[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 9388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3965]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Prescott National Forest, Bradshaw Ranger District; Arizona; 
Bradshaw Vegetation Management Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: This project is a proposal to improve the health of fire 
adapted ecosystems while simultaneously reducing hazardous fuels on the 
Bradshaw Ranger District. The project area encompasses about 55,554 
acres. Within the project area, the proposal is to commercially thin 
approximately 16,312 acres in ponderosa pine, pine-oak, and mixed 
conifer forest types. Fuels treatments include mechanized fuel 
reduction on 34,445 acres of chaparral, pinyon-juniper, and oak sites 
and non-mechanized fuel reduction treatments on 6,242 acres of 
chaparral, juniper, pinyon, oak, pine, and mixed conifer sites. 
Prescribed fire is proposed on 44,641 acres and fuelbreak construction 
is proposed on 791 acres. It is expected that this project will require 
a site specific forest plan amendment to the Prescott National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan (1986), as amended, in order to 
implement treatments within Mexican Spotted Owl habitat.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected in 
December, 2010 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
in March, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Jodi Stevens, Bradshaw Ranger 
District, 344 South Cortez Street, Prescott, Arizona 86303. Comments 
may also be submitted by e-mail to: [email protected]. Include ``Bradshaw Vegetation Management'' in the 
subject line of e-mail comments. Electronic comments must be submitted 
in Word (.doc), RichText (.rtf), or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jodi Stevens, 928-443-8041 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 of the proposed action is 
to improve the health of fire adapted ecosystems while simultaneously 
reducing hazardous fuels. The EIS will describe existing conditions and 
desired conditions, analyze environmental consequences of shifting 
existing conditions towards desired conditions, and assist the decision 
maker in selecting management strategies that will achieve desired 
conditons. The proposed action is needed due to prominent changes in 
the structure and function of vegetation and fire behavior within the 
analysis area, and the proximity of homes and private property to these 
changed conditions. The changes in vegetation and fire behavior are a 
result of aggressive fire suppression over the past several decades. 
One of the most effective ways to protect communities is to create 
defensible fuel profile zones both adjacent to homes and private 
property and on adjacent public lands.
    Proposed Action: The Prescott National Forest proposes to 
commercially thin approximately 16,312 acres in ponderosa pine, pine-
oak, and mixed conifer forest types.
    Proposed fuels treatments include mechanized fuel reduction on 
34,445 acres of chaparral, pinyon-juniper, and oak sites, and non-
mechanized fuel reduction treatments on 6,242 acres of chaparral, 
juniper, pinyon, oak, pine, and mixed conifer sites. Prescribed fire is 
proposed on 44,641 acres and fuelbreak construction is proposed on 791 
acres. The project area is located to the southeast, south, southwest, 
west and northwest of the city of Prescott. Implementation of this 
proposed project could begin as early as June 1, 2011.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for this project is the Forest Supervisor, 
Prescott National Forest, Prescott, Arizona.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Service will evaluate the proposed action and 
alternatives to the proposed action. After reviewing the proposed 
action, the alternatives, the environmental analysis, and considering 
public comment, the Forest Supervisor will reach a decision that is in 
accordance with the purpose and need for this project. The decision 
will include a description of activities that will be implemented. 
Issues identified as being outside the scope of this proposal (such as 
grazing cattle on the Forest or the need for additional recreation 
opportunities) will not be addressed in this planning effort.

Scoping Process

    This 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 be as specific as possible. There will be a 
public scoping meeting on Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 6 p.m. to 8 
p.m. Arizona Time. This meeting will be held at the Mackin Building at 
the Prescott Rodeo Grounds, 840 Rodeo Drive, Prescott, AZ, 86305. 
Scoping letters will be mailed to individuals and entities who have 
identified themselves as interested publics regarding proposed actions 
on the Prescott National Forest. Additionally, scoping input will be 
requested through a publication in the Prescott Courier, the newspaper 
of local circulation in the proposed project area.

    Dated: February 18, 2010.
Reta Laford,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Prescott National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2010-3965 Filed 3-1-10; 8:45 am]
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