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Notices Federal Register

21721 

Vol. 77, No. 70 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake 

Ranger District, California, Whisky 

Ecosystem Restoration Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Bass Lake Ranger District 

is proposing a series of ecological 

restoration treatments, east of the 

community of North Fork, California. 

This would be north of Cascadel Point, 

south of Shuteye Peak, and west of 

Whisky Ridge. Treatment areas have 

been initially identified to restore forest 

conditions to more closely resemble pre1900s stand structures which would 

result in forests that are more resilient 

and resistant to expected changes in 

climate and disturbance regimes. 

Treatments are needed to maintain or 

improve growth and vigor of conifer 

stands, reduce the spread and intensity 

of wildfires within and outside of the 

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and 

restore other ecological processes. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of this analysis should be received no 

later than 30 days after the publication 

of this notice in the Federal Register. 

The draft environmental impact 

statement (DEIS) is expected in 

December 2012 and the final 

environmental impact statement (FEIS) 

is expected in March 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

the U.S. Forest Service, Sierra National 

Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District, 57003 

Road 225, North Fork, CA 93643, ATTN: 

David Martin. Comments may also be 

sent via email to commentspacificsouthwest-sierra@fs.fed.us (use 

Rich Text format (.rtf) or Word format 

(.doc)) or via facsimile to (559) 877– 

3108. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such a way 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 the proposed action. However 

comments submitted anonymously will 

be accepted and considered. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Aimee Smith, Interdisciplinary Team 

Leader, at Sierra National Forest, Bass 

Lake Ranger District, 57003 Road 225, 

North Fork, CA 93643. Individuals who 

use telecommunication devices for the 

deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Services (FIRS) at 1– 

800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 

p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through 

Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background Information: The Whisky 

Ecosystem Restoration Project (Madera 

County, California) lies within the 

Willow Creek watershed, where impacts 

of early 1900’s railroad logging and 

subsequent harvest activities on these 

federal and formerly private lands, 

combined with the exclusion of fire, 

have altered forest conditions within the 

Project area. Stand species composition 

has shifted from more fire resistant, 

shade intolerant pines to less fire 

resistant, shade tolerant fir and incense 

cedar. Prior to these activities, these 

forests were comprised of larger 

diameter pine dominated stands that 

were less susceptible to drought and 

fire. Frequent low to moderate intensity 

fires limited understory vegetation 

resulting in more open stand conditions. 

Currently, stands are more even aged, 

dense, and multilayered, dominated by 

second-growth (approximately 85 to 110 

year-old) less fire resistant, shade 

tolerant white fir and incense cedar. 

Decades of fire exclusion has resulted in 

excessive accumulations of down 

woody material. 

The Whisky Ridge Ecological 

Restoration Project lies within the 

elevation range for the Southern Sierra 

Fisher Conservation Area. Public 

concern and management review 

surrounding the significance of 

potential impacts to the Pacific fisher 

and the California spotted owl during 

past projects has led to the decision to 

document the environmental analysis 

with an environmental impact statement 

(EIS) for this project. The US Fish and 

Wildlife Service currently list pacific 

fishers as a Candidate species for listing 

under the Endangered Species Act; 

while California spotted owls are a 

Forest Service Sensitive Species for 

Region 5. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of this Project is to 

promote ecosystem resilience, 

sustainability, and health under current 

and future conditions through the 

restoration of key ecological processes, 

biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and 

structural heterogeneity. 

The impacts of past railroad logging 

and subsequent harvest activities on 

these federal and formerly private lands, 

combined with the exclusion of fire, 

have altered forest conditions within the 

Project area. Stand species composition 

has shifted from more fire resistant, 

shade intolerant pines to less fire 

resistant, shade tolerant fir and incense 

cedar. There is a need to restore forest 

conditions within proposed treatment 

areas to more closely resemble pre1900s stand structures which would 

result in forests that are more resilient 

and resistant to expected changes in 

climate and disturbance regimes. 

Proposed treatments are needed to 

maintain or improve growth and vigor 

of conifer stands, reduce the spread and 

intensity of wildfires and restore other 

ecological processes. 

There is a need to treat conifer stands 

to improve their resiliency to insect 

attack, diseases, wildfire, drought 

conditions, and increased stress on 

vegetation due to predicted warmer 

temperatures and longer periods of 

depleted soil moisture. 

Stocking levels (stand densities) have 

reached or are reaching density levels 

where declining growth and vigor is 

occurring from inter-tree competition 

thus increasing potential rates of tree 

mortality. Proposed thinning treatments 

would reduce the uncharacteristically 

high percentage of incense cedar and fir 

within stands. Thinning treatments 

would reduce inter-tree competition 

resulting in improved individual tree 

growth and vigor leading to accelerated 

development of larger diameter more 

resilient trees. 

Proposed treatments would provide a 

buffer between developed areas and 

wildland to protect communities from 


wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
21722 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 70 / Wednesday, April 11, 2012 / Notices 

moderate/high intensity wildfires, as 

well as minimizing the spread of 

wildfire originating from developed 

areas onto forested lands. There is a 

need to treat the surface (dead and 

down fuels) and ladder fuels to reduce 

the risk of spread and intensity of 

wildfire. 

Proposed Action 

The Whisky Ridge Ecological 

Restoration Project proposes to; 

• Restore key wildlife structures and 

improve wildlife habitat by maintaining 

and restoring key components that are 

utilized for shelter, reproduction sites, 

resting or food sources; 

• Increase resiliency of mixed conifer, 

pine and fir stands through density 

management by beginning the process of 

returning treatment areas to conditions 

more closely resembling those present 

prior to the early 1900s; 

• Maintain or improve growth and 

vigor of pine, mixed conifer, and fir 

stands, as well as conifer plantations 

through density management; 

• Minimize the effects of wildland 

fire in the high risk (probability of 

ignition occurring), high hazard 

(availability of fuels to sustain a fire) 

wildland urban intermix area, and 

surrounding forest by reducing the 

potential for uncharacteristically large 

and severe wildfire and facilitate 

conditions that result in low-tomoderate severity wildland fire; 

• Treat surface and ladder fuels to 

reduce the potential for a surface fire to 

transition into a sustained crown fire; 

• Allow for the reintroduction of fire 

as a process restoration tool; 

• Recover failed conifer plantations 

and openings by planting conifers 

within specific sites; 

• Use integrated weed management to 

prevent and control infestations of 

noxious weeds; 

• Restore production and enhance 

vitality of culturally gathered plant 

material; 

• Protect the historic values and 

characteristics of archaeological and 

historical cultural resources and 

improve their integrity by reducing fuels 

within cultural resource sites; 

• Restore and stabilize degraded 

watershed features such as meadows, 

streams, and riparian features by 

improving channel stability; 

• Decommission unapproved trails 

that are contributing to resource 

degradation; 

• Review the Sierra National Forest 

Motorized Travel Management plan and 

determine if any roads within the 

Project area recommended for potential 

decommissioning should be addressed 

under this proposal; 

• Minimize livestock impacts to 

riparian features by developing range 

improvements (e.g. off-site water 

developments). 

The Whisky Ridge Ecological 

Restoration Project encompasses 18,285 

acres. Approximately 7,500 acres would 

be analyzed for treatments. 

Possible Alternatives 

To comply with NEPA, the Forest 

Service will evaluate additional 

alternatives to the proposed action 

developed based on public comments. A 

no action alternative to provide a 

baseline for comparison to the action 

alternatives will be included within the 

EIS. Each alternative will be explored 

and evaluated, or rationale will be given 

for eliminating an alternative from 

detailed study. 

Responsible Official 

The Responsible Deciding Official is 

Scott G. Armentrout, Forest Supervisor, 

Sierra National Forest, 1600 Tollhouse 

Road, Clovis, CA 93612. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The Forest Supervisor will decide 

whether to implement the proposed 

action, take an alternative action that 

meets the purpose and need or take no 

action. 

Scoping Process 

The notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. The project is 

included in the Sierra National Forest’s 

quarterly scheduled of proposed actions 

(SOPA). Information on the proposed 

action will also be posted on the Sierra 

National Forests Web site, http:// 

www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/ 

?project=37829, and will also be 

advertised in both the Fresno Bee and 

the Oakhurst Sierra Star. This notice of 

intent initiates the scoping process, 

which guides the development of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Comments submited during this 

scoping period should be in writing and 

should be specific to the proposed 

action. The comments should describe 

as clearly and completely as possible 

any issues the comnenter has with the 

proposal. It is important reviewers 

provide their comments at such times in 

such a manner that they are useful to 

the agency’s preparation on the 

environmental impact statement. 

Dated: April 4, 2012. 

Scott G. Armentrout, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8661 Filed 4–10–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Gore Creek Restoration Project; Intent 

To Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Medicine Bow-Routt National 

Forests, Forest Service, USDA. 

Project: Gore Creek Restoration 

Project. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act, 

notice is hereby given that the Forest 

Service, Medicine Bow-Routt National 

Forests, will prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement to 

disclose the environmental 

consequences of the proposed Gore 

Creek Restoration Project (Gore Creek). 

The Gore Creek analysis area 

encompasses approximately 76,000 

acres of National Forest System (NFS) 

land with 6,900 acres of interspersed 

private land. 

The Yampa Ranger District is 

proposing a variety of actions in the 

Gore Pass area to improve watershed 

health and reduce potential erosion 

issues. Timber harvesting that took 

place outside of previously analyzed 

timber sale boundaries has resulted in 

impacts that had not been previously 

analyzed. Before rehabilitation can be 

completed, a new analysis must be 

conducted to address the previous 

activities and the proposed 

rehabilitation activities. 

In order to complete previously 

analyzed vegetation management 

projects, an analysis of additional 

temporary roads needs to occur. 

Included in the analysis is the further 

consideration of the roads that would be 

necessary to complete both proposed, 

remaining timber management activities 

and the restoration activities. The 

analysis will be used to determine the 

best methods for minimizing watershed 

impacts from the current roads, 

proposed roads and road construction. 

Included in the analysis of the existing 

and proposed road construction will be 

the consideration of restoration of 

dispersed campsites within riparian 

areas within the project area, which may 

be impacting watershed health. Also 

included in the analysis will be the 

effects of disposing of merchantable 

timber and other vegetation resulting 

from emergency clearing work within 

the power line right-of-ways in the 

analysis area. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis should be received by 30 


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