Payette National Forest, Idaho; Huckleberry Landscape Restoration Project, 67289-67291 [2016-23650]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 190 (Friday, September 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67289-67291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23650]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 190 / Friday, September 30, 2016 / 
Notices

[[Page 67289]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Payette National Forest, Idaho; Huckleberry Landscape Restoration 
Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Payette National Forest will prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Huckleberry Landscape Restoration 
Project. The Huckleberry Landscape Restoration Project is located 
approximately 15 miles west of New Meadows, Idaho. Proposed treatments 
include timber harvest, thinning, prescribed fire, road treatments and 
road decommissioning, and recreation improvements. The Huckleberry 
project area is approximately 67,000 acres within the Council Ranger 
District on the Payette National Forest. The project is located in the 
Indian, Lick, and Bear Creek subwatersheds within the Brownlee 
Reservoir Subbasin.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by November 14, 2016. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected late April 2017 and the final environmental impact statement 
is expected January 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Keith Lannom, Forest Supervisor, 
500 N. Mission Street, Building 2, McCall, Idaho 83638. Comments may 
also be sent via email to comments-intermtn-payette@fs.fed.us, or via 
facsimile to 208-634-0744.
    Comments may also be submitted through the Huckleberry Landscape 
Restoration Project Web page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50218. To submit comments using the web form select ``Comment/
Object on Project'' under ``Get Connected'' on the right panel of the 
project's Web page.
    A public meeting will be held October 18th, 2016, from 4 to 6 p.m. 
at the Council Ranger District Office, 2092 Highway 95, Council, Idaho, 
208-253-0100.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Pierson, New Meadows District 
Ranger, 208-347-0300, kpierson@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 Huckleberry Landscape Restoration Project is to: 
A. Move vegetation toward the desired conditions defined in the Forest 
Plan and the most recent science addressing restoration and management 
of wildlife habitat, with an emphasis on: (1) Improving habitat for 
specific wildlife species of concern such as the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA)-listed northern Idaho ground squirrel (NIDGS) and species 
dependent on dry coniferous forests (e.g. white-headed woodpecker), 
while maintaining habitat for other Forest sensitive and ESA-listed 
species; (2) Maintaining and promoting large tree forest structure, 
early seral species composition (e.g. example aspen, western larch, 
ponderosa pine, and Douglas-fir) and forest resiliency; (3) Reducing 
the risk of uncharacteristic and undesirable wildland fire, with an 
emphasis on restoring and maintaining desirable plant community 
attributes including fuel levels, fire regimes, and other ecological 
processes. (4) Moving forest stands toward desired conditions as 
described in the Forest Plan by returning fire to the ecosystem; 
promoting the development of large tree forest structures mixed with a 
mosaic of size classes; and improving growth, species composition, and 
resiliency to insects, disease, and fire.
    B. Support the development of fire-adapted rural communities by: 
(1) Creating conditions that provide firefighters a higher probability 
of successfully suppressing fire in the wildland urban interface by 
reducing potential fire behavior near values at risk (e.g., homes, 
communication towers, and power lines) and primary ingress/egress 
routes, essential to firefighter access and the public. (2) Creating 
conditions where rural communities are less reliant on suppression 
forces.
    C. Move all subwatersheds within the project area toward the 
desired conditions for soil, water, riparian, and aquatic resources 
(SWRA) as described in the Forest Plan and the Watershed Condition 
Framework (WCF) (USDA 2011) by: (1) Reducing overall road density, 
road-related accelerated sediment, and other road related impacts 
across the project area; restoring riparian vegetation and floodplain 
function. (2) Restoring fish habitat connectivity across the project 
area, especially in streams occupied by ESA Listed bull trout, 
(Salvelinus confluentus) and in or adjacent to bull trout Critical 
Habitat.
    D. Manage recreation use with an emphasis on hardening (where 
needed) dispersed recreation sites for resource improvement, and 
improving existing trail opportunities.
    E. Contribute to the economic vitality of the communities adjacent 
to the Payette National Forest.
    The need for the project is based on the difference between the 
existing and desired conditions. These differences include: (1) Less 
large tree size class than desired and higher canopy cover; (2) Fewer 
early seral species (i.e. ponderosa pine and western larch); (3) Fewer 
fire resilient species than desired; (4) Increase in ground, surface, 
and canopy fuels; (5) Less than desired watershed function and 
integrity.
    The desired conditions for this project are based upon the Payette 
National Forest Plan (USDA Forest Service 2003), and the Watershed 
Condition Framework (USDA Forest Service 2011).

Proposed Action

    The Proposed Action includes: Vegetative Treatments: The Forest 
Service proposes approximately 42,600 acres of vegetative treatments in 
the project area. This acreage includes the treatments designed to 
benefit Northern Idaho Ground Squirrels (NIDGS) and treatments within 
Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs). Of the acres proposed for 
vegetative treatment, 1,400 acres are within RCAs. Approximately 9,000 
acres are in areas designed to mitigate fire risk to values at risk. 
Commercial Vegetative Treatments: The Forest Service proposes to treat 
up to

[[Page 67290]]

23,800 acres with commercial harvests (a combination of Free Thin, Free 
Thin-Patch Cut-Selection Harvest, Aspen Restoration, and Mature 
Plantation Harvest). Combined commercial and non-commercial vegetation 
treatments include up to 11,800 acres of meadow restoration, 1,500 
acres Restoration of Low Density Timber Stands and 600 acres of 
Whitebark pine restoration. These acreages includes treatments designed 
for and within RCAs. Approximately, 1,400 acres are commercial 
treatments (as described below) within RCAs. Non-Commercial 
Treatments--approximately 42,500 acres. Non-commercial thinning would 
be completed in areas of commercial harvest as well as outside of 
commercial harvest. This would consist of trees generally less than ten 
inches DBH and include plantations. Non-commercial thinning would be 
completed to improve wildlife habitat, increase growth rates and tree 
vigor, improve stand resiliency to natural disturbance, reduce density-
related competition, reduce potential fire behavior and fire effects 
given a wildland fire.
    Prescribed Fire Treatments: The entire project area, (approximately 
67,000 acres, excluding the Bear Creek RNA), would be treated with 
prescribed fire over the next 20 years (see Prescribed Fire and 
Community Wildfire Mitigation Map). Commercial activities would 
generally be completed prior to the application of fire, except where 
the application of fire prior to thinning does not affect commercial 
activities. Re-introducing 500 to 10,000 acres of fire annually would 
move forested and non- forested vegetation towards conditions that more 
closely represent historic distribution, structure, and function as 
well as limit potential fire behavior. A mosaic-like application of 
fire would re-introduce fire to approximately 75 percent of primary 
target acres, and 50 percent of secondary target acres. These 
percentages recognize the variability in the spread of fire across a 
landscape due to various environmental influences. All acres targeted 
for the application of fire would be available for noncommercial 
thinning in order to minimize mortality from prescribed fire and aid in 
moving towards restored conditions.
    Watershed Improvement and Restoration Treatments: (1) System road 
treatments proposed throughout the project area include maintenance 
and/or improvement of Forest system roads where needed. Approximately 
57.7 miles of system roads would be decommissioned. All roads closed to 
the public would receive implementation of effective closure to 
motorized use. All unauthorized routes not needed for future management 
would also be evaluated for some level of restoration treatments. (2) 
Unauthorized Route Treatments--Restoration treatments are proposed for 
unauthorized routes, although the exact mileage of unauthorized route 
treatments have not been determined at this time. It is anticipated 
that between 60 and 80 miles would be treated. (3) Aquatic Organism 
Passage/Fish Habitat Connectivity--Improvements to Fish Passage are 
needed to address the purpose and need of the project. Thirteen road-
crossings have been identified in the project area to improve fish 
passage and improve hydrologic connectivity. In the Indian Creek 
subwatershed, of which the upper portion is identified as a restoration 
priority under and ACS, 6 crossings would be improved (crossings would 
be replaced with appropriate structures or removed with the associated 
road restoration treatments. These proposed improvements would address 
all of the known man-made barriers on fish bearing streams in the 
subwatershed. In the Bear Creek subwatershed, (of which the upper 
portion is identified as an ACS priority), one crossing is identified 
for improvement. This would address the only known man-made barrier on 
a fish-bearing stream in the portion of the Bear Creek subwatershed 
included in the project area. Past restoration activities have 
addressed many of the fish passage barriers in the Bear Creek 
subwatershed. In the Lick Creek subwatershed, 6 crossings are 
identified for improvement on tributaries of Lick Creek. These 
crossings would be replaced with appropriate structures or removed with 
other road restoration treatments. Crossings should be replaced as road 
work and project activities occur in these areas to improve fish 
habitat connectivity, and improve hydrologic connectivity. (4) Trail 
Bridges for Fish Habitat Improvement--In the Bear Creek subwatershed, 2 
trail bridges are proposed on FS Trail 228 where the trail crosses 
Mickey Creek and Wesley Creek. Both of these streams are Bull Trout 
Critical Habitat. Bridges over these streams would reduce impacts of 
trail use (from 2-wheeled motorized, non-motorized and stock) to bull 
trout and their critical habitat. A trail bridge currently is in place 
near the FS 228 Trailhead where the trail crosses Bear Creek, which is 
also critical habitat.
    Recreation Improvements: The recreation proposal focuses on 
improving existing developed and dispersed recreation opportunities and 
facilities, trail maintenance and relocation to improve watershed 
conditions and the recreational user's experience. The Huckleberry 
Landscape Restoration Project would: (1) Developed and Dispersed 
Recreation: (a) Improve the potable water well, increase the radius of 
the turnaround loop to accommodate larger trailers and RVs, and replace 
the entire fence with split rail/buck and rail at the Huckleberry 
Campground; (b) Coordinate dispersed camping along roads open to 
motorized travel 300 feet off the road, with wildlife in areas where 
there is a conflict with the NIDGS: (c) On Forest Road 143 (Lick Creek 
Road) where it enters the Forest, add a travel management sign that 
state the road is open to dispersed camping using a motorized vehicle 
in designated sites only; (d) Harden dispersed camping sites identified 
with resource issues; (e) Place rock barriers in sites identified with 
a need to restrict further growth; (f) Decommission existing restroom 
facility and install a new single vault restroom at the Bear trailhead, 
along with three fire rings and two metal stock hitch rails. (2) 
Trails: (a) Bring the 33 miles of trails consisting of two-wheel 
motorized and non-motorized trail up to defined trail class standard 
for each trail. This includes signing at all trail junctions, new 
signing at trailheads lacking proper signs, and trail reestablishment 
and potential relocation where the trail is undefinable; (b) Improve 
the Hoo Hoo Gulch 50144 road accessing the #231 trail to accommodate 
the hauling of a stock trailer. This includes brushing both sides of 
the road, and performing major road maintenance on the road surface. At 
the trailhead (location of the closed gate) construct a turn-around 
large enough to accommodate and truck pulling a horse trailer. Add one 
metal stock hitch rail and an information trailhead kiosk sign to the 
trailhead. Relocate portions of the #231 trail above the current 
roadbed; (c) Relocate and re-establish portions of the non-motorized 
#229 trail that accesses the Lick Creek Lookout. Establish a trailhead 
to accommodate two vehicles and one horse trailer at the place the 
50129 road turns to seasonal use. Install an informational trailhead 
kiosk and trail sign. (Note: The seasonally open road beyond this gate 
could be closed year-round as it only goes an additional \1/2\ mile and 
is not needed for recreational access. It only serves to bring 
unauthorized motorized use into the closed road system above); (d) 
Establish a small pullout for parking for the non-motorized #226 trail. 
Install a trailhead sign.

[[Page 67291]]

    E. Wildlife Habitat Improvements: Changes in forested conditions, 
fire regimes, and the presence of roads have altered wildlife habitats. 
Some modifications to habitat have led to the federal listing of 
terrestrial wildlife species such as northern Idaho ground squirrel 
(NIDGS). A primary need Forest-wide and in the project area is to 
maintain and promote dry, lower elevation, large tree, and old forest 
habitats for the associated wildlife species including reducing road 
densities and fragmentation that negatively affect elk and other Forest 
species of concern. The processes, function, patch size and diversity 
of forested habitats must all be considered in order to properly 
address wildlife habitat needs. Examples of habitat improvement 
include: (1) Enhance habitat components that will support sustainable 
elk populations consistent with the Forest Plan. This includes the best 
available science to move the project landscape towards the recommended 
road density and elk security habitat guidelines (e.g. effective 
seasonal gate closures). One potential method of moving towards 
effective road densities and enhancing elk security habitat is to 
target road closures in areas where there is route redundancy. (2) 
Maintain or restore a representative, resilient and redundant network 
of habitats for species of greatest conservation concern (e.g. northern 
Idaho ground squirrel, white-headed woodpecker, northern goshawk, 
etc.).
    F. Community Wildfire Mitigation Treatments: Both, fuel loading and 
fuel continuity would be altered to reduce surface fire potential as 
well as crown fire potential among the community wildfire mitigation 
treatment areas (see Prescribed Fire Treatments and Community Wildfire 
Mitigation Map). This would provide suppression forces a higher 
probability of successfully attacking a wildland fire within intermix 
or rural condition while creating a safer working environment. A 
combination of non-commercial thinning, commercial thinning, limbing to 
reduce ladder fuels, piling dead and downed material, pile burning, 
and/or prescribed burning would facilitate the desired condition. More 
specifically, activities would result in the following: (1) Increased 
canopy base heights to reduce potential for spotting, torching, and 
crown fire; (2) Reduced canopy densities to reduce the potential for 
crown fire spread; (3) Reduced species that are not fire-resilient to 
promote fire-resilient stands; (4) Reduced ground and surface fuels. 
Recurrent application of the necessary treatments (primarily prescribed 
fire) every 5-15 years would maintain the desired condition, which is 
lower fuel loadings and reduced horizontal fuel continuity.

Responsible Official

    The Forest Supervisor of the Payette National Forest is the 
Responsible Official.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Based on the purpose and need for the proposed action, the 
Responsible Official will determine whether to proceed with the action, 
as proposed, as modified by another alternative or not at all. If an 
action alternative is selected, the Responsible Official will determine 
what design features, mitigation measures and monitoring requirements 
are included in the decision.

Addresses

    Additional project information is available on the project page of 
the Payette National Forest Web site at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50218.

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 project. Comments submitted anonymously however will also be 
accepted and considered.

    Dated: September 26, 2016.
Keith B. Lannom,
Payette National Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2016-23650 Filed 9-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P