Middle Fork Ranger District; Willamette National Forest; Lane County Oregon; Youngs Rock Rigdon EIS, 28005-28007 [2019-12750]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 116 / Monday, June 17, 2019 / Notices
original NOI was published in the
Federal Register on June 21, 2017 (82
FR 28301). Upon preliminary
evaluation, no potential significant
impacts to the human environment are
associated with the project. As a result,
the Forest is withdrawing its intent to
prepare an EIS and is now preparing an
Environmental Assessment (EA). All
comments previously received regarding
this project will be retained and
considered in the development of the
EA. If it is determined that the project
may have significant impacts, the EIS
process will be reinitiated and a NOI
will be published.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions concerning this notice and
requests to be added to the project
mailing list should be directed to Beth
Peer, Ochoco National Forest
Environmental Coordinator, 3160 NE
3rd Street, Prineville, Oregon 97754;
Phone 541–416–6463. Individuals who
have previously submitted comments on
this project will remain on the project
mailing list and do not need to contact
the Forest.
Dated: May 30, 2019.
Gina Owens,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National
Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2019–12741 Filed 6–14–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Hood-Willamette Resource Advisory
Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Hood-Willamette
Resource Advisory Committee (RAC)
will meet in Keizer, Oregon. The
committee is authorized under the
Secure Rural Schools and Community
Self-Determination Act (the Act) and
operates in compliance with the Federal
Advisory Committee Act. The purpose
of the committee is to improve
collaborative relationships and to
provide advice and recommendations to
the Forest Service concerning projects
and funding consistent with Title II of
the Act. RAC information, including the
meeting agenda and the meeting
summary/minutes can be found at the
following website: https://
www.fs.usda.gov/main/willamette/
workingtogether/advisorycommittees.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Monday, July 1, 2019, at 12:30 p.m.
All RAC meetings are subject to
cancellation. For updated status of the
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SUMMARY:
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meeting prior to attendance, please
contact the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Keizer Community Center, Claggett
Room, 930 Chemawa Road Northeast,
Keizer, Oregon.
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 Salem, Oregon.
Please call ahead to facilitate entry into
the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jennifer Sorensen, RAC Coordinator, by
phone at 541–510–1102 or via email at
Jennifer.Sorensen@usda.gov.
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 to:
1. Introduce all the RAC members to
one another;
2. Update all RAC members on the
status of the SRS program, and the
pending nomination package for new
RAC members; and
3. Review and make
recommendations on 27 new or
modified recreation fee proposals
submitted by the Columbia River Gorge
National Scenic Area (1 proposal) and
the Willamette National Forest (26
proposals).
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
oral statement should request in writing
by June 25, 2019, 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 for oral
comments must be sent to Jennifer
Sorensen, RAC Coordinator, 3106 Pierce
Parkway, Suite D, Springfield, Oregon
97477; or by email to
Jennifer.Sorensen@usda.gov.
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,
please contact the person listed in the
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section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
All reasonable
accommodation requests are managed
on a case by case basis.
CONTACT.
Dated: May 15, 2019.
Frank R. Beum,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National
Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2019–12742 Filed 6–14–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Middle Fork Ranger District; Willamette
National Forest; Lane County Oregon;
Youngs Rock Rigdon EIS
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The USDA Forest Service is
preparing an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Youngs Rock
Rigdon project. The project area is
located on the western slope of the
Cascades in the Upper Middle Fork
Willamette Watershed, approximately
15 miles south of Oakridge, OR. The
project area is approximately 33,000
acres in size. Forest management
treatments are proposed on
approximately 6,800 acres within the
project area. The project area is within
the Northwest Forest Plan management
allocations of Matrix, Late Successional
Reserve, Administratively Withdrawn,
and Riparian Reserves (3,000 acres).
Treatments are also proposed in the
1990 Willamette Forest Plan Deadhorse
Special Interest Area (SIA), which
would require a Forest Plan
Amendment.
SUMMARY:
Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by July
17, 2019. The draft EIS is expected April
2020 and the final EIS is expected
January 2021.
ADDRESSES: Scoping comments can be
submitted electronically through
https://cara.ecosystemmanagement.org/Public//
CommentInput?Project=55868. Written
comments may be submitted via mail or
by hand delivery to Duane F. Bishop,
District Ranger, Middle Fork Ranger
District, 46375 Highway 58, Westfir, OR
97492.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jonathan Tucker (District Planner) by
email at jonathan.tucker@usda.gov or by
phone at 541–782–5346, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Pacific Time,
Monday through Friday. Individuals
who use telecommunication devices for
DATES:
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 116 / Monday, June 17, 2019 / Notices
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 overall purpose of the Youngs
Rock Rigdon EIS is to restore and
enhance the ecological, social, and
economic aspects of the landscape. The
actions proposed in the Youngs Rock
Rigdon project are needed to improve
stand and landscape diversity, structure,
and resiliency; strategically reduce
hazardous fuels; sustainably manage
existing trail systems and dispersed
recreation while minimizing impacts to
natural resources; identify a sustainable
road system needed for safe and
efficient travel and for administration,
utilization, and protection of National
Forest System lands; and provide a
sustainable supply of forest products.
khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Proposed Action
The Middle Fork Ranger District of
the Willamette National Forest is
proposing multiple actions to meet the
purpose and need of the project, as
described below.
Commercial and non-commercial
thinning and regeneration harvest is
proposed in about 4,500 acres of stands.
Within the 3,000 acres of older natural
origin stands of mixed conifer forest, the
emphasis is on creating late seral open
forest through variable density thinning
with skips (untreated areas) and gaps
(openings) scattered throughout the
stands. This thinning would be
primarily through timber harvesting but
also includes using non-commercial
methods such as underburning, fall and
leave, and fall and remove for aquatic
habitat restoration activities. Gap sizes
range from 0.25 to 3 acres in size.
Within the 1,500 acres of younger
managed stands of mixed conifer and
moister upland forest, the emphasis is
on connecting late seral forest and
creating open seral forest. Multiple
logging systems, road maintenance,
temporary road construction, and pit
development would be required for
commercial harvest. Meadow
restoration activities on approximately
300 acres would include tree cutting,
piling, pile burning, pruning, noxious
weed treatment, underburning, and
planting native plants. Aquatic
restoration activities would occur on
approximately 700 acres of floodplain
and Riparian Reserves and include
streamside tree tipping, Riparian
Reserve fall and leave, and floodplain
augmentation and instream restoration.
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Thinning and fuel treatments would
occur in some Riparian Reserves outside
of riparian no harvest areas and would
include allowing backing prescribed
fire. All treatments would be designed
to maintain and/or improve Aquatic
Conservation Strategy Objectives.
Hazardous fuel reduction treatments
would be proposed to reduce existing
fuel loadings as well as to reduce
logging slash in treated stands to levels
within Forest Plan standards and
guidelines. Treatments would be
proposed in locations that would offer
a strategic benefit, in regard to tactics
and firefighter safety, for future fire
management. Proposed treatments on
approximately 1,300 acres of understory
fuel treatment units are strategically
located to connect fuel breaks around
adjacent private industrial forest and
would include underburning,
understory thinning (removal of brush
and trees less than 7 inch DBH
[diameter at breast height]), pruning,
whipfelling, chipping, piling, and
burning. Total post-harvest fuel
treatments are 4,500 acres.
The proposed action includes
relocating two miles of existing trail and
removing and replacing two bridges to
minimize impacts within the floodplain
and required maintenance due to poor
current location. The project also
proposes to manage dispersed recreation
sites within close proximity to
Endangered Species Act listed fish
habitat. This would result in some sites
being decommissioned, and others
being managed to minimize impacts to
natural resources (i.e., walk-in sites;
designated parking areas, and nonmotorized restrictions).
The proposed action would identify a
sustainable road system needed for safe
and efficient travel and for
administration, utilization, and
protection of National Forest System
lands. The District Ranger and project
Interdisciplinary Team propose to
implement the Willamette National
Forest Road Investment Strategy, which
would result in recommendations for
system roads to remain open, be
stabilized and stored, or be
decommissioned.
The activities in the proposed action
would provide a sustainable supply of
forest products including approximately
65 million board feet of timber.
Forest Plan Amendment
Restoration is needed for the unique
mixed conifer forest of oaks and pines
in western Oregon. Past fire suppression
has created dense forest, where oaks and
pine require open forest. The Forest
Plan Amendment would allow timber
harvest to reduce stand density in the
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Deadhorse Management Area 5a—SIA
where no programmed harvest is
allowed (Willamette Land and Resource
Management Plan, IV p. 138). About 400
acres of treatments in the 1,701 acre
Deadhorse SIA is proposed, including
prescribed fire, meadow enhancement,
and removal of timber on about 80
acres; while maintaining and protecting
the SIA cultural features. The
amendment is specific to the project
area and proposed activities and follows
the 2012 Planning Rule. The substantive
provisions of 36 CFR 219.8 through
219.11 that directly apply to the
proposed amendment are § 219.8
Sustainability and § 219.9 Diversity of
plant and animal communities.
Responsible Official
The responsible official will be Duane
F. Bishop, District Ranger, Middle Fork
Ranger District.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Given the purpose and need, the
responsible official will determine
whether the proposed actions comply
with all applicable laws governing
Forest Service actions and with the
applicable standards and guidelines
found in the Willamette Forest Plan;
whether the EIS has sufficient sitespecific environmental analysis to make
an informed decision; and whether the
proposed action meets the purpose and
need for action. With this information,
the responsible official must decide
whether to select the proposed action or
one of any other potential alternatives
that may be developed, and what, if any,
additional actions should be required.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the EIS. Public
comments regarding this proposal are
requested in order to assist in
identifying issues and opportunities
associated with the proposal, how to
best manage resources, and to focus the
analysis. Those wishing to object must
meet the requirements at 36 CFR 218.
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 EIS.
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
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 116 / Monday, June 17, 2019 / Notices
considered; however, anonymous
comments will not provide the Agency
with the ability to provide the
respondent with subsequent
environmental documents.
Dated: May 16, 2019.
Frank R. Beum,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National
Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2019–12750 Filed 6–14–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–485–805]
Carbon and Alloy Seamless Standard,
Line and Pressure Pipe (Under 4.5
Inches) From Romania: Preliminary
Determination of No Shipments; 2017–
2018
Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce
(Commerce) preliminarily determines
that there were no shipments of carbon
and alloy seamless standard, line and
pressure pipe (under 4.5 inches) (small
diameter seamless pipe) from Romania
during the period of review (POR)
August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018.
Interested parties are invited to
comment on this preliminary
determination of no shipments.
DATES: Applicable June 17, 2019.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katherine Johnson or Samantha Kinney,
AD/CVD Operations, Office VIII,
Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–4929 or
(202) 482–2285, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
AGENCY:
khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Background
In response to Commerce’s notice of
opportunity to request an administrative
review on small diameter seamless pipe
from Romania,1 United States Steel
Corporation (U.S. Steel) (the petitioner)
timely requested an administrative
review of the antidumping duty (AD)
order on small diameter seamless pipe
from Romania with respect to Silcotub
S.A. (Silcotub), ArcelorMittal Tubular
Products Roman S.A. (ArcelorMittal),
SC TMK-Artrom S.A. (TMK-Artrom),
1 See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order,
Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity
to Request Administrative Review, 83 FR 38682
(August 7, 2018).
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16:34 Jun 14, 2019
Jkt 247001
and SC Tubinox S.A.2 Accordingly, in
accordance with 19 CFR
351.221(c)(1)(i), we published a notice
of initiation of an administrative review
of the AD order on small diameter
seamless pipe from Romania.3
In the Initiation Notice, Commerce
notified the public that it intended to
select respondents based on U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
data for U.S. imports during the POR.4
Accordingly, we released the CBP entry
data to all interested parties under an
administrative protective order and
requested comments regarding the data
and respondent selection.5 The
petitioner submitted comments and
Silcotub submitted rebuttal comments.6
We subsequently selected TMKArtrom, the largest exporter and
producer of the subject merchandise by
volume, based on the CBP data, as the
sole mandatory respondent in this
review.7 In November 2018, we issued
the AD questionnaire to TMK-Artrom, to
which TMK-Artrom timely responded.
Also in November 2018, Silcotub timely
submitted a letter stating it had no
shipments of subject merchandise
during the POR.8 We transmitted a ‘‘NoShipment Inquiry’’ to CBP regarding
Silcotub and placed the results on the
record of this review.9 Pursuant to this
2 See
Petitioner’s Letter, ‘‘Carbon and Alloy
Seamless Standard Line, and Pressure Pipe (Under
41⁄2 Inches) from Romania: Request for
Administrative Review of Antidumping Duty
Order,’’ dated August 30, 2018.
3 See Initiation of Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 83 FR
50077 (October 4, 2018). The name of TMK Artrom
S.A. was misspelled in the initiation notice. The
correct spelling of the company name can be found
in Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing
Duty Administrative Reviews, 83 FR 57411
(November 15, 2018).
4 Id.
5 See Memorandum, ‘‘Carbon and Alloy Seamless
Standard Line and Pressure Pipe (Under 4.5 Inches)
from Romania: Customs Data for Respondent
Selection,’’ dated October 4, 2018 (Customs Data).
We note that the Customs Data showed no
reviewable entries during the POR for S.C. Tubinox
S.A.
6 See Petitioner’s letter, ‘‘Carbon and Alloy
Seamless Standard Line, and Pressure Pipe (Under
4.5 Inches) from Romania: Comments Regarding
Respondent Selection,’’ dated October 11, 2018; see
also Silcotub’s Letter, ‘‘Carbon and Alloy Seamless
Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe (under 4.5
inches) from Romania: Rebuttal Comments
Regarding Respondent Selection,’’ dated October
16, 2018.
7 See Memorandum, ‘‘2017–2018 Administrative
Review of Carbon and Alloy Seamless Standard,
Line and Pressure Pipe (Under 4.5 Inches) from
Romania: Respondent Selection,’’ dated October 31,
2018.
8 See Silcotub’s Letter, ‘‘Carbon and Alloy
Seamless Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe (under
4.5 inches) from Romania: Notice of No Sales,’’
dated November 2, 2018.
9 See Memorandum, ‘‘Carbon and alloy seamless
standard, line and pressure pipe (under 4.5 inches)
from Romania (A–485–805),’’ dated March 7, 2019.
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28007
inquiry, we received information from
CBP regarding entries of subject
merchandise from Silcotub. In February
2019, we requested entry packages for
shipments identified in the CBP data
and placed the information on the
record for comment.10
Also in February 2019, the petitioner
submitted a request for a partial
withdrawal of administrative review
with respect to TMK-Artrom.11
Subsequently, we selected ArcelorMittal
as a mandatory respondent 12 and issued
the AD questionnaire to this company.
On March 4, 2019, we rescinded the
administrative review with respect to
TMK-Artrom.13
On March 20, 2019, ArcelorMittal
submitted a no shipment certification
letter in response to Commerce’s
questionnaire.14 We transmitted a ‘‘NoShipment Inquiry’’ to CBP with respect
to this company and placed the
response from CBP on the record.15 We
received timely comments from Silcotub
on the entry documents for shipments
identified in the CBP data.16 The
petitioner submitted pre-preliminary
comments on May 7, 2019.17 As CBP
entry documents are business
proprietary, our analysis of Silcotub’s
no shipment claim is contained in a
10 See Memorandum, ‘‘Request for U.S. Entry
Documents—2017–2018 Administrative Review of
Carbon and Alloy Seamless Standard, Line and
Pressure Pipe (Under 4.5 Inches) from Romania,’’
dated February 5, 2019; see also Memorandum,
‘‘2017–2018 Administrative Review of Carbon and
Alloy Seamless Standard, Line and Pressure Pipe
(Under 4.5 Inches) from Romania: Entry Documents
Requested,’’ dated March 26, 2019 (Entry
Documents).
11 See Petitioner’s Letter, ‘‘Carbon and Alloy
Seamless Standard Line, and Pressure Pipe (Under
4.5 Inches) from Romania: Partial Withdrawal of
Request for Administrative Review of Antidumping
Order,’’ dated February 13, 2019.
12 See Memorandum, ‘‘2017–2018 Administrative
Review of Carbon and Alloy Seamless Standard,
Line and Pressure Pipe (Under 4.5 Inches) from
Romania: Second Respondent Selection,’’ dated
February 26, 2019.
13 See Carbon and Alloy Seamless Standard, Line
and Pressure Pipe (Under 4.5 Inches) From
Romania: Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review; 2017–2018, 42 FR 7345
(March 4, 2019).
14 See ArcelorMittal’s Letter, ‘‘Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review of Carbon and Alloy
Seamless Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe (under
4.5 inches) from Romania; ArcelorMittal Tubular
Products Roman S.A.: Notice of No Sales,’’ dated
March 20, 2019.
15 See Memorandum, ‘‘Carbon and alloy seamless
standard, line and pressure pipe (under 4.5 inches)
from Romania (A–485–805),’’ dated April 24, 2019
(Customs Response for ArcelorMittal).
16 See Silcotub’s Letter, ‘‘Carbon and Alloy
Seamless Standard, Line and Pressure Pipe (under
1
4 ⁄2 inches) from Romania: Comments on CBP Entry
Documentation,’’ dated April 5, 2019.
17 See Petitioner’s Letter, ‘‘Carbon and Alloy
Seamless Standard Line, and Pressure Pipe (Under
4.5 Inches) from Romania: U.S. Steel’s PrePreliminary Comments,’’ dated May 7, 2019.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 116 (Monday, June 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28005-28007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12750]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Middle Fork Ranger District; Willamette National Forest; Lane
County Oregon; Youngs Rock Rigdon EIS
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service is preparing an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Youngs Rock Rigdon project. The project area is
located on the western slope of the Cascades in the Upper Middle Fork
Willamette Watershed, approximately 15 miles south of Oakridge, OR. The
project area is approximately 33,000 acres in size. Forest management
treatments are proposed on approximately 6,800 acres within the project
area. The project area is within the Northwest Forest Plan management
allocations of Matrix, Late Successional Reserve, Administratively
Withdrawn, and Riparian Reserves (3,000 acres). Treatments are also
proposed in the 1990 Willamette Forest Plan Deadhorse Special Interest
Area (SIA), which would require a Forest Plan Amendment.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by July 17, 2019. The draft EIS is expected April 2020 and the final
EIS is expected January 2021.
ADDRESSES: Scoping comments can be submitted electronically through
https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=55868. Written comments may be submitted via mail
or by hand delivery to Duane F. Bishop, District Ranger, Middle Fork
Ranger District, 46375 Highway 58, Westfir, OR 97492.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Tucker (District Planner) by
email at [email protected] or by phone at 541-782-5346, between
8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for
[[Page 28006]]
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 overall purpose of the Youngs Rock Rigdon EIS is to restore and
enhance the ecological, social, and economic aspects of the landscape.
The actions proposed in the Youngs Rock Rigdon project are needed to
improve stand and landscape diversity, structure, and resiliency;
strategically reduce hazardous fuels; sustainably manage existing trail
systems and dispersed recreation while minimizing impacts to natural
resources; identify a sustainable road system needed for safe and
efficient travel and for administration, utilization, and protection of
National Forest System lands; and provide a sustainable supply of
forest products.
Proposed Action
The Middle Fork Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest
is proposing multiple actions to meet the purpose and need of the
project, as described below.
Commercial and non-commercial thinning and regeneration harvest is
proposed in about 4,500 acres of stands. Within the 3,000 acres of
older natural origin stands of mixed conifer forest, the emphasis is on
creating late seral open forest through variable density thinning with
skips (untreated areas) and gaps (openings) scattered throughout the
stands. This thinning would be primarily through timber harvesting but
also includes using non-commercial methods such as underburning, fall
and leave, and fall and remove for aquatic habitat restoration
activities. Gap sizes range from 0.25 to 3 acres in size. Within the
1,500 acres of younger managed stands of mixed conifer and moister
upland forest, the emphasis is on connecting late seral forest and
creating open seral forest. Multiple logging systems, road maintenance,
temporary road construction, and pit development would be required for
commercial harvest. Meadow restoration activities on approximately 300
acres would include tree cutting, piling, pile burning, pruning,
noxious weed treatment, underburning, and planting native plants.
Aquatic restoration activities would occur on approximately 700 acres
of floodplain and Riparian Reserves and include streamside tree
tipping, Riparian Reserve fall and leave, and floodplain augmentation
and instream restoration. Thinning and fuel treatments would occur in
some Riparian Reserves outside of riparian no harvest areas and would
include allowing backing prescribed fire. All treatments would be
designed to maintain and/or improve Aquatic Conservation Strategy
Objectives.
Hazardous fuel reduction treatments would be proposed to reduce
existing fuel loadings as well as to reduce logging slash in treated
stands to levels within Forest Plan standards and guidelines.
Treatments would be proposed in locations that would offer a strategic
benefit, in regard to tactics and firefighter safety, for future fire
management. Proposed treatments on approximately 1,300 acres of
understory fuel treatment units are strategically located to connect
fuel breaks around adjacent private industrial forest and would include
underburning, understory thinning (removal of brush and trees less than
7 inch DBH [diameter at breast height]), pruning, whipfelling,
chipping, piling, and burning. Total post-harvest fuel treatments are
4,500 acres.
The proposed action includes relocating two miles of existing trail
and removing and replacing two bridges to minimize impacts within the
floodplain and required maintenance due to poor current location. The
project also proposes to manage dispersed recreation sites within close
proximity to Endangered Species Act listed fish habitat. This would
result in some sites being decommissioned, and others being managed to
minimize impacts to natural resources (i.e., walk-in sites; designated
parking areas, and non-motorized restrictions).
The proposed action would identify a sustainable road system needed
for safe and efficient travel and for administration, utilization, and
protection of National Forest System lands. The District Ranger and
project Interdisciplinary Team propose to implement the Willamette
National Forest Road Investment Strategy, which would result in
recommendations for system roads to remain open, be stabilized and
stored, or be decommissioned.
The activities in the proposed action would provide a sustainable
supply of forest products including approximately 65 million board feet
of timber.
Forest Plan Amendment
Restoration is needed for the unique mixed conifer forest of oaks
and pines in western Oregon. Past fire suppression has created dense
forest, where oaks and pine require open forest. The Forest Plan
Amendment would allow timber harvest to reduce stand density in the
Deadhorse Management Area 5a--SIA where no programmed harvest is
allowed (Willamette Land and Resource Management Plan, IV p. 138).
About 400 acres of treatments in the 1,701 acre Deadhorse SIA is
proposed, including prescribed fire, meadow enhancement, and removal of
timber on about 80 acres; while maintaining and protecting the SIA
cultural features. The amendment is specific to the project area and
proposed activities and follows the 2012 Planning Rule. The substantive
provisions of 36 CFR 219.8 through 219.11 that directly apply to the
proposed amendment are Sec. 219.8 Sustainability and Sec. 219.9
Diversity of plant and animal communities.
Responsible Official
The responsible official will be Duane F. Bishop, District Ranger,
Middle Fork Ranger District.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Given the purpose and need, the responsible official will determine
whether the proposed actions comply with all applicable laws governing
Forest Service actions and with the applicable standards and guidelines
found in the Willamette Forest Plan; whether the EIS has sufficient
site-specific environmental analysis to make an informed decision; and
whether the proposed action meets the purpose and need for action. With
this information, the responsible official must decide whether to
select the proposed action or one of any other potential alternatives
that may be developed, and what, if any, additional actions should be
required.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the EIS. Public comments regarding this proposal are
requested in order to assist in identifying issues and opportunities
associated with the proposal, how to best manage resources, and to
focus the analysis. Those wishing to object must meet the requirements
at 36 CFR 218.
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 EIS. 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
[[Page 28007]]
considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the Agency
with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent
environmental documents.
Dated: May 16, 2019.
Frank R. Beum,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2019-12750 Filed 6-14-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
