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Notices Federal Register

2615 

Vol. 83, No. 12 

Thursday, January 18, 2018 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Bridger-Teton National Forest; 

Wyoming; Invasive Plant Management 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Bridger-Teton Nation 

Forest (BTNF) will prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) to 

disclose the effects of continued control 

of noxious and other invasive plants 

through the integration of manual, 

mechanical, biological, and ground and 

aerial herbicide control methods. Effects 

analysis of treatments of invasive plants, 

including cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) 

and other invasive annual grasses, will 

be projected over the next 10–15 years. 

The agency invites comments and 

suggestions on the scope of the analysis 

to be included in the draft 

environmental impact statement (DEIS). 

In addition, the agency gives notice of 

this environmental analysis and 

decision-making process so that 

interested and affected people know 

how they may participate in the process. 

The BTNF is currently treating noxious 

weeds and invasive plants under the 

March 1, 2005 Decision Notice, 

Management of Noxious Weeds on the 

Bridger-Teton National Forest. This 

decision needs to be updated since it 

did not include the use of new 

herbicides, aerial application of 

herbicides, or new invasive plant 

populations. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

February 20, 2018. The draft EIS is 

expected in May of 2018, and the final 

EIS is expected in October 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Forest Supervisor, Bridger-Teton 

National Forest, P.O. Box 1880, 340 N. 

Cache, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. 

Comments may also be sent via email to 

comments-intermtn-bridger-teton@

fs.fed.us or via facsimile to 307–739– 

50108. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Direct questions about the proposed 

action and the EIS to Chad Hayward, 

Project Coordinator, 10418 S Hwy 189, 

Big Piney, Wyoming, 83113, phone 

(307) 276–5817 or email chayward@

fs.fed.us. Comments are not to be sent 

to this address; they need to be received 

as directed above. Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) between 8 a.m. and 

8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through 

Friday at 1–800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Invasive 

species are defined as alien species 

whose introduction does or is likely to 

cause economic or environmental harm 

or harm to human health (Federal 

Executive Order 13112). When 

developing an invasive plant 

management strategy, it is critical to 

consider all available resources and 

tools. Integrated pest management (IPM) 

strategies utilize various invasive plant 

management options that focus on the 

most economical, efficient and effective 

control of invasive plants. Anything that 

weakens the invasive plant, prevents 

spreading, or prevents seed production 

can be a valuable tool. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

Currently, approximately 75,000 acres 

within the BTNF are infested with 

invasive plants. Invasive, non-native 

species are threatening or dominating 

areas of the BTNF with negative impacts 

on native plant communities, big game 

winter ranges, sage-grouse habitat, soil 

and watershed resources, recreation, 

domestic livestock forage availability, 

and aesthetic values. A shift from native 

vegetation to invasive plants alters 

wildlife habitats, decreases wildlife and 

livestock forage, reduces species 

diversity, increases soil erosion due to 

a decrease in surface cover, alters the 

fire return interval, and promotes 

undesirable monocultures. 

The purpose and need of the project 

is to prevent and reduce loss of native 

plant communities associated with the 

spread of invasive plant species. 

Specifically, the purposes of this project 

are to prevent and treat invasive plants 

within the BTNF and to reduce the 

impacts from invasive plants on other 

resources by: 

• Protecting the natural condition and 

biodiversity of the Bridger-Teton by 

preventing or limiting the spread of 

aggressive, non-native plant species that 

displace native vegetation; 

• promptly eliminating new invaders 

(species not previously reported in the 

area) before they become established; 

• preventing or limiting the spread of 

established invasive plants into areas 

containing little or no infestation; 

• protecting sensitive and unique 

habitats including critical big game 

winter ranges, sage-grouse core areas 

and other important habitats; and 

• reducing known and potential 

invasive plant seed sources along roads 

and trails, within powerline corridors, 

rights-of-ways, gravel and rock quarries, 

fuels reduction projects, and previouslyburned areas to prevent the spread of 

invasive plants into new, un-infested 

areas. 

Proposed Action 

The Forest Service, through the 

application of an invasive plant 

treatment strategy, proposes to continue 

to treat invasive plant species on the 

BTNF. The proposed action would 

occur over the next 10–15 years and 

would treat several thousands of acres 

annually. The proposed action would 

broaden the current management for 

control of noxious weeds to: 

• Treat new infestations through a 

strategy for assessing new treatments 

and new sites; 

• permit the use of newly developed, 

more species-specific, Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA)-registered 

herbicides; 

• continue the use of integrated 

treatment methods, including 

herbicides, within wilderness areas 

where approved in advance and 

necessary to maintain native vegetation 

consistent with wilderness values; 

• broaden control methods to include 

the use of aerial application of 

herbicides where effective ground 

application is not possible outside of 

wilderness areas; and 

• maintain or improve protection 

measures for herbicide applications. 

Adding the capability for aerial 

treatments is necessary to safely and 

effectively apply herbicides, in uniform 

applications, on the steeper slopes that 

characterize critical big game winter 

ranges. It is also needed to cooperate 

with integrated land ownership partners 

that are experiencing extensive 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
2616 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 12 / Thursday, January 18, 2018 / Notices 

infestations of cheatgrass because of 

recent and severe drought (and that are 

negatively affecting native plant 

populations, especially those in critical 

sage-grouse habitat). An estimated 

average of an additional 5,000 to 15,000 

acres might be treated annually for 

cheatgrass control in cooperation with 

intermingled-landownership partners. 

Potential treatment areas include crucial 

big game winter ranges, sage-grouse core 

areas and other important habitats, fuels 

reduction projects, previously-burned 

areas, roads and trails, power lines, 

rights-of-ways, gravel and rock quarries, 

and areas where invasive weeds are 

already beginning to proliferate. 

The proposed action would utilize a 

variety of tools, singularly or in 

combination, to implement an 

integrated strategy. Proposed control 

methods include the following: 

• Mechanical methods, such as handpulling, mowing or cutting; 

• revegetation, where competitive 

vegetation is seeded to reduce invasive 

species, possibly after other treatments; 

• grazing with livestock; 

• biological control using predators, 

parasites, and pathogens; 

• herbicide control using groundbased application methods; herbicide 

control using aerial application 

methods; 

• prescribed fire in conjunction with 

other treatment methods; 

• education programs to inform 

people of the effects of invasive plant 

infestations, methods of spread, and 

preventative management opportunities 

and practices; and 

• prevention by using practices that 

reduce invasive plant spread, including 

a weed-free forage and gravel program 

and washing vehicles to remove seeds 

and plant parts. 

The selection of control methods is 

not a choice of one tool over another, 

but rather selection of a combination of 

tools that would be most effective on 

target species for a location. The BTNF 

proposes to use a combination of control 

methods based on site-specific 

conditions and circumstances, EPA 

labels, USDA Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) direction, 

and resource protection measures to 

ensure that treatment methods are 

properly used. No activities are being 

proposed to occur on private lands. It is 

anticipated, however, that the Forest 

Service may receive requests from 

intermingled and adjacent landowners 

to be a willing and able partner on 

projects that might be proposed to treat 

invasive plant populations that are 

found on multiple land ownerships that 

include National Forest System lands. 

Possible Alternatives 

The BTNF will consider a reasonable 

range of alternatives, including a no 

action alternative. Based on the issues 

gathered through scoping, the action 

alternatives may vary in the amount and 

location of acres considered for 

treatment and the number, type, and 

location of activity. 

Responsible Official 

The Bridger-Teton Forest Supervisor 

is the Responsible Official for making 

the decision concerning this proposal. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

Given the purpose and need, the 

Responsible Official reviews the 

proposed action, the other alternatives, 

and the environmental consequences in 

order to make the following decisions: 

Whether to expand current efforts to 

control invasive plants; what control 

methods would be used; what 

herbicides would be used; what 

protection measures and monitoring 

measures would be required; and 

whether to include an adaptive 

management approach to address future 

spread of invasive weeds. 

The EIS is a project-level analysis. 

The scope of the project is confined to 

issues and potential environmental 

consequences relevant to the decision. 

This analysis does not attempt to reevaluate or alter decisions made at 

higher levels. The decision is subject to, 

and would implement direction from, 

higher levels. 

National and regional policies and 

Forest Plan direction require 

consideration of effects of all projects on 

invasive plant spread and prescription 

of protection measures where practical 

to limit those effects. Reconsideration of 

other existing project-level decisions or 

programmatically prescribing protection 

measures or standards for future forest 

management activities (such as travel 

management, timber harvest, and 

grazing management) are beyond the 

scope of this document. Cumulative 

effects will be addressed in Chapter 3 of 

the EIS. 

Even with careful consideration, 

unforeseen events can occur during 

project implementation that will require 

additional analyses. Unanticipated 

events can result in new information 

that could have a bearing on a decision. 

Forest Service procedures for addressing 

such new information, documents, and 

decisions are thoroughly explained in 

FSH 1909.15, Section 18. 

Preliminary Issues 

Key issues identified to date include 

the current and potential impacts of 

invasive plants on natural resources 

such as big game winter habitat, native 

plant communities, wilderness values, 

watershed function, and threatened, 

endangered, or sensitive species and 

their habitats. Additional issues 

preliminarily identified include 

economic impacts; the effectiveness and 

potential impacts of various control 

methods on natural resources; and 

potential effects on non-target native 

plants and associated values, wildlife 

and fish populations, and human health 

from the application of herbicides. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the EIS. Public 

participation will be especially 

important at several points during the 

analysis, beginning with the scoping 

process (40 CFR 1501.7). The decision 

and reasons for the decision will be 

documented in a Record of Decision. 

The decision will be subject to Forest 

Service Project-Level Predecisional 

Administrative Review Process 

(Objection Process) (36 CFR part 218). 

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 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 

become part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered, however anonymous 

comments will not provide the 

respondent eligibility to participate in 

subsequent administrative or judicial 

review. 

Dated: January 10, 2018. 

Chris French, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

[FR Doc. 2018–00804 Filed 1–17–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Notice of Public Meeting of the 

Montana Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: U.S. Commission on Civil 

Rights. 

ACTION: Announcement of meeting. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, 

pursuant to the provisions of the rules 

and regulations of the U.S. Commission 

on Civil Rights (Commission) and the 


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