[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 151 (Friday, August 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39611-39612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18934]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Lolo National Forest; MT; Cedar-Thom EIS

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 (EIS) on a proposal to implement restoration activities, fuel 
reduction treatments, and recreation enhancements within the Cedar and 
Thompson Creek drainages, Lolo National Forest, Superior Ranger 
District, Mineral County, Montana.
    This EIS will tier to the Lolo National Forest Plan Final EIS 
(April 1986).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by no later than 30 days from date of publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
July 2010 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
March 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Cedar-Thom Project Leader, USDA 
Forest Service, P.O. Box 429, Plains, Montana 59859. Comments may also 
be sent via e-mail to: [email protected].
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Partyka, Project Leader, (406) 
826-4314.
    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: 

[[Page 39612]]

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Lolo National Forest Plan, 1986, provides overall guidance for 
land management activities in the project area. The purposes of the 
Cedar-Thom project are to: (1) Restore vegetative conditions that are 
resistant to undesirable effects of fire, insects, disease, and 
drought; (2) Reduce forest fuels in wildland urban interface (WUI) and 
non-WUI areas and re-establish fire as a disturbance process on the 
landscape; (3) Improve or maintain big game winter range; (4) Enhance 
watershed health with improvements to fish habitat and stream function; 
and (5) Enhance recreation opportunities and establish trail travel 
management designations consistent with land management objectives.

Proposed Action

    The Cedar-Thom project area of approximately 58,000 acres is 
located southwest of Superior, Montana within TI5N, R27W; TI5N, R28W; 
TI6N, R27W; TI6N, R28W; TI7N, R26W; T 1 7N, R27W, P.M.M. Within this 
area, the Lolo National Forest proposes the following activities to 
achieve the purpose and need for the project: (1) Timber harvest on 
approximately 6758 acres; (2) non-commercial mechanical vegetation 
treatments on about 2290 acres; (3) Prescribed burning on approximately 
9550 acres; (4) temporary road construction (5 miles) and long-term 
specified road construction (6 miles); (5) Road decommissioning (116 
miles), road storage (9 miles), and gate closure (6 miles); (6) Culvert 
replacements; (7) Restoration of selected stream segments; (8) Riparian 
vegetation planting; (9) Removal of a 500-foot segment of historic 
railroad grade that infringes on Cedar Creek; (10) Roadside weed 
spraying; (11) Development of an 8-mile ATV trail using primarily 
existing road prisms; (12) Construction of an equestrian trailhead for 
the Thompson Creek trail (173); (13) Construction of a non-
motorized trail from Mink Peak to Lost Lake; and (14) Change the travel 
management status on trails that are currently designated as both 
motorized and non-motorized to non-motorized only.
    If, after the completion of the environmental analysis and review 
of public comments the Responsible Official decides to select an action 
alternative, implementation could begin in 2012 and would continue for 
several years.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor will decide whether to implement the proposed 
action, take an alternative action that meets the purpose and need, or 
take no action. The decision may include a site-specific amendment to 
the Lolo National Forest Plan to allow approximately 215 acres of fuel 
reduction treatments that would include the removal of commercial-sized 
trees within Management Area 11, in which the Forest Plan limits tree 
cutting to that required to eliminate safety hazards or permit trail 
construction.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Information on 
the proposed action will be posted on the Forest Web site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/rl/lolo/projects/.
    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.

    Dated: July 31, 2009.
Deborah L.R. Austin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E9-18934 Filed 8-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M