[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 21 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4683-4685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-1606]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest; California: Round Valley Fuels Reduction 
and Vegetation Management Project

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 reduce fuels and manage vegetation on about 
18,700 acres on the Klamath National Forest in Northern California. The 
proposal intends to reduce the fuel hazard that leads to uncontrollable 
wildfire, improve forage for big game, reduce juniper, enhance aspen, 
and to promote a diverse and resilient forest.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by March 5, 2007. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
in September 2007, and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected in December 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Margaret Boland, Forest Supervisor, 
C/O Kelly Pavlica, Goosenest Ranger District, 37805 Highway 97, 
Macdoel, CA 96058. Electronic comments must be submitted in a format 
such as an e-mail message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), 
or Word (.doc) to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emelia Barnum, EIS Team Leader, (530) 
398-4391, Ext. 5767, or Kelly Pavlica, EIS Co-Team Leader (530) 398-
4391, Ext. 5730.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project is located on the Goosenest 
Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest. The project area 
includes Cedar Mountain and continues south to the community of 
Tennant, California. The legal location is in Township 45 North, Range 
1 East, Sections 23-26, 35, 36; Township 45 North, Range 1 West, 
Sections 19-21, 27-33; Township 44 North, Range 1 East, Sections 1-3, 
10-15, 21-28, 33-35; Township 44 North, Range 1 West, Sections 5, 7, 
18, 19-20, 29-30; and Township 43 North, Range 1 East, Sections 2, 3, 
10, 11, 14 Mount Diablo Meridian. This project is within Management 
Areas 10 (Riparian Reserve), 14 (Winter Range), 15 (Partial Retention), 
and 16 (Forage), as designated by the Klamath National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan (LRMP). The project is also within the 
boundaries of the federally recognized wildland urban interface (WUI) 
of the community of Tennant, California. The project also encompasses 
or is adjacent to other outlying residential areas and private 
property.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for action is as follows:
     To reduce fuels in order to create a defensible space for 
fire suppression resources and to decrease the potential for 
detrimental wildfire effects to the overall project area, the community 
of Tennant, outlying residents, and private property.
     To improve big game habitat by providing a well-
distributed, patchy mosaic of big game cover and browse habitat and by 
reducing the density of roads.
     To reduce the number of juniper trees to produce forage 
for wildlife and to allow herbaceous plants to grow.
     To promote thrifty, vigorous trees resilient to 
environmental factors in multiple stages of development.
     To encourage aspen in areas where conifer encroachment is 
crowding out the species.
    The existing condition of the project area (described below) does 
not meet the desired conditions described in the LRMP.
     Stand replacing wildfires could take place in much of the 
project area, due to surface fuels, understory vegetation, and dense 
stand conditions. A potential exists for wildfires to detrimentally 
affect the community of Tennant, outlying residents, and private 
property.
     Ponderosa pine stands within the project area are 
overstocked for the dry site and highly susceptible to insect-induced 
mortality, disease and stand replacing fires. These stands are both 
plantations, planted mostly in the 1980s, and stands that were 
naturally regenerated after turn of the 20th century railroad logging. 
Currently, natural regeneration is limited in many of these areas due 
to poor site conditions. Because of this, several stands in the 
southern portion of the project area are predominately even-aged.
     Mixed-conifer stands on Cedar Mountain are overstocked for 
the dry site and highly susceptible to insect-induced mortality, 
disease and stand replacing fires. Regeneration is abundant in the 
Cedar Mountain area. Many of the larger, older trees in the area are in 
poor condition due to increased competition for water and nutrients by 
the encroachment of trees and brush.
     Western juniper has expanded its range, altering site 
conditions and vegetative structure and composition. Due to the 
expansion of juniper, available forage for big game has decreased, and 
the potential for an uncontrollable wildfire to occur has increased.
     Nearly all stands contain a high component of mature to 
decadent bitterbrush that is in decline. Decadent bitterbrush is less 
palatable for deer because it produces less leader growth, which is 
what deer consume as browse. Decadent bitterbrush is more flammable due 
to the accumulation of dead plant material, and the plants are more 
susceptible to mortality from wildfire. The younger age class is absent 
from many of the mature and decadent bitterbrush stands, and is needed 
for future replacement of browse.
     Aspen stands are being replaced by conifers near Antelope 
Creek, due to shading and resource competition. Aspen trees require 
abundant sunlight to thrive. In addition to abundant sunlight, young 
aspen require protection from browsing in order to establish. Aspen is 
considered a keystone species that provides biodiversity across the 
landscape.

Proposed Action

    The Klamath National Forest proposes the following actions to move 
toward LRMP desired conditions (the total acreage proposed for 
treatment is about 18,700 acres within the 20,100-acre planning area):
    Treatments will include the following:
     Prescribed underburning: Approximately 6,440 acres will be 
underburned in varying intensities to reduce fuels, change future fire 
behavior, and promote a mosaic of browse age classes and herbaceous 
seral stages.
     Brush/small tree mowing: Approximately 330 acres will be 
mowed with light mechanical equipment to lower fuel bed heights and 
promote a mosaic of browse age classes.
     Defensible space: Along forest roads 45N10 and 43N20, 
vegetation will be reduced within 150 feet of the road to provide a 
defensible space for firefighters in the event of a wildfire. Mowing, 
thinning, and prescribed underburning will be used as needed to create 
the defensible space. These treatments will primarily target brush and 
ladder fuels.
     Juniper reduction: Approximately 3,620 acres of juniper 
reduction is planned throughout the planning area. Where continuous 
stands of juniper exist, the larger, older trees will be

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retained as well as patches of juniper to provide wildlife cover and 
biodiversity.
     Aspen enhancement: Approximately 7 acres of conifers will 
be removed in order to promote the regeneration of aspen near Antelope 
Creek. The largest conifers and snags will be retained where safety 
permits. These acres would not be contiguous but, wherever possible, be 
placed around openings and locations where aspen is already present.
     Thinning from below: Approximately 8,750 acres in natural 
stands and 2,520 acres in plantations will be thinned to variable 
spacing. The goal is to reduce aerial and ladder fuels and tree 
densities, and to promote and maintain larger, more resilient trees, 
while retaining beneficial elements to wildlife such as structural 
diversity. Occasionally, we will culture a large tree with desired 
characteristics by removing trees around it up to one tree-length in 
distance. Plantation thinning will include concurrent brush mowing.
     Planting: Across the southern portion of the project area, 
approximately 10% of the openings will be planted where natural 
regeneration failed following turn of the twentieth century railroad 
logging. These sites will be prepared for planting, and ponderosa pine 
will be planted. This will begin the development of new age classes 
within ponderosa pine stands where natural regeneration is scarce. 
Trees planted will be spaced to a width that will reduce the future 
fire hazard usually associated with dense plantations.
     Bald eagle habitat enhancement: Approximately 135 acres 
will be identified for bald eagle emphasis. This area will be managed 
according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Bald Eagle 
Recovery Plan to promote habitat required by bald eagles for long-term 
nesting and roosting. The bald eagle is a federally listed Threatened 
species.
    Standard design features, such as protection of heritage sites and 
no-treatment buffers around caves, will be used. Untreated wildlife 
areas and variable intensities of treatment will protect resources and 
provide biodiversity. These non-treatment areas are not included in the 
above acreage estimates. Forest Service crews, service contracts, 
stewardship contracts and/or commercial timber sales may implement 
these actions. All harvesting and mowing activities will be ground-
based. Wherever possible, tree tops and limbs will be skidded to the 
landing to minimize activity-generated slash. Borax will be applied to 
cut surfaces of stumps 14 inches and greater to prevent development of 
annosus root disease infection centers.
    To facilitate stand access for project activities, a few temporary 
road spurs will be created or reopened, and several existing 
unauthorized roads will be used. Approximately 4 miles of new temporary 
road spurs will be closed and re-vegetated after project 
implementation. In an effort to bring roads from an unmanaged condition 
to a managed condition, up to 17 miles of existing unauthorized roads 
that are needed for travel management and access will be added to 
Forest System, and about 13 miles of existing roads (both authorized 
and unauthorized) will be closed.
    Roads proposed for closure are: 44N10Y.2, 44.14.3, 44N28.1, 44N92, 
22N93.1C, 44N93.1C1, 45N10A, 45N10B, 45N10C, 45N10D, 45N10E, 45N10F, 
45N11A.1, 45N21Y.1, 5Q003.1, 5Q003.2, 6Q003.1, and 6Q003.1A. A seasonal 
closure from January 1 to August 31 is proposed for 45N10 
(approximately 3.2 miles north of county road 6Q003 at the existing 
gate).

Responsible Official

    Margaret Boland, Forest Supervisor, Klamath National Forest, 1312 
Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097-9549.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether to implement the action as 
proposed, not to implement the Proposed Action, or to implement an 
alternative.

Scoping Process

    If you have information you feel the Forest Service may not be 
aware of, or feel you have issues (points of dispute, debate, or 
disagreement) regarding potential effects of this proposed action, 
please contact Kelly Pavlica at the Goosenest Ranger District, 37805 
Highway 97, Macdoel, CA 96058, (530) 398-4391, within 30 days of 
publication of this notice. We will use any significant issues that are 
identified to develop alternatives to the Proposed Action.
    All input and comments received during project planning are a 
matter of public record. Names and addresses of participants are not 
confidential. If you are interested participating in a field visit to 
the proposed project area please contact Kelly Pavlica at the number 
listed above. A field trip with interested participants will be 
arranged.

Permits or Licenses Required

    We are requesting temporary road access to the northern portion of 
the project area from a private landowner.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. For questions 
about the project, please contact Kelly Pavlica at (530) 398-4391.
    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 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 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 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 Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

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    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: January 23, 2007.
Margaret J. Boland,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E7-1606 Filed 1-31-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P