[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 23 (Thursday, February 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5758-5759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2078]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Bridger-Teton National Forest, Big Piney Ranger District, WY; 
Piney Creeks Vegetation Treatment

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Big Piney Ranger District is proposing to implement 
vegetation management in the Piney Creek drainages throughout the next 
five-seven years. The need for vegetation management in this area has 
previously been identified and studied in the Bridger-Teton Forest Plan 
implemented in 1990, in public meetings held on the revision of the 
Forest Plan in 2008 and comprehensive evaluation reports for aspen, 
lodge pole pine, Douglas fir, spruce fir and white bark pine. The 
analysis area is approximately 20,000 acres within this watershed and 
includes the creeks of South, Middle and North on the Big Piney Ranger 
District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The area also includes 
Middle and North Piney Lakes, Wyoming Peak the Middle Piney Summer 
homes, Sacajawea and Middle Piney Lake campgrounds. Management 
opportunities, practices, standards and guidelines, and mitigation have 
been developed to help achieve desired resource conditions. These are 
the basis for this proposal and for further site specific analysis of 
effects. It is approximately 25 miles west of Big Piney, Wyoming in the 
Green River drainage, on the east slope of the Wyoming range. All lands 
within the analysis area are National Forest System lands within 
Sublette County, Wyoming. The legal description includes portions of 
T28N through T31N and R112W through R114W.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by March 15, 2010. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
in November 2011 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected in April 2012.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to District Ranger, Big Piney Ranger 
District, Box 218, Big Piney, Wyoming 83113. Comments may also be sent 
via e-mail to [email protected] and on the 
subject line put only ``Piney Creeks Vegetation Treatment'', or via 
facsimile to 307-276-5250.
    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.
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: District Ranger, Big Piney Ranger 
District, Box 218, Big Piney, Wyoming 83113 or phone (307) 276-3710.
    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 of this proposal is to improve Forest resource 
conditions in the South, Middle and North Piney Creek drainages, 
bringing them closer to desired conditions. Desired conditions for each 
of the DFC's would help restore healthy ecosystem functioning and 
support sustainable resource use.

Proposed Action

    This proposal was developed in response to public issues from 
changes since the approval of the Forest Plan in 1990, Forest Plan 
Revision meetings, and recent resource issues. Treat up to 8,000 acres 
of aspen stands and the surrounding sagebrush with mechanical 
treatments and prescribed fire to regenerate healthy aspen and 
sagebrush and remove conifers. Harvest trees on approximately 4,000 
acres using various cutting practices. This is to provide for 
regeneration of the declining lodge pole pine and mixed conifer forests 
and for age class diversity across the landscape.

Possible Alternatives

    This alternative is required under NEPA regulations and also serves 
as a baseline of information for comparison of other alternatives. 
Though this alternative does not respond to the purpose and need for 
action, it does address some issues.

Responsible Official

    District Forest Ranger, Big Piney Ranger District, P.O. Box 218, 
Big Piney, Wyoming 83113.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    This decision will be whether or not to implement specific 
vegetation

[[Page 5759]]

management projects as allowed in the Bridger-Teton National Forest 
Plan. The decision would include any mitigation measures needed in 
addition to those prescribed in the Forest Plan.

Preliminary Issues

    The Forest Service has identified the following potential issues. 
No determination has been made as to which issues will be examined in 
detail in the environmental analysis. Your input will help determine 
which of these issues merit detailed analysis and will also help 
identify additional issues related to the proposed action that may not 
be listed here.
    Issue 1--Amount and/or types of vegetation treatments in the 
proposed action and the effects on old growth and mature vegetation for 
lynx, security cover for elk and other habitat, as well as Colorado 
cutthroat trout habitat.
    Issue 2--Forest health, specifically the high proportion of older 
age class conifer stands and declining tree growth, dwarf mistletoe 
infection levels in lodge pole pine and high fuel loadings from dead 
and down material.
    Issue 3--Amount of aspen treatments.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest 
Service is seeking information, comments, and assistance from 
individuals, organizations, tribal governments, and federal, state, and 
local agencies interested in or affected by this project. Public 
participation will be solicited by notifying in person and/or by mail 
known interested and affected publics. News releases will be used to 
give the public general notice. Public participation activities would 
include requests for written comments. The first formal opportunity to 
comment is to respond to this notice of intent, which initiates the 
scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7). Scoping includes: (1) Identifying 
potential issues, (2) narrowing the potential issues and identifying 
significant issues of those that have been covered by prior 
environmental review, (3) exploring alternatives in addition to No 
Action, and (4) identifying potential environmental effects of the 
proposed action and alternatives.
    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: December 31, 2009.
Gregory Clark,
District Forest Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2010-2078 Filed 2-3-10; 8:45 am]
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