[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15147-15148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6685]



[[Page 15147]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


McNally Fire Roadless Restoration Project

AGENCY: USDA Forest Service.

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

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is preparing an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) to address the impacts of the 
McNally Fire within the Rincon, Chico, and Cannell Roadless areas. In 
July and August of 2002, the Sequoia National Forest experienced the 
largest wildfire in its history. The Sequoia National Forest proposes 
to begin long-germ ecological restoration on that portion of the fire 
damaged areas on the Cannell Meadow and Hot Springs Ranger Districts 
that are inside the inventoried roadless areas with the exclusion of 
those areas that lie within the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The 
McNally Fire Roadless Restoration Project would implement restoration 
measures on those watersheds that burned with a moderate to high 
intensity leading to heavy tree mortality and/or other adverse effects 
to forest resources such as soils, riparian areas, and wildlife 
habitat. The fire also killed hundreds of thousands of trees that if 
left untreated will contribute to high fuel loading over time and re-
create high risks for another catastrophic fire. The goal of the 
project is to move the burned areas toward the desired conditions 
described in the Sequoia National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan (Forest Plan) as amended by the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan 
Amendment (SNFPA).

DATES: The public is asked to submit any issues (points of concern, 
debate, dispute, or disagreement) regarding potential effects of the 
proposed action by April 25, 2003. The draft EIS is expected to be 
available for public comment in August 2003 and the final EIS is 
expected to be published in November 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: McNally Fire Roadless Restoration 
Project, USDA Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest, 900 W. Grant 
Avenue, Porterville, CA 93257.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Simonson, Ecosystem Manager, 
Sequoia National Forest, at the address listed above. The phone number 
is (559) 784-1500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    In light of desired conditions specified in the Forest Plan and the 
existing conditions within the project area outlined above, there is an 
immediate need to:
    1. Accelerate the re-establishment of burned conifer stands to 
provide important habitat for such old forest species as the spotted 
owl, fisher, marten, and goshawk.
    2. Restore ground cover to soils left unprotected by the fire in 
order to minimize erosion in the short term and to replace organic 
material over the long term.
    3. Reduce existing fuels in order to reduce the risk of another 
stand-replacing fire, which would damage recovering habitats and 
riparian condition, thereby setting back the clock on development of 
old forest habitat and ripaian restoration.

Proposed Action

    This project proposes to restore approximately 17,700 acres of 
conifer habitat and 12,130 acres of Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs), 
of which 5,894 acres are within conifer habitat, with a combination of 
treatment and non-treatment methods. No roads would be constructed 
within the inventoried roadless areas. All the areas proposed for 
treatment are to be managed following the land management direction in 
the Forest Plan as amended.
    Treatments that would be applied in a specific area depend upon the 
specific restoration need, the slope of the terrain, the degree of 
vegetation mortality, and the land management allocation. Where 
possible, dead trees that have commercial value and that are not needed 
to meet resource objectives would be removed from the site primarily by 
helicopter through a commercial timber sale. Restoration may require 
the removal of fire-killed trees to facilitate the future management of 
those stands. Standing dead trees may present safety hazards and 
physical barriers to the restoration activities and to future uses. 
Removal may also be needed to reduce future fuels accumulation to help 
mitigate future uncharacteristic wildfire effects. Other fuel 
treatments besides removal will include prescribed burning in 
combination with removal and/or the dropping and leaving of dead trees.
    Felling of dead trees across the contour of the slope is proposed 
to stabilize sediment. Reforestation with conifers (planting and 
seeding) is proposed to re-establish habitats occupied by late-seral 
species prior to the fire, to link together suitable remnant habitats, 
and to restore large expanses of old forest habitat. Large-diameter 
snags and logs will be retained in sufficient quantity to maintain 
legacy structures for both the late-seral species and their prey.
    Riparian Conservation Areas (RCA) would also be treated to restore 
riparian values by re-establishing vegetation, reducing excessive fuel 
loadings, stabilizing stream channels and sediment, and improving 
ground cover conditions. Contour felling of dead trees is proposed to 
stabilize sediment. Planting and seeding of native plants, such as 
conifers and willows, is proposed to re-establish some of the riparian 
corridors and other special areas.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is Forest Supervisor Arthur L. Gaffrey, 
Sequoia National Forest, 900 West Grand Avenue, Porterville, California 
93257.

Comment Requested

    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 that, at this early stage, it is very 
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 the 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 should be as specific as possible.


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    Dated: March 14, 2003.
Arthur L. Gaffrey,
Forest Supervisor, Sequoia National Forest, USDA Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 03-6685 Filed 3-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M