Kootenai National Forest; Lincoln and Sanders Counties; Montana; Kootenai National Forest Young Growth Environmental Impact Statement, 43056-43057 [2015-17770]
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43056
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 139 / Tuesday, July 21, 2015 / Notices
protocol. Treatment of figs with methyl
bromide fumigation is also consistent
with the International Plant Protection
Convention’s standard of requiring the
least restrictive phytosanitary measures
to mitigate pests of concern.
Therefore, in accordance with the
regulations in § 305.3(b)(3), we are
affirming our addition of a methyl
bromide treatment schedule for figs to
control certain pests, as described in the
TED made available with the previous
notice. The treatment schedule is
numbered T101-i-2–2. The treatment
schedule will be listed in the PPQ
Treatment Manual, which is available as
described in footnote 1 of this
document.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781–
7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22,
2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 15th day of
July 2015.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–17841 Filed 7–20–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Kootenai National Forest; Lincoln and
Sanders Counties; Montana; Kootenai
National Forest Young Growth
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 and prescribed
burning of activity fuels. Access
management changes and other design
features are included to protect
resources and facilitate management
activities. The project is located across
the Kootenai National Forest Kootenai
National Forest, Lincoln and Sanders
Counties, Montana.
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
Chris Savage; Forest Supervisor,
Kootenai National Forest, 31374 US
Hwy 2, Libby, MT 59923. Comments
may also be sent via email to commentsnorthern-kootenai@fs.fed.us; or via
facsimile to (406) 283–7709.
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:58 Jul 20, 2015
Jkt 235001
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Contact Janis Bouma, Project Team
Leader, Kootenai National Forest, 31374
US Hwy 2, Libby, MT 59923. Phone:
(406) 283–7774.
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: On May
20, 2014, Department of Agriculture
Secretary Vilsack announced the
designation of approximately 45.6
million acres of National Forest System
lands across 94 national forests in 35
states to address insect and disease
threats that weaken forests and increase
the risk of forest fire. The Kootenai
National Forest is the only forest in
Montana that lies completely within
these priority landscapes. The Governor
of Montana has asked that priority be
given to project development within
these designated insect and disease
areas, and created his Forest in Focus
Initiative to accelerate the pace and
scale of forest restoration in the state of
Montana. The Kootenai National Forest
Young-Growth Project area is
approximately 400,000 acres in size and
is located only in second-growth;
previously harvested timber stands
about across the Kootenai National
Forest.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose and need for this project
is: (1) Improve the resiliency of the
timber stands to insects and disease; (2);
improve wildlife habitat especially for
grizzly bear and lynx; (3) address
impacts from climate change and, 4) and
to decrease risk of stand-replacing
wildfire.
Overall project benefits and the
purpose associated with young-growth
vegetation management will be to
improve stand conditions and increase
resistance to insects, disease, and standreplacement wildfire while also
providing for abundance of forage and
improved habitat conditions for a
variety of wildlife species. Managing
these stands is important in order to
reach a healthier stocking rate and to
increase overall growth and vigor of the
stand by reducing competition and
stress on remaining conifers.
Management of these stands would also
increase quantities of grasses, forbs, and
shrubs that many wildlife species utilize
in the early stage of forest development,
thereby improving foraging habitat for
grizzly bear, lynx, and other wildlife
species. The project would allow for
adaptive management over the next 10
to 15 years as stand conditions would
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
allow and to respond to local
environmental conditions and stocking
rates. All of these benefits fall within
the Governor’s criteria.
Proposed Action
The proposed action includes noncommercial and commercial vegetation
management activities that accomplish
the following:
Habitat improvement for grizzly bear
and lynx; (2) Reduce fuel loading and
ladder fuels; (3) Break up the continuity
of fuels; (4) Reduce tree densities and
tree species susceptible to fire mortality;
(5) Increase fire resilient species; (6)
Reduce susceptibility to insects and
potential disease; (7) Increase tree vigor
and resilience to disturbance.
Project NEPA analysis would employ
various adaptive management screens
across the initial proposed acreage.
These ‘‘screens’’ would be used to avoid
impacts to Threatened and Endangered
wildlife and plant species, and sensitive
areas. Treatment boundaries could also
be further narrowed depending on
localized site conditions including soils
conditions, standard wildlife effects
mitigations, and Best Management
Practices (BMPs). Therefore, the actual,
on-the ground vegetation management
would be considerably smaller than the
initial 400,000 acres proposed for
evaluation. The project would rely on
the existing road system to reach the
stands with a need for treatment, with
no new specified road construction
proposed for this analysis. Prior logging
systems such as previous skid trails may
be used if evidence of them still exists.
If site-specific Forest Plan amendments
may be needed, then the proposed
treatments would be dropped or
deferred to another future project
analysis.
The acres included in this anticipated
decision would provide forest products
for an array of markets. A portion of the
acreage, predominately the older second
growth, would provide a saw log
product. Many of the acres would
provide non-saw products such as post
and pole. These offerings of forest
products would be assessed for
economic feasibility and may be mixed
and matched with other offerings or
decisions in order to ensure economic
viability. Additionally, in order to
anticipate and respond to future timber
market opportunities or newly
developed markets, the analysis would
consider biomass removal in addition to
traditional commercial timber harvest
activities.
Various silvicultural treatments
would be proposed to meet the
vegetative objectives for the previously
harvested areas and move the landscape
E:\FR\FM\21JYN1.SGM
21JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 139 / Tuesday, July 21, 2015 / Notices
towards the desired ranges. Often two or
more treatments, for example
commercial harvest followed by noncommercial thinning may be prescribed
for the same unit. Pre-commercial
thinning would occur either following a
commercial entry or as the only
treatment. Trees cut during this activity
may be removed as biomass (if future
market opportunities develop) or left on
site and the slash treated by a variety of
fuels treatments.
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 Kootenai
National Forest, 31374 US Highway 2,
Libby, MT 59923–3022, 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.
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD 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 the proposed action will
proceed as proposed, as modified by an
alternative, or not at all?
(2) Whether to implement timber
harvest and associated fuels treatments,
and prescribed burning, including the
design features and potential mitigation
measures to protect resources; and if so,
how much and at what specific
locations;
(3) 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.
Preliminary Issues
Initial analysis by the
Interdisciplinary Team has brought
forward seven issues that may affect the
design of the project: (1) Susceptibility
to severe wildfire; (2) Effect on wildlife
habitat, especially lynx, grizzly bear,
and bull trout; (3) Effect on big game
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:58 Jul 20, 2015
Jkt 235001
winter range; (4) Economic viability of
commercial treatments; (5) Cost of noncommercial treatments; (6) Effects on
water quality and aquatic habitats; and
(7) Effects on weed introduction and
spread.
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. The
overall development of the project
would also be done through a
collaborative process with interested
parties, including the Kootenai Forest
Stakeholders Coalition, Lincoln County,
Sanders County, and timber industry.
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
become part of the public record for this
proposed action. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and
considered.
Dated: July 10, 2015.
Chris S. Savage,
Forest Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest
.
[FR Doc. 2015–17770 Filed 7–20–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation
Service
[Docket No. NRCS–2015–0010]
Notice of Proposed Changes to the
National Handbook of Conservation
Practices for the Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of availability of
proposed changes in the NRCS National
Handbook of Conservation Practices for
public review and comment.
AGENCY:
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
43057
Notice is hereby given of the
intention of NRCS to issue a series of
revised conservation practice standards
in the National Handbook of
Conservation Practices. These standards
include: Channel Bed Stabilization
(Code 584), Karst Sinkhole Treatment
(Code 527), Open Channel (Code 582),
Pond (Code 378), Surface Drain, Field
Ditch (Code 607), Surface Drain, Main
or Lateral (Code 608), Vertical Drain
(Code 630) and Waste Hauling (Code
321). NRCS State Conservationists who
choose to adopt these practices for use
within their States will incorporate
them into section IV of their respective
electronic Field Office Technical Guide.
Section 343 of the Federal Agriculture
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996
requires NRCS to make available for
public review and comment all
proposed revisions to conservation
practice standards used to carry out HEL
and wetland provisions of the law.
DATES: Effective Date: This is effective
July 21, 2015.
Comment Date: Submit comments on
or before August 20, 2015. Final
versions of these new or revised
conservation practice standards will be
adopted after the close of the 30-day
period and after consideration of all
comments.
SUMMARY:
Comments should be
submitted, identified by Docket Number
NRCS–2015–0010, using any of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail or hand delivery: Public
Comments Processing, Attention:
Regulatory and Agency Policy Team,
Strategic Planning and Accountability,
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Building 1–
1112D, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
NRCS will post all comments on
https://www.regulations.gov. In general,
personal information provided with
comments will be posted. If your
comment includes your address, phone
number, email, or other personal
identifying information (PII), your
comments, including personal
information, may be available to the
public. You may ask in your comment
that your PII be withheld from public
view, but this cannot be guaranteed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Wayne Bogovich, National Agricultural
Engineer, Conservation Engineering
Division, Department of Agriculture,
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room
6136 South Building, Washington, DC
20250.
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\21JYN1.SGM
21JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 139 (Tuesday, July 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43056-43057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17770]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Kootenai National Forest; Lincoln and Sanders Counties; Montana;
Kootenai National Forest Young Growth 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 and prescribed burning
of activity fuels. Access management changes and other design features
are included to protect resources and facilitate management activities.
The project is located across the Kootenai National Forest Kootenai
National Forest, Lincoln and Sanders Counties, Montana.
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 Chris Savage; Forest Supervisor,
Kootenai National Forest, 31374 US Hwy 2, Libby, MT 59923. Comments may
also be sent via email to comments-northern-kootenai@fs.fed.us; or via
facsimile to (406) 283-7709.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Janis Bouma, Project Team
Leader, Kootenai National Forest, 31374 US Hwy 2, Libby, MT 59923.
Phone: (406) 283-7774.
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: On May 20, 2014, Department of Agriculture
Secretary Vilsack announced the designation of approximately 45.6
million acres of National Forest System lands across 94 national
forests in 35 states to address insect and disease threats that weaken
forests and increase the risk of forest fire. The Kootenai National
Forest is the only forest in Montana that lies completely within these
priority landscapes. The Governor of Montana has asked that priority be
given to project development within these designated insect and disease
areas, and created his Forest in Focus Initiative to accelerate the
pace and scale of forest restoration in the state of Montana. The
Kootenai National Forest Young-Growth Project area is approximately
400,000 acres in size and is located only in second-growth; previously
harvested timber stands about across the Kootenai National Forest.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose and need for this project is: (1) Improve the
resiliency of the timber stands to insects and disease; (2); improve
wildlife habitat especially for grizzly bear and lynx; (3) address
impacts from climate change and, 4) and to decrease risk of stand-
replacing wildfire.
Overall project benefits and the purpose associated with young-
growth vegetation management will be to improve stand conditions and
increase resistance to insects, disease, and stand-replacement wildfire
while also providing for abundance of forage and improved habitat
conditions for a variety of wildlife species. Managing these stands is
important in order to reach a healthier stocking rate and to increase
overall growth and vigor of the stand by reducing competition and
stress on remaining conifers. Management of these stands would also
increase quantities of grasses, forbs, and shrubs that many wildlife
species utilize in the early stage of forest development, thereby
improving foraging habitat for grizzly bear, lynx, and other wildlife
species. The project would allow for adaptive management over the next
10 to 15 years as stand conditions would allow and to respond to local
environmental conditions and stocking rates. All of these benefits fall
within the Governor's criteria.
Proposed Action
The proposed action includes non-commercial and commercial
vegetation management activities that accomplish the following:
Habitat improvement for grizzly bear and lynx; (2) Reduce fuel
loading and ladder fuels; (3) Break up the continuity of fuels; (4)
Reduce tree densities and tree species susceptible to fire mortality;
(5) Increase fire resilient species; (6) Reduce susceptibility to
insects and potential disease; (7) Increase tree vigor and resilience
to disturbance.
Project NEPA analysis would employ various adaptive management
screens across the initial proposed acreage. These ``screens'' would be
used to avoid impacts to Threatened and Endangered wildlife and plant
species, and sensitive areas. Treatment boundaries could also be
further narrowed depending on localized site conditions including soils
conditions, standard wildlife effects mitigations, and Best Management
Practices (BMPs). Therefore, the actual, on-the ground vegetation
management would be considerably smaller than the initial 400,000 acres
proposed for evaluation. The project would rely on the existing road
system to reach the stands with a need for treatment, with no new
specified road construction proposed for this analysis. Prior logging
systems such as previous skid trails may be used if evidence of them
still exists. If site-specific Forest Plan amendments may be needed,
then the proposed treatments would be dropped or deferred to another
future project analysis.
The acres included in this anticipated decision would provide
forest products for an array of markets. A portion of the acreage,
predominately the older second growth, would provide a saw log product.
Many of the acres would provide non-saw products such as post and pole.
These offerings of forest products would be assessed for economic
feasibility and may be mixed and matched with other offerings or
decisions in order to ensure economic viability. Additionally, in order
to anticipate and respond to future timber market opportunities or
newly developed markets, the analysis would consider biomass removal in
addition to traditional commercial timber harvest activities.
Various silvicultural treatments would be proposed to meet the
vegetative objectives for the previously harvested areas and move the
landscape
[[Page 43057]]
towards the desired ranges. Often two or more treatments, for example
commercial harvest followed by non-commercial thinning may be
prescribed for the same unit. Pre-commercial thinning would occur
either following a commercial entry or as the only treatment. Trees cut
during this activity may be removed as biomass (if future market
opportunities develop) or left on site and the slash treated by a
variety of fuels treatments.
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 Kootenai National Forest, 31374 US
Highway 2, Libby, MT 59923-3022, 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.
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 the proposed action will proceed as proposed, as
modified by an alternative, or not at all?
(2) Whether to implement timber harvest and associated fuels
treatments, and prescribed burning, including the design features and
potential mitigation measures to protect resources; and if so, how much
and at what specific locations;
(3) 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.
Preliminary Issues
Initial analysis by the Interdisciplinary Team has brought forward
seven issues that may affect the design of the project: (1)
Susceptibility to severe wildfire; (2) Effect on wildlife habitat,
especially lynx, grizzly bear, and bull trout; (3) Effect on big game
winter range; (4) Economic viability of commercial treatments; (5) Cost
of non-commercial treatments; (6) Effects on water quality and aquatic
habitats; and (7) Effects on weed introduction and spread.
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. The overall development of the
project would also be done through a collaborative process with
interested parties, including the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders
Coalition, Lincoln County, Sanders County, and timber industry.
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 become part of the public
record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered.
Dated: July 10, 2015.
Chris S. Savage,
Forest Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest .
[FR Doc. 2015-17770 Filed 7-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P