[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 194 (Friday, October 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58666-58668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20070]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest, California and Oregon, Mt. Ashland LSR 
Habitat Restoration and Fuels Reduction Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement on a proposal to promote the development of late-successional 
habitat and reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires on 
approximately 5013 acres.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected by 
January, 2006, and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
by July, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Margaret J. Boland, Forest 
Supervisor, Klamath National Forest, 1312 Fairlane Road, Yreka, 
California 96097. ATTN: Sue Stresser

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Stresser, Wildlife Biologist and 
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Klamath National Forest, 132 Fairlane 
Road, Yreka, California 96097 or call (503) 841-4538.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the Mt. Ashland Late-Successional Reserve (LSR) 
Habitat Restoration and Fuels Reduction Project is to promote the 
development of habitat for species dependent on late-successional 
forests and reduce the vulnerability of these stands and existing late-
successional habitat to uncharacteristic wildfire. This project is 
proposed under the direction of Seciton 7(a)(1) of the Endangered 
Species Act that directs federal agencies to carry out programs for the 
conservation of threatened and endangered species. Agencies are also 
directed to conduct habitat restoration and enhance protection from 
catastrophic wildfire by the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, Northwest 
Forest Plan as incorporated in the Klamath National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan of 1995, and the National Fire Plan.
    The need for actions in these watersheds results primarily from 
turn

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of the century railroad logging; resulting in mid-successional stands 
with high stem densities, altered species composition, and low 
diversity that currently provide limited habitat for late-successional 
species. Many of these stands are unlikely to develop into functional 
late-successional habitat without treatment, and are at risk to 
uncharacteristic wildfire. An additional need is to protect the limited 
amount of existing late-successional habitat in these watersheds from 
uncharacteristic wildfire.

Proposed Action

    The proposal is to thin mid-successional stands to promote the 
development of late-successional habitat (habitat promotion areas), 
construct strategic fuelbreaks, and thin and reduce fuels in mid-
successional stands, early-successional stands, and riparian reserves 
to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires.
    <bullet> Habitat Promotion Areas: Approximately 70 acres of early-
successional and 2549 acres of mid-successional forest will be treated 
by variable-density thinning of trees less than 20 inches diameter at 
breast height. Where site-specific conditions allow, thinning will 
promote the historic species composition. No late-successional forest 
will be thinned.
    <bullet> Strategic Fuelbreaks: Five defensive fuel profile zones, a 
type of strategic fuelbreak, will be located on prominent ridges. 
Encompassing approximately 1714 acres, defensive fuel profile zones 
will be treated to reduce ground and ladder fuels, and maintain canopy 
closure at 40 to 50 percent. A small number of trees greater than 20 
inches diameter at breast height, primarily true fir, may be felled to 
achieve density objectives but will be left on site.
    <bullet> Riparian Reserve Treatments: Within 170 feet of streams, 
ground and ladder fuels will be treated by hand thinning and burning of 
handpiles. Between 170 and 340 feet from streams, thinning treatments 
similar to the Habitat Promotion Areas may occur. Within riparian 
reserves associated with unstable lands, thinning and fuel treatment 
will occur only on low risk areas. Approximately 412 acres of Riparian 
Reserve habitat will be treated.
    <bullet> Fuel Treatments: All Habitat Promotion Areas and Strategic 
Fuelbreaks will have existing and/or project-generated fuels treated by 
a variety of fuels reduction treatments including: underburning, 
handpiling, lop and scatter, and mastication (grinding material with 
ground-based equipment). Approximately 268 acres will receive only 
underburn treatment. Roughly 50 acres of late-successional forest will 
be treated to reduce fuels.
    The project is located in the portion of the Mt. Ashland LSR 
located on the Klmath National Forest in the upper reaches of the 
Beaver Creek Watershed. LSRs and Riparian Reserves were established for 
the Klamath National Forest as part of the Northwest Forest Plan 
management scenario. LSRs were established to protect and enhance 
conditions of late-successional and old-growth forest ecosystems, 
providing habitat for species such as the northern spotted owl. 
Riparian Reserves are portions of watersheds where riparian-dependent 
resources receive primary emphasis. This project is authorized under 
Section 102 of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act because it would 
provide ``enhanced protection from catastrophic wildfire'' for the 
habitat of a threatened species, the northern spotted owl.
    Due to past logging, many stands in the LSR are mid and early 
successional. Development of late-successional characteristics can be 
accelerated, as the stands are young and thrifty enough to respond 
favorably to density reduction. Due to past fire suppression, many mid-
successional stands have stocking so dense that it is not sustainable; 
the site's capacity to support vegetation is exceeded. Fuels reduction, 
mainly removal of small diameter material, and fuel breaks were 
identified as high priority for the area.
    Thinned material greater than 9 and less than 20 inches diameter 
breast height will be offered in a timber sale contract to generate 
revenues to help fund the remainder of the work, which may be offered 
in one or more service or stewardship contracts. Of the stands 
containing merchantable material, it is estimated that 1268 acres will 
be removed with tractors and tractor-endlining, 662 acres with a 
mechanical harvester, 1422 acres with cable equipment, and 605 with a 
helicopter.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The Forest Services is the lead agency and the United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service is a cooperating agency.

Responsible Official

    Margaret J. Boland, Forest Supervisor, USDA Forest Service, 1312 
Fairlane Road, Yreka, California 96097 is the Responsible Official.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Service must decide whether it will implement this 
proposal, an alternative design that moves the area towards the desired 
condition, or not implement any project at this time.

Scoping Process

    The Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service have been 
collaborating on a proposal to improve habitat conditions in the Mt. 
Ashland LSR since May 2004. On July 6, 2004, this restoration project 
was included under the category of ``developing proposal'' in the 
Klamath National Forest's Schedule of Proposed Actions, which was 
posted on the Klamath National Forest's internet website and mailed to 
interested parties. A mailing list for the project was developed from 
those responding to the Schedule of Proposed Actions, a list of 
landowners near the project area, potentially affected Native American 
tribes, agencies with special expertise and groups that might be 
interested. Those on the mailing list were notified of a public field 
trip to the project area on Septebmer 29, 2004. Notices of the field 
trip were also sent to the Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, California, and 
the Ashland Daily Tidings, Ashland, Oregon. A scoping letter describing 
the proposed action, purpose and need for the proposal, and requesting 
public comment will be sent to those on the mailing list. This notice 
of intent also invites public comment on the proposal and initiates the 
preparation of the environmental impact statement. While public 
participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, comments 
received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will be 
especially useful in the preparation of the draft environmental impact 
statement. The scoping process will include identifying potential 
issues, significant issues to be analyzed in depth, alternatives to the 
proposed action, and potential environmental effects of the proposal 
and alternatives.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The public is 
encouraged to take part in the process and visit with Forest Service 
and Fish and Wildlife officials at any time during the analysis and 
prior to the decision. The Forest Service will be seeking information, 
comments and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and 
other individuals or organizations that may be interested in, or 
affected by, the proposed restoration activities.

Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review

    A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared for 
comment. The comment period on the draft

[[Page 58668]]

environmental impact statement 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 draft environmental impact statements 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, 533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that 
could be raised at the draft environmental impact statement stage but 
that are not raised until after completion of the final environmental 
impact statement may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of 
Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin 
Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (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 final environmental impact 
statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft 
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is 
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the 
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft 
environmental impact 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 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in 
addressing these points.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: September 30, 2005.
Michael P. Lee,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 05-20070 Filed 10-6-05; 8:45am]
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