Ochoco National Forest, Lookout Mountain Ranger District; Oregon; McKay Fuels and Vegetation Management Project EIS, 4757-4758 [2012-2009]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4757-4758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2009]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 31, 2012 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Ochoco National Forest, Lookout Mountain Ranger District; Oregon; 
McKay Fuels and Vegetation Management Project EIS

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Ochoco National Forest is preparing an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) to analyze the effects of managing fuels and 
vegetation within the 25,526-acre McKay project area, which is about 11 
miles northeast of Prineville, Oregon. The project area includes 
National Forest System lands in the McKay Watershed. The alternatives 
that will be analyzed include the proposed action, no action, and 
additional alternatives that respond to issues generated through the 
scoping process. The Ochoco National Forest will give notice of the 
full environmental analysis and decision making process so interested 
and affected people may participate and contribute to the final 
decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by March 1, 2012. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
to be completed and available for public comment in November, 2012. The 
final environmental impact statement is expected to be completed in 
February, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Slater Turner, District Ranger, 
Lookout Mountain District, Ochoco National Forest, 3160 NE. Third 
Street, Prineville, Oregon 97754. Alternately, electronic comments may 
be sent to comments-pacificnorthwest-ochoco@fs.fed.us. Electronic 
comments must be submitted as part of the actual email message, or as 
an attachment in plain text (.txt), Microsoft Word (.doc), rich text 
format (.rtf), or portable document format (.pdf).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marcy Anderson, Project Leader, at 
3160 NE. Third Street, Prineville, Oregon 97754, or at (541) 416-6463, 
or by email at marcelleanderson@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    The existing condition of the McKay Watershed was evaluated in 2006 
and documented in the McKay Watershed Analysis. The Watershed Analysis 
(WA) determined that vegetation conditions in the watershed have 
departed from the historic condition in several ways:
     Changes in tree species compositions.
     A reduction in late and old structured forest.
     A reduction in open-canopy stands.
     An increased risk of large-scale loss of forest to 
wildfire.
     An increased risk of insect infestation and/or disease 
that can impact forested stands.
     Areas where dwarf mistletoe in overstory trees is 
affecting the growth and sustainability of the next generation of 
trees.
     A reduction in upland shrub habitat.
     A decline in the condition of riparian vegetation.
    The project area contains McKay and Little McKay creeks, both of 
which are on the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's 303(d) 
list of water quality limited waters; both streams are listed due to 
high summer water temperatures. Stream temperature can be affected by 
stream shade, which may be provided by riparian vegetation. Riparian 
vegetation, especially deep-rooted hardwoods, contributes to bank 
stability and stream structure and also provides important habitat for 
many bird species. Large conifers near streams eventually fall and 
contribute to instream wood, which is an important component of fish 
habitat and contributor to stream form and function. Streams in the 
McKay Watershed are often deficient in streamside vegetation, due to 
recreation and past management. Large conifers along streams are at 
risk of loss due to understory competition and fuels accumulation.
    Based upon direction from the Ochoco Forest Plan and opportunities 
identified in the McKay WA, the Lookout Mountain Ranger District has 
determined that within the McKay project area:
    1. There is a need to strategically reduce forest vegetation 
density and fuel loadings to reduce the risk that disturbance events 
such as insect, disease and wildfire will lead to a loss of desired 
forest conditions.
    2. There is a need to increase or maintain large tree structure and 
hardwood abundance and diversity in RHCAs while meeting the need 
identified in point 1.
    3. There is a need to contribute to the local and regional 
economies by providing timber and other wood fiber products now and in 
the future.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action includes a variety of management strategies and 
activities, including commercial thinning with follow-up precommercial 
thinning and/or slash treatment (3,573 acres), mistletoe reduction 
harvest/overstory removal (205 acres), precommercial thinning with 
slash treatment (1,724 acres), juniper removal with slash treatment 
(2,944 acres), prescribed burning (1,222 acres), small-diameter 
thinning, limbing, handpiling and burning (210 acres), thinning with 
fire (853 acres), and hardwood and riparian vegetation enhancement (12 
locations of various sizes). Implementation of the proposed action 
would require some connected actions; these include use of temporary 
roads on existing disturbance (6 miles), use of a new temporary road (1 
mile), road reconstruction (3 miles), and streambank stabilization at a 
proposed crossing (1 location).

Responsible Official

    The responsible official will be Kate Klein, Forest Supervisor, 
Ochoco National Forest, 3160 NE. Third Street, Prineville, Oregon 
97754.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need, the deciding official will review the 
proposed action, the other alternatives, and the environmental 
consequences in order to decide whether and under what circumstances 
fuels and vegetation management will be implemented in the McKay Fuels 
and Vegetation project area.

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Preliminary Issues

    The project's interdisciplinary team has developed a list of 
preliminary issues that will be used during the analysis of effects. 
Other issues may arise as a result of public comment and further 
analysis. Preliminary issues include:
     Invasive Plant Species (Noxious Weeds). Several 
populations of noxious weeds are known to exist within the project 
area. There is a risk that management activities may exacerbate the 
weed situation by spreading existing populations or introducing new 
ones.
     Peck's Mariposa Lily. Management activities can improve 
habitat for this sensitive species, but also risk impacting individual 
plants and/or habitat where it occurs in the project area.
     Soil Productivity. Maintenance of soil productivity is an 
important objective for management of National Forest Lands. When 
mechanized equipment is used in the Forest, soil can become displaced 
and compacted, which can impact productivity.
     Water Quality. The main streams in the project area, McKay 
and Little McKay Creeks, are listed on Oregon DEQ's 303(d) list due to 
high summer temperatures. Management activities can result in reduced 
shade on streams, as well as contribute sediment into the streams, 
which impacts water quality and decreases habitat quality for fish and 
other riparian fauna.
     Wildlife Habitat. Activities intended to improve forest 
health and resiliency may reduce habitat effectiveness for some 
wildlife species, including forest raptors and big game.
     Economics. In the current economy, markets for wood 
products are severely depressed. Some forest work is extremely labor-
intensive and the Forest Service depends on these markets to pay for 
the work that is needed to improve forest health and reduce fuels.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. At this time, 
the Ochoco National Forest plans to hold a public field trip to the 
project area in the late spring or early summer of 2012; details will 
be made public closer to that time.
    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.
    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.

    Dated: January 25, 2012.
 Slater R. Turner,
 District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2012-2009 Filed 1-30-12; 8:45 am]
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