Klamath National Forest; California; Pumice Vegetation Management Project, 69700-69702 [2011-29046]
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69700
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 76, No. 217
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
emcdonald on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
November 3, 2011.
The Department of Agriculture has
submitted the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13. Comments
regarding (a) whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of burden including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected; (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB),
OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or
fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail
Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250–
7602. Comments regarding these
information collections are best assured
of having their full effect if received
within 30 days of this notification.
Copies of the submission(s) may be
obtained by calling (202) 720–8958.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and the agency informs
potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such
persons are not required to respond to
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the collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
Klamath National Forest; California;
Pumice Vegetation Management
Project
Title: Use of the Grounds and
Facilities as well as Commercial
Photography and Cinematography at the
U.S. Arboretum.
OMB Control Number: 0518–0024.
Summary of Collection: The mission
of the U.S. National Arboretum (USNA)
is to conduct research, provide
education, and conserve and display
trees, shrubs, flowers, and other plans to
enhance the environment. The USNA is
a 446-acre public facility. The grounds
of the USNA are available to the general
public for purposes of education and
passive recreation. The USNA has many
spectacular feature and garden displays
which are very popular to visitors and
photographers. Section 890(b) of the
Federal Agriculture Improvement and
Reform Act of 1996, Public Law 104–
107 (‘‘FAIR ACT’’) provided statutory
authorities regarding the USNA. These
authorities include the ability to charge
fees for temporary use by individuals or
groups of USNA facilities and grounds
for any purpose consistent with the
mission of USNA. Also, the authority
was provided to charge fees for the use
of the USNA for commercial
photography and cinematography.
Need and Use of the Information:
USNA officials will collect the
information using applications in the
form of questionnaires. The collected
information is used by USNA to
determine if a requestor’s needs can be
met and the request is consistent with
the mission and goals of the USNA uses
of the information. If the basic
information is not collected, USNA
officials will not be able to determine if
a requestor’s needs are met.
Description of Respondents: Business
or other for profit; not-for-profit
institutions; individuals or households;
Federal Government; State, Local or
Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 445.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 223.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011–28968 Filed 11–8–11; 8:45 am]
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Forest Service
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Klamath National Forest
will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to document and
publically disclose the environmental
effects of implementing the Pumice
Vegetation Management project. The
project is being developed to address
deteriorating forest health conditions,
increasing hazardous fuel conditions,
and reduced ecological diversity all
caused by a century of fire exclusion,
and past management activities.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of analysis must be received by
December 9, 2011. The draft
environmental impact statement is
expected June 2012, and the final
environmental impact statement is
expected October 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to:
Patricia A. Grantham, Forest Supervisor,
Attn: Ben Haupt, Pumice Vegetation
Management Project Team Leader,
Goosenest Ranger District, 37805
Highway 97, Macdoel, California 96058.
Comments may also be sent via email to
comments-pacificsouthwestklamath@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to
(530) 398–5749. Include the subject
‘‘Pumice Scoping.’’ Email attachments
are acceptable in the following formats:
plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), Word
(.doc or .docx), or portable document
format (.pdf). Oral comments may be
provided to the interdisciplinary team
lead in person at the Goosenest Ranger
District office or by phone: (530) 398–
5790 during normal business hours,
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., except holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Project documents can be found on the
project Web site at https://www.fs.fed.us/
nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=30290.
If you have questions, concerns, or
suggestions regarding the proposal,
contact Ben Haupt (phone: (530) 398–
5790) at the Goosenest Ranger District,
Klamath National Forest, 37805
Highway 97, Macdoel, California 96058.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\09NON1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 217 / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / Notices
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: There are
6,473 acres of treatment proposed
within the 9,056-acre project boundary
on the Goosenest Ranger District of the
Klamath National Forest. The project is
located entirely within the Tamarack
Flat 7th field watershed. The western
extent of the project area is about eight
miles east of Tennant, California in
Siskiyou County; T43N, R1E, Sections
12 and 13; T43N, R2E, Sections 2–11,
14–21, 29 and 30; T44N, R2E, Sections
32 and 33, Mt. Diablo Meridian. About
247 acres of private land are located
within the project boundary, but are
excluded from the proposed treatments.
Elevation ranges from 5,500–7,200 feet.
emcdonald on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of this project is to:
restore fire as an ecosystem process;
improve stand resilience to wildfire,
insects and disease; reduce stand
densities to productive and sustainable
levels; maintain and encourage
vegetation species diversity and stand
structure; reduce the risk of undesired
wildfire effects to important resources
within the project area; and provide
opportunities for public firewood
cutting.
Proposed Action
The project includes eight
overlapping types of treatment: (1) Thin
From Below; (2) Thin From Below and
Thin Chip; (3) Thin Chip; (4) Small Tree
Thinning and Pile Burn; (5) Seed Tree
and Small Tree Thinning; (6) Firewood;
(7) Commercial Christmas Trees; and (8)
Prescribed Fire. In addition to the above
treatments, the proposed action
includes the temporary access on 15.50
miles of temporary roads along existing
road beds within the project. A total of
0.75 miles of new temporary roads will
be constructed in order to implement
the project. Both existing and new
temporary roads will be closed and
hydrologically stabilized at the end of
the project. Acres by treatment type are
described below and do not account for
overlap in treatment types.
(1) Thin From Below (693 acres): Thin
from below will be variable (140–220
ft2/ac Basal Area) removing trees greater
than 10 inches diameter at breast height
(DBH), leaving dominant and codominant trees that exhibit health and
vigor in order to increase resiliency to
fire, insects and disease. Ponderosa pine
will be favored, which will increase the
percentage of pine in the species
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:04 Nov 08, 2011
Jkt 226001
composition. Stocking levels will be
commensurate with site productivity
and standard guidelines. To maintain
stand diversity, no-treatment retention
clumps varying from 15–25 percent of
the stand will be left in each stand.
(2) Thin From Below and Thin Chip
(1,973 acres): The goal of this treatment
is to thin from below (140–220 ft2/ac
Basal Area) and reduce stocking levels
in the understory. This will increase
species and structural diversity. Thin
chip treatment will thin trees ranging
between three and 10 inches DBH to a
variable spacing of 15–25 feet.
Treatment will focus on those areas
with the most ladder fuels to reduce the
risk of stand replacing wildfire. Notreatment (leave) clumps will vary from
15–25 percent depending upon stand
conditions.
(3) Thin Chip (1,088 acres): Even-aged
early seral stands will be variably
thinned removing trees ranging between
three and 10 inches DBH. Reducing
stand densities will improve tree vigor,
increase species and structural
diversity, and reduce the risk of stand
replacing wildfire. No-treatment clumps
will vary from 15–40 percent depending
upon stand conditions.
(4) Small Tree Thinning and Pile Burn
(128 acres): Treatment will be applied to
previously harvested stands that have
dense tree regeneration. Trees ranging
between three to 10 inches DBH will be
variably thinned to a spacing of 15–25
feet. Trees will be cut by hand or low
ground pressure machinery. Trees will
then be piled and burned or chipped
and removed.
(5) Seed Tree and Small Tree
Thinning (245 acres): These lodgepole
pine stands were previously harvested
with strip clear cuts. Treatment within
the retention strips from previous
harvest will remove trees greater than 10
inches DBH, and leave one to five
healthy dominant trees per acre to serve
as a seed source. Trees ranging between
three and 10 inches DBH will be
thinned to a variable spacing of 15–25
feet in previously harvested strips.
(6) Firewood (206 acres): Firewood
cutting will be made available to the
public for permitted firewood cutting.
Dead lodgepole trees, which were
created by western and mountain pine
beetle mortality within several
lodgepole stands, will be removed by
permit only. Standing dead and down
trees will be cut by hand. All limbs and
debris will be scattered to a depth of no
greater than 18 inches; individual pieces
will not exceed four feet in length. Trees
and limbs will be utilized down to three
inches in diameter.
(7) Commercial Christmas Trees (94
acres): Shasta red and white fir trees less
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69701
than eight inches DBH will be
harvested. Leave trees will be retained
at a maximum of 16 feet to meet 16 by
16 foot spacing for the stand. Leave trees
are defined as trees at least four feet tall
and four inches DBH. Trees will be
harvested with chainsaws and removed
to existing skid trails and roads for
removal by hand or ATV. Trees will be
cut below the lowest living branch, with
a maximum stump height of
approximately 10 inches. All activitygenerated slash will be treated so the
residual slash on the ground is no
higher than 18 inches and not more than
four feet long. Approximately 1,000
pounds of boughs (or stems) may be cut
by hand with pruning shears and/or
chainsaws. Sheared trees will have a
maximum harvest of one-third the
diameter of the bottom half of the tree
cut for boughs. Boughs may not be
longer than 24 inches in length. Trees
for bough harvest may not be the
dominant or co-dominant leave trees.
Cut boughs will be removed to vehicles
parked on existing skid trails or roads.
(8) Prescribed Fire (6,473 acres):
Prescribed fire will be used in varying
intensities (mosaic pattern of burned
and unburned patches) either as a standalone treatment, or following
mechanical treatments. Pre-treatment
such as hand piling of ladder and
activity fuels will ensure that the
residual stand is protected. Piles will be
burned within two years of their
construction. Prescribed fire will be
used under controlled situations and
favorable weather conditions. The
objectives are to reduce natural fuel
loads, surface and ladder fuels, and past
activity slash, while increasing
herbaceous species and encouraging
pine regeneration. Due to feasibility
considerations, prescribed fire
treatments will not take place all at
once, but incrementally throughout the
life of the project. Prior to
implementation of prescribed fire,
detailed burn plans will be prepared for
all prescribed fire activities.
Road access: The proposed action
includes the temporary access along
15.50 miles of temporary roads along
existing road beds within the project
area. A total of 0.75 miles of new
temporary roads will be constructed in
order to implement the project. All
roads needed for treatment access will
be cleared and graded as necessary to
allow log truck and equipment access
using minimum disturbance methods
and minimum clearing widths. New
temporary roads constructed for this
project will be graded, out-sloped,
covered with slash if needed, and
blocked with natural barriers after the
harvest season (prior to the first winter
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69702
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 217 / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / Notices
use). All temporary roads will be closed
and hydrologically stabilized at the end
of the project. No new roads will be
added to the National Forest System.
The Forest Service developed project
design features to mitigate adverse
environmental impacts of the proposed
action to forest resources. To view
project design features, maps, and
additional information about this
project please visit the following Web
site: https://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usdapop.php/?project=30290.
Responsible Official
The Responsible Official for this
project is the Forest Supervisor for the
Klamath National Forest, Patricia A.
Grantham, 1312 Fairlane Road, Yreka,
California 96097.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Service is the lead agency
for the project. Based on the result of the
NEPA analysis, the Forest Supervisor’s
record of decision regarding the Pumice
Vegetation Management Project will
recommend implementation of one of
the following: (1) The proposed action;
(2) an alternative to the proposed action;
or (3) the no-action alternative. The
record of decision will also document
the consistency of the selected
alternative with the Klamath National
Forest Land and Resource Management
Plan (1995, as amended).
emcdonald on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the EIS. To be
considered for EIS development,
comments should be submitted prior to
the close of this comment period. To be
most helpful to the agency for
alternative development and effects
analysis, comments should be as
specific as possible and discuss
potentially significant issues, points of
discussion, dispute, or debate about the
effects of the proposed action.
Comments received in response to
this solicitation, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will
be part of the public project record.
Comments submitted anonymously will
be accepted and considered; however,
anonymous comments will not provide
the agency with the ability to provide
the respondent with subsequent
environmental documents. See the
ADDRESSES section at the beginning of
this notice for more information about
how and when to submit comments.
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18:04 Nov 08, 2011
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Dated: November 1, 2011.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Forest Supervisor, Klamath National Forest.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[FR Doc. 2011–29046 Filed 11–8–11; 8:45 am]
[A–570–905]
International Trade Administration
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Sunshine Act Notice
Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From
the People’s Republic of China: Final
Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, and Revocation
of an Order in Part
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: On July 8, 2011, the
Department of Commerce
(‘‘Department’’) published in the
DATE AND TIME: Friday, November 18,
Federal Register the Preliminary Results
2011; 9:30 a.m. EST.
of the 2009–2010 administrative review
PLACE: 624 Ninth Street NW., Room 540, of the antidumping duty order on
Washington, DC 20425.
certain polyester staple fiber from the
People’s Republic of China (‘‘PRC’’).1
Meeting Agenda
We gave interested parties an
This meeting is open to the public.
opportunity to comment on the
I. Approval of Agenda
Preliminary Results. None were
received. As such, these final results do
II. Approval of the October 21, 2011
not differ from the Preliminary Results.
Meeting Minutes
We find that the mandatory respondents
III. Program Planning Update and
in this review, Ningbo Dafa Chemical
discussion of projects:
Fiber Co., Ltd. (‘‘Ningbo Dafa’’) and Cixi
• Update on 2012 Statutory
Santai Chemical Fiber Co., Ltd. (‘‘Cixi
Enforcement Report planning
Santai’’) did not sell subject
• Update on Trafficking Briefing
merchandise at less than normal value
planning
during the period of review (‘‘POR’’),
• Approval of School Discipline
June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. The
Report—Findings and
final dumping margin for this
Recommendations
administrative review is listed in the
• Review of Concept Papers/Approval
‘‘Final Results of Review’’ section
IV. Management and Operations
below.
• Staff Director’s report
DATES: Effective Date: November 9,
• Budget/Appropriations update
2011.
• Discussion of the use of
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Commission Letterhead/Approval
Steven Hampton, AD/CVD Operations,
of AI
Office 9, Import Administration,
• Discussion on Implementation of
International Trade Administration,
Page Limits for Commissioner
Department of Commerce, 14th Street
Statements/Approval
and Constitution Avenue NW.,
V. State Advisory Committee Issues:
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202)
• Re-chartering the Arizona SAC
482–0116.
• Re-chartering the Hawaii SAC
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VI. Adjourn
Background
CONTACT PERSON FOR FURTHER
As noted above, on July 8, 2011, the
INFORMATION: Lenore Ostrowsky, Acting
Department published the Preliminary
Chief, Public Affairs Unit (202) 376–
Results of the administrative review of
8591.
certain polyester staple fiber from the
Hearing-impaired persons who will
PRC. The Department did not receive
attend the meeting and require the
comments from interested parties on our
services of a sign language interpreter
should contact Pamela Dunston at (202) Preliminary Results.
376–8105 or at signlanguage@usccr.gov
Changes Since the Preliminary Results
at least seven business days before the
We have not made any changes to our
scheduled date of the meeting.
Preliminary Results.
AGENCY:
United States Commission on
Civil Rights.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
Dated: November 7, 2011.
Kimberly A. Tolhurst,
Senior Attorney-Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2011–29134 Filed 11–7–11; 4:15 pm]
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1 See Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the
People’s Republic of China: Notice of Preliminary
Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, and Intent To Revoke Order in Part, 76 FR
40329 (July 8, 2011) (‘‘Preliminary Results’’).
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69700-69702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29046]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Klamath National Forest; California; Pumice Vegetation Management
Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Klamath National Forest will prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) to document and publically disclose the
environmental effects of implementing the Pumice Vegetation Management
project. The project is being developed to address deteriorating forest
health conditions, increasing hazardous fuel conditions, and reduced
ecological diversity all caused by a century of fire exclusion, and
past management activities.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of analysis must be received by
December 9, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
June 2012, and the final environmental impact statement is expected
October 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Patricia A. Grantham, Forest
Supervisor, Attn: Ben Haupt, Pumice Vegetation Management Project Team
Leader, Goosenest Ranger District, 37805 Highway 97, Macdoel,
California 96058. Comments may also be sent via email to comments-pacificsouthwest-klamath@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to (530) 398-5749.
Include the subject ``Pumice Scoping.'' Email attachments are
acceptable in the following formats: plain text (.txt), rich text
(.rtf), Word (.doc or .docx), or portable document format (.pdf). Oral
comments may be provided to the interdisciplinary team lead in person
at the Goosenest Ranger District office or by phone: (530) 398-5790
during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., except holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project documents can be found on the
project Web site at https://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=30290. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions
regarding the proposal, contact Ben Haupt (phone: (530) 398-5790) at
the Goosenest Ranger District, Klamath National Forest, 37805 Highway
97, Macdoel, California 96058.
[[Page 69701]]
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: There are 6,473 acres of treatment proposed
within the 9,056-acre project boundary on the Goosenest Ranger District
of the Klamath National Forest. The project is located entirely within
the Tamarack Flat 7th field watershed. The western extent of the
project area is about eight miles east of Tennant, California in
Siskiyou County; T43N, R1E, Sections 12 and 13; T43N, R2E, Sections 2-
11, 14-21, 29 and 30; T44N, R2E, Sections 32 and 33, Mt. Diablo
Meridian. About 247 acres of private land are located within the
project boundary, but are excluded from the proposed treatments.
Elevation ranges from 5,500-7,200 feet.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of this project is to: restore fire as an ecosystem
process; improve stand resilience to wildfire, insects and disease;
reduce stand densities to productive and sustainable levels; maintain
and encourage vegetation species diversity and stand structure; reduce
the risk of undesired wildfire effects to important resources within
the project area; and provide opportunities for public firewood
cutting.
Proposed Action
The project includes eight overlapping types of treatment: (1) Thin
From Below; (2) Thin From Below and Thin Chip; (3) Thin Chip; (4) Small
Tree Thinning and Pile Burn; (5) Seed Tree and Small Tree Thinning; (6)
Firewood; (7) Commercial Christmas Trees; and (8) Prescribed Fire. In
addition to the above treatments, the proposed action includes the
temporary access on 15.50 miles of temporary roads along existing road
beds within the project. A total of 0.75 miles of new temporary roads
will be constructed in order to implement the project. Both existing
and new temporary roads will be closed and hydrologically stabilized at
the end of the project. Acres by treatment type are described below and
do not account for overlap in treatment types.
(1) Thin From Below (693 acres): Thin from below will be variable
(140-220 ft\2\/ac Basal Area) removing trees greater than 10 inches
diameter at breast height (DBH), leaving dominant and co-dominant trees
that exhibit health and vigor in order to increase resiliency to fire,
insects and disease. Ponderosa pine will be favored, which will
increase the percentage of pine in the species composition. Stocking
levels will be commensurate with site productivity and standard
guidelines. To maintain stand diversity, no-treatment retention clumps
varying from 15-25 percent of the stand will be left in each stand.
(2) Thin From Below and Thin Chip (1,973 acres): The goal of this
treatment is to thin from below (140-220 ft\2\/ac Basal Area) and
reduce stocking levels in the understory. This will increase species
and structural diversity. Thin chip treatment will thin trees ranging
between three and 10 inches DBH to a variable spacing of 15-25 feet.
Treatment will focus on those areas with the most ladder fuels to
reduce the risk of stand replacing wildfire. No-treatment (leave)
clumps will vary from 15-25 percent depending upon stand conditions.
(3) Thin Chip (1,088 acres): Even-aged early seral stands will be
variably thinned removing trees ranging between three and 10 inches
DBH. Reducing stand densities will improve tree vigor, increase species
and structural diversity, and reduce the risk of stand replacing
wildfire. No-treatment clumps will vary from 15-40 percent depending
upon stand conditions.
(4) Small Tree Thinning and Pile Burn (128 acres): Treatment will
be applied to previously harvested stands that have dense tree
regeneration. Trees ranging between three to 10 inches DBH will be
variably thinned to a spacing of 15-25 feet. Trees will be cut by hand
or low ground pressure machinery. Trees will then be piled and burned
or chipped and removed.
(5) Seed Tree and Small Tree Thinning (245 acres): These lodgepole
pine stands were previously harvested with strip clear cuts. Treatment
within the retention strips from previous harvest will remove trees
greater than 10 inches DBH, and leave one to five healthy dominant
trees per acre to serve as a seed source. Trees ranging between three
and 10 inches DBH will be thinned to a variable spacing of 15-25 feet
in previously harvested strips.
(6) Firewood (206 acres): Firewood cutting will be made available
to the public for permitted firewood cutting. Dead lodgepole trees,
which were created by western and mountain pine beetle mortality within
several lodgepole stands, will be removed by permit only. Standing dead
and down trees will be cut by hand. All limbs and debris will be
scattered to a depth of no greater than 18 inches; individual pieces
will not exceed four feet in length. Trees and limbs will be utilized
down to three inches in diameter.
(7) Commercial Christmas Trees (94 acres): Shasta red and white fir
trees less than eight inches DBH will be harvested. Leave trees will be
retained at a maximum of 16 feet to meet 16 by 16 foot spacing for the
stand. Leave trees are defined as trees at least four feet tall and
four inches DBH. Trees will be harvested with chainsaws and removed to
existing skid trails and roads for removal by hand or ATV. Trees will
be cut below the lowest living branch, with a maximum stump height of
approximately 10 inches. All activity-generated slash will be treated
so the residual slash on the ground is no higher than 18 inches and not
more than four feet long. Approximately 1,000 pounds of boughs (or
stems) may be cut by hand with pruning shears and/or chainsaws. Sheared
trees will have a maximum harvest of one-third the diameter of the
bottom half of the tree cut for boughs. Boughs may not be longer than
24 inches in length. Trees for bough harvest may not be the dominant or
co-dominant leave trees. Cut boughs will be removed to vehicles parked
on existing skid trails or roads.
(8) Prescribed Fire (6,473 acres): Prescribed fire will be used in
varying intensities (mosaic pattern of burned and unburned patches)
either as a stand-alone treatment, or following mechanical treatments.
Pre-treatment such as hand piling of ladder and activity fuels will
ensure that the residual stand is protected. Piles will be burned
within two years of their construction. Prescribed fire will be used
under controlled situations and favorable weather conditions. The
objectives are to reduce natural fuel loads, surface and ladder fuels,
and past activity slash, while increasing herbaceous species and
encouraging pine regeneration. Due to feasibility considerations,
prescribed fire treatments will not take place all at once, but
incrementally throughout the life of the project. Prior to
implementation of prescribed fire, detailed burn plans will be prepared
for all prescribed fire activities.
Road access: The proposed action includes the temporary access
along 15.50 miles of temporary roads along existing road beds within
the project area. A total of 0.75 miles of new temporary roads will be
constructed in order to implement the project. All roads needed for
treatment access will be cleared and graded as necessary to allow log
truck and equipment access using minimum disturbance methods and
minimum clearing widths. New temporary roads constructed for this
project will be graded, out-sloped, covered with slash if needed, and
blocked with natural barriers after the harvest season (prior to the
first winter
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use). All temporary roads will be closed and hydrologically stabilized
at the end of the project. No new roads will be added to the National
Forest System.
The Forest Service developed project design features to mitigate
adverse environmental impacts of the proposed action to forest
resources. To view project design features, maps, and additional
information about this project please visit the following Web site:
https://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=30290.
Responsible Official
The Responsible Official for this project is the Forest Supervisor
for the Klamath National Forest, Patricia A. Grantham, 1312 Fairlane
Road, Yreka, California 96097.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Service is the lead agency for the project. Based on the
result of the NEPA analysis, the Forest Supervisor's record of decision
regarding the Pumice Vegetation Management Project will recommend
implementation of one of the following: (1) The proposed action; (2) an
alternative to the proposed action; or (3) the no-action alternative.
The record of decision will also document the consistency of the
selected alternative with the Klamath National Forest Land and Resource
Management Plan (1995, as amended).
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the EIS. To be considered for EIS development,
comments should be submitted prior to the close of this comment period.
To be most helpful to the agency for alternative development and
effects analysis, comments should be as specific as possible and
discuss potentially significant issues, points of discussion, dispute,
or debate about the effects of the proposed action.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public project
record. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered;
however, anonymous comments will not provide the agency with the
ability to provide the respondent with subsequent environmental
documents. See the ADDRESSES section at the beginning of this notice
for more information about how and when to submit comments.
Dated: November 1, 2011.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Forest Supervisor, Klamath National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2011-29046 Filed 11-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
