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,

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section.

Notices Federal Register

70844 

Vol. 79, No. 229 

Friday, November 28, 2014 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Umatilla National Forest, Pomeroy 

Ranger District; Washington; Sunrise 

Vegetation and Fuels Management 

Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: Umatilla National Forest, 

Pomeroy Ranger District will be 

preparing an Environmental Impact 

Statement to analyze vegetation 

management and fuels treatment actions 

within the Asotin watershed in Garfield 

and Asotin Counties, Washington. The 

purpose of the project is to move species 

composition, structural characteristics, 

density, and fuel loading of the project 

area closer to ranges of desired 

conditions described in the Umatilla 

Land and Resource Management Plan. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

December 29, 2014. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected November 2015 and final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected March 2016. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Monte Fujishin, Pomeroy District 

Ranger, 71 West Main, Pomeroy, WA 

99347. Comments may also be sent via 

email to comments-pacificnorthwestumatilla-pomeroy@fs.fed.us, or via 

facsimile to (509) 843–4621. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad 

Cooper, Environmental Coordinator; 

Pomeroy Ranger District, 71 West Main, 

Pomeroy, WA 99347; email: 

bradleylcooper@fs.fed.us; phone: (509) 

843–4626. 

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. 

As they are developed, additional 

information and maps will be posted to 

the ‘‘Projects’’ page on the Forest Web 

site: http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/

umatilla/landmanagement/projects. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sunrise 

project planning area has been 

substantially affected by processes of 

forest growth and succession in 

combination with forest management 

practices, resulting in the fuels and 

forest vegetation now present. Recent 

analysis suggests that patterns of forest 

structures, species cover types, density 

classes, and fuel loadings within the 

planning area are likely inconsistent 

with desired conditions (or ranges of 

conditions) described in the Umatilla 

National Forest Land and Resources 

Management Plan (Forest Plan), Eastside 

Screens amendment, and other related 

technical guidance. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The need for action in Sunrise project 

planning area arises from the differences 

between existing and desired forest 

conditions, and the purpose of the 

project is to move species composition, 

structural characteristics, density, and 

fuel loading of the project area closer to 

ranges of desired conditions described 

in the Umatilla Forest Plan, plan 

amendments, and related guidance. The 

purpose and need for this project is 

responsive to and consistent with the 

following Forest Plan goals (FP pages 4– 

1 to 4–3): 

• To provide land and resource 

management that achieves a more 

healthy and productive forest and 

assists in supplying lands, resources, 

uses, and values which meet local, 

regional, and national social and 

economic needs. 

• To provide for production and 

sustained yield of wood fiber and 

insofar as possible meet projected 

production levels consistent with 

various resource objectives, standards 

and guidelines, and cost efficiency. 

• To protect forest and range 

resources and values from unacceptable 

losses due to destructive forest pests 

through the practice of integrated pest 

management. 

Proposed Action 

In response to the purpose and need 

identified above, Umatilla National 

Forest, Pomeroy Ranger District 

proposes vegetation and fuels 

management treatments to improve the 

health and vigor of upland forest stands, 

and to reduce susceptibility to future 

wildland fires of uncharacteristic 

intensity by reducing hazardous and 

ladder fuels in Sunrise project planning 

area. Fuels treatments would be used to 

reduce existing uncharacteristic fuel 

loads of dead and live natural fuels, 

reduce fuels generated from harvest 

activities, prepare sites for regeneration, 

and maintain desired fuel conditions. 

One of the objectives of these fuel 

treatments is to break-up fuel continuity 

on the landscape, so that if a wildfire 

did occur, it could be safely and 

effectively contained. 

Vegetation and fuels treatments are 

anticipated to take place beginning in 

calendar year 2016 and could continue 

over a period of approximately five to 

ten years. Following are brief 

descriptions of activities proposed for 

implementation, along with associated 

activities that would occur 

concurrently. 

Timber harvest and other tree-cutting 

activities—The project would include 

mechanical tree-cutting activities across 

approximately 8,200 acres. Free 

thinning would be the primary 

silvicultural activity in some areas 

(approximately 6,200 acres). In other 

areas where thinning treatments alone 

would not meet landscape vegetation 

and fuels-related objectives, 

regeneration harvests and tree planting 

would occur (up to approximately 2,000 

acres). Treatments will be designed to 

promote under-represented, early-seral 

tree species such as ponderosa pine and 

western larch. Harvest methods would 

include a combination of conventional 

ground based logging systems, and 

skyline systems. Activity units could 

include the removal of sawlogs, small 

diameter trees (generally less than 7.0 

inches diameter at breast height (DBH)) 

and/or excess down wood for use as 

woody biomass products. Tree-cutting 

objectives and activities would vary 

depending on existing forest vegetation 

and fuels conditions. Although wood 

fiber utilization is expected in some 

areas, the focus of each treatment will 

be based on the desired conditions of 

each activity area and designed to move 

vegetative conditions towards those 

desired conditions. 

Fuels treatments (activity related and 

natural)—The proposed action will 

include ongoing maintenance of 


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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 2014 / Notices 70845 

desirable vegetation characteristics in 

previously treated areas and, when 

necessary, reduction of surface and 

ladder fuels, stand density, and canopy 

biomass to emulate fire intensities, and 

associated fire severities, associated 

with a particular Fire Regime. 

Prescribed fire entry will be utilized to 

rehabilitate decadent grass and shrub to 

improve wildlife forage in big game 

winter range and bighorn sheep habitat, 

dispose of activity fuels created by 

harvest, and as site preparation for 

planting. Treatment objectives would be 

achieved through a combination of the 

following activities such as whole-tree 

yarding, prescribed burning in harvest 

units (approximately 2,300 acres), 

grapple piling of activity fuels 

(approximately 600 acres). 

Landscape prescribed fire— 

Landscape prescribed fire would occur 

across approximately 11,500 acres 

within the Sunrise project area. This 

treatment would reintroduce fire to a 

fire-dependent ecosystem to lessen the 

impact of a future uncharacteristic 

wildfire and improve forage quality for 

big game (Management area direction 

for C3, C3A, C4, and C8). In the majority 

of the project area, fire intensities would 

be kept low by keeping fire out of the 

overstory and burning mainly surface 

fuels. Consistent with the mixedseverity fire regimes which have long 

characterized some parts of the project 

area, individual tree and group torching 

would likely occur in areas where there 

is sufficient ladder fuels and in timber 

stands with high occurrences of 

mistletoe. Upon completion the 

landscape could be described as a 

mosaic of unburned, lightly burned, 

moderately burned, and intensely 

burned patches. 

Road management—To accomplish 

implementation of proposed activities 

approximately 39 miles of open system 

roads, about 42 miles of closed system 

roads, and 46 miles of seasonally open 

roads would be used as haul routes. 

Closed system roads used for project 

activities would not be opened to the 

public. All system roads would remain 

the same after project implementation; 

open roads would remain opened, 

closed roads would continue to be 

closed, and seasonally open roads 

would continue with that designation. 

Approximately 11 miles of temporary 

road would be constructed of which 9 

miles would be constructed over 

previous road templates. All temporary 

roads would be decommissioned after 

project activity use. No new specified 

road construction is proposed. 

Danger tree removal—Danger trees 

would be felled and removed along all 

previously described haul routes used 

for timber sale activity. If considered 

economically feasible they would be 

sold as part of a timber sale. Danger 

trees within Riparian Habitat 

Conservation Areas (RHCAs) would not 

be removed; they would be cut and left 

to provide additional coarse woody 

debris. 

Responsible Official 

Monte Fujishin, District Ranger of 

Pomeroy Ranger District will be the 

responsible official for making the 

decision and providing direction for the 

analysis. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The responsible official will decide 

whether or not to implement the 

proposed action or an alternative to the 

proposed action, including the no 

action, and what monitoring will be 

appropriate. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. A scoping letter will 

be sent to interested and/or affected 

members of the public, non-profit 

organizations, and other agencies. 

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 

environmental impact statement. 

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 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: November 19, 2014. 

Monte Fujishin, 

Pomeroy District Ranger. 

[FR Doc. 2014–28069 Filed 11–26–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

[Docket No. NRCS–2014–0006] 

Notice of Meeting of the Agricultural 

Air Quality Task Force 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Air 

Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet 

for discussions on critical air quality 

issues relating to agriculture. Special 

emphasis will be placed on obtaining a 

greater understanding about the 

relationship between agricultural 

production and air quality. The meeting 

is open to the public, and a draft agenda 

is included in this notice. 

DATES: The meeting will convene at 7:30 

a.m. MST on Thursday and Friday, 

December 4–5, 2014. A public comment 

period will be held on the morning of 

December 5. The meeting will end at 

approximately noon on December 5. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Hilton Ft. Collins, 425 West 

Prospect Road, Fort Collins, Colorado 

80526; telephone: (970) 482–2626. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Questions and comments should be 

directed to Dr. Greg Johnson, Designated 

Federal Official, USDA, NRCS, 1201 

Lloyd Boulevard, Suite 1000, Portland 

Oregon 97232; telephone: (503) 273– 

2424; fax: (503) 273–2401; or email: 

greg.johnson@por.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of 

this meeting is given under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 

2. Additional information concerning 

AAQTF, including any revised agendas 

for the December 4–5, 2014, meeting 

that occurs after this Federal Register 

Notice is published, may be found at: 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/

detail/national/air/taskforce. 

Draft Agenda Meeting of the AAQTF 

December 4–5, 2014, Fort Collins, 

Colorado 

A. Welcome remarks and introductions 

B. Colorado air quality and agriculture 

C. Update on agricultural air quality 

regulatory issues at the Environmental 

Protection Agency 

D. AAQTF Subcommittee reports 

E. Carbon credits and environmental 

markets 

F. Rocky Mountain National Park 

Nitrogen Deposition Issues 

G. Updates from USDA agencies (Forest 

Service, NRCS, NIFA, ARS) 


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