[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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