[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10058-10060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-4344]



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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 1995 / 
Notices  
[[Page 10058]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Little Wolf Fire Recovery; Kootenai National Forest, Lincoln 
County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Little Wolf Fire burned over 15,000 acres of Kootenai 
National Forest System lands, Flathead National Forest System lands and 
Plum Creek Timber Company lands in August of 1994. The Forest intends 
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess and 
disclose the environmental effects of opportunities designed to recover 
economic value of burned timber, reduce fuel accumulations, reforest 
unstocked lands, rehabilitate existing sediment sources, improve 
hydrologic conditions in affected watersheds, and protect long-term 
soil productivity. These objectives would be accomplished through 
salvage harvest of fire-killed timber; reforestation of severely burned 
areas; fuels reduction in harvested and unharvested areas; drainage 
improvement and revegetation of road surface, cuts and fill slopes on 
existing roads; providing for immediate and long-term recruitment of 
instream large woody material; and revegetation in riparian areas 
within the Little Wolf decision area. The Little Wolf decision area is 
located approximately 35 air miles southeast of Libby, Montana.
    The proposal's actions to salvage fire-killed trees, reduce fuels, 
reforest burned areas, construct temporary roads, restore drainage and 
vegetation on existing road surface, cuts and fill slopes, restrict 
road access and implement watershed recovery projects are being 
considered together because they represent either connected or 
cumulative actions as defined by the Council on Environmental Quality 
(40 CFR 1508.25). The EIS will tier to the Kootenai National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan and Final EIS of September 1987, 
which provides overall guidance for achieving the desired future 
condition of the area.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before 
March 27, 1995.

ADDRESSES: The Responsible Official is Robert L. Schrenk, Forest 
Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest. Written comments and suggestions 
concerning the scope of the analysis should be sent to Lawrence A. 
Froberg, District Ranger, Libby Ranger District, 12557 US Highway 37, 
Libby, Montana, 59923.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff Scussel, Planning Staff, Libby Ranger District. Phone: (406) 293-
7773.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the night of August 14-15, 1994, a 
lightning storm started 207 fires on the Kootenai National Forest in 
northwest Montana. Several fires ranging in size from less than one 
acre to almost 5000 acres occurred on the Libby Ranger District. The 
Little Wolf Fire Recovery EIS is being prepared in response to 
conditions resulting from the 4700 acres of the Little Wolf Fire that 
is within the Kootenai National Forest. An interdisciplinary team is 
using an ecosystem based approach to assess the fire affects and 
identify management opportunities that could be implemented to move the 
postfire landscapes toward a desired ecological condition.
    Burn intensities on National Forest System lands in the Little Wolf 
Fire were mostly stand replacing. Within the fire perimeter on the 
Libby Ranger District, approximately 1848 acres burned at high 
intensity (average 90% to 95% tree mortality), 845 burned at moderate 
intensity (average 70% to 75% mortality), and 237 acres burned at low 
intensity (average 30% mortality). The fires burned in the upper end of 
the Little Wolf Creek drainage.
    The Little Wolf decision area contains approximately 4700 acres 
within the Kootenai National Forest in Lincoln County, Montana. All of 
the proposed projects are located in the Little Wolf drainage. The 
legal location of the decision area is as follows: Sections 7, 8, 17 
and 18, of Township 29 North, Range 25 West; Sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 
12, 13, and 14 of Township 29 North, Range 26 West; and Sections 34, 35 
and 36 of Township 30 North, Range 26 West; Principle Montana Meridian. 
The land in and adjacent to the decision area is within federal 
ownership under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service or Plum Creek 
Timber Company lands.
    Proposed Action: The purposes of the project are to recover 
valuable timber products from trees burned by wildfires that occurred 
in 1994 (while maintaining ecological processes); to enhance watershed 
recovery: and improve big game and grey wolf security habitat as timely 
as possible and to reduce fuel loading. The Forest Service proposes to 
harvest approximately 7 million board feet or timber by salvaging fire-
killed timber and imminently dead trees on approximately 841 acres of 
forest land outside riparian protection areas. Only trees that were 
killed, or are expected to die as a result of the fire, would be 
harvested. The proposal includes prescribed burning of about 42 acres, 
excavator piling on 160 acres of harvested areas to reduce natural and 
activity fuels and an additional 20 acres of grapple piling in 
unharvested areas to reduce natural fuels. An estimated 685 acres of 
proposed salvage units would be planted with conifer seedlings to help 
meet desired conditions for species diversity and 80 acres of annual 
rye and native shrubs would be planted in riparian areas for watershed 
restoration. The Forest Service proposal also includes approximately 
1.8 miles of temporary road construction, of which 1.2 miles would be 
constructed using low impact snow road construction and would be 
completely rehabilitated and recontoured. The remaining .6 miles of 
temporary road would be ripped and seeded. Drainage improvement 
activities (such as surface ripping, drainage structure improvement, 
and seeding) would be implemented on all roads within National Forest 
System lands, (approximately 7 miles), with the intent of restoring 
natural drainage and reducing sediment. These roads will be needed for 
future management access, and would remain a part of the permanent 
transportation system. Additional road access restrictions in 
cooperation with Plum Creek Timber Company are proposed to provide 
adequate security areas for big game and grey wolf. Additional projects 
to improve watershed recovery, reforestation of severely burned areas 
not proposed for salvage, fuel reduction [[Page 10059]] in areas not 
proposed for salvage, and repair of damaged hiking trails would be 
accomplished if adequate funds are available.
    Due to the high level of tree mortality in proposed harvest units, 
most harvested area would retain green tree numbers similar to clearcut 
with reserves or seed-tree silvicultural methods. Although the numbers 
would be similar, the green tree retention would not be evenly 
distributed but would be in islands, stringers or groups where they 
exist. Only those live trees which must be cut to facilitate logging 
fire-killed trees would be harvested. In addition to the live trees 
that would be retained, a minimum of 3-5 high quality, large diameter 
snags per acre would be retained in all harvested areas if available. 
Timber harvest would be done by skyline, cable, or winter tractor, and 
designed to result in minimal ground disturbance, risk of erosion, and 
compaction.
    The Kootenai National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
provides overall management objectives in individual delineated 
management areas (MA's). The decision area contains three MA's: 12, 13, 
and 18. Briefly described, MA 12 is managed to maintain or enhance the 
summer-ranger habitat effectiveness for big-game species and produce a 
programmed yield of timber. MA 13 is managed to provide the special 
habitat necessary for old growth dependent wildlife. MA 18 is managed 
to protect existing vegetation as establishing coniferous regeneration 
is determined to be difficult. Timber salvage and fuels reduction is 
proposed in MA 12 and MA 18.
    Preliminary Issues: Several preliminary issues of concern have been 
identified by the Forest Service. These issues are briefly described 
below:
     Water quality--Streams in the decision area have been 
impacted by past management and the Little Wolf Fire. How would the 
proposed action affect water yield, sediment production, stream 
stability, and recovery from past impacts?
     Timber Supply--An estimated 16 million board feet of 
timber on National Forest System lands was killed in the Little Wolf 
Fire. Much of this fire-killed timber will quickly lose its commercial 
value due to rapid deterioration. To what extent does the proposed 
action recover the commercial value of fire-killed timber to help meet 
local and national needs?
     Grey Wolf--The decision area lies within grey wolf 
habitat. How would the proposal maintain and enhance grey wolf habitat, 
and contribute to recovery efforts?
     Old Growth--An estimated 240 acres of designated old 
growth was destroyed by intense, stand replacing wildfire. What options 
are available to manage for suitable levels of old growth habitat in 
the decision area?
     Fisheries--Little Wolf contains fisheries habitat and 
resident fish populations, including Eastern Brook trout, Rainbow 
trout, Redside Shiner and an undetermined species of sculpin. How would 
the proposed action affect fisheries habitat and populations?
    Forest Plan Amendment: The Kootenai National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan has specific management direction for the 
Little Wolf decision area. The Little Wolf proposed action is designed 
to maintain or improve resource conditions and move towards achieving 
desired ecological conditions, and is consistent with the goals and 
objectives of the Forest Plan. Prior to making a NEPA decision, a 
thorough examination of all standards and guidelines of the Forest Plan 
would be completed and, if necessary, plan exceptions or amendments 
would be addressed in the EIS.
    Decisions To Be Made: The Kootenai National Forest Supervisor will 
decide the following:
    Should dead and imminently dead trees within fire areas be 
harvested and if so how and where,
    What amount, type, and distribution of watershed restoration 
projects, including road restoration, would be implemented, what burned 
areas need to be replanted, what areas need fuel reduction treatment, 
how and where will replacement old growth be designated, what road 
access restrictions would be implemented to provide security for big 
game and the grey wolf, and if Forest Plan exception or amendments are 
necessary to proceed with the Proposed Action within the decision area.
    Public Involvement and Scoping: An open house will be scheduled in 
March to provide an opportunity for the public to review the proposed 
action. Consultation with appropriate State and Federal agencies has 
been initiated. Preliminary effects analysis indicated that the 
wildfires may significantly affect the quality of the human 
environment, and fire recovery activities have the potential to both 
intensify and reduce effects. These potential effects prompted the 
decision to prepare an EIS for the Little Wolf Fire Recovery.
    This environmental analysis and decision making process will enable 
additional interested and affected people to participate and contribute 
to the final decision. Public participation will be requested at 
several points during the analysis. The Forest Service will be seeking 
information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, local 
agencies, and other individuals or organizations who may be interested 
in or affected by the proposed projects. This input will be used in 
preparation of the draft and final EIS.
    The scoping process will include:
     Identifying potential issues.
     Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.
     Exploring additional alternatives which will be derived 
from issues recognized during scoping activities.
     Identifying potential environmental effects of this 
project and alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative effects 
and connected actions).
    The analysis will consider a range of alternatives, including the 
proposed action, no action, and other reasonable action alternatives.
    Estimated Dates for Filing: The draft Little Wolf Fire Recovery EIS 
is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
and to be available for public review by June, 1995. At that time EPA 
will publish a Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal 
Register. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the 
date the EPA publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by September, 1995. In 
the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments 
and responses received during the comment period that pertain to the 
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies considered in making a decision 
regarding the proposal.
    Reviewer's Obligations: 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 may 
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). [[Page 10060]] 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 and respond 
to them in the final EIS.
    To be most helpful, comments on the draft EIS should be as specific 
as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merit 
of the alternatives discussed. 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 Official: Robert L. Schrenk, Forest Supervisor, 
Kootenai National Forest, 506 US Highway 2 West, Libby, MT 59923 is the 
Responsible Official. I have delegated the responsibility to prepare 
the Little Wolf Fire Salvage and Restoration Environmental Impact 
Statement to Lawrence A. Frobert, District Ranger, Libby Ranger 
District. As the Responsible Official I will decide which, if any, of 
the proposed projects will be implemented. I will document the decision 
and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That decision 
will be subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations.

    Dated: February 13, 1995.
Robert L. Schrenk,
Forest Supervisor,
[FR Doc. 95-4344 Filed 2-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M