[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61283-61285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24229]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Shawnee National Forest, Illinois; Cretaceous Hills Ecological 
Restoration

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service Shawnee National Forest (Forest) 
intends to prepare an environmental impact statement to disclose the 
environmental consequences of an ecological restoration project. In the 
environmental impact statement, the USDA Forest Service will address 
the potential environmental effects of the restoration of an oak-
hickory hardwood forest-type and the increase of wildlife habitat 
diversity through the removal or thinning of non-native pine trees and 
small shade-tolerant hardwood trees from about 3,200 acres, the 
application of prescribed fire on about 15,100 acres, treatment of 
invasive species, maintenance of barrens habitats, development of 
vernal ponds, and transportation system maintenance, construction, or 
reconstruction.
    The Cretaceous Hills Ecological Restoration Project (Hills Project) 
is located in the Bay Creek Ditch, Barren Creek and Sister Islands-Ohio 
River watersheds between the communities of Metropolis and Bay City, in 
southern Pope and eastern Massac Counties, Illinois. The 26,102 acres 
in the project areas include about 15,130 acres of National Forest 
System land and 10,972 acres of state and private land. All activities 
are proposed on National Forest System land.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by November 10, 2014 in order to be most useful in the development of 
the environmental impact statement. The draft environmental impact 
statement is expected February, 2015 and the final environmental impact 
statement is expected September, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted on the Hills Project Web page: 
http://tinyurl.com/Cretaceous-Hills-Shawnee-NF. Written comments may be 
sent to: Shawnee National Forest, Attn: Hills Project, 602 N. 1st 
Street, Vienna, IL 62995. Comments may also be sent via facsimile to 
(618) 658-1300, with ``Hills Project'' on the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Kunzmann at 602 N. 1st Street, 
Vienna, (618) 658-2111, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f29399879c889f939c9cb29481dc949796dc8781"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2d4c46584357404c43436d4b5e034b484903585e">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of and Need for Action

    The purpose of the Hills Project is to implement land management 
activities consistent with the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
(Plan) and bring the Forest closer to the desired condition stated 
therein. The Forest Plan outlines goals, objectives and desired 
conditions for Forest resources. The Hills Project Area encompasses 
three Forest Plan management-prescription areas: Even-Aged Hardwood 
Forest (EH), Mature Hardwood Forest (MH) and Natural Area (NA).
    The EH management prescription emphasizes maintenance of the oak-
hickory forest-type; ecological restoration to native hardwood of areas 
planted with non-native pine; wildlife habitat associated with a mix of 
hardwoods, pine and openland; and the production of high-quality 
hardwoods in a roaded-natural recreational setting. The desired 
condition relevant to this project is for a natural-appearing landscape 
with stands of hardwood trees in various age and size classes. The

[[Page 61284]]

oak-hickory community and associated understories dominate. The land 
supports a variety of wildlife, ranging from species that utilize 
early-successional stages to those requiring mature-stand 
characteristics. Some areas are actively managed for forest-interior 
species. Roads provide access for recreation, administration and 
management purposes, including transportation of forest products 
(Forest Plan, page 59).
    The MH management prescription provides for recreation, wildlife 
and soil and water protection, with motorized and non-motorized 
recreation occurring in a roaded-natural or semi-primitive setting. The 
prescription provides habitat for wildlife requiring mature-hardwood 
forest conditions. The desired condition relevant to this project is a 
landscape of natural ecosystems. Usually dominant, mature, hardwood 
trees and associated vegetation are interspersed with openland 
ecosystems; some areas are actively managed for forest-interior species 
(Forest Plan, page 68).
    The NA management prescription provides for the preservation, 
protection and/or enhancement of the unique natural values found in 
many natural areas on the Forest. The desired future condition relevant 
to this project is that the four designated natural areas included in 
the project, each biologically and geologically unique, contain a 
variety of wildlife species and diverse vegetation in a natural-
appearing condition.
    The forest in the EH management area is about 30 percent non-native 
pine that was planted in the 1930's and 1940's to control erosion on 
depleted farmland. Forest Plan management goals include the conversion 
of non-native pine plantations to native hardwoods, emphasizing the 
removal of pine within or adjacent to natural areas; and the 
restoration and maintenance of the oak-hickory forest-type for 
biological diversity and wildlife habitat, utilizing landscape-level 
prescribed burning, timber harvesting and timber-stand improvement to 
help create and/or maintain the necessary ecological conditions for 
regeneration and maintenance (Forest Plan, pages 21-22). The area has 
also been affected by two major ice storms that damaged many trees, 
increasing fuel-loading throughout.
    The forest in the MH management area was also damaged by the ice 
storms, with a heavy hazardous fuel load. This area includes the Burke 
Branch Inventoried Roadless Area, a forest-interior habitat as 
described in the Forest Plan (page 43). Managed under the NA management 
prescription, designated natural areas in the project area include 
Robnett Barrens Ecological Area, Dog Creek Barrens Ecological Area and 
Dean Cemetery East Barrens Ecological Area, as well as the Burke Branch 
Research Natural Area Ecological Area, with mesic barrens, mesic 
floodplain forest and dry mesic upland forest. Among the Forest Plan 
goals are the restoration and maintenance of barrens through active 
management and the management of forest-interior habitats for large 
blocks of oak-hickory forests, with burning conducted frequently to 
promote oak-hickory generation and to control competition from shade-
tolerant and invasive species, and the application of herbicide to 
control invasive species (Forest Plan, pages 21, 26 and 43).

Proposed Action

    The following actions have been identified to address the needs 
described above. (1) To meet the need to convert about 3,200 acres of 
non-native pine plantations to the oak-hickory hardwood forest-type, 
conduct commercial harvest through overstory removal of remnant pine 
trees on about 490 acres and shelterwood with reserves and thinning on 
about 2,600 acres. Treatments include two entries for site-preparation 
for natural regeneration on about 3,200 acres and the application of 
prescribed fire. Herbicides are proposed for site preparation and 
control of shade-tolerant species. (2) To reduce the threat of wildfire 
from the hazardous fuel load in the project area, prescribed fire will 
be applied to about 15,100 acres throughout the project area. This will 
not only reduce the fuel load in the area, but also will aid in the 
restoration and maintenance of designated natural areas and forest-
interior habitat. (3) To restore and enhance the barrens natural areas, 
herbicide treatments and prescribed fire will be applied where 
necessary, small trees and shrubs will be removed, and non-native pines 
will be clearcut from about 90 acres within and adjacent to natural 
areas. (4) To maintain forest-interior habitat to increase wildlife 
diversity, herbicide treatments and prescribed fire will be applied 
where necessary. (5) To create additional habitat diversity, twenty 
small vernal pools will be constructed in the project area. (6) To 
provide management and possible future recreational access to the 
project areas, roads will be maintained, constructed or reconstructed.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is the Hidden Springs-Mississippi Bluffs 
District Ranger.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need for the proposal, the responsible 
official will review the analyses of the proposed action and the 
alternatives in order to make the following decisions: Whether or not 
to release shade-intolerant oak, hickory and other hardwoods through 
removal of overstory pine; whether or not to use site-preparation tools 
to restore the native, hardwood-forest community; whether or not to 
utilize a commercial timber sale to remove the pine trees; whether or 
not to manage the forest-interior habitat and designated natural areas 
in the project areas; whether or not to apply prescribed fire or 
herbicides; whether or not to construct vernal ponds; and whether or 
not to manage the project area transportation system with maintenance, 
construction, or reconstruction.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process that will guide 
development of the environmental impact statement for a project 
implementing the Forest Plan; it is subject to the requirements of 36 
CFR part 218, Subparts A and B--Project-Level Pre-decisional 
Admnistrative Review Process. The initiation of the scoping period also 
opens the ``designated opportunity for public comment'' on this 
proposal, under 36 CFR part 218.5(a). This designated opportunity will 
conclude at the end of the comment period for the draft environmental 
impact statement.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation 
of the environmental impact statement. Commenters who desire 
eligibility to object during the pre-decisional administrative review 
process must submit comments that meet the requirements of 36 CFR part 
218.25. To be most helpful to the development of the environmental 
impact statement, comments should be provided prior to the close of the 
scoping period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns. 
Scoping meetings will be scheduled with interested parties and 
organizations following publication of this notice.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will

[[Page 61285]]

be part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments 
submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, 
anonymous comments will not provide the agency with the ability to 
provide the respondent with subsequent environmental documents.

    Dated: October 6, 2014.
Hurston A. Nicholas,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-24229 Filed 10-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P


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