the project area.
Much of the hardwood forest within the project area is connected in
large blocks. There are some instances, particularly in the southern
portion of the project area, where treatment of early successional
forest to convert it to later successional species, will increase the
potential and meet the need for larger patches of the desired forest
type (hardwoods, spruce, pine, hemlock, oak).
As described earlier, the 2B management prescription calls for
upland forest of primarily mid to late successional species. While
there is an overabundance of early successional species in the project
area, the early successional species that are present are also
overabundant in the older age groups, with limited representation in
the youngest age groups (0-10 years of age).
B. Need to Maintain and Improve Threatened, Endangered, and
Sensitive Species Habitats (Forest Plan Goal 1.1): Based on monitoring,
the habitat for spruce grouse (a sensitive species) as identified by
the Forest Plan is near the minimum threshold identified for this
species forest-wide. There is a need to increase the amount of habitat
for this species where feasible. The project area contains some habitat
for spruce grouse which could be improved and expanded.
[[Page 1588]]
C. Need to Maintain and Improve Coldwater Fisheries (Forest Plan
Goal 1.5): There is a need to reduce the amount of aspen adjacent to
streams within the project area, particularly cold water streams.
Beaver activity (primarily feeding or utilization of aspen close to
these streams) results in lack of shade trees adjacent to the stream
and potentially leads to increases in water temperature, making it
unsuitable for cold water species.
D. Need to Maintain or Enhance the Quality of the Recreation
Experience (Forest Plan Goal 2.1): The Fould's Creek spring ponds have
long been utilized as a recreational fishery. Also, there are currently
no designated non-motorized trails within the project area. Some of the
project area is designated for non-motorized public access, so public
access is limited to foot travel. There is a need to provide adequate
foot travel access within the project area which would improve the
quality of the recreational experience.
E. Need for Supplying Wood Products (Forest Plan Goal 2.5): The
harvest activities being proposed to meet the needs for action would
result in the availability of wood products, including pulpwood,
sawtimber, and biomass products. Environmentally sound harvest through
commercial timber sales would meet this need.
F. Need to Develop and Maintain Capital Infrastructure (Forest Plan
Goal 3.1 Transportation Systems): Based on a roads analysis, there is a
need to provide an adequate, safe, and efficient transportation system
in the project area. More specifically, total road densities are
slightly above the desired road density in portions of the project
area, some roads are in areas susceptible to resource damage, other
roads are located in areas where there are no foreseeable access needs,
and some areas lack access.
Proposed Action
The proposed land management activities (proposed actions) to meet
the needs of the area include the following:
A. The following tree harvest activities address the needs to
maintain or improve forest health in the project area: (1) Selection
harvest on about 14,500 acres; (2) Improvement harvest on about 1,400
acres; (3) Thinning harvest on about 150 acres; (4) Shelterwood harvest
on about 380 acres; (5) Overstory removal harvest on about 160 acres;
and (6) Clearcut harvest on about 450 acres. Selection, thinning, and
improvement harvest are types of harvest activities that remove only a
portion of the existing trees to encourage regeneration of an
understory, to encourage age-class development, or to encourage growth,
health and vigor in the remaining trees. Other proposed projects
related to forest health include restoration of about 2 acres of Canada
yew by supplemental planting and fencing and restoration of desired
tree species (conifer and oak for example) through supplemental
planting within a portion of the proposed harvest areas.
B. The following project addresses the need to maintain or improve
Regional Forester Sensitive Species habitat (spruce grouse habitat):
Supplemental planting and retention of spruce on about 50 acres.
C. The following project addresses the need to maintain or improve
coldwater fisheries: Retention of shade trees and discouragement of
aspen adjacent to 12 miles of coldwater streams.
D. The following project addresses the need to provide and enhance
recreation opportunities: Designation of about 6 miles of walking
trails.
E. The following project addresses the need for supplying wood
products: Proposed harvest activities will be conducted through
commercial timber sales with an estimated 91 million board feet of
pulpwood and sawtimber products, and potentially 14,000 dry tons of
tree top material which could be utilized for biomass.
F. The following projects address transportation needs for timber
harvest and for providing a safe and efficient transportation system to
meet administrative and public access needs: (1) New permanent road
construction of about 12 miles; (2) New temporary road construction of
about 1 mile; (3) Road reconstruction of about 43 miles; and (4) Road
decommissioning of about 29 miles. In addition, the proposal includes
designation of about 16 miles of road that would be open to public
highway vehicle use and another 14 miles that would also be open to OHV
(off highway vehicle) use.
Possible Alternatives
Alternatives to the proposed action that are currently being
considered for display in the draft EIS are as follows: The required No
Action alternative. Other alternatives will be developed as the
analysis progresses.
Responsible Official
Bob Heimes, Medford-Park Falls District Ranger, Chequamegon-Nicolet
National Forest.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The primary decision will be whether or not to implement the
proposed projects or alternatives of the projects within the project
area that respond to the purpose and need. The decision will also
include resource protection measures as identified in the applicable
Forest Plan standards and guidelines. The decision may also include
monitoring requirements and whether Forest Plan amendments are needed
to implement the decision.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. Comments in
response to this solicitation for information should focus on (1) the
proposal; (2) issues or impacts from the proposal; and (3) possible
alternatives for addressing issues associated with the proposal. We are
especially interested in information that might identify a specific
undesired result of implementing the proposed actions.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such maimer that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered, however.
Dated: January 4, 2010.
Jeanne M. Higgins,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-214 Filed 1-11-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M