Caribou-Targhee National Forest; Idaho and Wyoming; Revision of the Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, 66719-66721 [2010-27334]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 209 (Friday, October 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66719-66721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-27334]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Caribou-Targhee National Forest; Idaho and Wyoming; Revision of 
the Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision of the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for a Forest Plan Amendment 
to the 1997 Revised Forest Plan for the Targhee National Forest, 
located in Bonneville, Clark, Fremont, Lemhi, Madison and Teton 
counties, ID, and Teton and Lincoln counties, WY. The previous Notices 
of Intent were published in the Federal Register on May 30, 2007 
(72(103):29948-29949, as ``Big Bend Ridge Vegetation Management Project 
and Timber Sale Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and 
Proposed Targhee Revised Forest Plan Amendment'') and on May 21, 2008 
(73(99):29480-29481, as ``Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Targhee Revised Forest Plan With Proposed Forest Plan 
Amendment'').

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SUMMARY: The Caribou-Targhee National Forest (Forest) published two 
notices of intent (May 2007 and May 2008) to prepare a supplemental 
environmental impact statement (EIS) to amend the 1997 Revised Forest 
Plan (1997 Plan) for the Targhee portion of the Forest (Targhee). The 
Forest has revised the proposed amendment and will prepare an EIS 
instead of a supplemental EIS to amend the 1997 Plan. The revised 
proposed amendment: (1) Provides direction to maintain the 
characteristics of old-growth forests where they exist and eliminate a 
``quota'' for old-growth and late-seral forested vegetation by 
principal watershed or ecological subsection; (2) replaces requirements 
for maintaining ``biological potential'' with clear direction for snag 
retention to provide habitat for cavity-nesting birds; and (3) provides 
direction to maintain habitat in northern goshawk, boreal owl and great 
gray owl territories affected by vegetation projects. The Forest 
believes these new approaches to vegetation management would better 
provide wildlife habitat. The Forest seeks comments on the revised 
proposal in order to: (1) Clarify the issues, (2) decide how the 
proposed amendment may need to be modified, and (3) determine whether 
or not it is necessary to develop additional alternative(s) for 
analysis in the draft EIS.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this analysis must be received 
by November 29, 2010. The draft EIS is expected in January 2011. The 
final EIS is expected in April 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Megan Bogle, Forest Planner, 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, P.O. Box 777, Driggs, Idaho 83422. 
Electronic comments can be sent to comments-intermtn-caribou-targhee@fs.fed.us.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Bogle, Forest Planner, Caribou-
Targhee National Forest, P.O. Box 777, Driggs, Idaho 83422. Additional 
information on the proposed Plan Amendment may be accessed by clicking 
on the ``NEPA documents for projects'' link on the Forest Web site: 
https://www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-targhee/projects/.
    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 of and Need for the Action

    The 1997 Plan includes direction that has proven difficult to 
implement. Specifically, the 1997 Plan requires 20 percent of forested 
vegetation be maintained in the old-growth and late-seral age classes 
in each principal watershed. After much deliberation, the Forest 
believes that 1997 Plan direction to maintain a certain amount of old-
growth and late-seral vegetation does not reflect the ecological 
capability of the Targhee. Because of the stand characteristics of 
lodgepole pine and aspen cover types, and the frequency of natural 
change and disturbances in the ecosystem, some principal watersheds may 
never meet the 20 percent guideline. Consequently, the Forest proposes 
to amend the 1997 Plan to maintain old-growth forests where they 
actually occur.
    The concept of biological potential used in the 1997 Plan has also 
proven problematic because of conflicting requirements at the watershed 
scale and Management Prescription scale. Clear and practical direction 
is necessary to ensure that adequate numbers of snags and/or green 
trees having evidence of cavities, nesting activity, or decadence would 
be retained where commercial timber harvest occurs.

[[Page 66720]]

    Additionally, the elimination of redundant guidelines for the 
management of forested vegetation could clarify the 1997 Plan 
direction.

Proposed Action

    The Forest is proposing to amend the 1997 Plan to create more 
consistent and clear management direction for old-growth forests and 
snag retention. The analysis for this amendment will describe habitat 
relationships for selected wildlife species associated with forested 
vegetation. These relationships would be described in the proposed 
amendment and monitored through time to ensure that adequate habitat is 
maintained for these species. The proposed amendment would include 
changes to the associated monitoring items and update definitions in 
the 1997 Plan glossary. The proposed amendment would apply only to the 
Targhee portion of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
    The proposed amendment would not authorize or approve any specific 
actions or activities. Prior to implementing any site-specific 
projects, the Forest would determine consistency with the 1997 Plan, as 
amended, to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act and other applicable laws and regulations. The following amendments 
to the 1997 Plan are proposed:

Vegetation--Forestwide Direction for Old-Growth Forests

    1. Delete the forest-wide guideline for old-growth and late-seral 
forest stages listed as number 6 and found on pages III-12-13 of the 
1997 Plan.
    Exception: Retain standard number (6)(3): Use the definition of 
old-growth characteristics by forest type found in Characteristics of 
Old-Growth Forests in the Intermountain Region (Hamilton 1993).
    2. Replace the guideline in Item 1 above with the following:
    a. Prescribed fire and mechanical treatments in old-growth stands 
shall not reduce old-growth characteristics below the minimum standards 
described in Characteristics of Old-Growth Forests in the Intermountain 
Region (Hamilton 1993) and further defined in the March 2, 2007 
Regional Forester's letter of clarification (Guideline).''
    Exceptions: This guideline does not apply to:

i. Highway and utility corridors where hazard tree removal is necessary 
for public safety;
ii. Management Prescriptions:

    4.1 (Developed Recreation Sites)
    4.2 (Special Use Permit Recreation Sites)
    4.3 (Dispersed Camping Management)
    8.1 (Concentrated Developed Areas)

    b. Prescribed fire and mechanical treatments within old-growth 
stands shall be limited to treatments necessary to sustain old-growth 
forest composition and structure and improve the likelihood that old-
growth forests are retained on the landscape. Examples of these tools 
are thinning-from-below and under burning to reduce the risk of stand-
replacing fire (Guideline).

Wildlife--Direction for Snags/Cavity Nesting Habitat

    1. Delete forest-wide guideline numbers 1, 2 and 3 for Snag/Cavity 
Nesting Habitat listed on pages III-16-17.
    2. Delete the Management Prescription guidelines related to snag 
retention and biological potential for woodpeckers listed in the table 
below:

 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Management Prescription                                       Biological
                                                              Potential
                                                              (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.6.1[a]                        Grizzly Bear Habitat (No              60
                                 ASQ, no cross-country, no
                                 sheep) (III-98).
2.8.3                           Aquatic Influence Zone (III-         100
                                 109).
3.2[b,c,d,g,i,j]                Semi-primitive Motorized              60
                                 (III-121).
5.1[c]                          Timber Management (III-136)           40
5.1.3[a-b]                      Timber Management (No clear-          40
                                 cutting, urban interface)
                                 (III-137).
5.1.4[a-d]                      Timber Management (Big Game           40
                                 Security Emphasis) (III-
                                 139).
5.2.1                           Visual Quality Improvement            40
                                 (III-143).
5.3.5                           Grizzly Bear Habitat (NIC             60
                                 for ASQ, no cross-county,
                                 no sheep) (III-148).
5.4[a,b,c]                      Elk Summer Range (III-153).           60
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Replace the guidelines listed in items 1 and 2 above with:
    a. Commercial timber harvest will not reduce the number of snags 
and/or green trees below the numbers in the table below. This will be 
calculated as an average for the total treatment unit acres within a 
project area to allow variability between treatment units and retain a 
more natural, clumped distribution of snags and green trees 
(Guideline).''

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Minimum average snags and/or green
                                           trees per acre to retain
   Vegetation category (SAF cover    -----------------------------------
              type\1\)                  >= 8''      >= 12''
                                        dbh\2\        dbh        Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aspen...............................         8.3         N/A         8.3
Cottonwood..........................         3.2         4.9         8.1
Douglas-fir and.....................         3.7         5.5         9.2
Spruce-Fir..........................
Lodgepole pine......................         8.7         N/A         8.7
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 66721]]

    Exceptions: This guideline does not apply to:
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    \1\ Eyre, F.H. editor 1980 Cover Types of the United States and 
Canada Society of American Foresters, Washington D.C. pp 80-141.
    \2\ dbh: diameter at breast height.

i. Designated personal-use firewood areas;
ii. Highway and utility corridors where hazard tree removal is 
necessary for public safety;
iii. Management Prescriptions:
    4.1 (Developed Recreation Sites)
    4.2 (Special Use Permit Recreation Sites)
    4.3 (Dispersed Camping Management)
    8.1 (Concentrated Developed Areas)

    b. Large diameter snags and/or green trees having evidence of 
cavities, nesting activity, or decadence would be given priority for 
retention (Guideline).
    c. Public workforce and contractor safety will be considered and 
provided for in selecting the arrangement of retained snags and trees 
(Standard).

Wildlife--Forestwide Direction for Northern Goshawk, Boreal and Great 
Gray Owl Habitat

    1. Delete the forest-wide standards and guidelines for northern 
goshawk habitat (entire table on III-21), guideline number 2 for boreal 
owl habitat (III-22) and standard number 2 for great gray owl habitat 
(III-22).
    2. Replace the above standards and guidelines with the following 
guideline:
    a. Utilize site-specific data to predict whether a proposed project 
may negatively impact Northern goshawks, boreal owls, and/or great gray 
owls, and whether habitat occurs within the project area. If there is 
habitat and the species may be negatively impacted by the project:
    i. Survey for the presence of Northern goshawks, boreal owls and/or 
great gray owls at least once prior to project implementation.
    ii. Design projects to maintain adequate amounts of habitat in 
known territories.

Big Hole Subsection and Caribou Subsection--Guidelines for Old-Growth

    1. Delete the following guideline applicable in both subsections: 
``Within one mile of the Palisades Reservoir and the South Fork of the 
Snake River, emphasis will be given to managing old-growth Douglas-fir, 
spruce and cottonwood habitats for wildlife species'' (III-61 and 62).

Monitoring

    The proposed amendment would update the 1997 Plan monitoring 
requirements related to the proposed above changes (Chapter V).

Glossary and Definitions

    The proposed amendment would update 1997 Plan definitions related 
to the above changes (Glossary).

Name and Address of the Responsible Official

    Brent Larson, Forest Supervisor, 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, 
ID 83445.

Nature of the Decision To Be Made (See FSH 1909.15, section 11.22)

    The decision to be made is to approve the proposed amendment to the 
1997 Plan; approve a modification of the proposed amendment; or not to 
amend the 1997 Plan at this time.

Description of the Scoping Process

    This corrected NOI continues the scoping process, which guides the 
development of the EIS.

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 thru 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 Caribou-Targhee National Forest has elected to use 
the provisions of the 1982 planning rule including the requirement to 
prepare an EIS, to complete its plan revision.

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

    Dated: October 22, 2010.
Brent Larson,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-27334 Filed 10-28-10; 8:45 am]
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