[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9515-9516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1692]



[[Page 9515]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Black Hills National Forest, Bearlodge Ranger District, Wyoming, 
Dean Project Area Proposal and Analysis

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a supplemental environmental 
impact statement on a proposal to implement multiple resource 
management actions within the Dean Area as directed by the Black Hills 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The Dean Project 
Area covers about 12,468 acres of National Forest System land and about 
2,256 acres of interspersed private land within the Redwater Creek 
watershed directly north of Sundance, Wyoming. Proposed actions would 
modify the structure of forest stands across the planning area to 
reduce fuel loads, potential for uncharacteristically intense wildfire 
behavior, and risk of insect outbreaks; provide for diverse wildlife 
habitat and restore hardwoods; and provide a mix of motorized and 
nonmotorized use opportunities. A previous decision on this project was 
reversed on appeal. A supplemental EIS will be prepared with the aim to 
issue another project decision.

DATES: Scoping was conducted as described in the Notice of Intent of 
November 24, 2004 (69 FR 68303). The original Draft EIS was issued in 
March 2005 (70 FR 12211), and the comment period was extended once (70 
FR 19951). Comments were accepted through May 2, 2005. The Notice of 
Availability of the Final environmental impact statement was issued 
June 3, 2005 (70 FR 32610). The project decision was appealed, and 
reversed in a written appeal decision on September 1, 2005. The Forest 
Service expects to issue the Supplemental Draft EIS for this project in 
February 2006, and the Supplemental FEIS and decision in about May 
2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janis Bouma, Project Coordinator, 
Black Hills National Forest, Bearlodge Ranger District, 121 S. 21st 
Street, Sundance, Wyoming 82729, phone (307) 283-1361.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The actions are proposed in direct response 
to management direction provided by the Black Hills National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended by the 
Phase II Forest Plan amendment. The site-specific actions are based on 
Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines to promote existing resource 
conditions in the Dean Project Area toward meeting Forest Plan Goals 
and Objectives. The project area lies in the Bear Lodge Mountains in 
the Black Hills National Forest, directly north of Sundance, Wyoming. 
Issues considered include: Fire and fuel hazard reduction; impacts of 
vegetation treatment and multiple forest uses on wildlife and fish 
habitat; and travel management and recreation.

Purpose of and Need for Action

    There is a need to reduce the potential for uncharacteristically 
intense wildfire behavior and insect infestation, provide diverse 
wildlife habitat, and manage motorized recreation in the Dean Project 
Area. This project will address Forest Plan Goals 1 (protect basic 
soil, air, water and cave resources); 2 (provide for biologically 
diverse ecosystems); 3 (provide for sustained commodity uses); 4 
(provide for scenic quality and recreation opportunities, and protect 
heritage resources); 7 (cooperate with outside parties); and 10 
(establish and maintain a mosaic of vegetation conditions to reduce the 
occurrences of large-scale fire and insect/disease events), consistent 
with Forest Plan standards and guidelines.

Proposed Action

    Actions proposed in the Dean Project Area include:
     Modifying stand structure across the planning area to 
reduce potential for uncharacteristically intense wildlife behavior and 
benefit wildlife. This action includes thinning the forest, removing 
conifers from stands of hardwoods such as aspen, bur oak, and birch, 
and expanding and/or creating meadows.
     Reducing fuel loads by decreasing the volume and 
arrangement of both existing fuels and those resulting from other 
vegetation treatment activities. Treatment could include lopping, 
chipping, crushing, piling and burning, and prescribed burning on up to 
2,971 acres.
     Reducing the density of pine stands on up to 4,840 acres 
to decrease the potential for spreading crown fires, increase tree 
growth and vigor, and lessen the risk of insect infestation and 
disease. This may be done by using commercial timber harvest to thin 
out merchantable trees and using other methods to thin small, 
unmerchantable trees. These actions would provide wood fiber to local 
industry and would require construction of up to 5.7 miles of new 
specified roads.
     Modifying the Forest Plan through a non-significant 
amendment to change management area (MA) designation in part of the 
project area to better reflect actual conditions. The entire project is 
currently in MA 5.4 (Big Game Winter Range Emphasis). The lower 
elevations and south aspects on the east side of the project area 
currently provide appropriate and important winter range for deer and 
elk and are utilized as such. However, the remainder of the project 
area is heavily used by deer and elk only during the spring, summer, 
and fall, including calving and fawning periods. Therefore, the Forest 
proposes to change the Management Area designation in a portion of the 
project area to MA 5.6 (Forest Products, Recreation, and Big Game 
Emphasis) to better reflect the actual utilization, better manage the 
project area to benefit a variety of wildlife, including big game 
species, and better reflect existing non-motorized recreation 
opportunities.
     Providing a mix of motorized and non-motorized 
opportunities and protecting wildlife in the area by closing the 
project area to off-road motorized travel and restricting ATV use to 
designated routes. Main system routes currently open to motorized 
travel would remain open. Approximately 23.5 miles of roads would also 
be decommissioned.

Alternatives Considered

    Four alternatives will be analyzed in the Supplemental Draft EIS. 
These alternatives are:
     Alternative A, No Action--Proposed actions would be 
deferred at this time.
     Alternative B--Promote late succession habitat and 
increase diversity while reducing fuels and insect infestation risk.
     Alternative C--Proposed Action--Aggressively treat forest 
vegetation to reduce fire and fuels hazard; prohibit off-road motorized 
travel in the project area; amend the Forest Plan to allow for a change 
in management area designation.
     Alternative D--Focus treatments near private lands and in 
other strategic locations; de-emphasize the use of commercial timber 
harvest and feature broadcast burning and fuel breaks.

Responsible Official

    Craig Bobzien, Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest, is 
the responsible official. The address is Black Hills National Forest, 
1019 N. 5th Street, Custer, South Dakota 57730. The telephone is (605) 
673-9200.

[[Page 9516]]

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decisions to be made are whether to implement the proposed 
action or alternatives at this time; and whether to amend the Revised 
Forest Plan to allow a change in management area designation for part 
of the project area.

    Dated: February 16, 2006.
Craig Bobzien,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 06-1692 Filed 2-23-06; 8:45 am]
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