[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77848-77849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31694]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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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 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 240 / Wednesday, December 13, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 77848]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Lassen National Forest; California; Lakes Forest Recovery Project

AGENCY:  Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION:  Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY:  The Forest Service intends to prepare an environmental impact 
statement to analyze and disclose the environmental effects of 
implementing resource management activities that include fuelbreak 
construction consisting of a strategic system of defensible fuel 
profile zones, group selection and individual tree selection harvests, 
and riparian restoration projects on the Almanor Ranger District in the 
Lassen National Forest. These activities are part of a 5-year pilot 
project to test and demonstrate the effectiveness of certain resource 
management activities designed to meet ecologic, economic, and fuel 
reduction objectives on the Lassen National Forest as well as the 
Plumas National Forest and on the Sierraville Ranger District of the 
Tahoe National Forest. This notice applies only to the Lassen National 
Forest; however, all three National Forests were named in the Record of 
Decision (August 1999) for the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group 
Forest Recovery Act Final Environmental Impact Statement. The Record of 
Decision amended the management direction in the Land and Resource 
Management Plans for these three National Forests. The need for the 
Record of Decision and Final Environmental Impact Statement was 
generated from the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest 
Recovery Act of October 21, 1998.

DATES:  Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be 
received in writing on or before January 12, 2001.

ADDRESSES:  Send written comments to Susan Jeheber-Matthews, Almanor 
District Ranger, P.O. Box 767, Chester, CA, 96020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dominic Cesmat, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, telephone: (530) 258-2141.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Action

    To accomplish the purpose of the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library 
Group Forest Recovery Act (Act), resource management activities 
included in the proposed Lakes Forest Recovery Project are defensible 
fuel profile zone (DFPZ) construction, group selection and individual 
tree selection harvests, and riparian restoration projects. The 
proposed project is located in Butte County, California, within the 
Almanor Ranger District of the Lassen National Forest in all or 
portions of Sections 1-3, 10-15, 22-27, 34-36, T.25N, R.4E., Sections 
3-10, 15-20, 29-30, T.25N., R.5E., Sections 1-4, 9-15, 22-26, 34-36, 
T.26N., R.4E., Section 4-10, 14-23, 26-35, T.26N., R.5E., Sections 33-
36, T.27N., R.4E., and Sections 31-33, T.27N., R.5E., MDM.
    The Lakes Forest Recovery Project area is one of five sub networks 
established to implement a DFPZ network on the District. The purpose of 
DFPZs in this area is to reduce the number of acres that would be 
burned by high-intensity and stand-replacing fires. DFPZs are needed in 
this area in order to improve suppression efficiency by creating an 
environment where wildfires would burn at lower intensities and where 
fire fighting production rates would be increased. DFPZ are 
strategically located strips of land on which forest fuels, both living 
and dead, have been modified in order to reduce the potential for a 
sustained crown fire and to allow fire suppression personnel a safer 
location from which to take action against a wildfire. Fuels treatment 
strategies would focus on the alteration or reduction of surface fuels, 
ladder fuels, and canopy closure in order to effectively alter fire 
behavior and severity. Treatment methods would include thinning 
timbered stands, hand or machine piling of excessive forest fuels, and 
prescribed fire. The Lakes Forest Recovery Project proposes to 
construct 7,780 acres of DFPZs in the Lake's project area including an 
estimated 5,520 acres that would be thinned.
    Groups selection harvests would be implemented to promote diversity 
in stand age and structure. Root disease centers or dwarf mistletoe 
infected areas would be targeted for group selection, as well as those 
stands that are even-aged in structure. Some understocked areas would 
also be regenerated using the group selection prescription. Group 
selection harvests would be implemented in some aspen stands where 
competition for light and soil moisture from conifers is causing a 
decline in health and structure of the aspen stand. Treatment would 
consist of removing most of the conifers within identified aspen 
stands. Group selection harvests would also be utilized to treat stands 
with meadow attributes that are declining due to conifer encroachment 
within the meadow. Group selection harvests would be performed to 
reduce the encroachment of conifers. Group selection would be 
implemented on an estimated 1,100 acres within the Lakes Forest Recover 
Project area. Fuels treatment would occur on 650 acres within group 
selections.
    Individual tree selection is allowed in the Act to promote forest 
health and provide an uneven-aged structure to forested lands. 
Individual tree selection would be implemented on an estimated 460 
acres within the Lakes Forest Recovery Project area.
    Included in the proposed action for the Lakes Forest Recovery 
Project is the realignment of a boundary for a protected activity 
center for the California spotted owl, and the establishment of a new 
goshawk management area for a nesting pair of goshawks.
    New construction of permanent and temporary roads would be needed 
to economically access stands requiring treatment for DFPZ and group 
selection harvest. Within the project area, 19.9 miles of permanent new 
road construction and 8.2 miles of temporary road construction would be 
implemented for this purpose. New construction of permanent roads would 
be added to the Forest transportation system. Temporary roads would be 
obliterated upon completion of use.
    Riparian restoration projects would include erosion control 
treatment on existing landings and skidtrails, and on eroding 
streambanks that are contributing sediment to the streams. Treatment of 
existing roads would be

[[Page 77849]]

implemented as part of an overall riparian restoration strategy to 
reduce impacts caused by roads. Impacts include erosion and increased 
runoff from inadequately or poorly drained roads, especially those 
located close to streams and with poorly designed drainage structures 
and stream crossings. Road treatments would include road relocation 
(11.2 miles of new construction, all of which is included in the new 
construction mentioned above), reconstruction (44 miles of existing 
roads for DFPZ and group selection access), and decommissioning (14.9 
miles). Reconstruction activities would also include improvement or 
relocation of several in-channel water sources.

Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether to implement the proposed action 
as described above, to meet the purpose and need for action through 
some other combination of activities, or to take no action at this 
time.
    In order to fully test the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group 
Forest Recovery Act on the Almanor Ranger District (e.g., implement 
contiguous DFPZs on the landscape), it is necessary to analyze and 
implement the resource management activities outlined in the Act within 
suitable habitat for the California spotted owl. The Lakes Forest 
Recovery Project proposed action includes projects within suitable 
habitat.
    The Record of Decision for the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library 
Group Forest Recovery Act Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 
stated that California spotted owl habitat would be avoided at the 
site-specific project level until a new California spotted owl habitat 
management strategy is released. The decision to implement resource 
management activities within suitable owl habitat in the Lakes Forest 
Recovery Project area will be based upon one or more of the following 
three actions:
    (1) A decision is made on the Sierra Nevada Conservation Framework 
(that would amend the Lassen National Forest (NF) Land and Resource 
Management Plan) that defines a new owl strategy and allows the 
implementation of resource management activities as outlined in the 
Act, or;
    (2) A new California spotted owl viability assessment is completed 
providing direction encompassing the species' range and the Lassen NF 
Land and Resource Management Plan is amended to include the new owl 
strategy, or;
    (3) A site-specific California spotted owl strategy would be 
developed and implemented for this project resulting in a non-
significant amendment to the Lassen NF Forest Plan.

Responsible Official and Lead Agency

    The USDA Forest Service is the lead agency for this proposal. 
District Ranger Susan Jeheber-Matthews is the responsible official.

Tentative or Preliminary Issues and Possible Alternatives

    Comments from the public and other agencies will be used in 
preparation of the draft environmental impact statement (EIS). The 
scoping process will be used to identify questions and issues regarding 
the proposed action. An issue is defined as a point of dispute, debate, 
or disagreement related to a specific proposed action based on its 
anticipated effects. Significant issues brought to our attention are 
used during an environmental analysis to develop alternatives to the 
proposed action. Some issues raised in scoping may be considered non-
significant because they are: (1) Beyond the scope of the proposed 
action and its purpose and need; (2) already decided by law, 
regulation, or the Land and Resource Management Plan; (3) irrelevant to 
the decision to be made; or (4) conjectural and not supported by 
scientific or factual evidence.
    An anticipated public issue with the Lakes Forest Recovery Project 
is the proposal to implement resource management activities within 
suitable California spotted owl habitat. Alternatives currently being 
considered for the Lakes Forest Recovery Project include: (a) No 
action; (b) the proposed action as outlined above, and; (c) an 
alternative, based on the proposed action, that does not enter into 
suitable California spotted owl habitat.
    While public participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, 
comments received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will 
be especially useful in the preparation of the draft EIS.

Identification of Permits or Licenses Required

    No permits or licenses have been identified to implement the 
proposal action.

Estimated Dates for Filing

    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency and available for public review on March 2001. The 
comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability of 
the draft EIS in the Federal Register.

The Reviewers Obligation To Comment

    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 statements must structure their participation in the 
environmental review of the proposal so that 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, 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 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 Regulation of implementing the 
procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

    Dated: December 6, 2000.
Edward C. Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 00-31694 Filed 12-12-00; 8:45 am]
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