50168 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices 

a change that would cause the receiving 

administrative county to be more 

accessible. Form FSA–179, ‘‘Transfer of 

Farm Record Between Counties,’’ is 

used as the request for a farm transfer 

from one county to another initiated by 

the producer. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

information collected on the FSA–179 is 

collected only if a farm transfer is being 

requested and is collected in a face-toface setting with county office 

personnel. The information is used by 

county office employees to document 

which farm is being transferred, what 

county it is being transferred to, and 

why it is being transferred. Without the 

information county offices will be 

unable to determine whether the 

producer desires to transfer a farm. 

Description of Respondents: Farms. 

Number of Respondents: 23,000. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 26,833. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20488 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Coconino and Kaibab National Forests, 

Arizona, Four-Forest Restoration 

Initiative 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement; 

Correction. 

SUMMARY: On January 25, 2011, the 

Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

was published in the Federal Register 

(76 FR 4279–4281). From January, 2011 

to June, 2011, six public meetings and 

workshops were held for the purposes 

of receiving comments and 

recommendations that would inform the 

development of a refined proposed 

action. As a result, the Forest Service is 

revising the NOI document, Federal 

Register of January 25, 2011 (76 FR 

4279–4281) to read as follows: 

Revision: The Forest Service is 

preparing an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) that proposes to conduct 

restoration activities on approximately 

600,000 acres on the Coconino NF and 

Kaibab NF. Of this total, approximately 

361,379 acres would be treated on the 

Coconino NF and 233,991 acres would 

be treated on the Kaibab NF. Restoration 

actions would be focused on the 

Flagstaff district with fewer acres 

included on the Mogollon Rim and Red 

Rock districts of the Coconino NF. On 

the Kaibab NF, activities would occur 

on the Williams and Tusayan districts. 

The objective of the project is to reestablish forest structure, pattern and 

composition, which will lead to 

increased forest resiliency and function. 

Resiliency increases the ability of the 

ponderosa pine forest to survive natural 

disturbances such as insect and disease, 

fire and climate change (FSM 2020.5). 

This project is expected to put the 

project area on a trajectory towards 

comprehensive, landscape-scale 

restoration with benefits that include 

improved vegetation biodiversity, 

wildlife habitat, soil productivity, and 

watershed function. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

August 26, 2011. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected by January of 2012 and the 

final environmental impact statement is 

expected in the summer of 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Coconino National Forest, Attention: 

4FRI, 1824 S. Thompson Street, 

Flagstaff, Arizona 86001. Comments 

may also be sent via e-mail to 

4FRI_comments@fs.fed.us, or via 

facsimile to (928) 527–3620. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Henry Provencio, 4 FRI Team Leader at 

(928) 226–4684 or via e-mail at 

hprovencio@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: 

Background 

Extensive research has demonstrated 

that current ponderosa pine forests of 

the Southwest are greatly altered in 

terms of forest structure, density, and 

ecological function. Most pine forests in 

the Southwest are at much higher risk 

of high intensity and severe fire than 

they were prior to European settlement 

(Covington 1993, Moore et al. 1999). A 

century ago the pine forests had widelyspaced large trees with a more open, 

herbaceous forest floor (Cooper 1960). 

These conditions were maintained by 

fairly frequent low-severity surface fires 

that did not kill the large trees (Fiedler 

et al. 1996). These fires occurred every 

2 to 21 years and maintained an open 

canopy structure (Moir et al. 1997). Fire 

suppression, cattle grazing, timber 

production, and general human 

habitation in and near the forests over 

the last 100 years interrupted fire’s 

natural role in these fire-adapted 

ponderosa pine forests. As a result, the 

forests have shifted from naturally open 

conditions to high densities of small 

diameter trees (Covington and Moore 

1994) dramatically increasing the size 

and severity of wildland fires (Swetnam 

and Betancourt 1998). The forests have 

become less resilient to natural 

disturbances and are vulnerable to largescale disturbances such as changing 

climatic conditions (drought), fire, 

insect, and disease. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

In contrast to having a ponderosa pine 

ecosystem consisting of groups of trees 

with an open tree canopy density mixed 

with interspaces, approximately 75 

percent of the ponderosa pine forest 

type within the project area has a 

moderately closed to closed tree canopy 

density. An open tree canopy mixed 

with interspaces which mimic historical 

spatial patterns and provide for tree 

regeneration and the development of 

grass and forbs are lacking. There is a 

need to use management strategies that 

promote tree regeneration and 

understory vegetation. There is a need 

to move towards the historic range of 

variability for tree canopy density and 

patterns of tree groups and interspaces. 

Forest resiliency and diversity is 

dependent on the distribution of age 

and size classes. Currently, over 50 

percent of the project area lacks age and 

size class diversity and is in an evenaged structure. The desired condition is 

to have a forest structure that represents 

all age classes necessary for a 

sustainable balance of regeneration, 

growth, mortality and all age classes 

necessary for a sustainable balance of 

regeneration, growth, mortality and 

decomposition. There is a need to 

implement un-even aged management 

strategies where appropriate. In 

goshawk habitat, habitat components 

such as an intermix of vegetation 

structural stages are lacking or limited 

in most stands.There is a need to 

manage for a balanced interspersion of 

age classes in goshawk foraging and 

PFA/nest stand habitat. Forest structure 

in Mexican spotted owl (MSO) habitat 

has an excess of the smaller size classes 

(12′′ to 18-) and is deficit in trees 18′′ to 

24′′ dbh in restricted habitat and in 

target/threshold, a component of 

restricted habitat. There is a need to 

implement uneven-aged management 

strategies and manage for high-density, 

relatively uneven-aged stands in MSO 

restricted habitat, including target/ 

threshold habitats. 

In both gohsawk and MSO habitat, 

stand conditions are on a trajectory 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices 50169 

towards density-related mortality. The 

desired condition is to improve forest 

health by reducing the potential for 

density-related mortality and move 

towards forest plan desired conditions 

for snags and course woody debris. 

There is a need to reduce stand 

densities in all habitats except MSO 

restricted and target threshold. 

Approximately 25 percent to 35 

percent of the project area has some 

level of infection ranging from light to 

extreme. The desired condition is to 

have a varied level of mistletoe across 

the landscape that is comparable with 

historic reference conditions. There is a 

need to use management strategies that 

would reduce stand densities in order to 

reduce (but not eliminate) the level of 

dwarf mistletoe infection. 

Vegetation diversity throughout the 

project area has declined (USDA 2009). 

A lack of fire, which ultimately allowed 

for increased stand densities, has 

allowed Gambel oak to become 

overtopped by fast growing ponderosa 

pine. The desired condition is to 

develop and maintain a variety of oak 

size classes and forms, where they 

occur, that range from shrubby thickets 

and pole-sized clumps to large trees 

across the landscape. There is a need to 

use management strategies that 

stimulate new growth and maintain 

growth in large diameter trees. 

There are approximately 7,700 acres 

of aspen in the project area. Aspen is 

dying or rapidly declining on both 

forests due to the combined effects of 

conifer encroachment, browsing, insect, 

disease, severe weather events, and lack 

of fire disturbance (USDA 2008 2009). 

The desired condition is to maintain 

and/or regenerate aspen. Where 

possible, there is a need to stimulate 

growth and increase individual 

recruitment of aspen. On the Coconino 

NF, grasslands have decreased from 

approximately 8 percent to percent 

since historic conditions (generally pre1900). On the Kaibab NF, grasslands 

have decreased from approximately 15 

to 7 percent (USDA 2008) (USDA 2009). 

The desired condition is to move 

towards the historic range of variability 

of tree canopy cover that ranges from 0 

to 9 percent. Fire should function as a 

natural disturbance across the landscape 

without causing loss to ecosystem 

function or to human safety, lives, and 

values. There is a need to reduce (and 

in some cases remove) tree 

encroachment which has reduced the 

size and function of landscapes that 

were historically grasslands. Big sage 

and ponderosa pine co-occur on 

approximately 6,094 acres of the 

Tusayan district portion of the project 

area. The desired condition for the pine/ 

sage understory community is a shifting 

mosaic of sagebrush with a mix of age 

classes averaging from 3 to 5 percent 

cover. With other shrub canopies 

combined, the percent cover would 

average around 9 to 14 percent under a 

25 to 30 percent canopy of ponderosa 

pine. The mosaic pattern would be 

largely regulated by low intensity fires. 

On approximately 40 percent of the 

pine-sage cover type, there is a need to 

retain vegetation age class diversity in 

big sage and promote a shifting mosaic 

of shrub cover. 

Approximately 41 percent of the 

project area has the potential to sustain 

crown fire and about 58 percent has the 

potential for surface fire. Dense forest 

conditions (numerous trees with 

interlocking crowns) are common 

within the project area and would 

support active crown fire. Even without 

crown fire, a high intensity surface fire 

burning though this area could scorch 

the canopy sufficiently to cause 

widespread mortality.The current fire 

return interval is approximately 43 

years, about four times longer than the 

desired fire return interval which is 

between 2 and 21 years. The desired 

condition is to have fire, as a 

disturbance process, maintain a mosaic 

of diverse native plant communities. No 

more than 10 percent of the analysis 

area should be prone to crown fire. 

When crown fire does occur, it would 

be mostly passive crown fire, occurring 

in single trees, groups, or clumps, or 

areas where there had been mortality 

(wind throw, insects, etc.). There is a 

need to reduce the potential for crown 

and high intensity surface fire. 

Across the entire analysis area, 75 

percent is currently rated as condition 

class 3 which indicates the fire regime 

is significantly departed from historical 

ranges. In a condition class 3, the risk 

of losing key ecosystem components is 

high. Fire frequencies have departed 

from historical frequencies by multiple 

return intervals resulting in dramatic 

alterations to fire size, intensity, 

severity, landscape patterns, and/or 

vegetation attributes. The desired 

condition is to have 99 percent of the 

analysis area in FRCC 1. There is a need 

to reduce the percent of area in FRCC 

3 and move the fire regimes towards 

FRCC 1. 

Springs and seeps play an important 

role on the landscape for hydrological 

function of watersheds and they are 

very important for wildlife and plant 

diversity. Fifty-one developed springs 

on the Coconino NF are not functioning 

at or near potential and 27 springs on 

the Kaibab NF have reduced function. 

The desired condition is to have the 

necessary soil, water, and vegetation 

attributes to be healthy and functioning 

at or near potential. Ephemeral streams 

are important for hydrological function 

of watersheds and provide important 

seasonal habitat for a variety of wildlife, 

in particular, migratory birds and 

dispersing amphibians. On the 

Coconino NF, approximately 36 miles of 

channels are heavily eroded with 

excessive bare ground, denuded 

vegetation, and head cuts. Of the total 

miles, approximately 6 miles are 

riparian streams and 30 miles are nonriparian streams. The Kaibab NF has 

approximately 7 miles of channels in 

this condition and all are non-riparian 

reaches. The desired condition is to 

restore the functionality of both springs 

and ephemeral streams. On all springs 

and streams and channels, there is a 

need to return fire, a natural disturbance 

processes, to the system. 

Both forests have identified the 

needed road system for public and 

administrative motorized use through 

the Travel Management Rule (TMR) 

process. As a precursor to the TMR 

process, the Coconino NF identified 

roads that should be closed to public 

travel, decommissioned, or considered 

for other uses because they were no 

longer needed to meet resource 

management objectives (USDA 2010). A 

review of 2010 data indicates there is a 

need to decommission approximately 

941 miles of existing system and 

unauthorized roads on the Coconino 

NF. Similar to the Coconino process, the 

Kaibab NF identified resource risks and 

access benefits associated with all roads. 

A review of Kaibab NF data indicates 

approximately 170 miles of 

unauthorized roads are recommended 

for decommissioning. The desired 

condition is to have soils in satisfactory 

condition so that the soil can resist 

erosion, recycle nutrients and absorb 

water. There is a need to decommission 

the roads that have been identified. 

In addition to the need for 

decommissioning roads, there is a need 

to have adequate access to the project 

area for implementation. There is a need 

to upgrade road segments which have 

resource or health and human safety 

concerns, construct temporary roads 

that could be used for access, and 

temporarily open existing closed roads. 

Once the project is completed, there is 

a need to decommission the temporary 

roads and closed roads. 

Proposed Action 

In response to the purpose and need, 

the Coconino and Kaibab National 

Forests propose to conduct 

approximately 595,370 acres of 

restoration activities (within the 988,764 

acre project area) over approximately 10 

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50170 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices 

years or until objectives are met. 

Approximately 20,000 to 30,000 acres of 

vegetation would be treated annually 

and up to 60,000 acres prescribed 

burned annually across the two forests. 

Restoration activities would: (1) 

Mechanically cut trees and prescribe 

burn on approximately 389,993 aces, (2) 

cut trees by hand and prescribe burn on 

slopes greater than 40 percent on 

approximately 99 acres, (3) prescribe 

burn only on approximately 205,278 

acres, (4) decommission 941 miles of 

roads designated ‘‘closed’’, (5) 

decommission 170 miles of 

unauthorized roads, (6) construct 46 

miles of temporary roads for haul access 

and obliterate when treatments are 

finished, (7) reconstruct 27 miles of 

existing open roads for natural resource, 

health and human safety concerns, (8) 

open 183 miles of existing closed roads 

in order to conduct treatments and close 

and rehabilitate as needed when 

treatments are finished, (9) restore 78 

springs, (10) restore 43 miles of 

ephemeral channels, and (11) construct 

82 miles of protective (aspen and 

springs) fencing. 

An old tree and large tree 

implementation strategy, that are 

integral to the proposed action, are 

included as appendices B and C in the 

proposed action document. Forest plan 

amendments are integral to the 

proposed action. Three non-significant 

forest plan amendments would be 

required on the Coconino NF to 

implement the proposed action. One 

non-significant forest plan amendment 

would be required on the Kaibab NF. 

The proposed amendments are located 

at appendix F in the proposed action 

document. 

Possible Alternatives 

A full range of alternatives to the 

proposed action, including a no-action 

alternative, will be considered. The noaction alternative represents no change 

and serves as the baseline for the 

comparison among the action 

alternatives. 

Responsible Official 

The Responsible Officials are the 

Coconino Forest Supervisor and Kaibab 

Forest Supervisor. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

Given the purpose and need of the 

project, the forest supervisors will 

review the proposed action, other 

alternatives and the environmental 

consequences in order to make the 

following decisions including 

determining: (1) Whether to select the 

proposed action or another alternative; 

(2) the location, design, and scheduling 

of proposed restoration activities; (3) the 

estimated products, if any, to be made 

available from the project; (4) mitigation 

measures, monitoring requirements and 

adaptive management actions; and (5) 

whether forest plan amendments are 

needed. 

Scoping Process 

This corrected notice of intent 

initiates the scoping process, which 

guides the development of the 

environmental impact statement. Two 

open houses are planned during the 

comment period. The first open house 

will be held on August 18, 2011 at the 

Williams Ranger District, 742 South 

Clover Road, Williams, Arizona, from 4 

p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The second open 

house will be held on August 20, 2011 

at the Coconino National Forest 

Supervisor’s Office, 1824 S. Thompson 

Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86101, from 10 a.m. 

to 2 p.m. Please contact Paula Cote at 

(928) 226–4686 for additional 

information. 

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 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered, however. 

Dated: August 5, 2011. 

M. Earl Stewart, 

Forest Supervisor, Coconino National Forest. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20496 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

Pohick Creek Watershed Dam No. 8, 

Fairfax County, Virginia; Finding of No 

Significant Impact 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of a Finding of No 

Significant Impact. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102[2][c] 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969, the Council on 

Environmental Quality Regulations [40 

CFR part 1500]; and the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service 

Regulations [7 CFR part 650]; the 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives 

notice that an environmental impact 

statement is not being prepared for the 

rehabilitation of Pohick Creek 

Watershed Dam No. 8, Fairfax County, 

Virginia. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

A. Bricker, State Conservationist, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, 

1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 209, 

Richmond, Virginia 23229. Telephone 

(804) 287–1691, E-Mail 

Jack.Bricker@va.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

environmental assessment of this 

Federally assisted action indicates that 

the project will not cause significant 

local, regional, or national impacts on 

the environment. As a result of these 

findings, John A. Bricker, State 

Conservationist, has determined that the 

preparation and review of an 

environmental impact statement is not 

needed for this project. 

The project purpose is continued 

flood prevention. The planned works of 

improvement include upgrading an 

existing floodwater retarding structure. 

The Notice of a Finding of No 

Significant Impact (FONSI) has been 

forwarded to the various Federal, State, 

and local agencies and interested 

parties. A limited number of the FONSI 

are available to fill single copy requests 

at the above address. Basic data 

developed during the environmental 

assessment are on file and may be 

reviewed by contacting John A. Bricker 

at the above number. 

No administrative action on 

implementation of the proposal will be 

taken until 30 days after the date of this 

publication in the Federal Register. 

John A. Bricker, 

State Conservationist. 

[This activity is listed in the Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.904, 

Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention, 

and is subject to the provisions of Executive 

Order 12372, which requires intergovernment consultation with State and local 

officials]. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20585 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

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