Conejos Peak Ranger District, Rio Grande National Forest; Colorado; CP District-wide Salvage Project, 10573-10574 [2016-04487]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / Notices
Dated: February 22, 2016.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
Purpose and Need for Action
[FR Doc. 2016–04443 Filed 2–29–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Conejos Peak Ranger District, Rio
Grande National Forest; Colorado; CP
District-wide Salvage Project
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Conejos Peak Ranger
District, Rio Grande National Forest,
proposes to salvage timber stands killed
or infested by spruce beetles; reduce
fuel loading adjacent to private lands;
and regenerate forested acres, as needed,
to move toward the long-term desired
conditions described in the Forest Plan.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by
March 31, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Written comments
concerning this notice should be
addressed to Andrea Jones, District
Ranger; Conejos Peak Ranger District;
15571 CR T.5; La Jara, CO; 81140.
Comments may also be sent via email to
comments-rocky-mountain-rio-grandeconejos-peak@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile
to 719–274–6301, with subject ‘CP
District-wide Salvage Project.’
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 the
Conejos Peak Ranger District office,
address listed above. Visitors are
encouraged to call ahead to 719–274–
8971 to facilitate document access.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Tooley, Interdisciplinary Team
Leader, telephone: (719) 274–8971 or
visit the Forest Web site: https://
www.fs.usda.gov/projects/riogrande/
landmanagement/projects.
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:
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
Estimated Dates
The draft environmental impact
statement is expected September 2017
and the final environmental impact
statement is expected December 2017.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:18 Feb 29, 2016
Jkt 238001
10573
Proposed Action
Extensive spruce beetle mortality has
occurred across the Conejos Peak Ranger
District since 2002, affecting over 67,000
acres to date. As a result, existing
conditions within certain Management
Area Prescriptions (MAPs) have
departed from desired conditions
described in the Revised Land and
Resource Management Plan (Forest
Plan). Management emphasis is on
wood production within some MAPs,
and there is express intent to evaluate
insect and disease outbreaks against the
potential for loss of commercial forest
resources, with an emphasis on
protecting the commercial resources.
Within other MAPs, vegetation
composition and structure are managed
to meet specific objectives for the area
(e.g. recreation), and vegetation
management treatments are
implemented to accomplish those
objectives or contribute to user safety.
Within yet other MAPs, the plant
communities may be managed in a
range of successional stages to achieve
biological diversity, and vegetation
management treatments are allowed
with resource constraints.
These desired conditions for the
MAPs tie to overarching Forestwide
Desired Conditions and Objectives. One
overarching Desired Condition is to
supply wood products while providing
for the biological diversity of forested
areas. An associated Objective provides
an emphasis on long-term sustainable
production of resources for economies,
communities, and people. Another
overarching Desired Condition is that
fuel profiles be consistent with land
uses and estimates of historic fire
regimes. An associated Objective
provides for using appropriate
vegetative-management methods to
modify unacceptable fuel profiles,
contributing to the protection of human
life, property, and resources needed to
support long-term industries, with
firefighter safety being paramount.
This disparity between existing and
desired conditions creates a need to
utilize available dead and dying trees in
a timely manner to meet multiple-use
mandates and provide for the protection
of firefighters, users, communities, and
private resources. The purpose of this
project is to provide an adaptive
decision framework for responding to
spruce beetle mortality with salvage and
hazardous fuel treatment projects in a
timely and cost-effective manner, while
providing for site-specific protection of
biological diversity and other resource
management objectives.
The Conejos Peak Ranger District of
the Rio Grande National Forest proposes
to salvage dead and dying spruce from
suitable areas across the district, as well
as modify forest fuels adjacent to private
property and administrative sites within
areas affected by spruce beetle
mortality. Salvage harvest activities
would occur on up to 17,000 acres
across the district, on lands determined
by the Forest Plan as appropriate for
timber harvest. Hazardous fuel
treatment activities would occur on up
to 1,000 acres of treatment area, on
lands determined by the same plan as
appropriate for pre-commercial handthinning operations. Activities would
begin in the summer of 2018 and
continue for 10–15 years.
Activities associated with spruce
salvage harvest would include: (1)
Commercial logging and log hauling
operations; (2) National Forest System
Road maintenance and reconstruction;
(3) Re-opening old non-system roads,
followed by rehabilitation; (4)
Temporary road construction and
rehabilitation; (5) Areas identified for
public and commercial firewood
gathering; (6) Planting of native conifer
seedlings as needed to meet future forest
objectives.
Activities associated with hazardous
fuel treatments within spruce mortality
zones would include: (1) Precommercial thinning by chainsaw
within 400 feet of private boundary or
200 feet of administrative sites to create
defensible space; (2) Hazard tree
removal by chainsaw within 400 feet of
private boundary or 200 feet of
administrative sites; (3) Pruning of
residual trees to lift crown base height;
(4) Piling and burning or removal of
activity-generated fuels within timber
sale or pre-commercial thinning areas.
The proposed action also includes
development of an implementation
checklist for later-stage analysis. The
developed checklist would tier to this
early-stage decision and allow focus on
compliance alone in relation to (1)
project decision, (2) Forest Plan, statute,
and regulation, and (3) reporting and
notification requirements.
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Responsible Official
Conejos Peak District Ranger at 15571
County Road T.5; La Jara, CO; 81140
Nature of Decision To Be Made
An environmental impact statement
(EIS) will be prepared that discloses the
environmental consequences of
implementing the proposed action and
alternatives to the proposed action,
including No Action. A separate Record
E:\FR\FM\01MRN1.SGM
01MRN1
10574
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / Notices
of Decision (ROD) will explain the
Responsible Official’s decision
regarding whether or not to implement
some level of timber harvest and other
proposed activities on all, part, or none
of the area analyzed, given the
consideration of multiple-use goals and
objectives.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the environmental
impact statement. The Forest invites
public comment and participation in
this project by publication of this notice.
Comments are also invited by:
publication in the quarterly Schedule of
Proposed Actions (SOPA); public notice
regarding this project in the newspaper
of record, the Valley Courier; and letters
to potentially interested individuals,
tribal governments, elected officials, and
State and other Federal Agencies.
Information will also be posted on the
Rio Grande National Forest project Web
site as this project progresses.
Comments received during these and
other scoping efforts will be considered
in this EIS. No scoping meetings are
planned at this time.
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 anonymous
comments will not provide the Agency
with the ability to provide the
respondent with subsequent
environmental documents.
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Preliminary Issues
The effect of proposed activities on
the habitat structural needs of the local
population of Canada Lynx, a
Threatened species, and their primary
prey, the snowshoe hare.
Comment Requested
The comment period on the draft
environmental impact statement will be
45 days from the date the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the notice of availability in
the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this
early state, it is important to give
reviewers notice of several court rulings
related to public participation in the
environmental review process. First,
reviewers of draft environmental impact
statements must structure their
participation in the environmental
review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the
reviewer’s positions and contentions.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:18 Feb 29, 2016
Jkt 238001
NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also,
environmental objections that could be
raised at the draft environmental impact
statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion the final
environmental impact statement may be
waived or dismissed by the courts. City
of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016,
1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin
Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp.
1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of
these court rulings, it is very important
that those interested in this proposed
action participate by the close of the 45
day comment period so that substantive
comments and objections are made
available to the Forest Service at a time
when it can meaningfully consider them
and respond to them in the final
environmental impact statement
To assist the Forest Service in
identifying and considering issues and
concerns on the proposed action,
comments on the draft environmental
impact statement should be as specific
as possible. It is also helpful if
comments refer to specific pages or
chapters of the draft statement.
Comments may also address the
adequacy of the draft environmental
impact statement or the merits of the
alternatives formulated and discussed in
the statement. Reviewers may wish to
refer to the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act at 40
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Dated: February 24, 2016.
Andrea Jones,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2016–04487 Filed 2–29–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration
Designation for the Casa Grande, AZ;
Jamestown, ND; Lincoln, NE;
Memphis, TN; and Sioux City, IA Areas
Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
GIPSA is announcing the
designation of Farwell Commodity
Grain Services, Inc. (Farwell
Southwest); Grain Inspection, Inc.
(Jamestown); Lincoln Inspection
Service, Inc. (Lincoln); Midsouth Grain
Inspection Service (Midsouth); and
Sioux City Grain Inspection and
Weighing Service, Inc. (Sioux City) to
provide official services under the
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
United States Grain Standards Act
(USGSA), as amended.
DATES: Effective: April 1, 2015
ADDRESSES: Eric J. Jabs, Deputy Director,
USDA, GIPSA, FGIS, QACD, 10383
North Ambassador Drive, Kansas City,
MO 64153
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric
J. Jabs, 816–659–8408 or Eric.J.Jabs@
usda.gov.
Read Applications: All applications
and comments are available for public
inspection at the office above during
regular business hours (7 CFR 1.27(c)).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the
October 14, 2014, Federal Register (79
FR 61596), GIPSA requested
applications for designation to provide
official services in the geographic areas
presently serviced by Farwell
Southwest, Jamestown, Lincoln,
Midsouth, and Sioux City. Applications
were due by November 13, 2014.
The current official agencies- Farwell
Southwest, Jamestown, Lincoln,
Midsouth, and Sioux City were the only
applicants for designation to provide
official services in these areas. As a
result, GIPSA did not ask for additional
comments. On January 2, 2015,
subsequently, Sioux City purchased
Central Iowa Grain Inspection
Corporation (Central Iowa) and Sioux
City asked GIPSA to amend their
designation to include Central Iowa’s
geographic area. GIPSA reviewed the
proposed amendment and determined
that Sioux City met all of the
requirements specified in 7 CFR
800.196(f)(2) to amend their
geographical area.
GIPSA evaluated the designation
criteria in section 79(f) of the USGSA (7
U.S.C. 79(f)) and determined that
Farwell Southwest, Jamestown, Lincoln,
and Midsouth are qualified to provide
official services in the geographic area
specified in the Federal Register on
October 14, 2014. This designation to
provide official services in the specified
areas for Jamestown, Lincoln, and
Midsouth is effective April 1, 2015, to
March 31, 2018. This designation action
to provide official services in the
specified areas for Farwell Southwest is
effective April 1, 2015, to March 31,
2017.
Sioux City’s designation is amended
to include the additional geographic
area previously designated to Central
Iowa. Sioux City’s designation for the
following amended geographical area is
effective April 1, 2015, to March 31,
2017.
Sioux City
Pursuant to Section 79(f)(2) of the
United States Grain Standards Act, the
E:\FR\FM\01MRN1.SGM
01MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10573-10574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04487]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Conejos Peak Ranger District, Rio Grande National Forest;
Colorado; CP District-wide Salvage Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Conejos Peak Ranger District, Rio Grande National Forest,
proposes to salvage timber stands killed or infested by spruce beetles;
reduce fuel loading adjacent to private lands; and regenerate forested
acres, as needed, to move toward the long-term desired conditions
described in the Forest Plan.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by March 31, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning this notice should be addressed
to Andrea Jones, District Ranger; Conejos Peak Ranger District; 15571
CR T.5; La Jara, CO; 81140. Comments may also be sent via email to
comments-rocky-mountain-rio-grande-conejos-peak@fs.fed.us, or via
facsimile to 719-274-6301, with subject `CP District-wide Salvage
Project.'
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 the Conejos Peak
Ranger District office, address listed above. Visitors are encouraged
to call ahead to 719-274-8971 to facilitate document access.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Tooley, Interdisciplinary Team
Leader, telephone: (719) 274-8971 or visit the Forest Web site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/riogrande/landmanagement/projects.
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:
Estimated Dates
The draft environmental impact statement is expected September 2017
and the final environmental impact statement is expected December 2017.
Purpose and Need for Action
Extensive spruce beetle mortality has occurred across the Conejos
Peak Ranger District since 2002, affecting over 67,000 acres to date.
As a result, existing conditions within certain Management Area
Prescriptions (MAPs) have departed from desired conditions described in
the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). Management
emphasis is on wood production within some MAPs, and there is express
intent to evaluate insect and disease outbreaks against the potential
for loss of commercial forest resources, with an emphasis on protecting
the commercial resources. Within other MAPs, vegetation composition and
structure are managed to meet specific objectives for the area (e.g.
recreation), and vegetation management treatments are implemented to
accomplish those objectives or contribute to user safety. Within yet
other MAPs, the plant communities may be managed in a range of
successional stages to achieve biological diversity, and vegetation
management treatments are allowed with resource constraints.
These desired conditions for the MAPs tie to overarching Forestwide
Desired Conditions and Objectives. One overarching Desired Condition is
to supply wood products while providing for the biological diversity of
forested areas. An associated Objective provides an emphasis on long-
term sustainable production of resources for economies, communities,
and people. Another overarching Desired Condition is that fuel profiles
be consistent with land uses and estimates of historic fire regimes. An
associated Objective provides for using appropriate vegetative-
management methods to modify unacceptable fuel profiles, contributing
to the protection of human life, property, and resources needed to
support long-term industries, with firefighter safety being paramount.
This disparity between existing and desired conditions creates a
need to utilize available dead and dying trees in a timely manner to
meet multiple-use mandates and provide for the protection of
firefighters, users, communities, and private resources. The purpose of
this project is to provide an adaptive decision framework for
responding to spruce beetle mortality with salvage and hazardous fuel
treatment projects in a timely and cost-effective manner, while
providing for site-specific protection of biological diversity and
other resource management objectives.
Proposed Action
The Conejos Peak Ranger District of the Rio Grande National Forest
proposes to salvage dead and dying spruce from suitable areas across
the district, as well as modify forest fuels adjacent to private
property and administrative sites within areas affected by spruce
beetle mortality. Salvage harvest activities would occur on up to
17,000 acres across the district, on lands determined by the Forest
Plan as appropriate for timber harvest. Hazardous fuel treatment
activities would occur on up to 1,000 acres of treatment area, on lands
determined by the same plan as appropriate for pre-commercial hand-
thinning operations. Activities would begin in the summer of 2018 and
continue for 10-15 years.
Activities associated with spruce salvage harvest would include:
(1) Commercial logging and log hauling operations; (2) National Forest
System Road maintenance and reconstruction; (3) Re-opening old non-
system roads, followed by rehabilitation; (4) Temporary road
construction and rehabilitation; (5) Areas identified for public and
commercial firewood gathering; (6) Planting of native conifer seedlings
as needed to meet future forest objectives.
Activities associated with hazardous fuel treatments within spruce
mortality zones would include: (1) Pre-commercial thinning by chainsaw
within 400 feet of private boundary or 200 feet of administrative sites
to create defensible space; (2) Hazard tree removal by chainsaw within
400 feet of private boundary or 200 feet of administrative sites; (3)
Pruning of residual trees to lift crown base height; (4) Piling and
burning or removal of activity-generated fuels within timber sale or
pre-commercial thinning areas.
The proposed action also includes development of an implementation
checklist for later-stage analysis. The developed checklist would tier
to this early-stage decision and allow focus on compliance alone in
relation to (1) project decision, (2) Forest Plan, statute, and
regulation, and (3) reporting and notification requirements.
Responsible Official
Conejos Peak District Ranger at 15571 County Road T.5; La Jara, CO;
81140
Nature of Decision To Be Made
An environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared that
discloses the environmental consequences of implementing the proposed
action and alternatives to the proposed action, including No Action. A
separate Record
[[Page 10574]]
of Decision (ROD) will explain the Responsible Official's decision
regarding whether or not to implement some level of timber harvest and
other proposed activities on all, part, or none of the area analyzed,
given the consideration of multiple-use goals and objectives.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest
invites public comment and participation in this project by publication
of this notice. Comments are also invited by: publication in the
quarterly Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA); public notice regarding
this project in the newspaper of record, the Valley Courier; and
letters to potentially interested individuals, tribal governments,
elected officials, and State and other Federal Agencies. Information
will also be posted on the Rio Grande National Forest project Web site
as this project progresses. Comments received during these and other
scoping efforts will be considered in this EIS. No scoping meetings are
planned at this time.
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 anonymous comments will not provide
the Agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent
environmental documents.
Preliminary Issues
The effect of proposed activities on the habitat structural needs
of the local population of Canada Lynx, a Threatened species, and their
primary prey, the snowshoe hare.
Comment Requested
The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes
the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early state, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's positions and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion the final environmental impact statement may be
waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the 45 day comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to
them in the final environmental impact statement
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Dated: February 24, 2016.
Andrea Jones,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2016-04487 Filed 2-29-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P