[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 33 (Friday, February 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7851-7853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3613]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest, California, Two Bit Vegetation 
Management

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Klamath National Forest will prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose the 
environmental effects of implementing commercial thinning and 
prescribed burn treatments in the Two Bit project area to provide 
forest products, restore forest health, and reduce fuel hazard on 
Klamath National Forest System lands. The project area is north and 
west of Happy Camp, California. Thinning and understory prescribed 
burning is proposed on approximately 10,800 acres.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected in April 
2010 and the final environmental impact statement is expected in July 
2010.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to John Allen or Nick Larson, Project 
Team Leaders, P.O. Box 377, 63822 Highway 96, Happy Camp, CA 96039. You 
may also send electronic comments to the project e-mail inbox: 
[email protected], or via 
facsimile to (530) 493-1796.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, 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 participate in subsequent 
administrative review or judicial review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The project Web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath/projects/projects/two-bit or contact John 
Allen (530-493-1741), Nick Larson (530-493-1724) or District Ranger Ken 
Harris (530-493-1712) at the Happy Camp Ranger District, 63822 Highway 
96, Happy Camp, California 96039 if you have questions, concerns, or 
suggestions regarding this proposal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Two Bit Vegetation Management Project area is approximately 
67,600 acres in size and is located within the Indian Creek watershed, 
north and west of Happy Camp, California, near the Oregon border. 
Thinning and prescribed burning are proposed on approximately 10,800 
acres within treatment units scattered throughout the larger project 
area. Commercial thinning treatments make up approximately 2,200 acres 
of the total area proposed for treatment and the remainder (about 8,600 
acres) is proposed for prescribed burning. The majority of the 
treatment units proposed for commercial thinning are existing 
plantations that have not been commercially thinned in the past. 
Approximately 300 acres proposed for treatment are natural stands. The 
project is scheduled for implementation in 2010.
    National Forest System lands within the Klamath National Forest are 
managed using guidance provided by the Klamath National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). This Forest Plan provides two 
types of management direction: Forest-wide direction and Management 
Area direction. Other plans and policies that provide management 
direction for this project include, but are not limited to, the 
National Fire Plan, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic 
Preservation Act, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. For 
further information pertinent to the Forest Plan please visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath/projects/forestmanagement/forestplan/index.shtml.

Purpose and Need for Action

    Historic conditions in the Two Bit project area consisted of a 
moderate to low intensity, frequent interval (5-15 year) fire regime. 
Historical large fire history as well as fire exclusion have played a 
substantial role in vegetation successional patterns throughout the 
area. The current fire regime is characterized as moderate intensity 
with an infrequent (greater than 25 years)

[[Page 7852]]

interval. Historic conditions within the project area as seen in 1944 
aerial photos and documented in the 1997 Indian Creek Watershed 
Analysis, indicate that large fires were a common occurrence in the 
area; there was variation in the landscape with areas of continuous 
cover broken up by openings of various sizes in the canopy. The lower 
severity fires of the past maintained open understories and kept levels 
of woody debris low; although, this varied as it does today depending 
on weather, local topography and fuels conditions. More recent aerial 
photo interpretation indicates a more continuous cover of forest with 
less variation and fewer openings. This change has contributed to 
increased fuel hazard (and the potential for high severity wildland 
fire), decreased habitat quality for some species and increased 
susceptibility to extreme insect and disease impacts and loss of big 
trees.
    The differences between existing conditions and desired conditions 
form the basis for the need for action. Action is needed in the Two Bit 
project area to:
     Reduce tree density and move stands toward more natural 
composition and Structure.
     Restore and enhance meadows on the landscape.
     Sustain moderate timber yields that are compatible with 
area goals.
     Maximize tree growth while minimizing insect and disease 
susceptibility.
     Promote development of late-successional old-growth in 
Late-Successional Reserves.
     Protect mid- and early-seral forest from loss due to 
wildfire.
     Reduce the risk of losing northern spotted owl habitat 
from wildfire.
     Maintain and improve watershed conditions.
    The purpose of the project is to:
    1. Provide a programmed flow of timber products--Actions proposed 
in the Two Bit project area are designed to do this by improving and 
maintaining good growth rates, minimizing insect and disease damage 
through stocking control, and maintaining plantations where they 
currently exist. Approximately 80% of the area proposed for thinning is 
within existing plantations that are within Forest Plan Management 
Areas available for scheduled timber harvest (General Forest, Partial 
Retention Visual Quality Objective, Managed Wildlife Habitat) with the 
remaining area in Riparian Reserves and/or Late-Successional Reserves.
    2. Sustain diverse, resilient ecosystems, more in keeping with 
historic conditions--Actions proposed in the Two Bit project area are 
designed to do this by reducing stand density, improving structural 
diversity within stands, maintaining natural meadows and wetlands or 
restoring meadows and wetlands where encroachment has occurred, 
maintaining hardwood diversity or restoring hardwood diversity where 
loss has occurred or recruitment is low, protecting mid- and early-
seral forest from loss due to wildfire, and maintaining watershed 
health and the quality of the Indian Creek water source.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action has been designed to meet the purpose of the 
Two Bit vegetation management project and satisfy the need for action 
primarily by using commercial thinning and prescribed burning.
    Approximately 10,800 acres within the large Two Bit project area 
have been identified where treatments are necessary and feasible. 
Approximately 133 units have been identified for proposed commercial 
thinning. Of these, 31 are natural stands and 102 are existing 
plantations. These units comprise approximately 2,000 acres. An 
additional 200 acres are proposed for a more specialized treatment 
(pole harvest, sanitation thinning, hardwood release or meadow 
enhancement) as described in more detail below, for a total of 
approximately 2,200 acres of treatments. Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir 
are the dominant species proposed for removal during thinning.
    Commercial thinning is proposed in stands that are accessible from 
the existing road system and are of the size, age, terrain, and 
structure suitable for logging. Thinning would be followed by various 
fuel treatments, most of which would be underburning; although may 
include mastication, tractor piling, chipping, handpiling, or jackpot 
burning (burning small concentrations of slash and debris). 
Underburning would also be implemented on approximately 8,600 acres 
outside of commercial thinning units.
    The majority of the thinning units identified in this project are 
proposed to be harvested using ground based operations (mechanized 
harvest or conventional tractor skidding); a few of the units have the 
opportunity to be cable logged, and none of the areas identified are 
proposed for helicopter logging. Trees deemed hazardous to the 
operations would be removed along the haul route.
    Approximately 32 short temporary roads (totalling approximately 3.6 
miles) are proposed for construction as part of this project to 
facilitate tractor and cable logging. All temporary roads constructed 
for this project would be closed and hydrologically restored to 
minimize erosion and sediment production upon completion of the 
project.
    In addition to closing temporary roads at completion of the 
project, decommissioning an additional 4.3 miles of existing roads is 
also proposed. These roads were identified using the 2004 roads 
analysis process as requiring excessive maintenance, having little 
value to future management projects, and contributing to unfavorable 
watershed conditions.
    While commercial thinning and underburning are the two primary 
tools proposed within the Two Bit project area to meet the purpose and 
need, several smaller areas are proposed for specialized treatments as 
described below.
     Pole harvest is proposed for approximately 86 acres along 
roadsides that are heavily stocked with small diameter (less than 10 
inch) trees. These areas are proposed for thinning to meet fuels 
objectives and would be made available to the local community through 
personal use pole permits.
     Sanitation harvest is proposed for approximately 36 acres 
along a roadside that has dwarf mistletoe infestation. Thinning in 
these areas is proposed to remove trees with dwarf mistletoe to prevent 
the spread to nearby healthy stands.
     Meadow restoration is proposed for approximately 80 acres 
in order to maintain or enhance meadow conditions. Treatments would 
include chainsaw removal of small encroaching conifers, handpiling and 
burning, and limited use of prescribed fire.
     Hardwood release is proposed for approximately 18 acres in 
order to reduce conifer competition with medium- to large-sized oak 
trees.

Responsible Official

    Patricia Grantham, Klamath National Forest Supervisor, USDA Forest 
Service, 1312 Fairlane Road, Yreka, California 96097, will prepare and 
sign the Record of Decision at the conclusion of the NEPA review.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Service is the lead agency for the project. Based on the 
result of the NEPA analysis, the Forest Supervisor's Record of Decision 
regarding the Two Bit vegetation management project will recommend 
implementation of one of the following: (1) The proposed action and 
mitigation necessary to minimize or avoid adverse impacts; (2) An

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alternative to the proposed action and mitigation necessary to minimize 
or avoid adverse impacts; or (3) The no-action alternative. The Record 
of Decision will also document the consistency of the proposed action 
or one of the alternatives with the Klamath National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan (1995, as amended).

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. To assist the 
Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on 
the proposed action, comments should be as specific as possible. A 
public open house will be held at the Happy Camp Grange Hall (64501 
Second Avenue, Happy Camp, CA) on March 4, 2009 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 
Forest Service staff will be on hand to meet with you, answer 
questions, and discuss the project and process. Comments may be 
submitted at the meeting, by email, fax or letter within the 30-day 
scoping period.
    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 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: February 12, 2009.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E9-3613 Filed 2-19-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M