[Federal Register: June 23, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 121)]
[Notices]
[Page 36056-36058]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23jn06-24]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Klamath National Forest, California, Westpoint
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement (the Westpoint Project) on a proposal to treat vegetation
using a variety of silvicultural methods on approximately 930 acres of
National Forest System lands in the Middle Creek and Scott Bar Mountain
areas about 12 miles west of the town of Fort Jones, in Siskiyou
County, California. Approximately five miles of classified roads are
proposed for decommissioning. Approximately two miles of existing
unclassified roads would be added to the transportation system.
Activities would likely take place within five years of the decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received
within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the Federal
Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected by
November 2006, and the final environmental impact statement is expected
by March 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Ray Haupt, District Ranger, Scott
River Ranger District, 11263 N. Highway 3, Fort Jones, CA 96032.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Bailey, Timber Management
Officer, at the above address or call (530) 463-5351.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The Westpoint Project analysis area of the Klamath National Forest
consists of two separate areas covering approximately 10,900 acres.
Both the Scott River and the Siskiyou County Highway 7F01 (Scott River
Road) bisect the analysis area into eastern and western portions. The
road and river, in this corridor, are used extensively by residents of
the town of Scott Bar and private homeowners along the river. Forest
recreation visitors use the road as access to Indian Scotty Campground,
Jones Beach Day Use Area, and four trailheads into the Marble Mountain
Wilderness.
Projects proposed for the entire project area are intended to
protect and maintain three important landscape conditions: (1) Northern
spotted owl habitat, (2) forest health, and community safety near
homes, and (3)
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old forest structure in the wilderness and late successional reserve.
The biggest threat to these important landscape characteristics come
from the declining health of the forested landscapes. This decline
produces a greater risk from stand-replacing events associated with
intense wildfire, insect epidemics, and disease.
The area proposed for treatment is adjacent to late successional
reserves to the north and west, and near the Marble Mountain Wilderness
area to the northwest. Threats to older forest structure and spotted
owl habitat in the Late Successional Reserves and Wilderness, fish
habitat in the river and streams, and community safety near homes come
from the declining health of the surrounding forested landscapes. This
decline produces a greater risk from stand-replacing events associated
with intense wildfire, insect epidemics, and disease. The risk of rapid
fire spread is generally uphill in this area due to the very steep
river canyons. The most likely source of a human-caused ignition is
along the river corridor, where homes, recreation, public utility
corridors, and public transportation are concentrated at the bottom of
this drainage.
Natural fire cycles have been prevented for 100 years in this area
by fire suppression activities. Without the beneficial maintenance that
these natural low intensity fires provide, actions such as stand-
tending and prescribed fire are now needed as a fire replacement
technique in the Westpoint Project area to minimize the chance of
stand-replacing wildfires. Younger trees and brush, now predominant on
this landscape, provide an abundant fuel source, and a ``fuel ladder''
by which a ground fire will climb into the tree canopy and kill large
fire-resistant trees, and unnatural stand-replacing fire situation.
These fire entrapment situations significantly increase the risk to
both firefighters and the public.
The purpose or objective of taking action in the Westpoint Project
area is:
Improve forest health by returning the vegetation
densities on this landscape to more natural historic levels, protect
surrounding areas of older forest structure and owl habitat, build more
fire resilience into this landscape, and provide wood and job
opportunities for local communities through project activities.
Reduce the occurrence or risk of stand-replacing wildfire.
Protect public safety and homes by providing safe access
for firefighters and the public.
Proposed Action
The Scott River District of the Klamath National Forest proposes
that the Westpoint treats vegetation on approximately 930 acres in the
general area of Middle Creek Watershed and Scott Bar Mountain about 12
miles west of the community of Fort Jones, California. The vegetation
treatment would utilize a variety of silvicultural prescriptions.
Tractor, cable, and helicopter logging methods would be used, with
cable as the predominant method. Project-generated fuels would be
treated through a combination of methods.
All Shasta red fir, white fir, and hemlock stumps would be hand
treated with the fungicide Sporax[supreg] to reduce the spread of
fungus Heterobasidion annosum (Fomes annosus).
Openings created from group selection and green tree retention
prescriptions would be planted and baiting for pocket gophers. Baiting
application method would consist of probing and/or spooning method of
below-ground application of strychnine.
There would be no new classified road construction. Approximately
five miles of classified roads are proposed for decommissioning in this
project design. About two miles of new unclassified roads would be
used, then closed and hydrologically restored. Around two miles of
existing unclassified roads would be upgraded and added to the National
Forest System road system. About 12 miles of road are proposed for
maintenance level changes (seasonal road closures).
The legal description for the proposal is Township 44 North, Range
10 West, Section 6; Township 44 North, Range 11 West, Section 1-18, 21-
26, and 27; Township 44 North, Range 12 West, Sections 1 and 12;
Township 45 North, Range 11 West, Section 31; and Township 45 North,
Range 12 West, Section 36, Mount Diablo Meridian. All activities would
likely be completed within five years of the decision being made.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Service must decide whether it will implement this
project; implement an alternative that meets the purpose and need; or
not implement any project at this time.
Responsible Official
Margaret Boland, Forest Supervisor, USDA Forest Service, 1312
Fairlane Road, Yreka, California 96097 is the Responsible Official.
Scoping Process
In the winter of 2002, scoping for an environmental assessment for
a similar project in the same analysis area was initiated and included
in the Klamath National Forest's Winter 2002 Schedule of Proposed
Actions, which was posted on the Klamath National Forest's Internet Web
site and mailed to interested parties. In March 2002, a scoping letter
was sent to potentially affected individuals and anyone who expressed
interest in the proposal. The original decision was invalidated by
Judge Shubb in May 2005, with direction to proceed with an
environmental impact statement. In the spring of 2006, scoping for this
environmental impact statement was initiated and included in the Spring
2006 Schedule of Proposed Actions and posed on the Klamath National
Forest's Internet Web site and mailed to interested parties. This
project is similar to the previous proposal; however, suggestions from
the public helped to define this proposal.
This Notice of Intent invites additional public comment on this
proposal and initiated the preparation of the environmental impact
statement. Due to the extensive scoping effects already conducted, no
scoping meeting is planned. The public is encouraged to take part in
the planning process and to visit with Forest Service officials at any
time during the analysis and prior to the decision.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. While public
participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, comments
received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will be
especially useful in the preparation of the draft environmental impact
statement. The scoping process will include identifying potential
issues, significant issues to be analyzed in depth, alternatives to the
proposed action, and potential environmental effects of the proposal
and alternatives.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review
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 stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings
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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 position 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 of 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.
Comments received in response to this scoping notice as well as
comments received on the subsequent draft environmental impact
statement, including the names and addresses of those who comment, will
be considered part of the public record on this proposal and will be
available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: June 6, 2006.
Margaret J. Boland,
Forest Supervisor, Klamath National Forest.
[FR Doc. 06-5628 Filed 6-22-06; 8:45 am]
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