Plan Revision for Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, Oregon and Washington (Collectively Called the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision), 15403-15406 [2010-6748]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 59 (Monday, March 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15403-15406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6748]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Plan Revision for Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National 
Forests, Oregon and Washington (Collectively Called the Blue Mountains 
Forest Plan Revision)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
and revised land management plan using the provisions of the National 
Forest System land and resource management planning rule in effect 
prior to November 9, 2000 for the Malheur (including that portion of 
the Ochoco National Forest administered by the Malheur National 
Forest), Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, Adams, Idaho, 
and Nez Perce Counties

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in Idaho; Baker, Grant, Harney, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and 
Wheeler Counties in Oregon; Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, and Walla Walla 
Counties in Washington.

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SUMMARY: As directed by the National Forest Management Act, the USDA 
Forest Service is preparing the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman 
National Forests revised land management plans and will also prepare an 
environmental impact statement for these revised plans. This notice 
briefly describes the purpose and need, the proposed action, the 
scoping process for the plan revisions (including any scoping 
meetings), information concerning public participation, estimated dates 
for filing the EIS and provides the names and addresses of the 
responsible agency official and the individuals who can provide 
additional information. This notice also briefly describes the 
applicable planning rule.
    The revised land management plans will supersede the land 
management plans previously approved by the Regional Forester. The 
Malheur National Forest land management plan was signed on May 25, 1990 
and has been amended 67 times. The Umatilla National Forest land 
management plan was signed on June 11, 1990 and has been amended 34 
times. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest land management plan was 
signed on April 23, 1990, and has been amended 43 times. Most forest 
plan amendments are project-specific amendments and apply to that 
project only. Some amendments incorporated new management direction for 
specific management areas, such as wild and scenic rivers. Five 
amendments were incorporated into all three forest plans by the 
Regional Forester. These amendments included direction for managing 
streams and riparian areas, old growth forests, and treatment of 
invasive species. These amended plans will remain in effect until the 
revision takes effect.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this analysis must be received 
by May 25, 2010. The agency expects to complete a proposed plan and 
draft environmental impact statement by April 2011 and a final plan and 
final environmental impact statement by March 2012.
    See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, 
Attn: Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision Team, P.O. Box 907, Baker 
City, Oregon 97814, or e-mail: blue_mtn_planrevision@fs.fed.us.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie Countryman, Forest Plan Revision 
Team leader, phone 541-523-1264 or Tim Gliddon, Planning Assistant, 
phone 541-523-1269. Information on this revision is also available at 
the Blue Mountain Forest Plan Revision Web site https://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/blue_mtn_planrevision.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need

    The existing forest plans are 20 years old. Economic, social, and 
ecological conditions changed during that time; new laws, regulations 
and policies are in place; and new information based on monitoring and 
scientific research is available. The Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-
Whitman National Forests are revising their 1990 forest plans to meet 
the legal requirements of the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 
1976; to address changed conditions and provide consistent management 
direction (as appropriate) across the three national forests; to 
incorporate changes in law, regulation, and policy; and to utilize new 
scientific information. In particular, the interdisciplinary planning 
team intends to address the following areas in the revised forest 
plans:
    1. To more adequately protect and restore terrestrial plant and 
animal species and their habitats. Two objectives in the Strategic Plan 
for the Forest Service are to ``provide ecological conditions to 
sustain viable populations of native and desired nonnative species and 
to achieve objectives for management indicator and focal species.'' The 
Columbia Basin Strategy (2000) identifies key elements to be addressed 
in planning efforts, such as source habitats, that are not addressed in 
the 1990 forest plans. The structural arrangement of vegetation, both 
vertical and horizontal, and the size and arrangement of trees, 
grasses, and shrubs are important components of wildlife habitat. Many 
changes to forest stand structure have occurred due to disturbances 
such as fire, timber harvest, and insects and disease. There has been a 
loss of large (20 inches DBH and greater) and medium (15 to 20 inches 
DBH) trees across the landscape. Dry old single story forest has been 
greatly reduced from pre-1900 levels. Some of the most significant 
changes in forested structural stages have occurred in the dry forest 
environment. All of these changes have led to reductions in habitat for 
some species and increases for others. The 1990 forest plans need to be 
updated to reflect current science relating to plant and animal species 
and their habitats.
    2. To address management of fuels and fire risk. Changing 
vegetative conditions have made forests more susceptible to 
disturbances, such uncharacteristically severe fires, insects and 
disease. Several factors have contributed to the changes, including the 
cumulative effects of a periodic and sometimes extended drought, 
climate change, increasing vegetative density, shifts in forest species 
composition, and modified landscape patterns. Forested areas on the 
three national forests are dominated by dense, multi-layered conifer 
stands with tree species that are not well suited for the area. The 
1990 forest plan standards and guidelines do not adequately address the 
multiple factors that have created the existing uncharacteristic 
conditions nor do they adequately address the varied nature of the 
landscape. Neither do they address the need for management strategies 
that recognize the unique qualities of various landscapes. An 
integrated strategy that recognizes multiple risk factors and addresses 
variability in conditions and site potentials is needed.
    3. To more adequately protect and restore watersheds and aquatic 
habitats. The Columbia Basin Strategy (2000) emphasizes restoring the 
processes responsible for creating and maintaining aquatic and riparian 
habitats and restoring naturally functioning riparian ecosystems. It 
also outlines specific components to be included in revised forest 
plans. The 1990 forest plans include, by amendment, interim direction 
(i.e., PACFISH, INFISH, and the Eastside Screens) for management of 
threatened or endangered fish species. However, the 1990 plan language 
was never changed to integrate this interim direction or resolve 
conflicts between the existing plan language and the interim direction 
language. The 1990 forest plans do not adequately provide integrated 
management strategies for maintenance and restoration of properly 
functioning watersheds that provide a range of benefits on and off the 
national forests. These include, but are not limited to, providing 
habitat for terrestrial, aquatic, and riparian-dependent species; 
maintaining water quality; providing channel stability; reducing 
erosion; moderating floods; and maintaining reliable stream flows for 
downstream users.
    4. To address climate change. The 1990 forest plans do not address 
climate change. Climate change is expected to

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affect plant species range and composition and alter competitive 
relationships between plant species. Changes in the composition and 
structure of plant communities will, in turn, alter the character and 
distribution of wildlife habitats. Future conditions may be more 
favorable to some undesired non-native plant and animal species. The 
full extent of changes in response to climate change on natural 
resources in the Blue Mountains is uncertain, but integrated management 
direction is needed to maintain or increase the resilience of the 
national forests in the face of these changes.
    5. To recognize the interdependency of social and economic 
components with national forest management. The relationship between 
the national forests and the people who live, work, and play in them is 
not adequately recognized in the 1990 forest plans. National forests 
provide a variety of recreation opportunities, work opportunities, and 
opportunities to exercise cultural and spiritual traditions. Local 
communities provide infrastructure that contributes to the ability of 
the national forests to restore and maintain ecological systems. In 
eastern Oregon in particular, the tie between national forest 
management and the social and economic well-being of local communities 
is particularly important. With historically high unemployment rates 
and many small communities poorly positioned to attract new industries 
providing family-wage jobs, logging and wood processing jobs are 
essential to maintaining and improving social and economic conditions. 
In addition, many of the actions needed to improve forest structure, 
reduce fuel loadings and conduct other restoration activities in 
eastern Oregon are dependent on the workforce and infrastructure 
associated with logging and wood processing.

Proposed Action

    The Proposed Action is a revision of the land management plans for 
the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests designed to 
meet the purpose and need. It includes revised goals/desired 
conditions, objectives, standards, guidelines, suitable uses and 
activities, management area designations including special areas, and 
monitoring items. The Proposed Action can be found at the Blue 
Mountains Forest Plan Revision Web site: https://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/blue_mtn_planrevision/.

Public Participation

    The Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests began 
this forest plan revision process in 2003. Public participation began 
in 2004 with community workshops. Workshops were held in Baker City, 
Burns, Enterprise, Heppner, John Day, La Grande and Portland, Oregon, 
and in Dayton and Pasco, Washington. Workshops were also held in 2005 
and 2006. Three field trips, one on each forest, were conducted in 
2005. Meetings with representatives of the counties where the forests 
are located began in 2004 and are continuing. Government-to-government 
consultation with Tribal nations and staff-to-staff consultation with 
their resource specialists began early in the process and will 
continue.
    Public meetings are scheduled at the following dates and locations:
    April 6, 2010--5 p.m. Federal Building, 431 Patterson, John Day, 
Oregon.
    April 7, 2010--5 p.m. Harney County Senior Center, 17 S. Alder, 
Burns, Oregon.
    April 13, 2010--5 p.m. Pendleton Convention Center, Rooms 3 & 4, 
1601 Westgate, Pendleton, Oregon.
    April 14, 2010--5 p.m. St. Patrick Senior Center, 182 N. Main, 
Heppner, Oregon.
    April 15, 2010--5 p.m. Public Use Building, 1 N. Pine, Dayton, 
Washington.
    April 20, 2010--5 p.m. Sunridge Inn, One Sunridge Lane, Baker City, 
Oregon.
    April 21, 2010--5 p.m. Eastern Oregon University, One University 
Blvd, Hoke Hall, Room 309, La Grande, Oregon.
    April 22, 2010--5 p.m. Civic Center, 102 E. 1st St., Joseph, 
Oregon.
    April 28, 2010--5 p.m. Red Lion Hotel Portland Convention Center, 
1021 NE. Grand Avenue, Portland, Oregon.
    April 29, 2010--5 p.m. Franklin County Public Utility District 
Auditorium, 1411 West Clark, Pasco, Washington.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The Forest Service, USDA, is the lead agency. Cooperating agencies 
are: The State of Oregon; Baker County, Grant County, Harney County, 
Morrow County, Umatilla County, Wallowa County, and Wheeler County in 
Oregon; and Asotin County, Columbia County, and Garfield County in 
Washington. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation 
is also a cooperating agency.

Name and Address of the Responsible Official

    Mary Wagner, Regional Forester, Pacific Northwest Region, 333 SW. 
1st Street, P.O. Box 3623, Portland, Oregon 97208.

Nature of the Decision To Be Made

    The Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests are 
preparing an EIS to revise the current forest plans. The EIS process is 
meant to inform the Regional Forester so that she can decide which 
alternative best meets the need to achieve quality land management to 
meet the diverse needs of people while protecting the forests' 
resources, as required by the National Forest Management Act and the 
Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act.
    The revised forest plans provide guidance for all resource 
management activities on the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman 
National Forests. Approval of the revised forest plans will result in 
the following plan components to guide management for the next 10 to 15 
years:
     Goals/desired conditions;
     Objectives;
     Forest-wide standards and guidelines;
     Management area desired conditions, standards, and 
guidelines;
     Suitability of lands for uses and activities;
     Monitoring and evaluation requirements; and
     Recommendations may be made for special areas, such as 
Research Natural Areas, or areas that can only be designated by 
statute, such as wilderness.
    Goals/desired conditions provide a description of desired outcomes 
of forest management. Objectives provide projections of measurable 
outcomes intended to promote achievement of forest plan goals/desired 
conditions. Forest-wide standards and guidelines provide management 
direction and guidance that is applicable across each national forest. 
Management Area desired conditions, standards, and guidelines provide 
direction that applies to specific geographic areas within the three 
national forests. Identification of characteristics of lands for 
specific uses and activities provides integration between particular 
uses and desired conditions and objectives for areas on the national 
forest. Monitoring and evaluation indicates whether areas are trending 
toward goals/desired conditions so that needed adjustments can be made 
in the future. Special areas are places or areas within the National 
Forest System designated because of their unique or special 
characteristics. Some can be designated by the responsible official, 
such as a botanical area. Others, such as wilderness or wild and scenic 
river designations, are recommended for designation by the responsible 
official, and are designated by Congressional action.

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    As important as the decisions to be made is the identification of 
the types of decisions that will not be made within the revised forest 
plan. The authorization of project-level activities on the forests is 
not a decision made in the forest plan but occurs through subsequent 
project specific decision-making. The designation of routes, trails, 
and areas for motorized vehicle travel are not considered during plan 
revision. Some issues (e.g., hunting regulations), although important, 
are beyond the authority or control of the national forests and will 
not be considered. In addition, some issues, such as wild and scenic 
river suitability determinations, may not be undertaken at this time, 
but addressed later as a future forest plan amendment. The Hells Canyon 
National Recreation Area (HCNRA), administered by the Wallowa-Whitman 
National Forest, is managed under the HCNRA Comprehensive Management 
Plan, a part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest land management 
plan. The HCNRA Comprehensive Management Plan was revised in 2003 and 
is not being considered for modification in this revision process.

Applicable Planning Rule

    On December 18, 2009 the Department reinstated the previous 
planning rule, commonly known as the 2000 planning rule in the Federal 
Register (Federal Register, Volume 74, No. 242, Friday, December 18, 
2009, pages 67059 through 67075). The transition provisions of the 
reinstated rule (36 CFR 219.35 and appendices A and B) allow use of the 
provisions of the National Forest System land and resource management 
planning rule in effect prior to the effective date of the 2000 rule 
(November 9, 2000), commonly called the 1982 planning rule, to amend or 
revise plans. The Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National 
Forests have elected to use the provisions of the 1982 planning rule 
including the requirement to prepare an EIS, to complete plan 
revisions. Although the 2008 planning rule is no longer in effect, 
information gathered prior to the court's injunction is useful for 
completing the plan revisions using the provisions of the 1982 planning 
rule. The Blue Mountains Plan Revision Team has concluded that the 
analyses begun or developed during the revision process to date are 
appropriate for continued use in the revision process.

Roadless Area Management Direction

    The proposed action includes management direction for all National 
Forest System lands within the planning area, including lands 
identified as inventoried roadless areas (IRAs) in the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation 
Rule (RACR). There is currently a legal dispute regarding the status of 
the RACR, with one Federal Court (Wyoming District Federal Court, Judge 
Brimmer) finding the rule to be in conflict with law and enjoining its 
implementation and a different Federal Court (Northern California 
District Federal Court, Judge Laporte) reinstating that rule and 
prohibiting the Forest Service from taking any action that would have 
been prohibited under the RACR. The Forest Service is hopeful that 
current legal proceedings will resolve these conflicting court rulings.
    The Proposed Action includes plan direction that retains the 
undeveloped character of all three national forests by including 
Management Areas that restrict road construction and timber harvest. 
This is based on analysis of the resources and management situation 
that the Forest Service has done in developing the Proposed Action and 
on extensive public involvement.
    Comments received in the scoping process will help the agency 
determine the scope of issues related to roadless area management and 
guide the development of alternatives and analysis of environmental 
effects. The decision for the final plan will be consistent with the 
legal status of the RACR at the time the plan is signed.

Description of the Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. In scoping, the 
agency, with the assistance of the public, determines the scope of the 
issues to be addressed and identifies the significant issues related to 
the proposed action (see 40 CFR 1501.7).
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a way that they are useful to the Agency's preparation of 
the revised plan and the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided 
prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate 
the reviewers' concerns and contentions. The submission of timely and 
specific comments can affect a reviewer's ability to participate in 
subsequent objection, administrative appeal or judicial review.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including the 
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.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1600-1614; 36 CFR 219.35 (74 FR 67073-
67074).

    Dated: March 22, 2010.
Mary Wagner,
Regional Forester, Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2010-6748 Filed 3-26-10; 8:45 am]
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