[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 180 (Friday, September 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55936-55938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23729]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Shore Nuf Timber Sale, Willamette National Forest, Linn and 
Marion Counties, Oregon

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service gives notice that it will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Shore Nuf Timber Sale 
Project proposal. The project area is located approximately 50 miles 
east of Salem, Oregon on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, 
near Detroit Lake and the City of Detroit, Oregon on the Detroit Ranger 
District of the Williamette National Forest. The Shore

[[Page 55937]]

Nuf Timber Sale would occur during the next five years on approximately 
1200 acres of the Detroit Tributaries Watershed, and includes the 
following proposed actions:
    1. Thin approximately 1200 acres of second growth Douglas fir 
stands, to reduce stocking levels while maintaining a 50 to 70 percent 
average canopy closure;
    2. Thin selected portions of riparian reserves that are within, or 
adjacent to the proposed thinning stands, to develop late successional 
characteristics in riparian areas;
    3. Treat pockets of Phellinus weirii and other root rots occurring 
in the proposed thinning stands by removing all of the affected trees 
within the infection site and/or within a buffer around the infection 
site, to prevent the spread of the Phellinus weirii and other diseases; 
and
    4. Create eight small openings, up to three acres each, along the 
Blowout Road and Stahlman trail to provide views of Detroit Lake and 
the surrounding area.
    The proposed action also includes the following associated actions:
    1. Construct approximately 2.0 miles of temporary roads to access 
thinning units, and after implementation of the thinning, obliterate 
the roads by ripping, seeding, and re-establishing natural drainage 
patterns;
    2. Reconstruct approximately 6.0 miles of existing roads that are 
currently inaccessible due to slides, overgrown vegetation, water 
damage, and downed trees;
    3. Construct, reconstruct, or modify landings for helicopters, 
skylines, and ground based yarding systems;
    4. Treat slash created by the thinning activities in areas where 
there is a high risk of fire starts, such as campgrounds, summer homes 
and major roads, by hand piling and burning slash; and
    5. Reforest the treated Phellinus weirii and other root rot pockets 
by planting species that are not susceptible to root rot such as native 
hardwoods.
    The Detroit District Ranger will decide whether to implement the 
project as proposed, to implement a modified proposal, to implement an 
alternative to the proposal, or to take no action at this time.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope and implementation of this 
proposal should be received on or before October 30, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments or suggestions concerning this 
project to Stephanie Phillips, District Ranger, Detroit Ranger 
District, HC73 Box 320, Mill City, Oregon 97360.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct questions about the 
proposed action and EIS to Jim Romero, District Planner at (503) 854-
3366.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1200 acres selected for commercial 
thinning are located along Blowout Creek (Forest Road 10), French Creek 
(Forest Road 2223), and Piety Island near Detroit Lake. These stands 
were established primarily through natural seeding following logging or 
large fires in the early 1900's. Most stands date to a single large 
fire, which occurred in the Detroit Reservoir Area in 1919. Stands in 
the French Creek area were logged in the 1930's but have similar 
characteristics to stands harvested earlier. These stands are 
predominantly Douglas-fir, and have about 150-300 trees per acre, 
resulting in greater than 90% canopy closure. The trees range in size 
from 9 to 21 inches in diameter. Generally, the stands have only one 
canopy layer with sparse to light ground vegetation as a result of the 
dense canopy closure. Given this, the stands support a less diverse 
range of wildlife species (primarily fewer late successional species) 
and are prone to crown-type fires. Because of the age and density of 
these stands, future growth projections, and increased mortality due to 
tree competition, these stands will not attain large diameter trees, 
open spacing, and structural diversity (multiple canopy layers) for 
many years.
    The Detroit Ranger District, over the past several years, has 
commercially thinned using helicopters in stands similar to those 
proposed for treatment in the Shore Nuf Timber Sale project area, 
including thinning in riparian reserves. The results of these sales 
have had virtually no effect on scenic quality, water quality, or 
substantial amounts of slash left from the thinning. The thinning would 
achieve a 50-70 percent average canopy closure to meet wildlife and 
hydrologic needs. Thinning would be applied within selected riparian 
reserves to control stocking, re-establish and manage stands, and 
acquire desired vegetation characteristics needed to attain Aquatic 
Conservation Strategy Objectives. Thinning would take place outside of 
the wet area of the riparian reserve and outside of the portion 
contributing to channel bank stability.
    Treating the Phellinus weirii and other root rot pockets would 
result in several small openings varying in size from about one to five 
acres. The total area affected by the treatment is approximately one to 
five percent of the thinned area. Reforesting the affected areas would 
occur with non-susceptible species such as hardwoods. There is a need 
for this treatment to minimize the spread of the infection by removing 
the host species in the infection site and/or within its path of 
spread.
    The combination of commercial thinning and creation of small 
openings along the Blowout Road (Forest Road 10) would improve views of 
Detroit Reservoir as seen from the road. Thinnings would also occur 
adjacent to private lands within the project area to reduce the edge 
effect created by large clearcuts on private lands.
    The proposal includes using a helicopter to yard the logs on about 
two-thirds of 1200 acres of thinning, and to use both skyline and 
ground-based yarding systems on the remaining one-third of the area. 
The timber sale would result in the sale of approximately 10 to 15 MMBF 
of commercial wood products such as saw logs.
    The need for the Shure Nuf Timber Sale Project is to reduce the 
total number of trees per acre to lessen competition for nutrients, 
sunlight, and growing space. This would improve the growth and vigor of 
the remaining trees resulting in healthier stands of trees that are 
more resistant to insects and disease. The trees would also reach 
larger diameters and exhibit late successional stand characteristics 
sooner. Thinning the smaller diameter, suppressed trees before they die 
would reduce the fuel buildup and fire risk, and have the added benefit 
of utilizing the trees for commercial wood products. The thinning would 
open the stand canopies, letting sunlight reach the forest floor, thus 
resulting in increased shrub and hardwood growth, which would enhance 
diversity for wildlife habitat. The open stands with a diverse 
understory would also enhance the scenic quality along the forest roads 
in this heavily used recreation area.
    The USDA Forest Service is seeking information and comments from 
Federal, State and local agencies, as well as, other individuals or 
organizations that may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed 
action. Information that would be especially useful would be 
identification of issues, exploration of additional alternatives based 
on the issues, and identifying potential environmental effects of the 
proposed action and alternatives to the proposal. Public involvement 
will include periodic mailings to interested persons as the project 
progresses, and possibly field trips and public meetings depending on 
the level of public interest for the project. Information on field 
trips and meetings will be announced later.
    The following is a description of the preliminary issues identified 
for this project: (1) Noise from helicopters,

[[Page 55938]]

harvest equipment, log trucks and increased truck traffic could be 
disturbing to local residents and recreation users, potentially 
impacting local tourism and the related tourist economy during harvest 
operations, and (2) There is concern that noxious weeds could spread to 
areas where mineral soil has been exposed due to road and landing 
construction.
    The comment period on the draft EIS 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 scheduled for release in January, 2001. It is expected 
that the final environmental impact statement will be released in 
April, 2001.
    Comments received in response to this notice, including names and 
addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public 
record on this proposed action and will be available for public 
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR parts 215 or 
217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27 (d), any person may request 
the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing 
how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality. 
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that, under the 
FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very limited 
circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest Service 
will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding the 
request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the 
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the 
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within a 
specified number of days.
    The USDA Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers 
notice at this early stage as a result of several court rulings related 
to public participation in the environmental review process. First, 
reviewers of a draft EIS 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 EIS stage 
but that are not raised until after completion of the final EIS 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). 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 EIS.
    To assist the USDA Forest Service in identifying and considering 
issues and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS 
should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer 
to specific pages of chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also 
address the adequacy of the draft EIS 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).
    The lead agency for this project is the USDA Forest Service, 
Willamette National Forest. The deciding official is Stephanie 
Phillips, District Ranger, Detroit Ranger District of the Willamette 
National Forest. The Record of Decision for this project will document 
the decision and rationale for the decision. That decision is subject 
to appeal under 36 CFR part 215.

    Dated: August 29, 2000.
Stephanie Phillips,
Detroit District Ranger, Willamette National Forest.
[FR Doc. 00-23729 Filed 9-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M