Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 189 / Monday, October 2, 2017 / Notices 45797 

Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of 

September 2017. 

Michael C. Gregoire, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21105 Filed 9–29–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger 

District; California; Elk Creek 

Watershed Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: The purpose of the Elk Creek 

Watershed Project is to address the need 

to manage forest stands to be more 

resilient to future disturbances, improve 

water quality to maintain and restore 

riparian and aquatic habitat, improve 

terrestrial habitat for northern spotted 

owl and Roosevelt elk, reduce fuel 

accumulations, and improve the vigor 

and prevalence of Karuk cultural 

resources. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

November 16, 2017. The Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement is 

expected June 2018 and the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement is 

expected February 2019. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

P.O. Box 377, Happy Camp, CA 96039. 

Comments may also be sent via email to 

jchastain@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 

(530) 493–1796. Submit electronic 

comments at the Klamath National 

Forest’s project Web page: http://

www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/ 

?project=46553. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Dock Chastain, (530) 493–1742, 

jchastain@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 purpose and need for this project 

is to: 

• Reduce fuel accumulations and 

create ridgetop fuel breaks to increase 

options for managing planned and 

unplanned ignitions; 

• Improve water quality to maintain 

and restore riparian and aquatic habitat; 

• Maximize efficiency of system 

roads and trails that provide public 

access to the Forest while minimizing 

resource impacts; 

• Manage forest stands to be more 

resilient to future disturbances and 

improve terrestrial habitat for northern 

spotted owl and Roosevelt elk; 

• Contribute to local and regional 

economies by providing forest products 

and enhancing recreational 

opportunities; and 

• Improve the vigor and prevalence of 

Karuk cultural resources that were 

historically present in the planning area. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action was designed to 

meet the purpose and need of the 

project. The proposed action would 

treat about 10,550 acres within the 

45,992-acre project boundary. Acres by 

treatment type are described below and 

do not account for overlap in treatment 

types (acres receiving multiple 

treatments may be double counted). 

Treatment acreages are approximate at 

this point and may be adjusted and 

refined following scoping. The proposed 

action also addresses the existing 

condition of the National Forest 

Transportation System (Forest System) 

by treating legacy sites, changing road 

maintenance levels, and 

decommissioning roads. All treatments 

would manage for improving the health 

and vigor of hardwood species 

according to the Klamath National 

Forest Land and Resource Management 

Plan (Forest Plan). Riparian Reserves 

within and adjacent to treatment units 

would be evaluated on a site-by-site 

basis for treatment, and would include 

equipment and treatment exclusion 

zones. 

This project would include the 

following eight types of vegetation 

treatments: (1) Commercial thinning; (2) 

noncommercial thinning; (3) hardwood 

enhancement; (4) meadow 

enhancement; (5) fuels reduction 

adjacent to private property; (6) 

defensible fuel profile zones; (7) 

roadside fuels reduction; and (8) 

underburning. This project would use a 

travel analysis for recommending 

management levels of existing Forest 

System roads and would develop new 

opportunities for recreation through the 

addition of new trails. 

(1) Commercial Thinning (1,782 

acres): Commercial thinning is an 

intermediate harvest with the objective 

of reducing stand density primarily to 

improve growth, enhance forest health, 

and other resources objectives. 

Treatment can recover potential 

mortality while producing merchantable 

material. 

(2) Noncommercial Thinning (1,256 

acres): Noncommercial thinning is an 

intermediate harvest which removes the 

less desirable trees of any species in a 

stand of poles or larger trees primarily 

to improve the composition and quality 

of the stand. 

(3) Hardwood Enhancement (76 

acres): Hardwood enhancement would 

focus on stimulating the growth and 

available resources for preferred 

hardwood species according to the 

Forest Plan. 

(4) Meadow Enhancement (18 acres): 

Meadow enhancement treatments 

would focus on reducing conifer 

encroachment by removing conifer 

seedlings and saplings growing within 

the meadow footprint. 

(5) Fuels reduction Adjacent to 

Private Property (153 acres): Fuel breaks 

created to protect private property 

would extend up to 500 feet adjacent to 

private property. The fuel treatments 

would involve cutting and pile burning 

of ladder fuels: Brush, hardwoods, and 

conifer trees up to ten inches diameter 

at breast height. 

(6) Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (823 

acres): The width of the defensible fuel 

profile zone would be up to 250 feet on 

either side of proposed ridge lines. The 

fuel treatments would involve cutting 

and pile burning of ladder fuels: Brush, 

hardwoods, and conifer trees up to ten 

inches diameter at breast height. 

(7) Roadside Fuels Reduction (1,896 

acres): The roadside fuel breaks would 

extend up to 300 feet above and 50 feet 

below either side of identified Forest 

System and county roads adjacent to 

Forest Service lands. The fuel 

treatments would involve cutting and 

pile burning of ladder fuels: Brush, 

hardwoods, and conifer trees up to ten 

inches diameter at breast height. 

(8) Underburning (4,552 acres): 

Underburn units are intended to be 

burned at low to moderate intensities to 

reduce fuel loadings and reduce the risk 

of catastrophic fire. Travel Analysis—A 

risk and benefit analysis was conducted 

for Forest System roads within the East 

Fork Elk Creek and Lower Elk Creek 6th 

field watersheds. Road treatments 

include 22 miles of decommissioning, 

15 miles of downgrading maintenance 

levels, 10 miles of upgrading 

maintenance levels, and treating 

associated legacy sites. In addition to 

Forest System road actions, four miles 

of non-system roads would be 

rehabilitated. 

This project would also include 

recreation improvements, including the 

construction of 4.3 miles of new multiuse trails and up to 13 miles of 

mountain bike trail. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
45798 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 189 / Monday, October 2, 2017 / Notices 

Connected Actions 

Access: Access for this project would 

be mainly accomplished by use of roads 

on the National Forest Transportation 

System. About three miles of temporary 

roads would be needed to facilitate 

commercial thinning operations. Most 

of these temporary roads would occur 

on existing roadbeds. However, several 

short new temporary spur roads would 

also be constructed. Both new and 

existing temporary roads would be 

hydrologically stabilized at the end of 

the project. 

Landings: Existing landings would be 

used where possible. Landing size 

would be appropriately sized for 

operational safety. Cable landings 

would use roads where possible. Cable 

landings off the road system and 

ground-based landings would average 

one acre in size but would not exceed 

1.5 acres in size. Both new and existing 

landings would be hydrologically 

stabilized at the end of the project. 

Responsible Official 

Patricia A. Grantham, Klamath 

National Forest, Forest Supervisor. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The Forest Service is the lead agency 

for the project. Based on the result of the 

NEPA analysis, the Klamath National 

Forest, Forest Supervisor’s Record of 

Decision regarding the Elk Creek 

Watershed Project will recommend 

implementation of one of the following: 

(1) The proposed action and 

mitigations necessary to minimize or 

avoid adverse impacts; 

(2) An alternative to the proposed 

action and mitigations necessary to 

minimize or avoid adverse impacts; or 

(3) The no-action alternative. 

The Record of Decision will also 

document the consistency of the 

proposed action or one of the 

alternatives with the Klamath National 

Forest Land and Resource Management 

Plan. 

Scoping Process 

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: September 12, 2017. 

Jeanne M. Higgins, 

Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National 

Forest System. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21005 Filed 9–29–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests; 

Idaho; Lolo Insect & Disease Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent to 

prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement. 

SUMMARY: This is a corrected Notice of 

Intent (NOI). This notice updates the 

information about the purpose and 

need, proposed action, expected dates of 

the Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) and Final EIS, 

addresses, contact information for the 

project, and the responsible official for 

the Lolo Insect & Disease project. This 

notice also provides clarification for 

individuals or organizations that 

provided comments in response to 

scoping previously conducted as it 

relates to having standing to object. 

Preliminary issues, alternatives, and 

permits are also available and presented 

in this notice. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

October 17, 2017. The Draft EIS is 

expected January of 2018 and the Final 

EIS is expected August of 2018. This 

project was originally scoped under the 

provisions of 36 CFR 215. For this 

project, individuals or organizations 

who submitted written comments in 

response to scoping conducted under 36 

CFR 215 will be considered to have 

standing to object under 36 CFR 218, 

Subparts A and B. Those who also wish 

to establish standing to object under 36 

CFR part 218 should submit scoping 

comments no later than 15 days after 

publication of this Notice of Intent or 

during the 45-day comment period 

following distribution of the Draft EIS. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Lochsa Ranger District, c/o Sara 

Daugherty, 502 Lowry Street, Kooskia, 

Idaho 83539. Comments may also be 

sent via email to comments-northernclearwater-lochsa@fs.fed.us, or via 

facsimile to 208–926–6450. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

more information please contact Sara 

Daugherty at 208–926–6404 or 

sddaugherty@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: The Forest 

Service gives notice of its intent to 

prepare an EIS for the Lolo Insect & 

Disease project to analyze and disclose 

the effects of proposed forest 

management and watershed 

improvement activities within the Lolo 

Creek watershed, located approximately 

16 miles northeast of Kamiah, Idaho. 

The proposed action would use a 

combination of timber harvest and 

reforestation to achieve the desired 

range of age classes, size classes, 

vegetative species distributions, habitat 

complexity (diversity), and landscape 

patterns across the forested portions of 

the project area. Road decommissioning, 

culvert replacements, road and trail 

improvements, and soils rehabilitation 

are also proposed to improve watershed 

health. The EIS will analyze the effects 

of the proposed action and alternatives. 

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National 

Forests invites comments and 

suggestions on the issues to be 

addressed. The agency gives notice of 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) analysis and decision making 

process on the proposal so interested 

and affected members of the public may 

participate and contribute to the final 

decision. The original notice was 

published in the Federal Register on 

April 25, 2013; 78 FR 24718. This 

process is being conducted pursuant to 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), the Council on Environmental 

Quality Regulations for Implementing 

the NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), 

and Forest Service NEPA guidelines. 

Additionally, pursuant to Section 106 of 

the National Historic Preservation Act, 

the public scoping process will allow 

members of the general public to 

provide comments on potential impacts 

to historic and cultural resources for the 

proposed action. An objection priod for 

the Draft Record of Decision will be 

provided, consistent with 36 CFR part 

218. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

Vegetation and Wildlife Habitat 

Improvement 

Existing Condition: Most of the 

project area is in Forest Plan 

management area (MA) E1. MA E1 is 

timber-producing land to be managed 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES