[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30548]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 13, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

 

Thunderbolt Wildfire Recovery, Boise and Payette National 
Forests, Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Thunderbolt Wildfire burned a total of 27,000 acres of 
Boise and Payette National Forest system lands in the fall of 1994. The 
Forests intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Thunderbolt wildfire area to assess and disclose the environmental 
effects of opportunities designed to improve long-term fish habitat, 
rehabilitate existing sediment sources, improve hydrologic conditions 
of affected watersheds, and protect long-term soil productivity. These 
objectives would be accomplished through road surfacing, revegetation 
of road cut and fill slopes, and drainage improvements on existing 
roads; planting of conifers and shrubs; and salvaging dead and dying 
trees as a means to finance the preceding opportunities. Timber harvest 
would be done by helicopter, and designed to result in minimal ground 
disturbance and risk of erosion and no sediment delivery to streams.
    All proposals within the Thunderbolt Wildfire Recovery Area would 
protect visual resources on river segments eligible for classification 
under the Wild and Scenic rivers Act, provide for wildlife habitat, and 
improve fisheries habitat.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the fall of 1994, the Chicken, 
Thunderbolt, and portions of the Corral and Blackwell wildfires burned 
in excess of 150,000 acres in the South Fork Salmon River drainage of 
the Payette and Boise National Forests in central Idaho. A broadscale 
analysis team and several landscape analysis teams are using an 
ecosystem based approach to assess the fires' effects and identify 
management opportunities that could be implemented to move the postfire 
landscapes toward a desired ecological condition. The Payette National 
Forest is currently assessing the impacts and potential opportunities 
associated with the Corral, Blackwell and Chicken wildfires which may 
result in separate Notices of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement.
    The primary management emphasis in the South Fork Salmon River 
drainage is restoration of harvestable, robust, self-sustaining 
populations of naturally reproducing salmon and trout. The South Fork 
Salmon River was historically the single largest producer of summer 
chinook salmon in the Columbia River Basin. Since the 1950's this run 
has declined significantly, partially due to habitat degradation caused 
by management-induced sediment. The species is currently listed as 
endangered. Prime spawning habitat occurs within and/or adjacent to the 
Thunderbolt wildfire landscape. Numerous road-related sediment sources 
continue to deliver sediment to streams. Annual sediment delivery is 
expected to increase as a result of the fires.
    Burn intensities in the Thunderbolt wildfire area varied 
considerably. Within the fire perimeter, approximately 6,000 acres 
burned at high intensity, 9,000 acres at moderate intensity, and 4,000 
acres at low intensity. Approximately 8,000 acres inside the fire 
perimeter did not burn.
    There are an estimated 18,000 acres burned within Inventoried 
Roadless Areas (IRAs). The IRAs affected are Caton Lake and Meadow 
Creek.
    The fire burned adjacent to or within the river corridors of 
Johnson Creek (eligible for Recreation classification) and South Fork 
Salmon River, which are both pending Wild and Scenic River study.

Proposed Action

    The objective for the Proposed Action is to improve long-term fish 
habitat, rehabilitate existing sediment sources, improve hydrologic 
conditions of affected watersheds, protect long-term soil productivity, 
promote regeneration of trees on burned acres, and recover the economic 
value of fire-killed and imminently dead trees as a means of financing 
activities related to the preceding objectives.
    The Proposed Action includes the following components:
    Activities designed to rehabilitate existing sediment sources.
    Johnson Creek Road (#413)--Surface (gravel) 5 miles, surface 
(asphalt) at several stream crossings, armor ditchlines, install 
culverts, revegetate cut and fill slopes, construct fill structures.
    Cabin Creek Road (#467)--Install gates and restrict wet-season 
traffic, construct waterbars, install culverts.
    Roaring Creek Road (#474E)--Surface (gravel) 1 mile, construct 
waterbars, revegetate cut and fill slopes.
    Penny Springs Road (#401)--Install gate and restrict wet-season 
traffic, revegetate cut and fill slopes, improve drainage, surface 
(gravel) at several stream crossings, and obliterate 0.6 miles.
    Ditch Creek Road (#410)--Relocate gate and seasonally restrict 
traffic for wildlife purposes, improve drainage, and revegetate cut and 
fill slopes.
    Plant conifers and shrub species on about 4,000 acres of moderate 
and high intensity burn areas where natural regeneration is not 
expected within the next five to ten years.
    Harvest economically feasible fire-killed timber and imminently 
dead trees from areas outside of the Riparian Habitat Conservation 
Areas (draft PACFISH criteria) and the Wild and Scenic eligible 
corridor of the South Fork Salmon River. Large snags would be retained 
in varying amounts thoughout the harvest areas for dependent wildlife, 
long-term soil productivity, large woody debris recruitment, shade to 
assist tree regeneration, and aesthetics. To protect watersheds and 
fish habitat, helicopter yarding systems are proposed for use in the 
salvage effort of 3,500 acres. Four helicopter landings would need to 
be constructed to supplement the existing roads and landings needed to 
facilitate harvest activities. No new road construction is proposed. 
Additional road reconstruction may be identified during analysis as 
necessary to improve watersheds or fish habitat.
    Salvage harvest would occur in the Caton Lake and Meadow Creek 
IRAs.
    Visual quality objectives would be met on trails, the South Fork 
Salmon River and Johnson Creek roads, and the Wild and Scenic River 
eligible Johnson Creek and South Fork Salmon River corridors.
    Cultural resource sites, riparian areas, and sensitive fish, plant, 
and animal habitats would be protected.
    Protection measures for streams would be based on the science 
utilized to develop the interim direction contained in the draft 
PACFISH EA. The direction issued with the final PACFISH EA and Decision 
Notice would be incorporated as necessary.
    Methodologies, rationale and findings associated with the landscape 
analysis and site specific environmental analysis would be reviewed by 
a proposed panel of experts elected from Forest Service research and 
system branches, and other federal agencies. Recommendations made by 
this panel could be used by line officers in directing the 
environmental analysis, formulating alternatives, disclosing 
environmental consequences, developing a monitoring plan and making the 
final decision. This may include the option of not moving ahead with 
any or part of the action alternatives if conclusive information shows 
that the action would be damaging to anadromous fish.

Forest Plan Amendment

    The Boise and Payette National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plans have specific management direction for the South Fork Salmon 
River Area. The overall goal is to restore harvestable, robust, self-
sustaining populations of naturally reproducing salmon and trout. The 
Thunderbolt Wildfire Recovery Proposed Action is designed to improve 
fish habitat and is consistent with the objectives and goals of both 
Forest Plans. Prior to making a NEPA decision, a thorough examination 
of all standards and guidelines of both Forest plans would be completed 
and if necessary, plan amendments would be addressed in the EIS.

Preliminary Issues

    Anticipated concerns with the Proposed Action are; (1) Ground 
disturbing activities may increase sediment delivery to streams and 
degrade fish habitat, and (2) salvage harvesting in IRAs and the 
potential effect it may have on the wilderness attributes of the area.

Possible Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Two alternatives to the Proposed Action have been identified. A No 
Action alternative, and an alternative that would exclude salvage 
harvesting in the IRAs. Other alternatives may be developed as issues 
are raised and information is received.

Decisions To Be Made

    The Boise and Payette National Forest Supervisors will decide the 
following:
    What amount, type, and distribution of sediment reduction projects 
and riparian habitat conservation measures would be implemented,
    If Forest Plan amendments are necessary to proceed with the 
proposed actions within the Thunderbolt Wildfire Recovery project area,
    Should dead and imminently dead trees within fire areas, not needed 
to maintain ecological functions, be harvested and if so how, and
    What burned areas need to be planted.

Public Involvement Meetings

    Scoping meetings will be held in McCall (Smokejumper Loft, Dec. 12, 
1994, 7:00 PM), Boise (Red Lion Inn, Downtowner, Dec. 13, 1994, 7:00 
PM), and Cascade (Ranger District Office, Dec. 14, 1994, 7:00 PM). 
Additional presentations will be made upon request.

Agency/Public Contacts

    A summary of the Proposed Action and methodologies to be used in 
the analysis, will be mailed in early December to key individuals, 
groups and agencies for comments and issue identification. This mailing 
list will include about 350 people who are generally interested in the 
Boise and Payette National Forests' NEPA projects, and people who were 
interested in the Boise National Forest's Foothills Wildfire Timber 
Recovery Project in 1992.

Schedule

    Draft Environmental Impact Statement, February, 1995. Final EIS, 
April, 1995. Implementation, July, 1995.
    Past experience with wildfire timber recovery efforts on the Boise 
and Payette National Forests have proven that prompt action is required 
to recover the economic value of fire-killed trees. The trees, mostly 
Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine, are expected to lose 
more than half of their economic value by the fall of 1995. Recovered 
timber values would be used to finance beneficial watershed improvement 
projects designed to improve fish habitat.

Comments

    Comments concerning the proposed project and analysis should be 
received in writing on or before January 13, 1994. Mail comments to 
Cindy Tencick, Cascade Ranger District, Boise National Forest, PO Box 
696, Cascade, ID 83611; Telephone, (208) 382-7400. Further information 
can be obtained at the same location.
    The comment period on the Draft 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, 
553 (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, 1002 (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 Statement 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.

Responsible Officials

    Cathy Barbouletos, Forest Supervisor, Boise National Forest, 1750 
Front Street, Boise, ID 83702; and Dave Alexander, Forest Supervisor, 
Payette National Forest, 106 West Park, McCall, ID 83638.

    Dated: December 6, 1994.
Cathy Barbouletos,
Boise Forest Supervisor.
    Dated: December 6, 1994.
David F. Alexander,
Payette Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 94-30548 Filed 12-12-94; 8:45 am]
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