Shawnee National Forest, Illinois; Cretaceous Hills Ecological Restoration, 61283-61285 [2014-24229]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 2014 / Notices
than adequate to carry fire the Forest
Service proposes to leave a higher
residual BA of 40 square feet per acre
in order to allow pine needle cast to
serve as primary carrier of fire across the
stand.
➢ Spot foliar application of the
herbicide triclopyr (as needed) on 811
acres of savannah restoration sites for
site hardwood control. This is not a
broadcast application of herbicide. Spot
treatment would occur only where there
is a presence of woody vegetation that
threatens the re-establishment of
savannah plant species. If the savannah
restoration areas do not show evidence
of woody encroachment after harvest it
will not receive herbicide treatment.
➢ Clearcut 16 acres of slash pine
plantation for borrow pit excavation to
provide surface material for future road
work.
➢ Remove six cattle guards from a
closed range allotment (two on highway
379, two on FSR 113, and one on FSRs
174 and 109).
Possible Alternatives
Three potential alternatives will be
evaluated in the EIS. The first is the No
Action alternative which will consist of
no treatments in the proposed project
area other than those already approved
such as prescribed burning or nonnative invasive species control. The
second alternative addresses the impact
to the environment if no herbicides
were used and treatments such as
hardwood control were done by
mechanical means. The third alternative
would remove all proposed savannah
treatments in the project area.
Additional alternatives may also be
added as we move through the planning
process.
Responsible Official
Marcus Beard, District Ranger for the
Apalachicola National Forest
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Nature of Decision To Be Made
Based upon the effects of the
alternatives, the responsible official will
decide whether or not to implement the
Proposed Action or one of the possible
alternatives.
Preliminary Issues
1. Impact of timber removal on
species listed as threatened or
endangered under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973.
2. Impact of borrow pit excavation on
16 acres of forested land.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent reinitiates the
scoping process, which was started with
a public scoping notice sent to
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Jkt 235001
interested parties in June 2013. Pursuant
to 36 CFR part 218 subparts A and B,
a draft EIS will be made available for the
45-day notice and comment period. A
final EIS and draft Record of Decision
will be made available for a 45-day
objection period.
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, however, they will not have
standing to object.
Dated: October 1, 2014.
Marcus Beard,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2014–24191 Filed 10–9–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Shawnee National Forest, Illinois;
Cretaceous Hills Ecological
Restoration
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The USDA Forest Service
Shawnee National Forest (Forest)
intends to prepare an environmental
impact statement to disclose the
environmental consequences of an
ecological restoration project. In the
environmental impact statement, the
USDA Forest Service will address the
potential environmental effects of the
restoration of an oak-hickory hardwood
forest-type and the increase of wildlife
habitat diversity through the removal or
thinning of non-native pine trees and
small shade-tolerant hardwood trees
from about 3,200 acres, the application
of prescribed fire on about 15,100 acres,
treatment of invasive species,
maintenance of barrens habitats,
development of vernal ponds, and
transportation system maintenance,
construction, or reconstruction.
The Cretaceous Hills Ecological
Restoration Project (Hills Project) is
located in the Bay Creek Ditch, Barren
Creek and Sister Islands-Ohio River
SUMMARY:
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61283
watersheds between the communities of
Metropolis and Bay City, in southern
Pope and eastern Massac Counties,
Illinois. The 26,102 acres in the project
areas include about 15,130 acres of
National Forest System land and 10,972
acres of state and private land. All
activities are proposed on National
Forest System land.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by
November 10, 2014 in order to be most
useful in the development of the
environmental impact statement. The
draft environmental impact statement is
expected February, 2015 and the final
environmental impact statement is
expected September, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted on the Hills Project Web
page: https://tinyurl.com/CretaceousHills-Shawnee-NF. Written comments
may be sent to: Shawnee National
Forest, Attn: Hills Project, 602 N. 1st
Street, Vienna, IL 62995. Comments
may also be sent via facsimile to (618)
658–1300, with ‘‘Hills Project’’ on the
subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amanda Kunzmann at 602 N. 1st Street,
Vienna, (618) 658–2111, or
akunzmann@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 of and Need for Action
The purpose of the Hills Project is to
implement land management activities
consistent with the Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan (Plan) and
bring the Forest closer to the desired
condition stated therein. The Forest
Plan outlines goals, objectives and
desired conditions for Forest resources.
The Hills Project Area encompasses
three Forest Plan managementprescription areas: Even-Aged
Hardwood Forest (EH), Mature
Hardwood Forest (MH) and Natural
Area (NA).
The EH management prescription
emphasizes maintenance of the oakhickory forest-type; ecological
restoration to native hardwood of areas
planted with non-native pine; wildlife
habitat associated with a mix of
hardwoods, pine and openland; and the
production of high-quality hardwoods
in a roaded-natural recreational setting.
The desired condition relevant to this
project is for a natural-appearing
landscape with stands of hardwood
trees in various age and size classes. The
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10OCN1
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61284
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 2014 / Notices
oak-hickory community and associated
understories dominate. The land
supports a variety of wildlife, ranging
from species that utilize earlysuccessional stages to those requiring
mature-stand characteristics. Some areas
are actively managed for forest-interior
species. Roads provide access for
recreation, administration and
management purposes, including
transportation of forest products (Forest
Plan, page 59).
The MH management prescription
provides for recreation, wildlife and soil
and water protection, with motorized
and non-motorized recreation occurring
in a roaded-natural or semi-primitive
setting. The prescription provides
habitat for wildlife requiring maturehardwood forest conditions. The desired
condition relevant to this project is a
landscape of natural ecosystems.
Usually dominant, mature, hardwood
trees and associated vegetation are
interspersed with openland ecosystems;
some areas are actively managed for
forest-interior species (Forest Plan, page
68).
The NA management prescription
provides for the preservation, protection
and/or enhancement of the unique
natural values found in many natural
areas on the Forest. The desired future
condition relevant to this project is that
the four designated natural areas
included in the project, each
biologically and geologically unique,
contain a variety of wildlife species and
diverse vegetation in a naturalappearing condition.
The forest in the EH management area
is about 30 percent non-native pine that
was planted in the 1930’s and 1940’s to
control erosion on depleted farmland.
Forest Plan management goals include
the conversion of non-native pine
plantations to native hardwoods,
emphasizing the removal of pine within
or adjacent to natural areas; and the
restoration and maintenance of the oakhickory forest-type for biological
diversity and wildlife habitat, utilizing
landscape-level prescribed burning,
timber harvesting and timber-stand
improvement to help create and/or
maintain the necessary ecological
conditions for regeneration and
maintenance (Forest Plan, pages 21–22).
The area has also been affected by two
major ice storms that damaged many
trees, increasing fuel-loading
throughout.
The forest in the MH management
area was also damaged by the ice
storms, with a heavy hazardous fuel
load. This area includes the Burke
Branch Inventoried Roadless Area, a
forest-interior habitat as described in the
Forest Plan (page 43). Managed under
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17:09 Oct 09, 2014
Jkt 235001
the NA management prescription,
designated natural areas in the project
area include Robnett Barrens Ecological
Area, Dog Creek Barrens Ecological Area
and Dean Cemetery East Barrens
Ecological Area, as well as the Burke
Branch Research Natural Area
Ecological Area, with mesic barrens,
mesic floodplain forest and dry mesic
upland forest. Among the Forest Plan
goals are the restoration and
maintenance of barrens through active
management and the management of
forest-interior habitats for large blocks of
oak-hickory forests, with burning
conducted frequently to promote oakhickory generation and to control
competition from shade-tolerant and
invasive species, and the application of
herbicide to control invasive species
(Forest Plan, pages 21, 26 and 43).
Proposed Action
The following actions have been
identified to address the needs
described above. (1) To meet the need
to convert about 3,200 acres of nonnative pine plantations to the oakhickory hardwood forest-type, conduct
commercial harvest through overstory
removal of remnant pine trees on about
490 acres and shelterwood with reserves
and thinning on about 2,600 acres.
Treatments include two entries for sitepreparation for natural regeneration on
about 3,200 acres and the application of
prescribed fire. Herbicides are proposed
for site preparation and control of
shade-tolerant species. (2) To reduce the
threat of wildfire from the hazardous
fuel load in the project area, prescribed
fire will be applied to about 15,100
acres throughout the project area. This
will not only reduce the fuel load in the
area, but also will aid in the restoration
and maintenance of designated natural
areas and forest-interior habitat. (3) To
restore and enhance the barrens natural
areas, herbicide treatments and
prescribed fire will be applied where
necessary, small trees and shrubs will
be removed, and non-native pines will
be clearcut from about 90 acres within
and adjacent to natural areas. (4) To
maintain forest-interior habitat to
increase wildlife diversity, herbicide
treatments and prescribed fire will be
applied where necessary. (5) To create
additional habitat diversity, twenty
small vernal pools will be constructed
in the project area. (6) To provide
management and possible future
recreational access to the project areas,
roads will be maintained, constructed or
reconstructed.
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Responsible Official
The responsible official is the Hidden
Springs-Mississippi Bluffs District
Ranger.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Given the purpose and need for the
proposal, the responsible official will
review the analyses of the proposed
action and the alternatives in order to
make the following decisions: Whether
or not to release shade-intolerant oak,
hickory and other hardwoods through
removal of overstory pine; whether or
not to use site-preparation tools to
restore the native, hardwood-forest
community; whether or not to utilize a
commercial timber sale to remove the
pine trees; whether or not to manage the
forest-interior habitat and designated
natural areas in the project areas;
whether or not to apply prescribed fire
or herbicides; whether or not to
construct vernal ponds; and whether or
not to manage the project area
transportation system with
maintenance, construction, or
reconstruction.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process that will guide
development of the environmental
impact statement for a project
implementing the Forest Plan; it is
subject to the requirements of 36 CFR
part 218, Subparts A and B—ProjectLevel Pre-decisional Admnistrative
Review Process. The initiation of the
scoping period also opens the
‘‘designated opportunity for public
comment’’ on this proposal, under 36
CFR part 218.5(a). This designated
opportunity will conclude at the end of
the comment period for the draft
environmental impact statement.
It is important that reviewers provide
their comments at such times and in
such a manner that they are useful to
the agency’s preparation of the
environmental impact statement.
Commenters who desire eligibility to
object during the pre-decisional
administrative review process must
submit comments that meet the
requirements of 36 CFR part 218.25. To
be most helpful to the development of
the environmental impact statement,
comments should be provided prior to
the close of the scoping period and
should clearly articulate the reviewer’s
concerns. Scoping meetings will be
scheduled with interested parties and
organizations following publication of
this notice.
Comments received in response to
this solicitation, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 2014 / Notices
be part of the public record for this
proposed action. 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.
Dated: October 6, 2014.
Hurston A. Nicholas,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014–24229 Filed 10–9–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
ARCHITECTURAL AND
TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS
COMPLIANCE BOARD
[Docket No. ATBCB–2014–0002]
RIN 3014–0011
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Requests for Comments;
Clearance of Renewed Approval of
Information Collection: Generic
Clearance for the Collection of
Qualitative Feedback on Agency
Service Delivery
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Architectural and
Transportation Barriers Compliance
Board.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501–3521), the Architectural
and Transportation Barriers Compliance
Board (Access Board) invites public
comments about our intention to request
the Office of Management and Budget’s
(OMB) approval to renew a generic
information collection. The Federal
Register notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on the
following collection of information was
published on July 28, 2014 (79 FR
43709). As part of a federal governmentwide effort to streamline the process for
seeking feedback from the public on
service delivery, the Access Board has
an approved Generic Information
Collection Request entitled ‘‘Generic
Clearance for the Collection of
Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service
Delivery.’’ A copy of the draft
supporting statement is available at
https://www.regulations.gov (see Docket
ID ATBCB–2014–0002).
DATES: Submit comments by November
10, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of
the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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17:09 Oct 09, 2014
Jkt 235001
Regulations.gov. ID for this docket is
ATBCB–2014–0002.
• Email: damiani@access-board.gov.
Include docket number ATBCB–2014–
0002 in the subject line of the message.
• Fax: (202) 272–0081.
• Mail or Hand Delivery/Courier:
Office of the General Counsel, Access
Board, 1331 F Street NW., Suite 1000,
Washington, DC 20004–1111.
All comments, including any personal
information provided, will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov and are available
for public viewing.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mario Damiani, Office of the General
Counsel, Access Board, 1331 F Street
NW., Suite 1000, Washington, DC
20004–1111. Telephone numbers: (202)
272–0050 (voice); (202) 272–0064
(TTY). These are not toll free numbers.
Email address: damiani@accessboard.gov.
OMB Control Number: 3014–0011.
Title: Generic Clearance for the
Collection of Qualitative Feedback on
Agency Service Delivery.
Type of Review: Renewal of a generic
information collection.
Background: The proposed
information collection activity provides
a means to garner qualitative customer
and stakeholder feedback in an efficient,
timely manner, in accordance with the
Administration’s commitment to
improving service delivery. By
qualitative feedback we mean
information that provides useful
insights on perceptions and opinions,
but are not statistical surveys that yield
quantitative results that can be
generalized to the population of study.
This feedback will provide insights into
customer or stakeholder perceptions,
experiences and expectations, provide
an early warning of issues with service,
or focus attention on areas where
communication, training or changes in
operations might improve delivery of
products or services. These collections
will allow for ongoing, collaborative and
actionable communications between the
Access Board and its customers and
stakeholders. It will also allow feedback
to contribute directly to the
improvement of program management.
Feedback collected under this generic
clearance provides useful information,
but it does not yield data that can be
generalized to the overall population.
This type of generic clearance for
qualitative information will not be used
for quantitative information collections
that are designed to yield reliably
actionable results, such as monitoring
trends over time or documenting
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61285
program performance. Such data uses
require more rigorous designs that
address: The target population to which
generalizations will be made, the
sampling frame, the sample design
(including stratification and clustering),
the precision requirements or power
calculations that justify the proposed
sample size, the expected response rate,
methods for assessing potential nonresponse bias, the protocols for data
collection, and any testing procedures
that were or will be undertaken prior to
fielding the study. Depending on the
degree of influence the results are likely
to have, such collections may still be
eligible for submission for other generic
mechanisms that are designed to yield
quantitative results.
Respondents: Average annual
estimate of approximately 1,100
Individuals and Households, Businesses
and Organizations, State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Below, we provide projected average
estimates for the next three years:
Average Expected Annual Number of
Activities: 7.
Average Number of Respondents per
Activity: 157.
Annual Responses: 1,100.
Frequency of Response: Once per
request.
Estimated Average Burden per
Response: 7.25 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 120
hours.
Public Comments Invited: You are
asked to comment on any aspect of this
information collection, including (a)
whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the Access
Board’s performance; (b) the accuracy of
the estimated burden; (c) ways for the
Access Board to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information
collection; and (d) ways that the burden
could be minimized without reducing
the quality of the collected information.
We will summarize comments received
in the request for OMB’s clearance of
this information collection.
David M. Capozzi,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2014–24168 Filed 10–9–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8150–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61283-61285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24229]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Shawnee National Forest, Illinois; Cretaceous Hills Ecological
Restoration
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service Shawnee National Forest (Forest)
intends to prepare an environmental impact statement to disclose the
environmental consequences of an ecological restoration project. In the
environmental impact statement, the USDA Forest Service will address
the potential environmental effects of the restoration of an oak-
hickory hardwood forest-type and the increase of wildlife habitat
diversity through the removal or thinning of non-native pine trees and
small shade-tolerant hardwood trees from about 3,200 acres, the
application of prescribed fire on about 15,100 acres, treatment of
invasive species, maintenance of barrens habitats, development of
vernal ponds, and transportation system maintenance, construction, or
reconstruction.
The Cretaceous Hills Ecological Restoration Project (Hills Project)
is located in the Bay Creek Ditch, Barren Creek and Sister Islands-Ohio
River watersheds between the communities of Metropolis and Bay City, in
southern Pope and eastern Massac Counties, Illinois. The 26,102 acres
in the project areas include about 15,130 acres of National Forest
System land and 10,972 acres of state and private land. All activities
are proposed on National Forest System land.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by November 10, 2014 in order to be most useful in the development of
the environmental impact statement. The draft environmental impact
statement is expected February, 2015 and the final environmental impact
statement is expected September, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted on the Hills Project Web page:
https://tinyurl.com/Cretaceous-Hills-Shawnee-NF. Written comments may be
sent to: Shawnee National Forest, Attn: Hills Project, 602 N. 1st
Street, Vienna, IL 62995. Comments may also be sent via facsimile to
(618) 658-1300, with ``Hills Project'' on the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Kunzmann at 602 N. 1st Street,
Vienna, (618) 658-2111, or akunzmann@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 of and Need for Action
The purpose of the Hills Project is to implement land management
activities consistent with the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan
(Plan) and bring the Forest closer to the desired condition stated
therein. The Forest Plan outlines goals, objectives and desired
conditions for Forest resources. The Hills Project Area encompasses
three Forest Plan management-prescription areas: Even-Aged Hardwood
Forest (EH), Mature Hardwood Forest (MH) and Natural Area (NA).
The EH management prescription emphasizes maintenance of the oak-
hickory forest-type; ecological restoration to native hardwood of areas
planted with non-native pine; wildlife habitat associated with a mix of
hardwoods, pine and openland; and the production of high-quality
hardwoods in a roaded-natural recreational setting. The desired
condition relevant to this project is for a natural-appearing landscape
with stands of hardwood trees in various age and size classes. The
[[Page 61284]]
oak-hickory community and associated understories dominate. The land
supports a variety of wildlife, ranging from species that utilize
early-successional stages to those requiring mature-stand
characteristics. Some areas are actively managed for forest-interior
species. Roads provide access for recreation, administration and
management purposes, including transportation of forest products
(Forest Plan, page 59).
The MH management prescription provides for recreation, wildlife
and soil and water protection, with motorized and non-motorized
recreation occurring in a roaded-natural or semi-primitive setting. The
prescription provides habitat for wildlife requiring mature-hardwood
forest conditions. The desired condition relevant to this project is a
landscape of natural ecosystems. Usually dominant, mature, hardwood
trees and associated vegetation are interspersed with openland
ecosystems; some areas are actively managed for forest-interior species
(Forest Plan, page 68).
The NA management prescription provides for the preservation,
protection and/or enhancement of the unique natural values found in
many natural areas on the Forest. The desired future condition relevant
to this project is that the four designated natural areas included in
the project, each biologically and geologically unique, contain a
variety of wildlife species and diverse vegetation in a natural-
appearing condition.
The forest in the EH management area is about 30 percent non-native
pine that was planted in the 1930's and 1940's to control erosion on
depleted farmland. Forest Plan management goals include the conversion
of non-native pine plantations to native hardwoods, emphasizing the
removal of pine within or adjacent to natural areas; and the
restoration and maintenance of the oak-hickory forest-type for
biological diversity and wildlife habitat, utilizing landscape-level
prescribed burning, timber harvesting and timber-stand improvement to
help create and/or maintain the necessary ecological conditions for
regeneration and maintenance (Forest Plan, pages 21-22). The area has
also been affected by two major ice storms that damaged many trees,
increasing fuel-loading throughout.
The forest in the MH management area was also damaged by the ice
storms, with a heavy hazardous fuel load. This area includes the Burke
Branch Inventoried Roadless Area, a forest-interior habitat as
described in the Forest Plan (page 43). Managed under the NA management
prescription, designated natural areas in the project area include
Robnett Barrens Ecological Area, Dog Creek Barrens Ecological Area and
Dean Cemetery East Barrens Ecological Area, as well as the Burke Branch
Research Natural Area Ecological Area, with mesic barrens, mesic
floodplain forest and dry mesic upland forest. Among the Forest Plan
goals are the restoration and maintenance of barrens through active
management and the management of forest-interior habitats for large
blocks of oak-hickory forests, with burning conducted frequently to
promote oak-hickory generation and to control competition from shade-
tolerant and invasive species, and the application of herbicide to
control invasive species (Forest Plan, pages 21, 26 and 43).
Proposed Action
The following actions have been identified to address the needs
described above. (1) To meet the need to convert about 3,200 acres of
non-native pine plantations to the oak-hickory hardwood forest-type,
conduct commercial harvest through overstory removal of remnant pine
trees on about 490 acres and shelterwood with reserves and thinning on
about 2,600 acres. Treatments include two entries for site-preparation
for natural regeneration on about 3,200 acres and the application of
prescribed fire. Herbicides are proposed for site preparation and
control of shade-tolerant species. (2) To reduce the threat of wildfire
from the hazardous fuel load in the project area, prescribed fire will
be applied to about 15,100 acres throughout the project area. This will
not only reduce the fuel load in the area, but also will aid in the
restoration and maintenance of designated natural areas and forest-
interior habitat. (3) To restore and enhance the barrens natural areas,
herbicide treatments and prescribed fire will be applied where
necessary, small trees and shrubs will be removed, and non-native pines
will be clearcut from about 90 acres within and adjacent to natural
areas. (4) To maintain forest-interior habitat to increase wildlife
diversity, herbicide treatments and prescribed fire will be applied
where necessary. (5) To create additional habitat diversity, twenty
small vernal pools will be constructed in the project area. (6) To
provide management and possible future recreational access to the
project areas, roads will be maintained, constructed or reconstructed.
Responsible Official
The responsible official is the Hidden Springs-Mississippi Bluffs
District Ranger.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Given the purpose and need for the proposal, the responsible
official will review the analyses of the proposed action and the
alternatives in order to make the following decisions: Whether or not
to release shade-intolerant oak, hickory and other hardwoods through
removal of overstory pine; whether or not to use site-preparation tools
to restore the native, hardwood-forest community; whether or not to
utilize a commercial timber sale to remove the pine trees; whether or
not to manage the forest-interior habitat and designated natural areas
in the project areas; whether or not to apply prescribed fire or
herbicides; whether or not to construct vernal ponds; and whether or
not to manage the project area transportation system with maintenance,
construction, or reconstruction.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process that will guide
development of the environmental impact statement for a project
implementing the Forest Plan; it is subject to the requirements of 36
CFR part 218, Subparts A and B--Project-Level Pre-decisional
Admnistrative Review Process. The initiation of the scoping period also
opens the ``designated opportunity for public comment'' on this
proposal, under 36 CFR part 218.5(a). This designated opportunity will
conclude at the end of the comment period for the draft environmental
impact statement.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such a manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation
of the environmental impact statement. Commenters who desire
eligibility to object during the pre-decisional administrative review
process must submit comments that meet the requirements of 36 CFR part
218.25. To be most helpful to the development of the environmental
impact statement, comments should be provided prior to the close of the
scoping period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns.
Scoping meetings will be scheduled with interested parties and
organizations following publication of this notice.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will
[[Page 61285]]
be part of the public record for this proposed action. 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.
Dated: October 6, 2014.
Hurston A. Nicholas,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-24229 Filed 10-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P