[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10136-10137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1053]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Fremont-Winema National Forests; Oregon; Invasive Plant Treatment

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to document and disclose the potential environmental 
effects of proposed invasive plant treatments on the Fremont-Winema 
National Forests. Treatment methods would include manual, mechanical, 
cultural, biological, and chemical control. Combinations of methods may 
be used. Treatments would focus on 4,274 known invasive plant sites 
currently infesting approximately 7,730 acres. The Proposed Action also 
includes an Early Detection/Rapid Response (EDRR) process to allow 
treatment of new or previously undiscovered infestations. Under the 
EDRR approach, new sites would be evaluated to ensure that effects are 
within the scope of those already analyzed in the EIS.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by April 9, 2007. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
in November 2007 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected in July 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Karen Shimamoto, Forests 
Supervisor, Fremont-Winema National Forests, Fremont-Winema 
Headquarters, 1301 South G Street, Lakeview, OR 97630. Electronic 
comments can be submitted to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Elston, Interdisciplinay Team 
Leader, Fremont-Winema National Forests, P.O. Box 129, Silver Lake, OR 
97638. Phone (541) 576-7569 or e-mail [email protected]; or Sarah 
Malaby, Forest Botanist, Fremont-Winema National Forests, 2819 Dahlia, 
Klamath Falls, OR 97601. Phone (541) 885-3421 or e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    There is an underlying need for timely control and/or eradiction of 
invasive plants on the Fremont-Winema National Forests so that desired 
environmental conditions (healthy native plant populations) may be 
achieved. Invasive plants can displace native plant communities, 
increase fire hazard, degrade fish and wildlife habitat, eliminate rare 
and cultural plants, increase soil erosion, and adversely affect scenic 
beauty and recreational opportunities. Because of their competitive 
abilities and a lack of natural predators to keep them in check, 
invasive plants can spread rapidly across the landscape, unimpeded by 
ownership or administrative boundaries. Infested areas represent 
potential seed sources for further invasion into neighboring 
ownerships. On the Fremont-Winema National Forests there are presently 
24 species of invasive plants infesting approximately 7,400 acres.
    Noxious weed control is currently taking place on the Forests under 
separate Winema and Fremont Environmental Assessments. This proposal 
would create a consistent program across the two Forests, address 
invasive species sites found since those decisions were signed, and 
include use of additional, often less toxic and more effective, 
herbicides. The project will utilize recent direction and new tools 
provided by the Pacific Northwest Region Invasive Plant Program 
Preventing and Managing Invasive Plants Record of Decision signed in 
2005.
    The purpose of this project is to control invasive plants in a 
cost-effective manner that complies with environmental standards. 
Without action, invasive plant populations will continue to have 
adverse effects on National Forest System and adjacent lands.

Proposed Action

    The Proposed Action for this project is to apply site-specific 
treatment prescriptions to invasive plants on the Fremont-Winema 
National Forests. Treatments are to be based on site objective 
(containment, control, or eradication), biology of the invasive plant 
species, size of the infestation, and spread potential. Project Design 
Criteria (PDC) will be developed to reduce or eliminate potentially 
adverse effects on non-target species and other resources.
    Treatment of both existing and newly discovered invasive plant 
species infestations would occur during the next 10 to 15 years. 
Concentrations of known invasive plant sites have been grouped into 54 
``treatment areas'' that take into consideration expected spread 
patterns associated with road systems, plantations, areas burned by 
wildfire, and other habitat conditions at risk of infestation. 
Treatment areas encompass 156,000 acres and contain 4,274 known 
invasive plant sites currently infesting approximately 7,730 acres. 
Maps and descriptions of treatment areas are available at: 
http:www.fs.fed.us/r6/frewin/projects/analyses/2007invasives/, or upon 
request. The amount of acres treated in any given year would depend on 
funding and the success of past treatments. It is expected that less 
than

[[Page 10137]]

5,000 acres would be treated each year. With private landowner 
cooperation, the proposal would provide the option to use Federal funds 
to treat invasive plants on adjacent private lands both inside and 
outside the Forest boundary. Use of federal dollars on private land 
would be considered for high priority species, populations overlapping 
both ownerships, and sites with high potential for spread across 
boundaries, such as those in road corridors and areas burned by 
wildfire.
    The Proposed Action includes an Early Detection/Rapid Response 
(EDRR) process to allow treatment of new or previously undiscovered 
infestations outside of treatment areas. The intent of the EDRR 
approach is to increase cost-effectiveness by treating new infestations 
when they are small so that the likelihood of adverse effects from 
treatment is minimized, and the invasives plants do less ecological 
damage. Under the EDRR approach, new sites would be evaluated to 
determine appropriate Project Design Criteria and to ensure that 
effects are within the scope of those already analyzed in the EIS.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official is Karen Shimamoto, Fremont-Winema 
National Forests Supervisor. She may be contacted at Fremont-Winema 
Headquarters, 1301 South G Street, Lakeview, OR 97630.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will decide what type of methods and how 
they will be used to contain, control, or eradicate invasive plants on 
the Fremont-Winema National Forests.

Scoping Process

    The public is asked to provide the responsible official with 
written comments describing their concerns about this project. Public 
meetings will be held during the spring or summer of 2007.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The comments 
most useful to developing or refining the proposed action would be site 
specific concerns and those that can help us develop treatments that 
would be responsive to our goal to control, contain, or eradicate 
invasive plants as well as being cost effective.

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.
    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: February 28, 2007.
Karen Shimamoto,
Forest Supervisor, Fremont-Winema National Forests.
[FR Doc. 07-1053 Filed 3-6-07; 8:45 am]
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