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Notices Federal Register

775 

Vol. 77, No. 4 

Friday, January 6, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests; 

Idaho; Clear Creek Integrated 

Restoration Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service gives 

notice of its intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

Clear Creek Integrated Restoration 

Project. The Proposed action would use 

a combination of timber harvest, precommercial thinning, prescribed fire 

and reforestation to achieve the desired 

range of age classes, size classes, 

vegetative species distributions habitat 

complexity (diversity) and landscape 

pattern across the forested portions of 

the project area. Road decommissioning, 

culvert replacement and road 

improvements are also proposed to 

improve watershed health. The EIS will 

analyze the effects of the proposed 

action and alternatives. The Nez PerceClearwater Forests invites comments 

and suggestions on the issues to be 

addressed. The agency gives notice of 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) analysis and decisionmaking 

process on the proposal so interested 

and affected members of the public may 

participate and contribute to the final 

decision. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

February 15, 2012. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in February 2013 and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected November 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Send written or electronic 

comments to Attn: Lois Foster, 

Interdisciplinary Team Leader; Rt. 2 Box 

191; Kamiah, ID 83536; Fax (208) 935– 

4257; Email comments-northernnezperce-moosecreek@fs.fed.us. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois 

Foster, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, 

(208) 935–4258. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

objective of the Clear Creek Integrated 

Restoration Project is to manage forest 

vegetation to restore natural disturbance 

patterns, improve long term resistance 

and resilience at the landscape level; 

restore natural fire regimes and reduce 

fuels; improve watershed conditions; 

improve elk habitat effectiveness, 

improve habitat for early seral species, 

and maintain habitat structure, function, 

and diversity. Outputs (timber) from the 

proposed action will be used to offset 

treatment costs and support the 

economic structure of local 

communities and provide for regional 

and national needs. 

The Purpose and Need for the Proposal 

Vegetation and Wildlife Habitat 

Improvement 

Purpose: Trend vegetation species 

composition, structure, and 

distributions toward desired conditions 

described in the Forest Plan. 

Need: The project area has a high 

proportion of grand fir/Douglas fir 

habitat. These habitats tend to be more 

susceptible/vulnerable to insects and 

diseases and grand fir is unlikely to 

survive in wildfire. There is a need to 

trend the area towards a more diverse 

and resilient forest structure by creating 

a range of age classes, size classes, 

habitat complexity (diversity) and 

disturbance patterns that more closely 

emulate natural mixed severity 

disturbance. Shifting tree species 

composition by retaining and planting 

early seral species (i.e. ponderosa pine, 

western larch and western white pine) 

in managed areas would help trend the 

area toward or maintain desired habitat 

conditions and would make these 

habitats more resistant and resilient to 

change agents such as insect, disease, 

and fire. 

Historical logging practices and fire 

suppression have created a landscape 

that is more highly fragmented than 

what would be expected through natural 

disturbance. Ladder fuels have 

increased and there has been a shift to 

shade tolerant species. Habitat structure 

and patch sizes of young forests are 

simplified and smaller than what would 

have been created through natural 

disturbance. Edges of patches are 

straight and even. There is a need to 

increase diversity within previously 

harvested areas to begin restoring longterm habitat quality for sensitive and 

old growth associated species. 

There is a shortage of young forest 

habitats on this landscape. Age classes 

are dominated by middle-aged and 

mature forest habitats. Forest 

management would increase high 

quality early seral wildlife habitats by 

retaining large trees and promoting 

establishment of tall shrubs and 

hardwood tree by using variable 

retention regeneration harvest. This 

would benefit wildlife species using 

early seral habitats such as: neotropical 

migratory birds, resident birds, small 

mammals, and big game species in the 

short term. Tree retention would help 

maintain habitat structure and 

complexity needed by old growth 

associated species in the long-term. 

Goods and Service 

Purpose: To utilize timber outputs 

produced through restoration activities 

to support the economic structure of 

local communities and provide for 

regional and national needs. (Forest 

Plan page II–1). 

Need: The need to provide a sustained 

yield of resource outputs is directed in 

the Forest Plan. Much of the area 

consists of grand fir dominated stands 

that have insect and disease infestations 

that are contributing to increased tree 

mortality, or are at risk from stand 

replacing events. Stands proposed for 

treatment are currently losing volume 

and value due to insects and disease. 

Harvest of the timber would provide 

materials to local industries. 

Fire Regime/Natural Disturbance 

Restoration and Fuel Reduction 

Purpose: Reduce ladder fuels created 

by shade-tolerant species and create 

more natural patch sizes by emulating 

mixed severity fire. (Forest Plan page II– 

2). 

Need: Effective fire suppression in 

this area began in the 1930s. As a result, 

there has been vegetative shift to less 

fire resistant species, and an increase in 

ladder fuels that can contribute to the 

risk of high intensity and potentially 

resource damaging wildfire. Some 

portions of the project area have been 

identified as being up to five times 

outside of their normal fire return 

intervals. Past harvest patterns do not 

emulate natural disturbance patterns 

nor do they emulate natural habitat 


pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
776 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 4 / Friday, January 6, 2012 / Notices 

structure. There is a need to increase 

patch sizes to shift age and size class 

distributions to increase high quality 

early seral wildlife habitats. Landscape 

burning and timber harvest that mimics 

natural fire would help increase forest 

resilience, help reduce risk of wildfires, 

and help create high quality habitats 

that would benefit neotropical migratory 

birds, resident birds, small mammals, 

and big game species. Fire dependent 

wildlife species would benefit from 

landscape burning. 

Watershed Improvement 

Purpose: Reduce potential sediment 

inputs into the aquatic ecosystem from 

roads. 

Need: There are 283 miles of road 

within the project area, 200 of which are 

needed for current and future 

management. The remaining 83 miles of 

road have been cleared for 

decommissioning under the SF/WF 

Clear Creek Road Decommissioning EA 

(2011). The roads needed for 

management can contribute sediment to 

streams through road surface erosion 

and potential culvert failures. Surface 

erosion occurs during spring snowmelt 

and rain events. Dirt coming off roads is 

diverted into ditchlines which are often 

directed into streams. Preliminary 

surveys show most roads in the area are 

drained by ditches. Culvert failures can 

result from undersized, damaged or 

rusting culverts which can plug with 

debris and then fail as water saturates 

the surrounding fill. Failures can 

contribute large pulses of sediment into 

streams. Surveys indicate at least 60 

miles of road with culverts that are in 

need of replacement or cleaning. There 

is a minimum of 40 high or moderate 

priority culverts in need of replacement, 

and 12 in need of cleaning. There are an 

additional 40 low priority culverts in 

need of replacement and 15 in need of 

cleaning. The surveyed roads pose the 

highest risk to streams in the project 

area. 

The desired condition for roads is to 

have ditchlines that drain road surface 

water away from streams and onto the 

forest floor. All culverts at stream 

crossings are appropriately sized to 

allow for the passage of material within 

minimal risk of plugging. 

There is a need to drain roadside 

ditchline water away from streams by 

installing cross drain pipes near live 

stream crossings. The cross drain pipes 

collect ditchline water and direct it onto 

the forest floor. There is also a need to 

replace existing undersized, damaged, 

or rusting culverts on streams to 

minimize failure potential. 

The Proposed Action Would Improve 

Forest Health, Provide Goods and 

Services, Reduce Fuels and Improve 

Wildlife Habitat 

• Conduct ‘‘variable retention’’ 

regeneration harvest and post harvest 

burning activities on up to 2500 acres to 

create early successional plant 

communities and improve wildlife 

habitat while re-establishing long-lived 

early seral tree species. Variable 

retention harvest would include areas of 

full retention (clumps), irregular edges, 

and retention of snags and legacy trees 

to provide structure and a future source 

of woody debris. Openings will likely 

exceed 40 acres. 

• Commercially thin approximately 

7810 acres to reduce stand densities 

improve forest health and reduce the 

chance of crown fire. 

• Apply improvement harvest to 

approximately 311 acres (thin from 

below) to remove encroachment and 

ladder fuels from ponderosa pine 

dominated stands. 

• Construct a minimum temporary 

road system to carry out the proposed 

action. Roads would be 

decommissioned after use. 

• Pre-commercially thin 

approximately 1865 acres to reduce 

stand densities improve forest health 

and reduce fuels. 

• Restore approximately 42 acres of 

bunchgrass communities through 

prescribed burning and revegetation 

with native grasses to improve wildlife 

winter range through reestablishment of 

native grasses and forbs. 

• Apply approximately 1400 acres of 

low and mixed severity prescribed fire 

within the Clear Creek Roadless area to 

restore natural fire regimes, reduce 

fuels, improve wildlife habitat and 

create mosaic forest conditions. 

Proposed activities are consistent with 

Idaho Roadless Rule. There is no timber 

cutting planned within the Clear Creek 

Roadless area 

Reduce Sediment Production and 

Address Transportation Needs 

• Conduct maintenance on or 

improve 100–130 miles of system roads 

including culvert installation or 

replacement, ditch cleaning, and riprap 

placement for drainage improvement. It 

may also include gravel placement, road 

grading and dust abatement. 

• Additional site specific 

maintenance or improvements would 

occur to improve watershed conditions 

on up to 20 miles of roads outside of 

proposed treatment areas. 

• Decommission 2–5 miles of system 

roads no longer considered necessary 

for transportation needs. 

Possible Alternatives the Forest 

Service will consider include a noaction alternative, which will serve as a 

baseline for comparison of alternatives. 

The proposed action will be considered 

along with additional alternatives that 

will be developed to meet the purpose 

and need for action, and to address 

significant issues identified during 

scoping. 

The Responsible Official is the Nez 

Perce-ClearwaterForest Supervisor. 

12730 Highway 12, Orofinio, ID 83544. 

The Decision To Be Made is whether 

to adopt the proposed action, in whole 

or in part, or another alternative; and 

what mitigation measures and 

management requirements will be 

implemented. 

The Scoping Process for the EIS is 

being initiated with this notice. The 

scoping process will identify issues to 

be analyzed in detail and will lead to 

the developemnt of alternatives to the 

proposal. The Forest Service is seeking 

information and comments from other 

Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribal 

Governments; and organizations and 

individuals who may be interested in or 

affected by the proposed action. 

Comments received in response to this 

notice, including the names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be a part of the project record and 

available for public review. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review: A draft 

environmental impact statement will be 

prepared for comment. The second 

major opportunity for public input will 

be when the draft EIS is published. The 

comment period for the draft EIS will be 

45 days from the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes the notice of availability in 

the Federal Register. The Draft EIS is 

anticipated to be available for public 

review in February 2013. 

Dated: December 19, 2011. 

Rick Brazell, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2012–40 Filed 1–5–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting 

of the Connecticut Advisory 

Committee 

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to 

the provisions of the rules and 

regulations of the U.S. Commission on 

Civil Rights (Commission), and the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA), that a planning meeting of the 


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