Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; Umatilla National Forest, Walla Walla Ranger District; Oregon;, 55001-55002 [2011-21971]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55001-55002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21971]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; Umatilla 
National Forest, Walla Walla Ranger District; Oregon;

    Tollgate Fuels Reduction Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: On October 19, 2010, the Forest Service published a notice of 
intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Tollgate 
Fuels Reduction Project in the Federal Register. The project is located 
within the Upper 204/Tollgate Wildland Urban Interface as identified in 
the Umatilla County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), as 
amended. The project planning area encompasses approximately 46,000 
acres and is situated approximately 40 miles south/southwest of Walla 
Walla, Washington. The project has been planned and will be implemented 
using the authorities of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) of 
2004.
    After the initial request for public comment on the Tollgate 
proposal subsequent analysis identified two additional actions that 
needed to be incorporated into the Tollgate Fuels Reduction Project:
     Amend the Umatilla National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (Forest Plan): There is need to prepare a site specific 
amendment to the Umatilla National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan (Forest Plan). The proposed amendment will focus on the entry and 
treatment of fuels within select Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas 
(RHCAs). RHCA treatment is only proposed for the following units of the 
Tollgate Fuels Reduction Project- units 38, 75, 19, 66, and 61. These 
units were included on the map which accompanied the original scoping 
of this project, but we were not aware of the need for a Forest Plan 
Amendment until we had spent more time on the ground in these units. 
The proposed action does not propose any additional treatments within 
any RHCAs not contained in units listed above. All other RHCA will have 
the appropriate PACFISH buffers applied.
     Realignment of Forest Road 3718155: During subsequent 
review of public comments and associated road use needs to accomplish 
the fuels reduction objectives, it was determined that a realignment of 
a 0.35 mile segment of FR 3718155 would be required. Approximately 0.35 
miles of FR is inside the RHCA of a perennial non-fishbearing stream 
and has a native surface (soil). The road is adjacent to a spring and 
the roadbed is saturated for much of the year in that location. As part 
of the Tollgate proposed action, this segment of road would be moved to 
an upland site which occurs outside of the RHCA. The existing segment 
of road would be decommissioned and rehabilitated. These actions would 
occur prior to the implementation of fuels reduction activities within 
the area. FR 3718155 is listed as a closed road by the Walla Walla RD 
Access and Travel Management Plan. This realignment activity would not 
change its Access and Travel Management status. Following the 
completion of fuels reduction activities, FR 3718155 will be gated and 
will retain its current status as a closed road.

The Forest Service is inviting interested members of the public to 
comment on the abovementioned additions to the Tollgate Fuels Reduction 
Project.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by October 6, 2011. The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and be available to the public 
for review by February 2012. The Final EIS is scheduled to be completed 
by July 2012.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor, c/
o Michael Rassbach, District Ranger, Walla Walla Ranger District, 
Umatilla National Forest,1415 W. Rose, Walla Walla, WA. Comments may 
also be sent via e-mail to comments-pacificnorthwest-umatilla 
@fs.fed.us., or via facsimile to 509-522-6000.
    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 EIS. 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 become part of the public 
record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide 
the respondent with standing to participate in subsequent 
administrative objection process or judicial review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimpton Cooper, Environmental 
Coordinator, Walla Walla Ranger District, 1415 W. Rose, Walla Walla, WA 
99362. He can be reached by phone at (509) 522-6290 or by e-mail at 
kmcooper@fs.fed.us.
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Tollgate planning area is situated on a high plateau between 
the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness and the South Fork Walla Walla 
River. The Tollgate plateau is surrounded on all sides by very steep 
and deep canyons. The plateau area falls primarily into fire regime 4, 
based on species composition, and suggests the occurrence of mixed to 
high severity fire events with long return intervals. Private lands and 
in-holdings are adjacent to, and interspersed with National Forest 
System lands.
    The Tollgate WUI is comprised of approximately 368 residences, 43 
privately owned cabins under NFS special use permit, 4 NFS campgrounds, 
6 trailheads, 1 ski area, 4 snowparks and other FS facilities. The area 
is one of the heaviest used recreation areas on the entire Umatilla NF. 
In addition, there are numerous non-recreation uses of the area. 
Important local and regional infrastrature (fiber optic lines, 
telephone lines, power transmission lines, and communication equipment) 
is interspersed throughout the WUI. Oregon State Highway 204 bisects 
the Tollgate community and provides a major transportation route, 
linking it to Elgin, OR in the south, and Milton-Freewater/Pendleton, 
OR in the north. Highway 204 also provides an important commercial 
shipping route that facilitates the flow of goods and services between 
Union and Umatilla counties.
    Tollgate's geographic positioning, relative to large tracts of 
remote and

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inaccessible roadless and wilderness areas, makes for a uniquely 
positioned community, and is an important contributing factor to the 
area's overall need for treatment. In many cases, wilderness and 
roadless areas occur at higher elevations and are well removed, from 
communities. Tollgate however sits above large tracts of both roadless 
and wilderness areas. Wildfires can initiate in these remote places, 
gain intensity, and ultimately emerge onto the plateau.
    An accounting of the condition of existing vegetation within the 
analysis area has shown that these stands are very receptive to the 
initiation of high severity crown fire. The stands are also likely to 
sustain high severity crown fire that may emerge from the surrounding 
wilderness and roadless areas. Field reconnaissance of each prospective 
unit was performed, and showed that the structure, composition, 
arrangement, and dynamics of the present vegetation indicate an area 
highly susceptible to experiencing severe fire events.
    A strong need for treatment exists. A community, important 
infrastructure and a major transportation cooridor representvaluesthat 
are at risk. The area's infrastructure is located above, and in the 
path of major fire travel routes. The community is situated amongst 
vegetation that is poised to burn with severity.
    It is unlikely that high severity fire events can be stopped from 
occurring in fire regime 4; however, through the implementation of 
fuels reduction treatments property, infrastructure, and lives may be 
more effectively protected. Treatments resulting in modified fuel 
configurations in strategic locations can lessen the impacts of a major 
fire event to the people, infrastructure, and travel routes within 
Tollgate.
    The following project objectives were identified based on the 
intent of the 2004 Healthy Forest Restoration Act, the Umatilla County 
CWPP, and goals brought forth through public collaborative efforts:
     Lower fire hazard, by reducing overall fuel load and 
reducing the vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels within the 
project planning area.
     Improve protection to adjacent private lands and public/
private infrastructure from a wildfire event.
     Provide safe egress of local residents and safe ingress/
egress for firefighters during wildfire events.
     Effect immediate change in fire behavior within the 
Tollgate WUI by reducing fuels and creating strategic fuel breaks.
     Prepare a site specific Forest Plan amendment to allow 
entry and treatment of fuels within select Riparian Habitat 
Conservation Areas (RHCAs). RHCA treatment is only proposed for the 
following units of the Tollgate Fuels Reduction Project--units 38, 75, 
19, 66, and 61.

Proposed Action

    The Forest Service proposes to conduct fuels reduction activities 
on approximately 4,400 acres within the Tollgate project planning area. 
Fuel reduction efforts would be implemented through the use of 
commerical timber harvest (3,050 acres) and non-commercial thinning 
(1,350 acres). Fuel reduction prescriptions include crown reduction, 
dead and down material removal, and ladder fuel reduction.
    The project also includes fuel reduction activities in three (3) 
Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas (RHCAs) of strategic importance. 
There are treatments proposed along Oregon State Highway 204, designed 
to improve the defensibility of this important travel cooridor. 
Treatments are also proposed within the Lookingglass Inventoried 
Roadless Area (IRA). The proposed treatments are targeted on the edge 
of IRA boundary where it coincides with private inholdings and Forest 
Road 6400. No actions are proposed within either the North Fork 
Umatilla Wilderness or Walla Walla River Inventoried Roadless Area.
    The project will realign approximately 0.35 miles of Forest Road 
3718155 out of the RHCA of a fish-bearing stream to an upland site.

Responsible Official

    Forest Supervisor, Kevin Martin.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide:
    (1) Whether fuels reduction activities should occur, and if so, how 
much, when and where.
    (2) What monitoring and mitigation measures should be taken or are 
needed.
    (3) Whether or not to amend the Umatilla National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such manner 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.
    It should be noted that HFRA set up a pre-decisional objection 
process. Individual wishing to have standing to participate in the 
objection process must submit written comments either at this time 
(public scoping) or during the comment period for the Draft EIS.

    Dated: August 23, 2011.
 Kevin D. Martin,
 Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-21971 Filed 9-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P