Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 2014 / Notices 77449 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Big Bar Ranger District; California; 

Burnt Ranch Fire Resilient Community 

Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest (STNF) will prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) to 

document and publicly disclose the 

environmental effects of implementing a 

hazardous fuels reduction project on 

approximately 5,327 acres of National 

Forest System lands. Activities are 

proposed within the wildland urban 

interface or WUI (the zone where 

structures and other human 

developments meet, or intermingle 

with, undeveloped wild lands) of the 

community of Burnt Ranch, California 

as well as the Corral Late Successional 

Reserve (LSR). The proposed project 

would provide the Burnt Ranch 

community and the LSR with enhanced 

protection from catastrophic wildfire 

and increased fire fighter and public 

safety. The proposal includes thinning 

trees from below in overcrowded stands, 

plantations and along roadsides. Some 

thinning would be accomplished 

through commercial timber harvest of 

sawtimber and/or biomass as well as 

from prescribed burning. The Burnt 

Ranch Fire Resilient Community Project 

is located in sections 5, 4, 3, 2, 8, 9, 10, 

11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 

27, 28, 33, 34, and 35 in T. 5 N., R. 6 

E.; sections 19 and 30 in T. 5 N., R. 7 

E., sections 1, 2, 3, 11 and 12 in T. 4 

N., R. 6 E. Humboldt Meridian. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

January 26, 2015. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected May 2015 and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected February 2016. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Weaverville Ranger Station, P.O. Box 

1190 Weaverville CA 96093. Comments 

may also be sent via email to commentspacificsw-shasta-trinity-bigbarweaverville@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 

(530) 623–6010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Stephanie Riess, Environmental 

Coordinator at, (530) 623–1755, or 

stephaniesriess@fs.fed.us. 

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 and Need for Action 

The overarching goals of the current 

planning effort is to move Burnt Ranch 

towards becoming a ‘‘fire resilient’’ 

community and to promote and 

maintain late successional conditions 

within the Corral Late Successional 

Reserve in the maximum amounts 

sustainable through time. For this 

project a ‘‘fire resilient’’ community is 

defined as ‘‘communities that 

experience minimum disruption to life 

and economy after a hazard event has 

passed’’. Community wildfire protection 

focuses on increasing fire resilience by 

managing vegetation proximate to 

homes and other community values at 

risk. Fire-safe planning can lead to 

decreased property, infrastructure, and 

habitat losses from fires within the 

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and can 

result in lower fire suppression costs. 

The strategy focuses on implementing 

complementary fuel and fire hazard 

reduction actions on National Forest 

System (NFS) lands of the ShastaTrinity National Forest (STNF) and on 

adjacent private lands. These actions are 

designed to implement the all lands 

approach articulated by Agriculture 

Secretary Tom Vilsack in a 2009 speech. 

‘‘The threats facing our Forests don’t 

recognize property boundaries. So in 

developing a shared vision around 

forest, we must also be willing to look 

across property boundaries. In other 

words, we must operate at a landscapescale by taking an all-lands approach’’. 

Currently, partners engaged in the 

planning effort on both private and 

Forest Service lands include the Natural 

Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), 

Trinity County Resource Conservation 

District (TCRCD), Willow Creek Fire 

Safe Council, Trinity County Fire Safe 

Council, Trinity County, Hawkins Bar 

Volunteer Fire Department, and local 

landowners. 

The TCRCD and NRCS are currently 

engaged in planning fuels reduction 

treatments on private lands within the 

Burnt Ranch community that will 

contribute to the reduction of the 

likelihood of adverse wildfire impacts 

on the Burnt Ranch community and the 

Corral LSR. 

The Burnt Ranch Fire Resilient 

Community Project actions are proposed 

entirely on NFS lands of the ShastaTrinity National Forest. This decision 

will not authorize any treatment on 

lands not managed by the Forest 

Service. 

The Burnt Ranch Fire Resilient 

Community project planning area is 

approximately 8,347 acres in size. It is 

located in Trinity County, California. 

Portions or all of the following Sections 

fall within the planning area: Humboldt 

Meridian, T. 4 N., R. 6 E., Section 1, 2, 

3, 11, and 12. T. 5 N., R. 6 E., Section 

5, 4, 3, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, and 

35. T. 5 N., R. 7 E., Section 19, and 30. 

The project area is within the Trinity 

River Management Area (Management 

Area #15) of the Shasta-Trinity Land 

and Resource Management Plan 

(LRMP). 

The project area is entirely within the 

WUI of the Burnt Ranch community as 

identified in the Trinity County 

Community Wildfire Protection Plan 

Update 2010 (CWPP). In addition, the 

majority of the planning area falls 

within the Corral LSR. 

Management objectives within LSRs 

include protecting and enhancing 

conditions of late-successional forest 

ecosystems, which serve as habitat for 

late-successional and old-growth related 

species including the northern spotted 

owl. There are approximately 5,912 

acres of critical habitat for the 

threatened Northern spotted owl within 

the planning area. 

Objectives for LSRs include reducing 

the risk of large-scale disturbance, 

including stand-replacing fire, insect 

and disease epidemic, and major human 

caused impacts. The Corral LSR has 

been identified as being in an area of 

elevated risk to large-scale disturbance 

due to changes in the characteristics and 

distribution of the mixed-conifer forests 

resulting from past fire suppression. 

There are approximately 5,912 acres 

of critical habitat for the threatened 

Northern spotted owl within the 

planning area. In management within 

designated Critical Habitat, and based 

on the intent expressed by Forest 

Service Chief Tom Tidwell and US Fish 

and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe 

April 24, 2013, our intent is to not be 

so conservative that, to avoid risks, we 

forego actions necessary to conserve 

forest ecosystems necessary for the longterm conservation of the northern 

spotted owl. At the same time, our 

intent is also not to be so aggressive that 

we subject spotted owls and their 

habitat to treatments where the longterm benefits do not clearly outweigh 

the short-term risks. Balance will be the 

key to our success. In its rule on Critical 

Habitat USFWS expressed: ‘‘The Service 

encourages land managers to consider 

the conservation of existing high-quality 

northern spotted owl habitat, the 

restoration of forest ecosystem health, 

and the ecological forestry management 

practices recommended in the Revised 

Recovery Plan that are compatible with 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

77450 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 2014 / Notices 

both the goals of northern spotted owl 

recovery and Standards and Guidelines 

of the Northwest Forest Plan.’’ 

The 2011 Revised Recovery Plan has 

the following Recovery Actions that 

apply to the project area: 

Recovery Action 10: Conserve spotted 

owl sites and high value spotted owl 

habitat to provide additional 

demographic support to the spotted owl 

population. 

Recovery Action 32: Maintain 

substantially all of the older and more 

structurally complex multi-layered 

conifer forests on Federal lands outside 

of MOCAs in the Olympic Peninsula, 

Western Washington Cascades, Western 

Oregon Cascades, Oregon Coast Range, 

Oregon and California Klamath, and 

California Coast Provinces, allowing for 

other threats, such as fire and insects, to 

be addressed by restoration management 

actions. These forests are characterized 

as having large diameter trees, high 

amounts of canopy cover, and 

decadence components such as broken 

topped live trees, mistletoe, cavities, 

large snags, and fallen trees. 

The proposed treatment areas are 

derived from the WUI boundary, which 

is divided into four zones. These WUI 

zones are strategically employed by 

Trinity County in their CWPP as well as 

in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest 

Fire Management Plan (FMP). The WUI 

zones are situated by proximity to a 

residence or structure. Treatments 

within the zones are developed to move 

that WUI zone towards specific fire 

behavior goals. Zone one, the 

Improvement Zone, is the residence or 

structure itself and has a goal of being 

a fire resistant structure or 

improvement. Zone two, the Reduced 

Fuel Zone, is the 100 foot area 

surrounding a structure and has the fire 

behavior goal of flame lengths less than 

two feet with no crown fire potential. 

Zone three, the Defense Zone, is 0.25 

miles around a structure and has the fire 

behavior goal of flame lengths less than 

four feet and limited crown fire 

potential. Zone four, the Threat Zone, is 

1.5 miles around a structure and has fire 

behavior goals of flame lengths less than 

eight feet and bringing crown fire to the 

ground (to a surface fire). No treatments 

are proposed for Zone 1 or 2 

(Improvement Zone and Reduced Fuel 

Zone respectively), as these zones are 

generally located on lands not 

administered by the Forest Service. 

In general, a need for action is 

identified by comparing the existing 

conditions in an area to desired future 

conditions as defined by direction in the 

Land and Resource Management Plan 

and requirements of other applicable 

laws and public policies. 

In summary, the existing condition is 

as follows: 

• The existing fuel condition poses a 

substantial hazard (measured by 

potential fire behavior) to wildland 

urban interface areas, including public 

and firefighter safety during access and 

egress; and the ability of firefighters to 

safely and effectively suppress wildfire. 

• The existing fuel condition poses a 

substantial hazard (measured by 

potential fire behavior) of a large-scale 

disturbance that could result in the loss 

of key late-successional structure within 

the Corral LSR. 

• Current overstocked conditions 

within plantations limit the ability of 

the plantations to develop late 

successional characteristics. 

Vegetation 

In general, vegetation in the planning 

area is mixed conifer type dominated by 

Douglas-fir. Ponderosa pine, sugar pine, 

and incense cedar are also common. 

Several hardwoods, including Pacific 

madrone, canyon live oak, tanoak, 

California black oak, and Oregon white 

oak, comprise a large component of 

some stands. In these hardwood stands, 

younger Douglas-fir are shading out the 

hardwoods, simplifying stand structure. 

Based on available information as 

summarized in the Forest Wide Late 

Successional Reserve Assessment 

(USDA, 1999), historically, vegetation 

was probably different in terms of 

structure and species composition. In 

general, forested stands tended to be 

more open than currently found. There 

was a lot of stand or patch size 

diversity, with most of the patches 

containing trees of the same age and size 

class. The relatively denser stands were 

most likely found on the lower one-half 

of the north facing slopes, in riparian 

areas, and areas of deep, productive 

soils. More open stands occurred on 

south facing and the upper one-half of 

north facing slopes. 

Currently, some stands within the 

planning area contain from 

approximately 400 to over 2,000 trees 

per acre (TPA). Average canopy cover 

ranges from approximately 80 to 96 

percent in stands outside of plantations. 

Given the vertical continuity of the 

understory, canopy base height (CBH) 

ranges from 3 to 26 feet. The majority 

of the stands outside of plantations 

measured an average CBH less than 13 

feet. 

Fuels Condition 

Prior to European settlement, 

naturally occurring levels of dead 

woody material (snags and down logs) 

were likely lower than present day due 

to the frequency of fires. Fuel loadings 

within small fuel size classes were 

likely significantly less than they are 

today, with the greatest proportion of 

large down logs found in mesic areas, 

north slopes, and higher elevations. 

The historic fire regime has changed 

from a short interval, low intensity 

regime to a moderate to high intensity 

fire regime with infrequent intervals. 

Historically fires occurred at a 3 to 7 

year interval, creating stands with open 

canopies and keeping woody debris 

levels low. It is reasonable to conclude 

that historically, fuel loadings would 

have, on average, ranged between 5–10 

tons per acre. 

Currently, dead and downed fuel 

levels within the planning area are 

variable; with fuel loadings ranging 

between 5–40 tons per acre. The lowest 

loadings are located in brush fields and 

mixed hardwood stands that are 

situated on dry, rocky south aspects. 

Fuel loadings within conifer stands, 

located on north aspects, tend to have 

the highest fuel loadings. Ladder fuels 

exist in a variety of settings within the 

planning area, with the highest 

concentration in canopy gaps adjacent 

to conifer stands, and within 

plantations. 

Fire Hazard 

Hazard describes potential fire 

behavior, which has implications for 

resource damage as well as suppression 

capability. Currently approximately 

85% of the planning area is classified as 

having high to extreme fire hazard with 

the potential for flame lengths over 8 

feet in length. Resistance to control is 

high under these conditions because 

flame lengths are too intense for 

firefighters to work near. It prevents 

firefighters from directly attacking a 

fire’s edge and requires specialized 

equipment such as fire engines, air 

tankers, dozers, and helicopters. 

Additionally, 85% of the planning 

area is classified as having the potential 

for passive or active crown fire. These 

conditions can allow for wildfire events 

that threaten resources and property, 

jeopardize public and firefighter safety, 

create hazardous air conditions and 

have very high suppression costs. 

Plantations 

Plantations within the planning area 

currently range in age from 20 to 56 

years. Trees per acre currently range 

from approximately 140 to 720. Early 

seral plantations (approximately 20 

years old) are highly diverse in shrub 

and herbaceous species, with the 

dominant conifer trees measuring 5 to 8 

inches diameter at breast height (DBH). 

Some of the oldest plantations have 

trees that are over 10 inches DBH. In 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 2014 / Notices 77451 

these older plantations, the competition 

between trees is greater and the 

mortality rate is increasing as some trees 

are being shaded out. Brush species are 

also being shaded out, and these 

plantations tend to be very dense with 

contiguous vertical fuels from the soil 

surface to the crown. In some cases, 

plantations were planted heavily with 

ponderosa pine. While this species does 

occur in the project area, Douglas-fir is 

better suited to many habitats and the 

pine is being out-competed by the 

Douglas-fir. 

Plantations are particularly 

susceptible to active crown fire due to 

their low canopy base heights and 

interlocking crowns. Plantations are 

typically intermixed with brush and 

grass ingrowth and these light flashy 

fuels burn quickly with high intensities, 

which can cause rapid rates of spread. 

Wildfire moving through a plantation 

located adjacent to a natural stand with 

larger trees can provide a path for fire 

to easily get into the upper canopy. 

Because of this, and the proximity of 

plantations to the Burnt Ranch 

community, fire behavior goals for all 

plantations with the WUI are designed 

to reduce the fire behavior to flame 

lengths less than four feet with limited 

crown fire potential. Additionally, 

mitigating the fire effects in a 

plantation, if a fire should burn in the 

project area, will improve the likelihood 

that these young forests will continue 

the development to become mature 

forests. If a stand replacing fire occurs, 

then forest development is restarted. 

Overgrown plantations provide no 

habitat or only poor to marginal habitat 

for the majority of Forest Service 

Sensitive or Federally-listed species 

within the project area. Wildlife species 

that may occur in these plantations tend 

to be habitat generalists, such as deer 

and rodents. However, the positioning 

and occurrence of plantations relative to 

older stands can offer a mosaic of 

habitat types that is beneficial to many 

species including those dependent on 

late-successional habitat for nesting. A 

mosaic of habitat types can be of 

particular importance to species such as 

Pacific fisher and spotted owl whose 

prey will utilize these younger stands 

for foraging and nesting. Thinned 

plantations can also provide foraging 

habitat for a wide variety of bird 

species, such as owls, raptors and 

passerines. There is a need to improve 

the health and vigor of existing 

plantations so that they can be retained 

on the landscape and allowed to 

develop into late-successional habitat. 

The plantations in the Burnt Ranch 

Project area are not developing the 

structure and complexity that is 

desirable for wildlife species dependent 

on late-successional forests. 

Reforestation strategy has evolved as the 

management of the forest has evolved. 

Trees were planted densely with an 

assumption that these planted areas 

would be actively managed until they 

were ready to harvest again. This 

strategy has generated the need for 

treatments designed to support the 

growth and development of latesuccessional forest structure. 

Desired Future Conditions 

Desired future conditions for the 

planning area are described in the 

LRMP, as well as in the Burnt Ranch 

and Soldier Creek Watershed Analysis 

(WA), the Trinity County CWPP update, 

and the Forest Wide Late Successional 

Reserve Assessment (LSRA). In 

summary, these desired future 

conditions are as follows: 

• Forest Goal: Achieve a balance of 

fire suppression capability and fuels 

management investments that are cost 

effective and able to meet ecosystem 

objectives and protection 

responsibilities (LRMP, page 4–4). 

• Forest Standard and Guidelines: 

Activity fuels that remain after meeting 

wildlife, riparian, soil, and other 

environmental needs will be considered 

surplus and a potential fire hazard. The 

amount and method of disposal will be 

determined in the ecosystem analysis 

(LRMP, page 4–17). Consider fuelbreak 

construction investments when they 

complement Forest health/biomass 

reduction needs, very high and 

extensive resource values are at risk and 

to protect Forest communities. Design 

fire prevention efforts to minimize 

human-caused wildfires commensurate 

with the resource values-at-risk. Natural 

fuels will be treated in the following 

order of priority: (1) Public safety; (2) 

high investment situations; (3) known 

high fire occurrence areas; (4) 

coordinated resource benefits i.e. 

ecosystem maintenance for natural fire 

regimes (LRMP, page 4–18). 

• Management Area Direction: Latesuccessional reserve stands are managed 

to maintain health and diversity 

components through the use of 

prescribed fire and thinning from below 

(LRMP, page 4–142). 

• Burnt Ranch and Soldier Creek 

Watershed Analysis: Develop fuel 

breaks, thin wild stands and 

plantations, and create roadside buffers 

to reduce fuel loading and enhance fire 

protection capability (WA page, 61). 

• Trinity County CWPP update: 

Consider proactive thinning and fuels 

reduction of plantations during their 

period of greatest vulnerability to fire 

(CWPP update, page 79). Implementing 

a system of strategic fuel breaks along 

ridges and roadsides is suggested as an 

extremely productive and agreed upon 

strategy for creating a more fire-safe 

community (CWPP update, page 80). 

• Forest Wide Late Successional 

Reserve Assessment: Large stand 

replacing, high intensity fires are not 

desirable within LSRs. Throughout the 

LSRs, fuel conditions should generally 

range from low to moderate fire 

behavior (LSRA, page 163). 

The goals of the current planning 

effort are to move Burnt Ranch towards 

becoming a ‘‘fire resilient’’ community 

and to promote and maintain late 

successional conditions within the 

Corral LSR in the maximum amounts 

sustainable through time. This proposal 

would change the current potential fire 

behavior within the Burnt Ranch WUI to 

fire behavior similar to the goals given 

for each WUI zone. In addition, the 

following needs will help reduce the 

risk of fire spreading from NFS lands to 

private lands while also reducing the 

risk of fire spreading from private lands 

to NFS lands. 

1. There is a need to reduce the 

potential fire behavior in the WUI 

Defense Zone to low intensity 

(measured by flame lengths averaging 4 

feet or less and with limited crown fire 

potential) during 90th percentile 

weather conditions. 

2. There is a need to reduce the 

potential fire behavior in the WUI 

Threat Zone to moderate intensity 

(measured by flame lengths averaging 8 

feet or less and bringing crown fire to 

the ground) during 90th percentile 

weather conditions. 

3. There is a need to reduce the 

potential fire behavior along roadsides 

within the planning area to establish an 

environment where fire fighters can 

safely and effectively suppress 

wildfires, and allow for safer access and 

egress routes for the public. 

4. There is a need to reduce the 

potential for high to extreme fire 

behavior within the Corral LSR to low 

to moderate fire behavior (measured by 

flame lengths and crown fire potential) 

during 90th percentile weather 

conditions. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action was developed 

based on the purpose and need using 

fire modeling, research, professional 

and local knowledge, and vegetation 

and fuel loading data collected for the 

project area. A total of 5,327 acres are 

proposed for one or more treatment 

types. As part of the proposed action, 

resource protection measures will be 

included that assure consistency with 

environmental laws such as the 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

77452 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 2014 / Notices 

Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air 

Act, the Clean Water Act, the National 

Historic Preservation Act and the 

National Forest Management Act. 

Authorization for Road Use 

As part of the proposed action, the 

Forest will authorize the temporary 

administrative use of Forest System 

roads 5N15, 5N10, 5N09B, 5N27B and 

5N60B. These roads are currently 

classified as Maintenance Level 1, 

closed to vehicular traffic, considered 

intermittent service roads, until needed 

for future management activities. These 

roads would be opened (existing berms 

would be removed and routine 

maintenance such as brushing or 

grading of the road could take place to 

make them safe for use) as needed to 

access treatment units. All level 1 roads 

utilized for project implementation 

would be closed (berms rebuilt, etc.) 

after initial thinning treatments are 

completed. 

Roads 5N30, 5N60BA and 5N27C are 

private roads under Special Use 

Authorizations. The STNF will seek 

input from the permittees on dual use 

of these roads under FSM 7700 and 

FSM 2700. 

Defense Zone Treatments 

Defense Zone Units 

Approximately 1,514 acres located 

within the WUI Defense Zone are 

proposed for treatment. Of those, 

approximately 420 acres will have 

understory treatments only with no 

material proposed for removal. The 

remaining Defense Zone Units 

(approximately 1,094 acres) are 

proposed to have understory treatments 

as well as thin-from-below treatments 

which would involve mechanical 

removal (sawlog and/or biomass 

utilization). Treatments would be 

applied where trees per acre (TPA), 

canopy base height or fuel loading do 

not meet desired conditions. Treatments 

will reduce the TPA, especially in the 

smaller size classes and increase the 

canopy base height (CBH), leaving 

smaller trees singly and/or in a clumped 

distribution spaced from the largest 

trees. In general, trees to be removed 

consist of understory trees (i.e. 

suppressed and intermediate) that act as 

ladder fuels, and some co-dominant 

trees that currently create a uniformly 

dense canopy. Treatments are designed 

to reduce the fire behavior in the 

Defense Zone Units to flame lengths of 

less than four feet with limited crown 

fire potential. These lower flame lengths 

will help reduce the risk of fire 

spreading from NFS lands to private 

lands while also reducing the risk of fire 

spreading from private lands to NFS 

lands. 

Defense Zone and Threat Zone 

Treatments 

Plantations 

There are approximately 942 acres of 

plantations within the planning area 

that were planted between 1958 and 

1993. Treatments in plantations will 

focus on increasing the spacing between 

trees, thinning around hardwoods and 

multiple sprouting hardwoods, and, in 

general, breaking up the continuity of 

surface, ladder, and crown fuels. 

Treatments would be applied where 

trees per acre (TPA), canopy base height 

or fuel loading do not meet desired 

conditions All plantation acres are 

proposed for utilization of forest 

products (sawlog and/or biomass 

utilization) where feasible. The slope of 

the area, the ability to operate groundbased equipment, and hydrological 

features can all impact the feasibility of 

utilization of forest products. 

In plantations with a high percentage 

of ponderosa pine, thinning will remove 

many of the trees that have been outcompeted by the natural regeneration 

(Douglas-fir and incense cedar), creating 

an open stand. These treatments will 

accelerate the development of late 

successional characteristics by creating 

a forest that is complex vertically and 

horizontally. When there are a variety of 

tree ages, tree species, and spacing 

distances between individual trees 

(including openings and dense pockets) 

the forest can support a diversity of 

wildlife species that may not all have 

the same requirements. Treatments are 

designed to reduce the fire behavior in 

the plantations to flame lengths less 

than four feet with limited crown fire 

potential. 

Roadside Fuel Breaks 

Approximately 1,975 acres are 

proposed for roadside fuel breaks in the 

planning area. These treatments extend 

600 feet from either side of identified 

roads. Fuel breaks are further delineated 

into three different profiles. Profile one 

extends from the road edge out 100 feet, 

profile two from 100 to 300 feet, and 

profile three from 300 to 600 feet. 

Treatment prescriptions will be most 

intense closer to the road, and reduce in 

intensity the farther away from the road 

with the objectives of establishing an 

environment where fire fighters can 

suppress fire safely and effectively. 

Treatments would be applied where 

trees per acre (TPA), canopy base height 

or fuel loading do not meet desired 

conditions. Roadside fuel breaks will 

allow for safer access and egress routes 

for the public, while also reducing the 

risk that fires started near roads will 

spread to the rest of the forest. 

Profiles one and two (approximately 

1,140 acres) are proposed for understory 

treatments as well as thin-from-below 

treatments which could involve 

mechanical removal (sawlog and/or 

biomass utilization). Understory 

treatments with no removal are 

proposed for profile three 

(approximately 836 acres). Treatments 

will reduce the TPA (especially in the 

smaller size classes) and increase the 

canopy base height. The treatment will 

also leave smaller trees singly and in a 

clumped distribution spaced from the 

largest trees in the fuel break. 

Activities Common to Defense Zone 

Units, Plantations, and Roadside Fuel 

Breaks 

These actions may occur at the same 

time or at a later date as the primary 

actions, and may occur where there is 

no removal proposed. These activities 

would only occur within defense zone 

units, treated plantations, and roadside 

fuel breaks. Treatments would reduce 

and/or rearrange activity and surface 

fuels in excess of desired conditions. 

Treatments would be applied where 

trees per acre (TPA), canopy base height 

or fuel loading do not meet desired 

conditions. Activities will promote 

long-term late successional conditions 

by creating heterogeneity and increased 

resilience to large high-severity fires. 

• Pruning to raise CBH— 

approximately 4,431 acres. This 

treatment could occur within all 

Defense Zone Units, Plantations and 

Roadside Fuel Breaks. 

• Activity fuels and natural surface 

fuels in excess of desired conditions 

that are not proposed for removal will 

be treated solely by or a combination of 

the following: 

Æ Lopped and scattered— 

approximately 672 acres. This treatment 

could occur intermittently within 

Defense Zone Units, Roadside Fuel 

Breaks, and Plantations depending on 

fuel loading conditions after initial 

treatments and slope steepness. 

Æ Masticated or chipped (on slopes 

<35%)—approximately 2,942 acres. 

This treatment could occur 

intermittently across Defense Zone 

Units, Roadside Fuel Breaks, and 

Plantations depending on slope 

steepness, accessibility and fuel loading. 

Æ Machine piled and burned (slopes 

<35%)—approximately 150 acres. This 

treatment could occur intermittently 

across Defense Zone Units, Roadside 

Fuel Breaks, and Plantations where 

mechanical removal (sawlog and/or 

biomass utilization) is proposed. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 2014 / Notices 77453 

Æ Hand piled and burned— 

approximately 4,431 acres. This 

treatment could occur intermittently 

across Defense Zone Units, Roadside 

Fuel Breaks, and Plantations depending 

on slope steepness, proximity to homes 

and air quality concerns. 

Æ Jackpot burned—approximately 

4,431 acres. This treatment could occur 

intermittently across Defense Zone 

Units, Roadside Fuel Breaks, and 

Plantations depending on slope, 

proximity to homes and air quality 

concerns. 

Æ Public Fuelwood Utilization— 

approximately 2,520 acres. This 

treatment would leave material suitable 

for public fuel wood use onsite in areas 

that are accessible, or decked along the 

roadside where safe to do so. This 

treatment could occur intermittently 

across Defense Zone Units, Roadside 

Fuel Breaks, and Plantations. 

Æ Understory Maintenance Burning— 

Approximately 4,431 acres. This 

treatment could occur within 

approximately two to ten years after 

initial treatment, or as the surface fuel 

conditions require for maintaining the 

desired fire behavior. This treatment 

could occur within all Defense Zone 

Units, Plantations, and Roadside Fuel 

Breaks. Multiple burn entries may be 

needed to maintain desired vegetation 

and fuel loadings. 

Prescribed Fire Understory Units 

Approximately 896 acres are 

proposed for prescribed understory fire 

treatment. No thinning will occur in 

these units. Treatments are intended to 

move these areas toward historic fire 

regime and fuel loading conditions and 

to allow fire personnel to make use of 

roads, natural barriers, and topography 

(such as ridge tops and drainages) for 

control lines during prescribed burning 

activities in other units (see previous 

section). The Prescribed Fire Understory 

Units will help reduce the overall 

amount of control lines needed within 

the planning area, allowing for more 

cost effective and safer understory 

burning, and reducing the potential for 

resource damage. Multiple burn entries 

of primarily low to moderate intensity 

fire may be needed to maintain desired 

vegetation and fuel loadings. Natural 

boundaries would be used whenever 

possible; however, control line 

construction will still be needed in 

some areas. Desired outcomes are a 

mosaic-burn severity pattern primarily 

from low to moderate intensity surface 

fire across 70–80% of the treatment 

area. Treatments would be applied 

where trees per acre (TPA), canopy base 

height or fuel loading do not meet 

desired conditions. This treatment 

would create mosaic forest conditions 

that contribute to late successional 

characteristics while providing a more 

fire-resilient landscape. 

Responsible Official 

Forest Supervisor, Shasta-Trinity 

National Forest. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The Forest Supervisor will decide 

whether to implement the proposed 

action, take an alternative action that 

meets the purpose and need or take no 

action. 

Scoping Process 

The project is included in the ShastaTrinity National Forest’s quarterly 

schedule of proposed actions (SOPA). 

Detailed information on the proposed 

action, including maps, that will aid in 

the informing comments will be 

available on the Forest Web site at: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_

project_exp.php?project=38444. 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. 

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. 

Dated: December 17, 2014. 

David R. Myers, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30182 Filed 12–23–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit to the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Title: The Ocean Enterprise: A study 

of U.S. business activity in ocean 

measurement, observation and 

forecasting. 

OMB Control Number: 0648–xxxx. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Request: Regular (request for 

a new information collection). 

Number of Respondents: 300. 

Average Hours per Response: 25 

minutes. 

Burden Hours: 125. 

Needs and Uses: This request is for a 

new information collection supported 

by Section 12302(3) of the Integrated 

Coastal and Ocean Observation System 

Act (ICOOS Act) part of the Omnibus 

Public Land Management Act of 2009 

(Pub. L. 111–11). The survey is 

voluntary. 

NOAA’s National Ocean Service is 

requesting approval of a Web-based 

survey of employers who provide either 

services or infrastructure to the 

Integrated Ocean Observing System 

(IOOS) or organizations that add value 

to the IOOS data and other outputs by 

tailoring them for specific end uses. The 

purpose of the survey and overall 

project is to gather data to articulate the 

collective and derived value of the IOOS 

enterprise, and to create a profile of 

businesses and organizations who are 

involved with providing services or 

utilizing the data for other specific end 

uses. This is the first survey of its kind 

on a national scale. The project is 

funded by NOAA and is being 

conducted on its behalf by the 

contractor, ERISS Corporation. The 

project contract spans three years with 

the first portion of the contract mainly 

involved with researching and selecting 

appropriate businesses to include in the 

study database. The Web survey will be 

the main data collection piece of the 

project and is necessary in order to 

collect demographic, financial, and 

functional information for each 

organization with regards to their 

involvement with IOOS. The final 

deliverable of this project is an analytic 

report detailing the findings of the web 

survey and the analysis of the employer 

database. 

The marine technology industry is an 

important partner and stakeholder 

within IOOS; however, without the 

baseline that this study will provide, 

IOOS is unable to articulate its 

collective and derived value. The results 

will demonstrate the size and economic 

impact of IOOS data to the United States 

marine ocean sector. That information 

can be used to understand the value of 

export sales and the identification of 

potential growth and/or new 

international markets which would 

further the Department of Commerce 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES