Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ellis Integrated Vegetation Management Project, 57715-57716 [2018-25059]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 222 / Friday, November 16, 2018 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ellis Integrated Vegetation Management Project Forest Service, USDA. Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. AGENCY: ACTION: amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES Purpose and Need for Action The Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger Districts propose the Ellis Integrated Vegetation Project (Ellis Project) to reduce overstocking, improve ecosystem health, and enhance resilient landscapes by creating and maintaining heterogeneous vegetative conditions at multiple scales. As a result, this action will reduce the risk of uncharacteristic disturbances; enhance vegetative communities; provide well-distributed, high quality wildlife habitat for associated species; aid in protecting values at risk; promote the health and safety of the public and firefighters; and contribute to social, cultural, and economic needs. The project area is approximately 15 miles southeast of Heppner and 7 miles west of Ukiah, Oregon, in Morrow, Umatilla, and Grant Counties. Based on internal and external issues raised early in proposal development; and the scope, scale, and potentially significant beneficial impacts to distribution of wildlife, forest health, and fuels reduction, the Umatilla National Forest plans to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by January 15, 2019. The draft EIS is expected November 2019 and the final EIS is expected July 2020. ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Heppner District Ranger, Brandon Houck; c/o Leslie Taylor, PO Box 7, Heppner, Oregon, 97836, or they can be hand delivered to the Heppner Ranger District (117 So. Main St., Heppner, OR 97836). Comments may also be submitted electronically via https:// www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=41350 selecting the ‘‘Comment on Project’’ link in the ‘‘Get Connected’’ group at the right hand side of the project web page, or via facsimile to 541–278–3730. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Berkley, 541–278–3814, elizabethberkley@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: The Ellis Project is located within the Upper SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:19 Nov 15, 2018 Jkt 247001 Butter Creek, Upper Willow Creek, Rhea Creek, Lower Camas Creek, and the Potamus Creek-North Fork John Day River 5th field watersheds. Private land accounts for approximately 4,626 acres within the project boundary, leaving about up to 110,000 acres that may be considered for treatment on National Forest System lands. The Ellis Project is an interdisciplinary project developed to meet a wide variety of program needs. The key purposes are to reduce the risk of undesirable wildfire, improve ingress and egress for firefighters, increase forest health and vigor for timber and non-timber values, and improve wildlife habitat. This project is needed to protect values at risk, create healthy, fireresistant landscapes and improve wildlife habitat and forage variability. Additional program purposes include improving the quality of rangelands, enhancing unique vegetation communities, improving ethnographically important foods, and improving and maintaining recreational opportunities. Proposed Action The Ellis Project is expected to include the following types of treatments: commercial thinning; small diameter thinning; mechanical fuels treatments; pile, jackpot, and broadcast burning; landscape burning; pruning and planting. Target basal area for thinning will be dependent on species composition, stand age, size classes and desired future conditions. Varying desired stand density will create or maintain a clumpy, patchy, uneven mosaic of trees across the landscape. Regeneration harvest will occur in cold and cool moist forest areas affected by insect and disease. Areas of additional treatment will be focused on the ember reduction zone, areas of scenic recreational value, and areas of conifer encroachment on aspen stands, wet meadows and shrub-steppe. Additional wildlife habitat improvements will include forage plantings and road closures to increase security. Rangeland improvements may include water developments and fencing. Project outputs include a variety of forest products including fuelwood, posts and poles, saw logs, and other wood fiber products. Responsible Officials Brandon Houck (Heppner) and Paula Guenther (North Fork John Day) District Rangers. PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 57715 Nature of Decision To Be Made Given the purpose and need, the responsible officials will review the proposed action and comments on the scope of the project to develop any alternatives to address issues identified by the public. Alternatives and the environmental consequences will be drafted and analyzed in the draft decision. The responsible officials will compare the proposed action and alternatives and consider environmental consequences of the Ellis Project in order to decide how well the selected alternative meets the purpose and need described in the EIS; how well the selected alternative moves the project area toward the desired conditions; and if the selected alternative mitigates potential adverse effects. Preliminary Issues Issues identified so far include potential impact of treatments in cold and cool moist forest and wildlife movement/displacement. Vegetation treatments in cold and cool moist forest remains a contentious topic among stakeholders as these areas are considered more sensitive to disturbance, but the need still exists to reduce stand density for forest vigor and to reestablish historical fire regimes. Wildlife movement and distribution, particularly for elk, is also a growing concern. Early stakeholder engagement has identified a need to improve security and forage on National Forest System lands to better retain elk, which are pushed off-forest onto private lands, creating conflict in agricultural areas. High road use and road density exacerbate this issue. Scoping Process The Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger Districts have scheduled three public workshops to help facilitate conversations about the project area and solicit input on the proposal. These workshops are scheduled for November 8, November 15, and December 13, 2018, from 1800 to 2000 hours (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.). Two will be held at the Heppner Ranger District (117 So. Main St., Heppner, OR 97836) and the other at the North Fork John Day Ranger District office (401 W. Main, Ukiah, OR 97880). Exact locations will be announced closer to scheduled dates in consideration of weather and road conditions. Comments should be as specific as possible and focus on desired conditions or means to address concerns about the proposed action. It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in such E:\FR\FM\16NON1.SGM 16NON1 57716 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 222 / Friday, November 16, 2018 / Notices 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 commenter’s suggestions for alternatives. 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 allow the Agency to provide the respondent with updates or subsequent environmental documents. Dated: November 1, 2018. Gregory C. Smith, Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System. [FR Doc. 2018–25059 Filed 11–15–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3411–15–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board Forest Service, USDA. Notice of Intent to Re-establish the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board Charter. AGENCY: ACTION: The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), intends to reestablish the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board (Board) charter. In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the Board is being reestablished to continue obtaining advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan revisions or amendments, forest health including fire management and mountain pine beetle infestations, travel management, forest monitoring and evaluation, recreation fees, and sitespecific projects having forest wide implications. SUMMARY: amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Jacobson, Committee Coordinator, USDA, Black Hills National Forest, by telephone at 605–673–9216, by fax at 605–673–9208 or by email at sjjacobson@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. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:19 Nov 15, 2018 Jkt 247001 The Board is a non-scientific program advisory Board established by the Secretary of Agriculture in 2003 to provide advice and counsel to the U.S. Forest Service, Black Hills National Forest, in the wake of increasingly severe and intense wild fires and mountain pine beetle epidemics. The Board serves to meet the needs of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2005 (FLREA) as a Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC) for the Black Hills of South Dakota and provides timely advice and recommendations to the regional forester through the forest supervisor regarding programmatic forest issues and project-level issues that have forest-wide implications for the Black Hills National Forest. The Board meets approximately ten times a year, with one month being a field trip, held in August and focusing on both current issues and the educational value of seeing management strategies and outcomes on the ground. This Board has been established as a truly credible entity and a trusted voice on forest management issues and is doing often astonishing work in helping to develop informed consent for forest management. For years, the demands made on the Black Hills National Forest have resulted in conflicts among interest groups resulting in both forest-wide and site-specific programs being delayed due to appeals and litigation. The Board provides a forum to resolve these issues to allow for the Black Hills National Forest to move forward in its management activities. The Board is believed to be one of the few groups with broad enough scope to address all of the issues and include all of the jurisdictional boundaries. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Significant Contributions The Board’s most significant accomplishments include: 1. A 2004 report on the Black Hills Fuels Reduction Plan, a priority following the major fires including the 86,000 acre Jasper Fire in 2000; 2. A 2004 initial Off-Highway Vehicle Travel Management Subcommittee report; 3. A report on their findings regarding the thesis, direction, and assumptions of Phase II of our Forest Plan produced in 2005; 4. The Invasive Species Subcommittee Report in 2005 covering recommendations to better stop invasive species from infiltrating the Forest; 5. A final Travel Management Subcommittee Report in 2006 in which the Board made 11 recommendations PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 regarding characteristics of a designated motor vehicle trail system, the basis for our initial work to prepare our Motor Vehicle Use Map in 2010–2011; 6. The Mountain Pine Beetle Response Project in 2012 covering landscape scale treatments on portions of 248,000 acres of ponderosa pine stands at high risk for infestation. 7. The Board’s annual work to attract funding through grants based on the Collaborative Landscape Forest Restoration Program (CFLRP), a program of the Secretary of Agriculture CFLR Program to encourage the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes; 8. A letter to the Secretary and the Chief of the Forest Service to work, restore and maintain open space for wildlife habitat and recreation needs like snowmobile trails; and 9. The annual reports to the Secretary detailing the Board’s activities, issues, and accomplishments. The Board is deemed to be among the most effective public involvement strategies in the Forest Service and continues to lead by example for Federal, State, and local government agencies working to coordinate and cooperate in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. Background Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Secretary of Agriculture intends to reestablish the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board charter. The Board provides advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest planning issues and, in accordance with FLREA, more specifically will provide advice and recommendations on Black Hills National Forest recreation fee issues (serving as the RRAC for the Black Hills National Forest). The Board membership consists of individuals representing commodity interests, amenity interests, and State and local government. The Board has been determined to be in the public interest in connection with the duties and responsibilities of the Black Hills National Forest. National forest management requires improved coordination among the interests and governmental entities responsible for land management decisions and the public that the agency serves. Advisory Committee Organization The Board consists of 16 members that are representatives of the following interests (this membership is similar to the membership outlined by the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self E:\FR\FM\16NON1.SGM 16NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57715-57716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25059]



[[Page 57715]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ellis Integrated Vegetation 
Management Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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

SUMMARY: The Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger Districts propose 
the Ellis Integrated Vegetation Project (Ellis Project) to reduce 
overstocking, improve ecosystem health, and enhance resilient 
landscapes by creating and maintaining heterogeneous vegetative 
conditions at multiple scales. As a result, this action will reduce the 
risk of uncharacteristic disturbances; enhance vegetative communities; 
provide well-distributed, high quality wildlife habitat for associated 
species; aid in protecting values at risk; promote the health and 
safety of the public and firefighters; and contribute to social, 
cultural, and economic needs. The project area is approximately 15 
miles southeast of Heppner and 7 miles west of Ukiah, Oregon, in 
Morrow, Umatilla, and Grant Counties. Based on internal and external 
issues raised early in proposal development; and the scope, scale, and 
potentially significant beneficial impacts to distribution of wildlife, 
forest health, and fuels reduction, the Umatilla National Forest plans 
to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by January 15, 2019. The draft EIS is expected November 2019 and the 
final EIS is expected July 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Heppner District Ranger, Brandon 
Houck; c/o Leslie Taylor, PO Box 7, Heppner, Oregon, 97836, or they can 
be hand delivered to the Heppner Ranger District (117 So. Main St., 
Heppner, OR 97836). Comments may also be submitted electronically via 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=41350 selecting the ``Comment 
on Project'' link in the ``Get Connected'' group at the right hand side 
of the project web page, or via facsimile to 541-278-3730.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Berkley, 541-278-3814, 
[email protected].
    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: The Ellis Project is located within the 
Upper Butter Creek, Upper Willow Creek, Rhea Creek, Lower Camas Creek, 
and the Potamus Creek-North Fork John Day River 5th field watersheds. 
Private land accounts for approximately 4,626 acres within the project 
boundary, leaving about up to 110,000 acres that may be considered for 
treatment on National Forest System lands.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Ellis Project is an interdisciplinary project developed to meet 
a wide variety of program needs. The key purposes are to reduce the 
risk of undesirable wildfire, improve ingress and egress for 
firefighters, increase forest health and vigor for timber and non-
timber values, and improve wildlife habitat. This project is needed to 
protect values at risk, create healthy, fire-resistant landscapes and 
improve wildlife habitat and forage variability. Additional program 
purposes include improving the quality of rangelands, enhancing unique 
vegetation communities, improving ethnographically important foods, and 
improving and maintaining recreational opportunities.

Proposed Action

    The Ellis Project is expected to include the following types of 
treatments: commercial thinning; small diameter thinning; mechanical 
fuels treatments; pile, jackpot, and broadcast burning; landscape 
burning; pruning and planting. Target basal area for thinning will be 
dependent on species composition, stand age, size classes and desired 
future conditions. Varying desired stand density will create or 
maintain a clumpy, patchy, uneven mosaic of trees across the landscape. 
Regeneration harvest will occur in cold and cool moist forest areas 
affected by insect and disease. Areas of additional treatment will be 
focused on the ember reduction zone, areas of scenic recreational 
value, and areas of conifer encroachment on aspen stands, wet meadows 
and shrub-steppe. Additional wildlife habitat improvements will include 
forage plantings and road closures to increase security. Rangeland 
improvements may include water developments and fencing. Project 
outputs include a variety of forest products including fuelwood, posts 
and poles, saw logs, and other wood fiber products.

Responsible Officials

    Brandon Houck (Heppner) and Paula Guenther (North Fork John Day) 
District Rangers.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need, the responsible officials will review 
the proposed action and comments on the scope of the project to develop 
any alternatives to address issues identified by the public. 
Alternatives and the environmental consequences will be drafted and 
analyzed in the draft decision. The responsible officials will compare 
the proposed action and alternatives and consider environmental 
consequences of the Ellis Project in order to decide how well the 
selected alternative meets the purpose and need described in the EIS; 
how well the selected alternative moves the project area toward the 
desired conditions; and if the selected alternative mitigates potential 
adverse effects.

Preliminary Issues

    Issues identified so far include potential impact of treatments in 
cold and cool moist forest and wildlife movement/displacement. 
Vegetation treatments in cold and cool moist forest remains a 
contentious topic among stakeholders as these areas are considered more 
sensitive to disturbance, but the need still exists to reduce stand 
density for forest vigor and to reestablish historical fire regimes. 
Wildlife movement and distribution, particularly for elk, is also a 
growing concern. Early stakeholder engagement has identified a need to 
improve security and forage on National Forest System lands to better 
retain elk, which are pushed off-forest onto private lands, creating 
conflict in agricultural areas. High road use and road density 
exacerbate this issue.

Scoping Process

    The Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger Districts have scheduled 
three public workshops to help facilitate conversations about the 
project area and solicit input on the proposal. These workshops are 
scheduled for November 8, November 15, and December 13, 2018, from 1800 
to 2000 hours (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.). Two will be held at the Heppner 
Ranger District (117 So. Main St., Heppner, OR 97836) and the other at 
the North Fork John Day Ranger District office (401 W. Main, Ukiah, OR 
97880). Exact locations will be announced closer to scheduled dates in 
consideration of weather and road conditions.
    Comments should be as specific as possible and focus on desired 
conditions or means to address concerns about the proposed action. It 
is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in 
such

[[Page 57716]]

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 commenter's suggestions for alternatives.
    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 allow the 
Agency to provide the respondent with updates or subsequent 
environmental documents.

     Dated: November 1, 2018.
Gregory C. Smith,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-25059 Filed 11-15-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.