[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40874-40876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20227]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 147 / Friday, July 31, 1998 / 
Notices

[[Page 40874]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Salvage Harvest Due to 1998 Storm Damage, Daniel Boone National 
Forest, McCeary and Pulaski Counties, KY

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effect of removing trees 
damaged by a severe snowstorm that occurred in February 1998, and 
severe wind storms that occurred in April and May 1998. The areas under 
consideration for this proposal include approximately 3400 acres on the 
Stearns and Somerest Ranger Districts within the Daniel Boone National 
Forest. Pine trees that will be removed include trees that are downed; 
trees that have 50% or more of the live crown missing or damaged; 
uprooted trees; or leaning and root sprung trees. Hardwood trees that 
will be removed include trees that are downed, uprooted, leaning and 
root sprung. Other damaged standing trees may be removed for public 
safety or logging access.
    The proposed method of removal is to use salvage timber sales which 
may include the use of helicopter, cable yarding, and ground skidding 
methods. Skidding methods may use motorized equipment or animals.
    Connected actions include construction of temporary roads, 
maintenance of existing roads, and erosion control measures to minimize 
soil movement.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this analysis should be 
received by August 31, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Michael B. Kluempke, Daniel Boone 
National Forest, 761 South Laurel Road, London, KY 40744.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Myra Williamson, Silviculturist, 
Stearns Ranger District, Daniel Boone National Forest, P.O. Box 429, US 
Highway 27 North, Whitley City, KY 42653, or by calling (606) 376-5323.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: The Forest Supervisor for the Daniel Boone 
National Forest, located at 1700 Bypass Road, Winchester, KY 40391, is 
the Responsible Official for this action.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Need for the Proposal

    On February 3, 1998, a snow storm dropped approximately two feet of 
heavy, wet snow across the southern half of the Forest. On April 16, 
1998, a tornado, along with strong straight-line winds, hit the Stearns 
Ranger District. On May 31, 1998, a windstorm hit both the Stearns and 
Somerest Ranger Districts.
    The February snowstorm impacted a significant portion of the 
191,000 acres of National Forest System lands on the Stearns and 
Somerest Districts. Most impact occurred within the ridgetop forest 
stands. The most heavily impacted stands were composed primarily of 
Virginia pine, most of which suffered broken stems, were uprooted or 
were severely bent over. Hardwoods and shortleaf pine trees were 
generally uprooted, or suffered some crown damage.
    When the April and May windstorms swept through the western and 
southern parts of the Somerset and Stearns Districts they damaged 
approximately 3,000 acres of hardwood and hardwood-pine forest. Some of 
these areas were also affected by the snowstorm. Within the the damaged 
areas, most of the larger diameter trees were uprooted, while others 
were twisted, snapped, lifted (resulting in root damage), or bent. In 
the western part of the Stearns District these windstorms have left 
entire hillsides where all or most of the trees have been leveled.
    The storm damage has resulted in a substantial increase in fuel 
loading over the entire area. This is due to the large amount of 
foliage, twigs, limbs and stems of damaged and fallen trees greatly 
increasing the fuels available for wildfire.
    The extent of the fire hazards created by additional fuel loading 
is dependent on the dispersion and the arrangement of fuels. Heavy fuel 
accumulations may occur adjacent to what would normally be an effective 
location for control lines. The height of fuels could create a ladder 
for fire to enter into the crowns of trees and increase the rate of 
spread.
    This vertical and horizontal arrangement of fuels needs to be 
disrupted. The increased fuel loading, when dry, would increase 
wildfire intensity and is a severe impediment of fireline construction 
and control of fires.
    Because the National Forest land ownership pattern in the areas 
affected by the storm events is highly variable, conditions on one 
ownership tend to also have indirect effects upon conditions of other 
ownership. The excessive fuel loads currently in the forest increases 
the potential for severe wildfires to spread to private lands.
    A large portion of the project area is within the tentative Habitat 
Management Area for the Red-cockaded woodpecker. In order to recover 
this species, as well as other rare fire-associated plants and animals, 
active management is needed to create and maintain pine and pine-
hardwood forest types. The current condition of many of these proposed 
treatment areas inhibits the use of prescribed fire and stand 
regeneration activities that are necessary to create and maintain 
habitat for these species.
    Many of the proposed treatment areas have been heavily used in the 
past by the general public for various recreational activities such as 
hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and bird watching. The high number of 
down trees criss-crossed on the forest floor present serious obstacles 
to foot travel, and trees left hanging or leaning pose safety risks to 
users of the general forest.

B. Purpose

    The purpose of this action is to allow for the timely removal of 
damaged trees within heavily storm-damaged areas of the Daniel Boone 
National Forest to meet the following general objectives:
    1. Reduce current fuel loads and modify their arrangement where 
they present a wildfire hazard to the life and property on adjacent 
private land.
    2. Reduce current fuel loads and modify their arrangement to 
minimize damage to Forest resources that may result from a catastrophic 
wildfire.
    3. To restore the ability to manage these areas towards the 
objectives outlined in the Forest Land and

[[Page 40875]]

Resource Management Plan (FLRMP) for Management Areas 7 and 9.
    4. To provide for the safety of forest users and employees within 
the project area.
    The Daniel Boone National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
(FLRMP) provides overall guidance for management activities in the 
affected area where the storm damage has occurred. Approximately 100 
acres are located in Management Area 9. The remaining acres are located 
in Management Area 7. Forest wide management goals include (FLRMP IV-
1,2):
    1. Protect and enhance habitat for all threatened and endangered 
species and strive towards increasing population levels to facilitate 
removal from T&E status.
    2. Manage the Forest in a manner that is sensitive to economic 
feasibility.
    3. Provide a diversity of plant and animal communities.
    4. Protect, maintain and/or improve soil productivity and water 
quality.
    5. Provide the habitat requirements of the management indicator 
species.
    The general management direction for Management Area 7 (FLRMP IV-
119) includes the following requirements:
    1. Otimize growing potential for yellow and white pine, and upland 
and cove hardwoods;
    2. Provide a moderate to high degree of wildlife habitat diversity; 
and
    3. Provide a broad range of undeveloped recreation opportunities.
    The general management direction for Management Area 9 is to 
protect and maintain the scenic quality of the area while providing 
dispersed recreation opportunities and enhance wildlife (FLRMP IV-135).
    Salvage timber sales are proposed to meet these objectives in the 
most timely and efficient manner. The use of salvage timber sales will 
allow the objectives to be accomplished in a short time frame. Because 
the recoverable economic value of forest products from storm damaged 
trees will decrease significantly over time as a result of 
deterioration, it is imperative that the material be removed in the 
most efficient and timely manner possible.

C. Proposed Scoping Process

    Public participation is an important part of the analysis. The 
scoping period associated with this Notice of Intent will be thirty 
(30) days in length, beginning the day after publication of this 
notice. In addition to this scoping, the public may visit Forest 
Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior to the 
decision.
    The Daniel Boone National Forest is seeking information, comments, 
and assistance from Federal, State and local agencies and other 
individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected by 
the proposed action. Comments submitted during the scoping process 
should be in writing. They should be specific to the action being 
proposed and should describe as clearly and completely as possible any 
issues the commentor has with the proposal. This input will be used in 
preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The 
scoping process includes:
    1. Identifying potential issues.
    2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
    3. Eliminating nonsignificant issues or those which have been 
covered by a relevant previous environmental analysis.
    4. Exploring additional alternatives.
    5. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed 
action and alternatives.

D. Preliminary Issues Identified to Date Include

    1. Removal of damaged trees and associated activities may affect 
threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant and animal species and 
associated habitat.
    2. Ground disturbing activities associated with the proposed action 
may cause soil movement and increase stream sedimentation which may 
affect soil productivity and water quality.
    3. The proposed action may impact the scenic quality adjacent to 
Rock Creek, a State Wild River, Marsh Creek, a proposed Federal Wild 
and/or Recreational River, and within Natural Arch Scenic Area.

E. Possible Alternatives Identified to Date Include

    1. No Action: This alternative will serve as a baseline for 
comparison of alternatives. This alternative will be fully developed 
and analyzed.
    2. Proposed Action: As described above, this alternative will 
remove trees damaged in three storms. The proposed method of removal is 
to use salvage timber sales which may include the use of helicopters, 
cable yarding, ground skidding methods, or animals.

F. Estimated Data for DEIS and FEIS

    The DEIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency and to be available for public comment by November 1998. At that 
time, the Environmental Protection Agency will publish a notice of 
availability of the DEIS in the Federal Register. The comment period on 
the DEIS 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 related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
DEIS 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 objectives that 
could be raised at the DEIS stage but that are not raised until after 
the completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) may 
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 
2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritage, Inc. v. Harris, 
490 F. Supp. 1334 (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 FEIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as 
specific as possible. It is also helpful if the comments refer to 
specific pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also 
address the adequacy of the DEIS 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 provision of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    After the comment period ends on the DEIS, the comments will be 
analyzed, considered, and responded to by the Forest Service in 
preparing the FEIS. The FEIS is scheduled to be completed in January 
1999. The responsible official will consider the comments, responses, 
environmental consequences discussed in the FEIS, and applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies in making a decision regarding this proposed 
action. The responsible official will document the decision and reasons 
for the decision in the Record of Decision. That

[[Page 40876]]

decision will be subject to appeal in accordance with 36 CFR part 215.
Benjamin T. Worthington,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 98-20227 Filed 7-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M