[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 33 (Friday, February 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7853-7855]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3612]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest, CA, Big Pony Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Klamath National Forest (KNF) will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose 
the environmental effects of implementing a vegetation and fuels 
management project designed to reduce fire hazard to research plots and 
improve forest health.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
within 45 days from date of publication in the Federal Register. The 
draft EIS is expected in March, 2010 and the final EIS is expected in 
August, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Jorge Enriquez, Goosenest Ranger 
District, 37805 Highway 97, Macdoel, CA 96058. Comments may also be 
sent via e-mail to [email protected], or via facsimile to (530) 398-398-5749 A public 
scoping meeting to discuss project details and identify any potential 
significant issues will be held on March 18th, 2009 at the Goosenest 
Ranger District, 37805 Highway 97, Macdoel, CA 96058.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will become part of the public 
record for 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: Jorge Enriquez, Goosenest Ranger 
District at (530) 398-5784 or [email protected]. 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

    The purpose for the proposed project is to reduce the potential 
fire impacts to permanent research plots, and within and adjacent to 
wildland urban interface (WUI) near Tennant, California. Intensive 
logging in the early 1900s and subsequent fire suppression have 
increased susceptibility to stand replacing insect, disease, and fire 
events. The Big Pony Project is designed to reduce forest 
susceptibility to stand replacing wildfire and increase stand 
resiliency to insect, disease and fire damage while promoting the 
development of large-pine dominated forests.
    The proposed Big Pony Project is located within the Goosenest 
Ranger District southeast of Tennant, California. The legal locations 
are Sections 24 and 25 in T43NR1W; and Sections 2, 3, 9-11, 14-18, 19-
22, 27-30, and 32 in T43NR1E, Mt. Diablo Meridian, Siskiyou County, 
California. The proposed project area encompasses approximately 6,673 
acres between 4,800 to 6,100 feet elevation. The Big Pony Project is 
consistent with management direction provided in the Northwest Forest 
Plan, Land and Resource Management Plan for the KNF, National Fire 
Plan, and the Endangered Species Act.
    The Pacific Southwest Research Station established long-term 
research plots in 2000 to study accelerating the development of late-
successional forest components. Forests surrounding the research plots 
are overstocked with white fir and ladder fuels that create conditions 
conducive to stand replacing wildfire. There is a need to enhance 
protection from catastrophic wildfire to minimize risk to research 
plots, private property, and to avoid fire suppression difficulties 
within and adjacent to the WUI.

Proposed Action

    The proposed project area encompasses approximately 6,673 acres 
between 4,800 to 6,100 feet elevation. The proposed action is to 
perform thinning and fuels treatment on 3,180 acres. The Proposed 
Action consists of the five following treatments which will be applied 
based on existing tree species present, fuels conditions, forest 
health, and wildlife concerns. In all treatments, the retention of old-
growth legacy components (large diameter trees, large snags, and downed 
logs) will be emphasized.
    Roads needed for the project will be reassessed prior to and during 
activities to determine if maintenance is needed and may require light 
maintenance to meet project requirements, generally consisting of spot 
rocking, grading, and re-establishing drainage structures. There will 
be no new roads constructed or added to the Forest road system. 
Approximately 0.5 miles of temporary road will be constructed for 
project implementation and will be constructed to design standards that 
minimize ground disturbance and protect resources. This temporary road 
will be decommissioned following project completion.

1. Fuel Management Zone (FMZ) Treatments

    Three hundred foot wide fuels reduction treatments will be applied 
on 708 acres, in a linear fashion centered along 13 miles of roads. The 
FMZs are designed to reduce fire hazard, improve fire suppression 
effectiveness, and improve fire fighter safety in the event of a 
wildfire. The FMZs will improve fire fighting effectiveness and safety 
by providing potential anchor points for fire fighters during initial 
attack. Trees less than 10 inches in diameter at breast

[[Page 7854]]

height (dbh) will be felled to reduce ladder fuels and stand density. 
Large down woody material greater than 16 inches in diameter and 
standing snags greater than 16 inches dbh will be left intact in 
accordance with district guidelines. Post-treatment FMZ evaluations 
will determine whether additional mowing is required to achieve the 
proposed action. FMZ treatments will be expanded beyond the 300 foot 
buffer in one 21-acre area at the southeast end of the project area to 
address heavy fuel accumulations.

2. Fuels Reduction With Emphasis on White Fir Removal

    Thinning will be applied to 2,021 acres of overly dense conifer 
stands favoring ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and incense cedar. White 
fir and juniper will be removed to reduce stand basal area (BA) to 60-
120 square feet. Large white fir (greater than 40 inches dbh) will be 
left for snag recruitment for wildlife. Retention of old-growth legacy 
components (large diameter trees, large snags and downed logs) will be 
emphasized. Thinning would provide a buffer zone around existing sugar 
pine to favor their development. Treatment areas will be evaluated 
post-thinning and if appropriate, they will receive an underburn or mow 
treatment. The following conservation measures will be implemented 
around known goshawk activity centers. (1) Within one mile of activity 
centers 15% of stands will not be treated and, though generally 
targeted for removal, a limited amount of pole-sized and larger white 
fir will be retained. (2) Within one-half mile of activity centers only 
trees less than 10 inches dbh will be thinned and 16-25 foot spacing 
will be maintained; except under the dripline of greater than 30-inch 
dbh ponderosa or sugar pine, where all trees will be thinned.

3. Fuels Reduction in Lodgepole Pine

    Overly dense lodgepole pine stands impacted by mountain pine 
beetles will be thinned on 76 acres. Ponderosa pine will be retained 
along with a small component of white and red fir for diversity and 
snag recruitment. All mature lodgepole pine will be removed. All trees 
will be removed within 30 feet of dominant- and co-dominant ponderosa 
pine with a retention BA of 80-100 square feet. Trees up to 10 inches 
dbh will be removed except where there are not larger sized trees to 
maintain 16 to 25-foot spacing. Treatment areas will be evaluated post-
thinning and if appropriate, they will receive an underburn treatment.

4. Plantation Thinning

    Thinning will be applied to 346 acres of overly dense conifer 
plantations. Small diameter trees will be thinned to a spacing of 12 to 
30 feet to create a mosaic pattern typical in uneven-aged stands. The 
variability in stand spacing will account for site specific conditions 
including species composition, slope and aspect, and the size of 
existing trees. The majority of slash (75%) will be piled and burned 
and the remaining 25% will be left intact for wildlife diversity 
objectives.

5. Underburn Only

    Underburning will occur on 29 acres to reduce density of shrubs and 
white fir saplings.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The Forest Service is the lead agency.

Responsible Official

    Klamath National Forest Supervisor, Patricia A. Grantham, 1312 
Fairlane Road, Yreka, California 96097.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official for this proposal is the forest 
supervisor. Based on the analysis in the final EIS, the responsible 
official will make the following decisions and document them in a 
record of decision: (1) Whether to treat stands within the project area 
as proposed, or in what manner; and (2) What project design features 
should be applied.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the EIS. A public scoping meeting to discuss project 
details and identify any potential significant issues will be held on 
March 18th, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Goosenest Ranger District, 37805 Hwy 
97, Macdoel, CA 96058. The KNF is particularly interested in hearing 
about any potentially significant issues, points of discussion, 
dispute, or debate about the effects of the proposed action. 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 
EIS.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Your 
participation at this stage of the project is essential for the 
Interdisciplinary (ID) Team to develop effective, issue-driven 
alternatives and mitigations, as needed, to the proposed action.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a way that they are useful to the Agency's preparation of 
the EIS. 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 review or judicial review.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide 
the respondent with standing to participate in subsequent 
administrative review or judicial review. Written comments can be 
submitted via fax (530) 398-5749 or surface mail to: Jorge Enriquez, 
Goosenest Ranger District, 37805 Hwy 97, Macdoel, CA 96058. You can 
also comment electronically in a format such as an e-mail message, 
plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc) to [email protected] . Please call Jorge 
Enriquez at (530) 398-5784 or visit the Klamath National Forest Web 
page at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath/projects/projects/index.shtml 
for additional information regarding the proposed action. 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. A field trip with 
interested participants will be arranged.
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact 
statement will be published in the Federal Register. We would 
appreciate receiving your comments within 45 days of publication. 
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).

    Thank you for your interest in the proposed project and in the 
management of our National Forests.


[[Page 7855]]


    Dated: February 12, 2009.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Forest Supervisor.
 [FR Doc. E9-3612 Filed 2-19-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P