[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 62 (Thursday, April 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16422-16423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7162]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Plumas National Forest, California, Keddie Ridge Hazardous Fuels 
Reduction Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, Plumas National Forest, Mt. Hough 
Ranger District will prepare and environmental impact statement (EIS) 
on the Keddie Ridge Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project proposal to 
modify fire behavior, improve forest and watershed health, protect and 
enhance habitat for Region 5 Forest Service sensitive plant and 
wildlife species (clustered lady's slipper, Constance's rock cress, and 
bald eagle), and reduce the spread and introduction of noxious weeds 
through: fuels treatments, group selections, road improvements, and 
herbicide and mechanical applications in the Indian Valley area.

DATES: Scoping comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be 
received within 14 days from date of publication in the Federal 
Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
September 2010 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
February 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Katherine Carpenter, 
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Mt. Hough Ranger District, 39696 Highway 
70, Quincy, CA 95971. Comments may be: (1) Mailed; (2) hand delivered 
between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays Pacific Time; (3) 
faxed to (530) 283-1821; or (4) electronically mailed to: comments-
pacificsouthwest-plumas-rnthough(dfs.fed.us. Please indicate the name 
``Keddie Ridge Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project'' on the subject line 
of your email. Comments submitted electronically must be in Rich Text 
Format (.rtf), plain text format (.txt.) or Word (.doc). 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 ETS. 
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: Katherine Carpenter, Interdisciplinary 
Team Leader, Mt. Hough Ranger District, 39696 Highway 70, Quincy, CA 
95971. Telephone: (530) 283-7619 or electronic address: 
[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: The proposed action is designed to meet the 
standards and guidelines for land management activities described in 
the Plumas National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (PNF LRMP) 
(USDA 1988) as amended by Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group (HFQLG) 
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) and Record of 
Decision (ROD) (USDA 1 999a, 1 999b, 2003b, 2003c), and the Sierra 
Nevada Forest Plan Amendment (SNFPA) FSEIS and ROD (USDA 2004a, 2004b). 
This project is being planned under authorization of the Healthy Forest 
Restoration Act (H.R. 1904; Pub. L. 108-148; 36 CFR 218--Predecisional 
Administrative Review Process).
    The proposed project is located in Plumas County, California, 
within the Mt. Hough Ranger District of the Plumas National Forest. The 
proposed project is located west of Canyon Dam, east of Eisenheimer 
Peak, south of Keddie Peak, and north of the Greenville Wye. The Keddie 
Ridge Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project boundary encompasses all or 
portions of T. 25 N., R. 9 E., sec. 1-4, 8-11; T. 25 N., R. 10 F., sec. 
1-6, 8-16, 22-24; T. 25 N., R.

[[Page 16423]]

11 E., sec. 5-9, 17-19; T. 26 N., R. 8 E., sec. 1, 2, 12; T.26 N., R. 9 
F., sec. 1-17, 2029, 32-36, T. 26 N., R. 10 E., sec. 1-36; T. 26 N., R. 
11 E., sec. 2-10, 15-21, 29-32; T. 27 N., R. 8 E., sec. 1, 12-15, 22-
27, 34-36; T. 27N., R 9 E., sec. 9-11, 13-36; T. 27N., R. 10 E., sec. 
2-5, 8-11, 14-36; T. 27 N., R. 11 F., sec. 27, 28, 31-34; T. 28 N., R. 
10 F., 33-35, MDBM.

Purpose and Need for Action

    This project is proposed to modify fire behavior, improve forest 
and watershed health, protect and enhance habitat for Region 5 Forest 
Service sensitive plant and wildlife species, and reduce noxious weed 
infestations in the project area. Fire behavior needs to be modified in 
specific stands in order to reduce high fuel loading and resulting 
increased risks to people, structures, and resources. Forest health 
needs to be improved because current high stand densities in the Keddie 
area are leading to mortality from drought, insects and fire. Region 5 
Forest Service sensitive plant and wildlife species (clustered lady's-
slipper orchid, Constance's rock cress, and bald eagle) habitat needs 
enhancement and protection from the risk of high severity, stand-
replacing wildfire due to dense stands and high fuel loads. The 
location and number of poorly maintained roads in the project area are 
currently contributing to poor watershed health, and should be reduced. 
Noxious weeds, including Canada thistle, Scotch broom, medusa head, 
yellow star thistle, and hoary cress need to be controlled in order to 
lessen risk of weed introduction, establishment, and spread to adjacent 
areas.

Proposed Action

    The USDA Forest Service, Plumas National Forest, Mt. Hough Ranger 
District will prepare and environmental impact statement (EIS) for the 
Keddie Ridge Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project. The proposed action 
would construct 5,456 acres of fuelbreaks known as Defensible Fuel 
Profile Zones (DFPZs). DFPZs would be constructed using a combination 
of mechanical harvest, mastication, hand thin, pile, and burn, and 
prescribed underburn. The proposed action would also include 741 acres 
of mechanized thinning (area thinning) outside of DFPZs. Group 
selection is proposed in mechanical thinning units within DFPZs and 
area thinning units (330 acres) using mechanical equipment. Group 
selection involves harvest of trees less than 30 inches in diameter in 
small (0.5 to 2 acres) patches. Hand thinning, piling, chipping and/or 
burning of conifers (3-10 inches dbh) is proposed within approximately 
45 acres of the primary nesting zone of the Round Valley bald eagle 
territory. Hand thinning to a spacing of 20 feet, piling, and burning 
of saplings and small diameter trees (8 inches or less dbh), is 
proposed within the fourteen clustered lady's slipper sites and 
approximately 72 acres of Constance's rock cress.
    Manipulation of surface fuels within clustered lady's slipper 
occurrences would also occur. If consistent with the Plumas National 
Forest Travel Management decision, improperly constructed or 
unmaintained roads that are causing resource damage would be 
decommissioned or closed by various methods, such as ripping and 
seeding, recontouring, or installing barriers. For more information 
about the travel management process, visit the Plumas National Forest 
Web site at: http://bit.ly/bTJZER. Treatments proposed to contain and 
control the known weed infestations within the project area include the 
following or a combination thereof: herbicide applications of 
chlorsulfuron, aminopyralid, or glyphosate; hand-pulling; late spring 
underburning and direct flaming with a back-pack propane torch; and 
revegetation in selected areas using native seed.
    A decision is expected in April 2011 and implementation may begin 
as early as summer of 2011.

Possible Alternatives

    In addition to the proposed action, a no action alternative will be 
analyzed. Additional alternatives may be developed and analyzed during 
the environmental analysis process.

Responsible Official

    The Plumas National Forest Supervisor is the Responsible Official.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether to: (1) Implement the proposed 
action; (2) meet the purpose and need for action through some other 
combination of activities; or, (3) take no action at this time.

Permits or Licenses Required

    An Air Pollution Permit, Smoke Management Plan, and California 
Water Quality Board timber harvest waiver for waste discharge are 
required by local agencies.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement, The Keddie Ridge 
Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project will initiate and request comments 
at: An open house in Greenville, CA in June 2010, an official 45 day 
comment period once a Notice of Availability is published in the 
Federal Register, a 30 day objection period, and an objection 
resolution period.
    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: March 25, 2010.
Maria T. Garcia,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-7162 Filed 3-31-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M