[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 13 (Thursday, January 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3984-3985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1043]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Sequoia National Forest; California; Piute Fire Restoration

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The project area for this analysis is the approximately 32,890 
acre portion of the Piute Fire on National Forest System lands; 
approximately 1,700 acres of the fire restoration project area fall 
within the former Clear CreekProject area. The USDA Forest Service, 
Sequoia National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) for a proposal to treat approximately 2,260 acres of fire killed 
and damaged trees, both through removal and treating on site, in the 
Piute Fire burned area; some of these treatment areas are within the 
former Clear Creek Project area. The land allocations within the fire 
area, as identified in the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan SupplementalEIS, 
are old forest emphasis, general forest, threat zone, defense zone, 
protected activity centers for spotted owls, spotted owl home range 
core areas, and riparian conservation areas adjacent to perennial, 
seasonal, and ephemeral streams.
    There is a need in the Piute Fire area for: (1) the recovery of the 
economic value of timber killed or severely injured by the fire, in a 
expeditious manner, for the purposes of reducing the cost of 
reforestation activities and supplying wood fiber to local sawmills; 
(2) the prevention of a future high intensity, stand-replacing wildfire 
by reducing long term fuel loading for the purpose of facilitating 
future fire management techniques (prescribed fire and wildland fire 
use); (3) the recruitment and retention of both short and long term 
large down logs and snag habitat, for the purpose of providing 
sufficient burned forest habitat for dependent species; (4) the re-
vegetation of conifer stands and other plant and animal habitats that 
were burned; (5) the improvement of long term soil productivity, by 
repairing roads and establishing effective ground cover in severely 
burned areas, for the purpose of minimizing soil erosion and begin to 
replace soil organic material; and (6) the reduction of safety hazards 
to the public and forest workers from falling trees.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by February 23, 2009. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected August 2009, and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected February 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Sue Porter, Project Leader, Kern 
RiverRanger District, P.O. Box 9, Kernville, CA 93238, and Attention: 
Piute FireRestoration. Comments may be sent via e-mail 
[email protected] or via facsimile to 760-376-3795. Comments received 
in response to this solicitation, including the names and addresses of 
those who comment, will be part of the public record on this proposed 
action. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; 
however, anonymous comments will not provide the respondent with 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Porter, 760-376-3781, extension 
650. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    In June and July 2008, the Piute Fire burned approximately 37,025 
acres on the Sequoia National Forest, Bureau of Land Management and 
private lands. The fire burned with varying intensity across a variety 
of plant communities(chaparral, oak woodland, Jeffrey pine, mixed 
conifer, pinyon-juniper, and desert shrub). Approximately 60% of the 
forested areas of the fire were burned such that 75-100% of the trees 
were killed and the duff and litter that protected the soil was 
completely consumed. In these areas, the fire resulted in the 
destruction of wildlife habitat for sensitive species and the loss of 
old forest characteristics. Near the end of the fire, two localized, 
heavy rainstorm events occurred within the Piute Fire area. These 
events resulted in high rates of soil erosion in the fire area, 
sedimentation of streams, and debris flows that extended into the Kern 
River from Erskine Creek and ClearCreek and into the Walker Basin from 
Thompson Creek.
    The fire killed tens of thousands of trees that, if left untreated, 
will contribute to extremely high fuel loading over time. As these dead 
trees fall and fuel accumulates, future fires will be even more severe. 
Treating the dead and dying tree component of the landscape is the 
first step in restoring forest health, reducing long term fuel loading, 
and restoring the historic fire regime, thereby reducing the impacts of 
fires on the future forest and contributing to the restoration of old 
forest habitats. Without treatment to begin to restore the fire area, 
significant additional impacts to soil, water quality, heritage 
resources, and wildlife habitat are likely over the short and long 
term.
    This environmental impact statement (EIS) will address: treating 
the dead and dying tree component of the landscape, reforesting burned 
conifer areas, and repairing roads to reduce sediment delivery to 
streams. The process of completing these treatments would reduce soil 
erosion by immediately increasing effective ground cover (limbs, twigs, 
and small boles) and maintain soil productivity for tree growth.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action would remove dead and dying trees, using 
ground-based logging methods, to recover the economic value of timber 
on about 510 acres and treated on site to reduce future fuel loading on 
an additional 1,750 acres. Trees posing a safety hazard to the public 
and forest workers would be removed along roads. Roads would be 
reconstructed and repaired to facilitate access to treatment areas and 
to improve watershed condition. Slash would be treated to provide 
ground cover and reduce short term fuel loading. Conifer seedlings 
would be planted to begin reforestation of the fire area. Protection 
would be applied to sensitive plant and wildlife species and heritage 
resources.
    The proposed action is consistent with the 1988 Sequoia National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended by the Sierra 
Nevada Forest PlanAmendment Record of Decision, and the 1990 Mediated 
Settlement Agreement.

Possible Alternatives

    Other alternatives will be developed based on significant issues 
identified during the scoping process for the environmental impact 
statement. All alternatives will need to respond to the specific 
condition of providing benefits equal to or better than the current 
condition. Alternatives being considered at this time include: (1) No 
Action, and (2) the Proposed Action.

[[Page 3985]]

Responsible Official

    Tina Terrell, Forest Supervisor, Sequoia National Forest, 1839 
South Newcomb Street, Porterville, CA 93257, is the responsible 
official. As the responsible official, she will document the decision 
and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That decision 
will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR Part 215).

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether to adopt and implement the 
proposed action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no 
action to remove or treat fire killed and damaged trees in the project 
area, to plant conifer seedlings, to undertake road improvements, or to 
implement fuel treatments.

Scoping Process

    The notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of 
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be 
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly 
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions. The submission of 
timely and specific comments can affect a reviewer's ability to 
participate in subsequent administrative appeal or judicial review.

    Dated: January 13, 2009.
Tina J. Terrell,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E9-1043 Filed 1-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M