[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 22 (Thursday, February 2, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6502-6503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2670]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Opportunity To Comment on the Preparation of a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement To Salvage Fire-Killed Timber on the 
Almanor Ranger District, Lassen National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for the Barkley Fire Salvage.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare an 
environmental impact statement for a proposal to salvage approximately 
2.6 million board feet (MMBF) of fire killed timber on 250 acres within 
the 44,000 acres burned by the Barkley Fire during September 1994 on 
the Lassen National Forest, Almanor Ranger District, Tehama County, 
California. The proposed project area is bordered by private timber 
land on the north, Deer Creek Canyon on the east, and the Ishi 
Wilderness to the west. The legal description is Sections 5, 6, 9, and 
19 of T.26N., R.3E. M.D.M. The decision to be made is whether to 
salvage fire-killed timber from the Barkley Fire as proposed, and what 
mitigation measures will be in effect.

DATEs: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis and 
significant issues should be received by March 6, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send comments about the proposed action and scope of the 
analysis to: Michael R. Williams, District Ranger, Almanor Ranger 
District, P.O. Box 767, Chester, California 96020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Phil Tuma, District Forest Land Manager, Almanor Ranger District, P.O. 
Box 767, Chester, California 96020, (916) 258-2141.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed fire salvage areas are within 
the former Polk Springs Roadless Area, which was released to non-
wilderness management by the California Wilderness Act of 1984. The 
Lassen National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) was 
completed in 1993. The management direction in the LRMP for the 
proposed salvage area has management prescriptions of timber and semi-
primitive non-motorized.

    The proposal is whether or not to implement restoration projects 
on 250 acres within the Lower Deer Creek Management Area, including 
salvage timber harvest, fuels treatments and reforestation 
activities to restore the area to its natural vegetation type, and 
reduce fuel loading and the associated risk for future catastrophic 
intensity fires.
    Public participation will be especially important at several 
points during the analysis. The first point is during the scoping 
process (40 CFR 1501.7). The Forest Service will be seeking 
information, comments and assistance from Federal, State, and local 
agencies and other individuals or organizations who may be 
interested in affected by the proposed action. This input will be 
used in the preparation of the draft environmental impact statement 
(DEIS).

    The scoping process includes:

1. Identifying potential issues.
2. Eliminating insignificant issues or those which have been covered by 
a relevant previous environmental analysis.
3. Exploring additional alternatives.
4. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed action 
and alternatives.
5. Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.

    A public field trip to the proposed project area will be announced 
to the public to discuss issues, alternatives, and mitigations.
    The following preliminary issues and alternatives have the been 
developed.

Issues

    (1) Timber harvesting and road construction create soil disturbance 
which may result in stream sedimentation. Sedimentation may affect 
water quality, anadromous fisheries habitat, and other aquatic 
resources. These activities may contribute to existing cumulative 
watershed effects, occurring from preceding fire impacts and recent 
salvage logging on private land.
    (2) Salvage logging and associated road construction activities 
could affect the roadless characteristics of the area.
    (3) Untreated excess fules could increase the risk of another 
catastrophic fire that would damage or destroy resource values on 
public and private land.
    (4) Vegetative biodiversity, viability, and recovery rates may be 
affected by the proposed projects.

Alternatives

    (1) No Action. No timber salvage or restoration activities are 
proposed.
    (2) This alternative proposes to salvage approximately 2.6 MMBF of 
fire 

[[Page 6503]]
killed sawtimber and 1500 tons of fire killed biomass on approximately 
250 acres using tractor and mechanical thinning logging systems. A 
total of 2.4 milses of road construction would be required.
    (3) This alternative proposes to salvage 2.6 MMBF of fire killed 
timber and 1500 tons of biomass on approximately 250 acres using 
helicopter logging systems. The purchaser would be required to remove 
all the 4 inch dbh and larger fire killed trees in excess of wildlife 
requirements. No new roads would be constructed.
    (4) This alternative proposes to salvage 2.6 MMBF of fire killed 
timber on approximately 250 acres using helicopter logging systems. The 
purchaser would remove all 10 inch dbh and larger fire killed trees in 
excess of wildlife requirements. A service contract would thin the sub-
merchantable trees and treat excess slash. No new roads would be 
constructed.
    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 draft 
environmental impact statement is expected to be available by March of 
1995.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important 
to give reviewer's notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewer's of 
the draft environmental impact statement must structure their 
participation in the environmental veview of the proposal so that it is 
meaningful and alerts an agency to the veviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could have been raised 
at the draft stage may be waived if not raised until after completion 
of the final environmental impact statement. City of Angoon v. Hodel,  
(9th Circuit, 1986 and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 495 F. 
Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these 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 meaningful consider them and respond to them in the final 
environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issue 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the drart 
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 
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    The responsible official for the Forest Service is Michael R. 
Williams, Dirtrict Ranger, Almanor Ranger District, Lassen National 
Forest, P.O. Box 767, Chester, California 96020.

    Dated: December 22, 1994.
Elizabeth Norton,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Lassen National Forest.
[FR Doc. 95-2670 Filed 2-1-95; 8:45 am]
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