Malheur National Forest; Blue Mountain Ranger District; Grant County, Oregon; Magone Project Environmental Impact Statement, 8055-8057 [2015-03027]

Download as PDF 8055 Notices Federal Register Vol. 80, No. 30 Friday, February 13, 2015 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 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES February 9, 2015. 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. Comments regarding this information collection received by March 16, 2015 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 725—17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20502. Commenters are encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 7602. 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:56 Feb 12, 2015 Jkt 235001 potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Title: Importation of Baby Squash and Baby Courgettes from Zambia. OMB Control Number: 0579–0347. Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to carry out operations or measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, or retard the spread of plant pests new to the United States or not known to be widely distributed throughout the United States. APHIS fruits and vegetables regulations allow the importation into the continental United States of baby squash and baby courgettes from Zambia. As a condition of entry, both commodities would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include requirements for pest exclusion at the production site, fruit fly trapping inside and outside the production site, and pest excluding packinghouse procedures. Both commodities would also be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the baby squash and baby courgette have been produced in accordance with the proposed requirements. Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information using the following: Physanitary Certificate, Records and Monitoring, Labeling on Cartons and Inspection of Greenhouses. Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profits; Federal Government. Number of Respondents: 2. Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion. Total Burden Hours: 4. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Title: Importation of Eggplant from Israel. OMB Control Number: 0579–0350. Summary of Collection: Under the Plant and Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to carry out operation or measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, or retard the spread of PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 plant pests new to the United States not known to be widely distributed throughout the United States. APHIS’ fruits and vegetables regulations allow the importation of commercial shipments of fresh eggplant from Israel. As a condition of entry, the eggplant must be grown under a system approach that would include requirements for pest exclusion at the production site, fruit fly trapping inside and outside the production site, and pest-excluding packinghouse procedures. Need and Use of the Information: APHIS uses the following information activities to allow for the importation of commercial consignments of fresh eggplant from Israel into the United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests: Phytosanitary Certificate (foreign) Trapping Records; Inspection of Pest-Exclusionary Structures by Israel NPPO’s, Labeling of Boxes, and Approved Pest-Exclusionary Structure. Failure to collect this information would cripple APHIS’ ability to ensure that eggplant from Israel is not carrying plant pests. Description of Respondents: Foreign Government, Business and other forprofit. Number of Respondents: 2. Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion. Total Burden Hours: 5. Ruth Brown, Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 2015–02988 Filed 2–12–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Malheur National Forest; Blue Mountain Ranger District; Grant County, Oregon; Magone Project Environmental Impact Statement Forest Service, USDA. Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. AGENCY: ACTION: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of commercial and non-commercial vegetation management activities, prescribed burning, road activities, recreation SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\13FEN1.SGM 13FEN1 8056 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 30 / Friday, February 13, 2015 / Notices tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES opportunity improvements, and other restoration activities. Other design criteria are included to protect resources and facilitate management activities. The project is located on the Blue Mountain Ranger District, Malheur National Forest, Grant County, Oregon, approximately 7 miles north of the town of John Day, Oregon. DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received within 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Dave Halemeier, District Ranger, Blue Mountain Ranger District, c/o Sasha Fertig, P.O. Box 909, John Day, OR 97845. Comments may also be sent via email to comments-pacificnorthwestmalheur-bluemountain@fs.fed.us; or submitted via facsimile to 541–575– 3319. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sasha Fertig, Lead NEPA Planner, Blue Mountain Ranger District, 431 Patterson Bridge Road, P.O. Box 909, John Day, OR 97845. Phone: 541–575–3061. Email: sashafertig@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: The Magone project planning area encompasses approximately 27,000 acres in the Grub Creek and East Fork Beech Creek subwatersheds that drain into the Upper John Day River. The legal description for the project planning area includes Townships 11 and 12 South, Ranges 31 and 32 East, Willamette Meridian, Grant County, Oregon. Purpose and Need for Action The purpose and need for the Magone Project was developed by comparing the management objectives and desired conditions in the Malheur Forest Plan to the existing conditions in the project planning area related to forest resiliency and function. Comparison of the existing and desired condition indicates the specific needs to: (1) Restore forest structure, composition, and density toward more resilient vegetative conditions given the historical fire regime; (2) reduce the fuel loadings by reducing the density and connectivity of standing vegetation, surface fuels, and ladder fuels; (3) maintain or improve habitat for fish and wildlife species present in the project planning area; (4) improve one or more of the nine roadless area characteristics within the Nipple Butte inventoried roadless area; and (5) provide for a variety of social VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:56 Feb 12, 2015 Jkt 235001 values and opportunities in the watershed, including availability of traditional use plants, a variety of wood products, enhanced recreation experiences around Magone Lake, and forest management employment opportunities. Proposed Action The Forest proposed action includes silviculture treatments, prescribed burning, road activities, recreation opportunity improvements, and Magone Lake restoration activities to address the purpose and need. These activities would occur over approximately the next 10 years. The proposed action includes: (1) Commercial thinning (5,500 acres), non-commercial thinning (1,200 acres), post and pole removal (400 acres), biomass removal (may occur within units designated for commercial and non-commercial thinning), and mountain mahongany and bitterbursh enhancement (within commercial and non-commercial thinning units). Silviculture treatments would help restore forest structure, composition, and density toward more resistant and resilient vegetative conditions. (2) Prescribed fire on up to 28,500 acres to reduce and maitain fuel loadings. Treated stands would see a combination of burning piled material and underburning (approximately 5,800 acres). Those stands not mechanically treated would be managed exclusively with the use of prescribed burning. As conditions and stand characteristics allow, natural ignitions within the planning area would be used to meet the objectives of prescribed burning. In the project planning area, the Grant County Community Wildfire Protection Plan identified 2 county roads and the Malheur National Forest identified 4 Forest Service roads as potential escape route/safety corridors in the event of a wildland fire. Fuel breaks would be created and maintained using a combination of mechanical treatments and prescribed burning. Additionally, the decreased fuel loadings in strategically placed, shaded fuel breaks would afford suppression forces a higher probability of success controlling wildfires. (3) Approximately 85 miles of road would be maintained for haul and 9 miles of temporary road would be constructed (and rehabilitated following use). The following changes to the road system are also proposed: Decommissioning 1.3 miles of road, closing 2.3 miles of currently open road, closing currently open roads and codesignating those roads as trails (1.3 miles), and converting a road to a trail PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 (1.2 miles). These changes would reduce water quality issues, close roads that are already effectively closed on the ground, and decommission and close roads that are within the Nipple Butte inventoried roadless area (IRA). (4) A variety of recreation opportunities would be developed to enhance recreational experiences in the project planning area. An expanded trail system would be centered around the Magone Lake developed recreation area. Several connecting trail options would provide for longer hikes, varied returns, and a more broad recreation experience. New construction of single-track bicycle trails within the Nipple Butte IRA would connect with existing bicycle trails and the other newly constructed trails. All of the trails would be singletrack bicycle and hiker trails with measures to prevent any off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. Approximately 50 miles of trail would be designated, with 42 miles of that being new trail construction. New interpretive signs would be placed at Four Corners and the Magone Lake Campground. Fishing and recreational boating opportunities would be enhanced with expansion of the existing floating boat dock located at the boat launch, modifying the existing two piece floating dock adjacent to the campground, and placing a new floating fishing dock on the east side of Magone Lake. (5) The proposed action also includes restoration activities within Magone Lake to increase near shore habitat complexity for fish. Fish cribs and fish sticks (bunches of 3 to 5 trees) would be placed on the ice during winter, to sink into the lake during ice melt. Preliminary connectivity corridors have been identified between late and old structure stands to allow for movement of old-growth dependent species. The goal of creating ‘‘connectivity’’ is to manage stands in corridors at higher canopy densities when compared to more intensively managed stands located outside of corridors. Corridors established for oldgrowth dependent species in the project planning area would allow for big game migratory and dispersal movements, as well as providing higher cover rates and forage. The designated connectivity corridors are approximately 1,900 acres in size. The Magone Project will also include a variety of project design criteria that serve to mitigate impacts of activities to forest resources, including wildlife, soils, watershed condition, aquatic species, riparian habitat conservation areas, heritage resources, visuals, rangeland, botanical resources, and invasive plants. The proposed action E:\FR\FM\13FEN1.SGM 13FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 30 / Friday, February 13, 2015 / Notices may also include amendments to the Malheur National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended. Possible Alternatives The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of these will be the ‘‘no action’’ alternative in which none of the proposed action would be implemented. Additional alternatives may be included in response to issues raised by the public during the scoping process or due to additional concerns for resource values identified by the interdisciplinary team. Responsible Official The Forest Supervisor of the Malheur National Forest, 431 Patterson Bridge Road, John Day, OR 97845, is the Responsible Official. As the Responsible Official, I will decide if the proposed action will be implemented. I will document the decision and rationale for the decision in the Record of Decision. I have delegated the responsibility for preparing the draft EIS and final EIS to the District Ranger, Blue Mountain Ranger District. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Nature of Decision To Be Made Based on the purpose and need, the Responsible Official reviews the proposed action, the other alternatives, the environmental consequences, and public comments on the analysis in order to make the following decision: (1) Whether to implement timber harvest and associated fuels treatments, prescribed burning, and watershed work, including the design features and potential mitigation measures to protect resources; and if so, how much and at what specific locations; (2) What, if any, specific project monitoring requirements are needed to assure design features and potential mitigation measures are implemented and effective, and to evaluate the success of the project objectives. A project specific monitoring plan will be developed. Scoping Process This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides the development of the environmental impact statement. The interdisciplinary team will continue to seek information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribal governments, and other individuals or organizations that may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed action. There is a collaborative group in the area that the interdisciplinary team will interact with during the analysis process. VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:56 Feb 12, 2015 Jkt 235001 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. Dated: February 6, 2015. Steven K. Beverlin, Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. 2015–03027 Filed 2–12–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–11–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board Forest Service, USDA. Notice of meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: The Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board (Board) will meet in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Board is established consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C. App. II), the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et. seq.), the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 1612), and the Federal Public Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (Pub. L. 108–447). Additional information concerning the Board, including the meeting summary/ minutes, can be found by visiting the Board’s Web site at: https:// www.fs.usda.gov/main/blackhills/ workingtogether/advisorycommittees. DATES: The meeting will be held Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. All meetings are subject to cancellation. For updated status of meeting prior to attendance, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Mystic Ranger District, 8221 South Highway 16, Rapid City, South Dakota. Written comments may be submitted as described under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. All comments, including names and addresses, when provided, are placed in the record and available for public inspection and copying. The SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 8057 public may inspect comments received at the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s Office. Please call ahead to facilitate entry into the building. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Jacobson, Committee Coordinator, by phone at 605–673–9216, or by email at sjjacobson@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 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the meeting is to provide: (1) Motorized Travel Fees for FY 16— Working Group Update; (2) FY 15–19 MPB/Fuels Restoration Areas—Recommendation; (3) Over Snow Use Forum; (4) Lakes Enhancement Project Update; and (5) Northern Long Eared Bat Proposed Listing Update. The meeting is open to the public. The agenda will include time for people to make oral statements of three minutes or less. Individuals wishing to make an oral statement should submit a request in writing by February 16, 2015 to be scheduled on the agenda. Anyone who would like to bring related matters to the attention of the Board may file written statements with the Board’s staff before or after the meeting. Written comments and time requests for oral comments must be sent to Scott Jacobson, Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 1019 North Fifth Street, Custer, South Dakota 57730; by email to sjjacobson@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 605–673–9208. Delayed Notice: Due to organizational changes within the agency, this notice has not been published within 15 calendar-days of the February 18th meeting. Meeting Accommodations: If you are a person requiring reasonable accommodation, please make requests in advance for sign language interpreting, assistive listening devices or other reasonable accommodation for access to the facility or proceedings by contacting the person listed in the section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. All reasonable accommodation requests are managed on a case by case basis. Dated: February 9, 2015. Craig Bobzien, Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. 2015–03023 Filed 2–12–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3411–15–P E:\FR\FM\13FEN1.SGM 13FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8055-8057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03027]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Malheur National Forest; Blue Mountain Ranger District; Grant 
County, Oregon; Magone Project Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of commercial and 
non-commercial vegetation management activities, prescribed burning, 
road activities, recreation

[[Page 8056]]

opportunity improvements, and other restoration activities. Other 
design criteria are included to protect resources and facilitate 
management activities. The project is located on the Blue Mountain 
Ranger District, Malheur National Forest, Grant County, Oregon, 
approximately 7 miles north of the town of John Day, Oregon.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
within 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Dave Halemeier, District Ranger, 
Blue Mountain Ranger District, c/o Sasha Fertig, P.O. Box 909, John 
Day, OR 97845. Comments may also be sent via email to comments-pacificnorthwest-malheur-bluemountain@fs.fed.us; or submitted via 
facsimile to 541-575-3319.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sasha Fertig, Lead NEPA Planner, Blue 
Mountain Ranger District, 431 Patterson Bridge Road, P.O. Box 909, John 
Day, OR 97845. Phone: 541-575-3061. Email: sashafertig@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: The Magone project planning area encompasses 
approximately 27,000 acres in the Grub Creek and East Fork Beech Creek 
subwatersheds that drain into the Upper John Day River. The legal 
description for the project planning area includes Townships 11 and 12 
South, Ranges 31 and 32 East, Willamette Meridian, Grant County, 
Oregon.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for the Magone Project was developed by 
comparing the management objectives and desired conditions in the 
Malheur Forest Plan to the existing conditions in the project planning 
area related to forest resiliency and function. Comparison of the 
existing and desired condition indicates the specific needs to: (1) 
Restore forest structure, composition, and density toward more 
resilient vegetative conditions given the historical fire regime; (2) 
reduce the fuel loadings by reducing the density and connectivity of 
standing vegetation, surface fuels, and ladder fuels; (3) maintain or 
improve habitat for fish and wildlife species present in the project 
planning area; (4) improve one or more of the nine roadless area 
characteristics within the Nipple Butte inventoried roadless area; and 
(5) provide for a variety of social values and opportunities in the 
watershed, including availability of traditional use plants, a variety 
of wood products, enhanced recreation experiences around Magone Lake, 
and forest management employment opportunities.

Proposed Action

    The Forest proposed action includes silviculture treatments, 
prescribed burning, road activities, recreation opportunity 
improvements, and Magone Lake restoration activities to address the 
purpose and need. These activities would occur over approximately the 
next 10 years. The proposed action includes:
    (1) Commercial thinning (5,500 acres), non-commercial thinning 
(1,200 acres), post and pole removal (400 acres), biomass removal (may 
occur within units designated for commercial and non-commercial 
thinning), and mountain mahongany and bitterbursh enhancement (within 
commercial and non-commercial thinning units). Silviculture treatments 
would help restore forest structure, composition, and density toward 
more resistant and resilient vegetative conditions.
    (2) Prescribed fire on up to 28,500 acres to reduce and maitain 
fuel loadings. Treated stands would see a combination of burning piled 
material and underburning (approximately 5,800 acres). Those stands not 
mechanically treated would be managed exclusively with the use of 
prescribed burning. As conditions and stand characteristics allow, 
natural ignitions within the planning area would be used to meet the 
objectives of prescribed burning. In the project planning area, the 
Grant County Community Wildfire Protection Plan identified 2 county 
roads and the Malheur National Forest identified 4 Forest Service roads 
as potential escape route/safety corridors in the event of a wildland 
fire. Fuel breaks would be created and maintained using a combination 
of mechanical treatments and prescribed burning. Additionally, the 
decreased fuel loadings in strategically placed, shaded fuel breaks 
would afford suppression forces a higher probability of success 
controlling wildfires.
    (3) Approximately 85 miles of road would be maintained for haul and 
9 miles of temporary road would be constructed (and rehabilitated 
following use). The following changes to the road system are also 
proposed: Decommissioning 1.3 miles of road, closing 2.3 miles of 
currently open road, closing currently open roads and co-designating 
those roads as trails (1.3 miles), and converting a road to a trail 
(1.2 miles). These changes would reduce water quality issues, close 
roads that are already effectively closed on the ground, and 
decommission and close roads that are within the Nipple Butte 
inventoried roadless area (IRA).
    (4) A variety of recreation opportunities would be developed to 
enhance recreational experiences in the project planning area. An 
expanded trail system would be centered around the Magone Lake 
developed recreation area. Several connecting trail options would 
provide for longer hikes, varied returns, and a more broad recreation 
experience. New construction of single-track bicycle trails within the 
Nipple Butte IRA would connect with existing bicycle trails and the 
other newly constructed trails. All of the trails would be single-track 
bicycle and hiker trails with measures to prevent any off-highway 
vehicle (OHV) use. Approximately 50 miles of trail would be designated, 
with 42 miles of that being new trail construction. New interpretive 
signs would be placed at Four Corners and the Magone Lake Campground. 
Fishing and recreational boating opportunities would be enhanced with 
expansion of the existing floating boat dock located at the boat 
launch, modifying the existing two piece floating dock adjacent to the 
campground, and placing a new floating fishing dock on the east side of 
Magone Lake.
    (5) The proposed action also includes restoration activities within 
Magone Lake to increase near shore habitat complexity for fish. Fish 
cribs and fish sticks (bunches of 3 to 5 trees) would be placed on the 
ice during winter, to sink into the lake during ice melt.
    Preliminary connectivity corridors have been identified between 
late and old structure stands to allow for movement of old-growth 
dependent species. The goal of creating ``connectivity'' is to manage 
stands in corridors at higher canopy densities when compared to more 
intensively managed stands located outside of corridors. Corridors 
established for old-growth dependent species in the project planning 
area would allow for big game migratory and dispersal movements, as 
well as providing higher cover rates and forage. The designated 
connectivity corridors are approximately 1,900 acres in size.
    The Magone Project will also include a variety of project design 
criteria that serve to mitigate impacts of activities to forest 
resources, including wildlife, soils, watershed condition, aquatic 
species, riparian habitat conservation areas, heritage resources, 
visuals, rangeland, botanical resources, and invasive plants. The 
proposed action

[[Page 8057]]

may also include amendments to the Malheur National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan, as amended.

Possible Alternatives

    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative in which none of the 
proposed action would be implemented. Additional alternatives may be 
included in response to issues raised by the public during the scoping 
process or due to additional concerns for resource values identified by 
the interdisciplinary team.

Responsible Official

    The Forest Supervisor of the Malheur National Forest, 431 Patterson 
Bridge Road, John Day, OR 97845, is the Responsible Official. As the 
Responsible Official, I will decide if the proposed action will be 
implemented. I will document the decision and rationale for the 
decision in the Record of Decision. I have delegated the responsibility 
for preparing the draft EIS and final EIS to the District Ranger, Blue 
Mountain Ranger District.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Based on the purpose and need, the Responsible Official reviews the 
proposed action, the other alternatives, the environmental 
consequences, and public comments on the analysis in order to make the 
following decision:
    (1) Whether to implement timber harvest and associated fuels 
treatments, prescribed burning, and watershed work, including the 
design features and potential mitigation measures to protect resources; 
and if so, how much and at what specific locations;
    (2) What, if any, specific project monitoring requirements are 
needed to assure design features and potential mitigation measures are 
implemented and effective, and to evaluate the success of the project 
objectives. A project specific monitoring plan will be developed.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The 
interdisciplinary team will continue to seek information, comments, and 
assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribal governments, 
and other individuals or organizations that may be interested in, or 
affected by, the proposed action. There is a collaborative group in the 
area that the interdisciplinary team will interact with during the 
analysis process.
    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.

    Dated: February 6, 2015.
Steven K. Beverlin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2015-03027 Filed 2-12-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
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