[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 66 (Monday, April 7, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16756-16758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8318]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest, California, Meteor

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement on a proposal to conduct vegetative management activities 
using a variety of methods on National Forest System lands in the 
Salmon River watershed near the towns of Sawyers Bar, Forks of Salmon, 
and Cecilville in Siskiyou County, California. Timber harvest and 
associated activities are proposed on approximately 744 acres. Removal 
of non-commercial trees and brush are proposed on approximately 131 
acres. No new road construction is proposed. Some road decommissioning 
is proposed. All activities would likely occur within three to five 
years of the decision being made.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
within 14 days of the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected by May 
2003 and the final environmental impact statement is expected by 
September 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Margaret Boland, Forest Supervisor, 
Klamath National Forest, 1312 Fairlane Road, Yreka, California 96097.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynda Karns, Team Leader, at the above 
address or call (530) 841-4469.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purposes of the proposed action are to maintain stand health by 
leading stands into a resilient condition where they can provide a 
sustained yield of wood products; to reduce the risk of losing these 
stands to catastrophic fire; to maintain unique wildlife habitats; and 
to provide an economical, safe, and environmentally sensitive 
transportation system. The need for treatment was identified when the 
existing condition was compared with the desired condition from the 
Klamath National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. These needs 
or opportunities are taken from the Upper South Fork of the Salmon 
River Ecosystem Analysis, the North Fork Salmon Watershed Assessment, 
the Lower South Fork of the Salmon River Ecosystem Analysis, and the 
Klamath National Forest Forestwide Roads Analysis.

[[Page 16757]]

Proposed Action

    The Salmon River District of the Klamath National Forest proposes 
timber harvest and associated activities on approximately 744 acres in 
the Salmon River Watershed. Harvest prescriptions include 313 acres of 
commercial thinning, 317 acres of group selection, 36 acres of green 
tree retention (some acres are double-counted with the thinning acres), 
28 acres of seed tree/sanitation, and 50 acres of salvage. All acreages 
are approximate. Helicopter, cable, and tractor logging systems would 
be used. Harvest activities would occur on matrix land, which includes 
the land allocations of General Forest, Partial Retention, and 
Recreational Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSRs). Selected stream channel 
areas and unstable areas in the Riparian Reserve land allocation would 
be thinned to move these areas towards their desired condition. 
Associated activities including reforestation, precommercial thinning, 
browse protection, hardwood felling, hand grubbing and chainsaw release 
of planted trees, gopher control, and mastication (grinding up) of non-
commercial trees would occur on matrix land. Project-generated fuels 
would be treated through a combination of hand piling, prescribed 
burning, yarding and removal of unmerchantable material, tractor 
piling, and other mechanical treatment.
    Non-commercial trees and brush would be masticated on approximately 
131 acres in nine stands outside of timber sale units. Habitat 
improvement activities would include low-intensity underburning in oak 
stands, repairing a fence, repairing the outlet to a pond, and 
improving two water developments.
    No new road construction is proposed. One road would be 
stormproofed (made self-maintaining), one unclassified road would be 
improved and added to the transportation system, six unclassified roads 
would be decommissioned, and two roads would have maintenance level 
changes.
    The legal description is Township 37-40 North, Range 11-12 West, 
Mount Diablo Meridian and Township 10 North, Range 8 East, Humboldt 
Meridian. All activities would likely be completed within three to five 
years of the decision being made.

Possible Alternatives

    An alternative that includes timber harvest and associated 
activities on approximately 650 acres, mastication of non-commercial 
trees and brush on 41 acres outside of timber sale units, oak 
underburning, and improving two water developments would also be 
considered. Road work would be similar to the proposed action.

Responsible Official

    Margaret Boland, Forest Supervisor, USDA Forest Service, 1312 
Fairlane Road, Yreka, California 96097 is the Responsible Official.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Service must decide whether it will implement this 
proposal, an alternative design that moves the area towards the desired 
condition, or not implement any project at this time.

Scoping Process

    In October 2002, this vegetation management project was included in 
the Klamath National Forest's Schedule of Proposed Actions, which was 
posted on the Klamath National Forest's internet web site and mailed to 
interested parties. In January of 2003 a scoping letter for the 
proposed vegetation management project was mailed to 82 people, groups, 
and agencies. The scoping letter was sent to those who expressed 
interest in the proposal, who owned property adjacent to the project 
area, and to agencies with responsibilities for local resource 
management. This notice of intent invites additional public comment on 
this proposal and initiates the preparation of the environmental impact 
statement. Due to the extensive scoping effects already conducted, no 
scoping meeting is planned. The public is encouraged to take part in 
the planning process and to visit with Forest Service officials at any 
time during the analysis and prior to the decision.
    While public participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, 
comments received within 14 days of the publication of this notice will 
be especially useful in the preparation of the draft environmental 
impact statement. The scoping process will include identifying 
potential issues, significant issues to be analyzed in depth, 
alternatives to the proposed action, and potential environmental 
effects of the proposal and alternatives.

Preliminary Issues

    Six preliminary issues have been identified for this proposal as 
follows: (1) Timber harvest and underburning could reduce the quantity 
and quality of habitat providing for northern spotted owl (NSO) 
nesting, roosting, foraging, and dispersal activities in Critical 
Habitat in the Matrix. (2) Timber harvest in conjunction with past 
cumulative effects in the upper Jones Gulch Drainage could trigger 
slope failure in the dormant landslide area below. (3) Timber harvest, 
fuel reduction, and road activities, could cause soil erosion or 
trigger slope failure, which could increase sediment in streams, 
contributing to cumulative effects to water quality. (4) Timber 
harvest, fuel reduction, and road activities could increase sediment in 
streams, affecting the habitat of anadromous fish. (5) Logging in 
riparian reserves could cause erosion and result in sedimentation in 
streams. (6) Portions of units located along the North Fork of the 
Salmon River, which is designated as Recreational in the WSR System, 
could adversely affect WSR values.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The public is 
encouraged to take part in the process and is encouraged to visit with 
Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior to 
the decision. The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments 
and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and other 
individuals or organizations that may be interested in, or affected by, 
the proposed vegetation management activities.

Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review

    A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared for 
comment. 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, at this early state, 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 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).

[[Page 16758]]

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 Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: March 31, 2003.
Margaret J. Boland,
Forest Supervisor, Klamath National Forest.
[FR Doc. 03-8318 Filed 4-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P