Mt. Hood National Forest; Oregon; Cooper Spur-Government Camp Land Exchange, 7743-7744 [2016-03047]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Mt. Hood National Forest; Oregon; Cooper Spur—Government Camp Land Exchange Forest Service, USDA. Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. AGENCY: ACTION: The Mt. Hood National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement to document and disclose the projected effects of a congressionally directed and conditioned land exchange. This land exchange includes the conveyance of approximately 110 acres of National Forest System lands adjacent to Government Camp in Clackamas County, Oregon, in exchange for the acquisition of approximately 765 acres of land owned by Mt. Hood Meadows Oreg., LLC, in Hood River County, Oregon. DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by March 17, 2016. The draft environmental impact statement is expected November 2016 and the final environmental impact statement is expected January 2018. ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the Mt. Hood National Forest, 16400 Champion Way, Sandy, OR 97055. Comments may also be sent via email to comments-pacificnorthwest-mthood@ fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to (503) 668– 1423. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Lombardo, Forest Environmental Coordinator, Mt. Hood National Forest, at (503) 668–1796 or by email at mlombardo@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: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: Purpose and Need for Action The purpose of the congressionally directed and conditioned land exchange between the Mt. Hood National Forest and the Mt. Hood Meadows Oregon, LLC, is to comply with and carry out the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of March 30, 2009 (123 Stat. 991, Pub. L. 111–11), which provides direction for this land exchange. Proposed Action The proposed action includes the conveyance of two parcels of National Forest System lands, totaling approximately 110 acres, in exchange VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:15 Feb 12, 2016 Jkt 238001 for the acquisition of approximately 765 acres of land owned by Mt. Hood Meadows. The Federal land proposed for conveyance is located to the north of the Government Camp Loop Road in Government Camp, Oregon, in T3S, R8E, sections 13 & 24, and T3S, R8.5E, section 14 in Clackamas County. The land owned by Mt. Hood Meadows that is proposed for acquisition is located about one-half mile to the west of Highway 35 in the vicinity of the Cooper Spur Ski Area in T2S, R10E, sections 6 & 7, T1S, R10E, Sections 30 & 31, and T1S, R9E, Section 36 in Hood River County. The Omnibus Act (Section 1206(a)(2)(G)) prescribes as a condition to the land exchange that the Forest Service reserve wetland and trail easements on the Federal parcels to be exchanged. More specifically, the Omnibus Act requires the U.S. to reserve a conservation easement on the Federal land to protect existing wetland, as identified by the Oregon Department of State Lands, that allows equivalent wetland mitigation measures to compensate for minor wetland encroachments necessary for the orderly development of that land following the exchange. The Omnibus Act also requires the U.S. to reserve a trail easement on the Federal land that allows non-motorized use by the public of existing trails; roads, utilities, and infrastructure facilities to cross the trails; and improvement or relocation of the trails to accommodate development of the Federal land. The Omnibus Act also provides that, on completion of the land exchange, additional lands would be considered part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness and that the Crystal Springs Watershed Special Resource Management Unit would be created. The environmental impact statement to be prepared will also consider a proposed amendment to the the Mt. Hood National Forest Land and Resources Management Plan (1990), as amended by the Northwest Forest Plan (1994), that will be necessary to assign land use allocations to the acquired lands, change the land use allocations for the new Tilly Jane Wilderness Addition and the Crystal Springs Watershed Special Resource Management Unit, and add standards and guidelines for the Crystal Springs Watershed Special Resource Management Unit upon its creation. Possible Alternatives A bill, referred to as the ‘‘Mount Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act,’’ has been introduced in the U.S. Congress that would amend the Omnibus Act to modify certain PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 7743 conditions of the land exchange as described in the proposed action. The proposed modifications set forth in the bill will be analyzed in the environmental impact statement as appropriate, depending upon future congressional developments regarding its status. Responsible Official The Responsible Official for this project is the Mt. Hood Forest Supervisor. 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. It should be noted that, in this context, this decision is necessarily informed and constrained by the Omnibus Act, which provides direction for the proposed action, and therefore, if the Responsible Official finds the congressionally-mandated conditions are satisfied, the Forest Service will execute the land exchange. Preliminary Issues A preliminary analysis of potential effects revealed the following preliminary issues: (1) Camp Creek and an intermittent tributary of Camp Creek run through the Federal parcels. Neither reach of the stream is fish-bearing. Camp Creek is not 303(d)-listed under the Clean Water Act, but it does have water quality issues associated with Government Camp (such as sewage and runoff from the roads). Depending on the type and quality of development that might occur on the parcels after the exchange, the water quality could further decrease. However, the impacts of development should be lessened by the congressionally-mandated conservation easement on the wetland, through which the streams flow. Detailed information is not available regarding fisheries or water quality on the nonFederal parcel. (2) Surveys for wetlands and floodplains on both parcels have been completed. Wetlands are present on the Federal parcels, and narrow, streamassociated wetlands exist on the nonFederal parcel. It appears that the Forest Service will be conveying more wetlands than would be acquired. In the Omnibus Act (Section 1206(a)(G)(i)), however, Congress mandated that a conservation easement be placed upon the wetlands at Government Camp. The Act directs that the easement protect the wetland and allow for equivalent wetland mitigation measures necessary for the orderly development of the E:\FR\FM\16FEN1.SGM 16FEN1 7744 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / Notices conveyed land. The acquisition of the wetlands at Cooper Spur and the easement on the wetlands at Government Camp may therefore result in no net loss of wetlands. (3) A cultural and heritage resource survey was conducted on the Federal parcel. The survey revealed the potential for an adverse effect to a site of archaeological/cultural interest. Mitigation measures will be developed with Tribal and State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) consultation. (4) Trails 755, 755A, and 755B cross the Federal parcels. A trail easement has been congressionally mandated so that non-motorized users would continue to be able to use the trails to get to Federal land, so that roads, utilities, and infrastructure facilities could be built across the trails, and to allow for improvement or relocation of the trails so that development of the conveyed parcels could occur. While the trails (or relocated trails) would still exist, the recreation experience could be negatively impacted by new development (such as buildings and parking lots) or the presence of new infrastructure. Scoping Process This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides the development of the environmental impact statement. 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 9, 2016. Lisa A. Northrop, Mt. Hood Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. 2016–03047 Filed 2–12–16; 8:45 am] mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES BILLING CODE 3410–11–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Eastern Washington Cascades Provincial Advisory Committee Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. AGENCY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:15 Feb 12, 2016 Jkt 238001 The Eastern Washington Cascades Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet in Wenatchee, Washington. The committee is authorized pursuant to the implementation of E–19 of the Record of Decision and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to provide advice and make recommendations to promote a better integration of forest management activities between Federal and nonFederal entities to ensure that such activities are complementary. PAC information can be found at the following Web site: https:// www.fs.usda.gov/main/okawen/ workingtogether/advisorycommittees. DATES: The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22. All PAC meetings are subject to cancellation. For status of meeting prior to attendance, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. SUMMARY: The meeting will be held at the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest headquarters office located at 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, Washington. Written comments may be submitted as described under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. All comments, including names and addresses when provided, are placed in the record and are available for public inspection and copying. The public may inspect comments received at 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, Washington. Please call ahead to facilitate entry into the building. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Public Affairs Specialist Robin DeMario by phone at 509–664–9292 or via email at rdemario@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: 1. To provide updates to advisory committee members on Forest Plan Revision, Travel Management Planning, Forest Restoration Strategy, review of the fires that occurred in 2015 on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, and Burned Area Emergency Response efforts. 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 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 oral statement should request in writing by March 14, 2016 to be scheduled on the agenda. Anyone who would like to bring related matters to the attention of the committee may file written statements with the committee staff before or after the meeting. Written comments and requests for time to make oral comments must be sent to Pubic Affairs Specialist Robin DeMario, 216 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, Washington, 98801; by email to rdemario@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 509–664–9286. 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, 2016. Jason Kuiken, Deputy Forest Supervisor, OkanoganWenatchee National Forest. [FR Doc. 2016–03042 Filed 2–12–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3411–15–P CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD Sunshine Act Meeting February 23, 2016, 1:00 p.m. EST PLACE: U.S. Chemical Safety Board, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Suite 910, Washington, DC 20006. STATUS: Open to the public. TIME AND DATE: Matters To Be Considered The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) will convene a public meeting on February 23, 2016, starting at 1:00 p.m. EST in Washington, DC at the CSB offices located at 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Suite 910. The Board will discuss the status of open investigations, advocacy related to the State of California’s Process Safety Management (PSM) reforms, on the status of audits from the Office of the Inspector General, financial and organizational updates, and a review of the agency’s action plan. An opportunity for public comment will be provided. Additional Information The meeting is free and open to the public. If you require a translator or interpreter, please notify the individual listed below as the ‘‘Contact Person for E:\FR\FM\16FEN1.SGM 16FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7743-7744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03047]



[[Page 7743]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Mt. Hood National Forest; Oregon; Cooper Spur--Government Camp 
Land Exchange

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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

SUMMARY: The Mt. Hood National Forest will prepare an environmental 
impact statement to document and disclose the projected effects of a 
congressionally directed and conditioned land exchange. This land 
exchange includes the conveyance of approximately 110 acres of National 
Forest System lands adjacent to Government Camp in Clackamas County, 
Oregon, in exchange for the acquisition of approximately 765 acres of 
land owned by Mt. Hood Meadows Oreg., LLC, in Hood River County, 
Oregon.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by March 17, 2016. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
November 2016 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
January 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the Mt. Hood National Forest, 16400 
Champion Way, Sandy, OR 97055. Comments may also be sent via email to 
comments-pacificnorthwest-mthood@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to (503) 
668-1423.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Lombardo, Forest 
Environmental Coordinator, Mt. Hood National Forest, at (503) 668-1796 
or by email at mlombardo@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 and Need for Action

    The purpose of the congressionally directed and conditioned land 
exchange between the Mt. Hood National Forest and the Mt. Hood Meadows 
Oregon, LLC, is to comply with and carry out the Omnibus Public Land 
Management Act of March 30, 2009 (123 Stat. 991, Pub. L. 111-11), which 
provides direction for this land exchange.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action includes the conveyance of two parcels of 
National Forest System lands, totaling approximately 110 acres, in 
exchange for the acquisition of approximately 765 acres of land owned 
by Mt. Hood Meadows. The Federal land proposed for conveyance is 
located to the north of the Government Camp Loop Road in Government 
Camp, Oregon, in T3S, R8E, sections 13 & 24, and T3S, R8.5E, section 14 
in Clackamas County. The land owned by Mt. Hood Meadows that is 
proposed for acquisition is located about one-half mile to the west of 
Highway 35 in the vicinity of the Cooper Spur Ski Area in T2S, R10E, 
sections 6 & 7, T1S, R10E, Sections 30 & 31, and T1S, R9E, Section 36 
in Hood River County.
    The Omnibus Act (Section 1206(a)(2)(G)) prescribes as a condition 
to the land exchange that the Forest Service reserve wetland and trail 
easements on the Federal parcels to be exchanged. More specifically, 
the Omnibus Act requires the U.S. to reserve a conservation easement on 
the Federal land to protect existing wetland, as identified by the 
Oregon Department of State Lands, that allows equivalent wetland 
mitigation measures to compensate for minor wetland encroachments 
necessary for the orderly development of that land following the 
exchange. The Omnibus Act also requires the U.S. to reserve a trail 
easement on the Federal land that allows non-motorized use by the 
public of existing trails; roads, utilities, and infrastructure 
facilities to cross the trails; and improvement or relocation of the 
trails to accommodate development of the Federal land. The Omnibus Act 
also provides that, on completion of the land exchange, additional 
lands would be considered part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness and that the 
Crystal Springs Watershed Special Resource Management Unit would be 
created.
    The environmental impact statement to be prepared will also 
consider a proposed amendment to the the Mt. Hood National Forest Land 
and Resources Management Plan (1990), as amended by the Northwest 
Forest Plan (1994), that will be necessary to assign land use 
allocations to the acquired lands, change the land use allocations for 
the new Tilly Jane Wilderness Addition and the Crystal Springs 
Watershed Special Resource Management Unit, and add standards and 
guidelines for the Crystal Springs Watershed Special Resource 
Management Unit upon its creation.

Possible Alternatives

    A bill, referred to as the ``Mount Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange 
Clarification Act,'' has been introduced in the U.S. Congress that 
would amend the Omnibus Act to modify certain conditions of the land 
exchange as described in the proposed action. The proposed 
modifications set forth in the bill will be analyzed in the 
environmental impact statement as appropriate, depending upon future 
congressional developments regarding its status.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for this project is the Mt. Hood Forest 
Supervisor.

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. It should be noted that, in this context, this decision is 
necessarily informed and constrained by the Omnibus Act, which provides 
direction for the proposed action, and therefore, if the Responsible 
Official finds the congressionally-mandated conditions are satisfied, 
the Forest Service will execute the land exchange.

Preliminary Issues

    A preliminary analysis of potential effects revealed the following 
preliminary issues:
    (1) Camp Creek and an intermittent tributary of Camp Creek run 
through the Federal parcels. Neither reach of the stream is fish-
bearing. Camp Creek is not 303(d)-listed under the Clean Water Act, but 
it does have water quality issues associated with Government Camp (such 
as sewage and runoff from the roads). Depending on the type and quality 
of development that might occur on the parcels after the exchange, the 
water quality could further decrease. However, the impacts of 
development should be lessened by the congressionally-mandated 
conservation easement on the wetland, through which the streams flow. 
Detailed information is not available regarding fisheries or water 
quality on the non-Federal parcel.
    (2) Surveys for wetlands and floodplains on both parcels have been 
completed. Wetlands are present on the Federal parcels, and narrow, 
stream-associated wetlands exist on the non-Federal parcel. It appears 
that the Forest Service will be conveying more wetlands than would be 
acquired. In the Omnibus Act (Section 1206(a)(G)(i)), however, Congress 
mandated that a conservation easement be placed upon the wetlands at 
Government Camp. The Act directs that the easement protect the wetland 
and allow for equivalent wetland mitigation measures necessary for the 
orderly development of the

[[Page 7744]]

conveyed land. The acquisition of the wetlands at Cooper Spur and the 
easement on the wetlands at Government Camp may therefore result in no 
net loss of wetlands.
    (3) A cultural and heritage resource survey was conducted on the 
Federal parcel. The survey revealed the potential for an adverse effect 
to a site of archaeological/cultural interest. Mitigation measures will 
be developed with Tribal and State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) 
consultation.
    (4) Trails 755, 755A, and 755B cross the Federal parcels. A trail 
easement has been congressionally mandated so that non-motorized users 
would continue to be able to use the trails to get to Federal land, so 
that roads, utilities, and infrastructure facilities could be built 
across the trails, and to allow for improvement or relocation of the 
trails so that development of the conveyed parcels could occur. While 
the trails (or relocated trails) would still exist, the recreation 
experience could be negatively impacted by new development (such as 
buildings and parking lots) or the presence of new infrastructure.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. 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 9, 2016.
Lisa A. Northrop,
Mt. Hood Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2016-03047 Filed 2-12-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
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