Sequoia National Forest, California; Summit Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project, 55590-55591 [2015-23236]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 179 (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55590-55591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23236]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Sequoia National Forest, California; Summit Fuels Reduction and 
Forest Health Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Sequoia National Forest (SQF) is planning to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose 
the environmental effects of implementing a fuels reduction and forest 
health project within a 10,600 acre project analysis area. The Summit 
Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project (Summit Project) will 
encourage a healthy and diverse forest ecosystem that is more resilient 
to the effects of wildfire, drought, disease, and other disturbances. 
The Summit Project is located in the wildland-urban intermix (WUI) of 
the Greenhorn Mountains on the Kern River Ranger District of Sequoia 
National Forest, surrounding the Alta Sierra community in Kern County, 
California. The Summit Project is located in Township 25 South, Ranges 
31 and 32 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by September 16, 2015. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected January 2016 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected June 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Kern River Ranger District, 
Attention: Summit Comments, P.O. Box 9, Kernville, CA 93238. Comments 
may also be sent via email to comments-pacificsouthwest-sequoia@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to (760) 376-3795.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Anderson, Kern River Ranger 
District, P.O. Box 9 (105 Whitney Road), Kernville, CA 93238 at 760-
376-3781.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Rely Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the project is to provide defensible space around 
the community of Alta Sierra and nearby structures, improve forest 
health and provide for ecological restoration. There is a need to 
reduce fuels to protect the private properties of the Alta Sierra 
community and adjacent forest special

[[Page 55591]]

uses including the recreation residence tracts of El Monte, Greenhorn 
Summit, Kern Park, Shirley Meadows, Slick Rock, and Weeping Springs; 
the Shirley Meadow ski resort; communication facilities at Cooks Peak; 
and power transmission lines; as well as protecting the forest and 
wildlife habitat from large-scale, severe wildfire effects. Fuels 
reduction will provide forest and fuel structure that allows for safe 
use of managed fire for resource benefit and forest health; and reduce 
the risks to firefighting personnel and the public. There is a need to 
restore the forest ecosystem by accelerating development of mature 
forest conditions including large tree forest structure; by re-
introducing a fire regime that can be safely managed; by improving 
wildlife habitat; shifting tree species composition towards historic 
fire-and drought-adapted oak and pine dominance while reducing fire- 
and drought-intolerant fir and cedar; and changing stand structure to 
restore natural heterogeneity and resilience to disturbance events. 
Sustained yield of timber and other forest by products remains as part 
of the multiple-use mission of the Forest Service. However, fuels 
reduction, ecological restoration and movement toward the desired 
conditions identified in the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment are 
the driving influences that will dictate the end result, with an 
emphasis on ``what is left behind'' rather than ``what is taken.'' 
Timber harvest may be used as a tool to improve efficiency and reduce 
overall costs while moving the forest toward the desired conditions.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action will create defensible space near communities 
in the WUI defense zones; establish and maintain a pattern of area 
treatments that can be effective in modifying wild fire behavior in the 
WUI threat zones; and result in economically efficient treatments to 
reduce hazardous fuels.
    The Summit Project proposes a combination of prescribed fire, hand 
or mechanical thinning to reduce ladder fuels and the potential for 
crown fire while increasing forest resilience. Thinning may include 
commercial timber harvest within the 2,500 acre proposed treatment 
areas. It is expected that the timber sale volume would be less than 
5,000 CCF. The proposed treatment areas include salvage harvest of 
hazard trees of any size as well as dead and dying trees; commercial 
harvest, using ground skidding, skyline or helicopter yarding of trees 
smaller than 30 inches diameter at breast height (dbh); and hand 
thinning, mastication, chipping or other fuels treatments. Treatments 
will vary based on slopes, ground conditions, access and other factors. 
Prescribed fire would be introduced within the project analysis area to 
reduce surface fuels and promote natural regeneration. Areas selected 
for thinning or mastication would favor Jeffrey and sugar pines, oak, 
and other shade intolerant, fire and drought tolerant species, to 
restore the historic species composition. Large snags and woody debris 
would be strategically retained for wildlife habitat. Riparian areas 
and meadows would be protected. Implementation would begin after 
completion of the environmental review process, estimated in 2016, and 
would be completed over a 5-10 year period.

Possible Alternatives

    In addition to the proposed action, the EIS will evaluate a no 
action alternative. An alternative will be developed that applies only 
non-commercial treatments to achieve the purpose and need. The Draft 
Interim Recommendations for the Management of California Spotted Owl 
Habitat on National Forest System Lands 29 May 2015 will be included 
and analyzed in an alternative as well. Other alternatives may be 
identified through the interdisciplinary process and public 
participation.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is Alfred W. Watson, District Ranger, 
Sequoia National Forest, P.O. Box 9, Kernville, CA 93238.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide whether to adopt and implement 
the proposed action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no 
action with respect to the Summit Fuels Reduction and Forest Health 
Project.

Scoping Process

    This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the EIS. A public scoping meeting will be held on 
Saturday, October 3, 2015 starting at 10 a.m. at Greenhorn Mountains 
County Park on Old State Road in Alta Sierra. Detailed information on 
the meeting and proposed action, including maps, are available on the 
forest Web site at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=45951. This 
project is included in the Sequoia National Forest's quarterly schedule 
of proposed actions (SOPA).
    This project will follow the objection procedures as directed by 36 
CFR 218 (A) and (B). The objection process provides an opportunity for 
members of the public who have commented during opportunities for 
public participation to have any unresolved concerns receive an 
independent review by the Forest Service prior to a final decision 
being made by the responsible official. Only those who provided 
specific written comments during opportunities for public comment are 
eligible to file an objection.
    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 the 
names and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public 
record on 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: September 9, 2015.
Alfred W. Watson,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2015-23236 Filed 9-15-15; 8:45 am]
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