[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 77 (Thursday, April 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20979-20980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9291]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Six Rivers National Forest, Mad River Ranger District, Ruth, CA, 
Beaverslide Timber Sale and Fuel Treatment Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service is proposing the Beaverslide Timber Sale 
and Fuel Treatment Project to provide timber products to local 
economies and to reduce hazardous fuels in strategically located high-
risk areas around communities in the vicinity of Ruth, California. The 
Beaverslide planning area encompasses approximately 13,236 acres; 
11,757 acres are National Forest System (NFS) lands and 1,479 acres are 
in private ownership. The project would treat approximately 5,500 acres 
of NFS lands by harvesting timber through thinning on approximately 
2,800 acres, and reducing fuels on an additional 2,700 acres.
    The proposed project would take place within the Upper Mad River 
watershed on NFS lands administered by the Mad River Ranger District in 
Trinity County, California. The legal location includes portions of the 
following townships: Township 2 South, Range 7 East; Township 2 South, 
Range 8 East; and Township 3 South, Range 7 East; Township 3 South, 
Range 8 East, Humboldt Baseline and Meridian, and Township 26 North, 
Range 12 West; Township 27 North, Range 12 West, Mount Diablo Baseline 
and Meridian.

DATES: The draft supplemental environmental impact statement is 
expected to be issued by May 2010 and the final supplemental 
environmental impact statement is expected to be issued in August 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim C. Gumm; Mad River Ranger 
District; 741 State Highway 36; Bridgeville, CA 95526 or by telephone 
at (707)-574-6233.
    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 Beaverslide Timber Sale and Fuel 
Treatment Project is designed to contribute timber commodity outputs in 
support of the Six Rivers Forest National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (LRMP). One of the goals of the LRMP is to provide a 
stable supply of outputs and services that contribute to local, 
regional, and national social and economic needs. The Six Rivers 
National Forest seeks to provide a sustainable, predictable, long-term 
timber supply for local economies (LRMP p. II-2).
    The project area also occurs within the wildland-urban interface 
(WUI) for communities in the vicinity of Ruth, California. In 2005, the 
Trinity County Fire Safe Council completed a Community Wildfire 
Protection Plan to address the fire risk surrounding these communities. 
There are several homes and businesses in the area that are within the 
WUI. Fuel hazards are moderate but fire risk relative to human safety 
and property is high due to the number of people in the area. The 
project is designed to reduce fire hazard and risk to the community.

Purpose and Need for Action

    Given Forest goals and environmental conditions within the planning 
area, the Purpose and Need for the proposed action is to:
     Provide timber commodities that contribute towards the 
Forest's goal to provide a sustainable, predictable, long-term timber 
supply for local economies; and
     Reduce fuel loading in strategic locations to improve fire 
protection and human safety around communities in the vicinity of Ruth, 
California.

Within the context of meeting the purpose and need, there would be 
opportunities for fuelwood or biomass utilization associated with 
proposed activities.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is designed to meet the project's purpose and 
need while meeting the standards and guidelines of the LRMP. The 
Beaverslide Timber Sale and Fuel Treatment Project would treat 
vegetation to provide commodities and reduce hazardous fuel conditions.
    1. Approximately 20-30 million board feet (MMBF) of timber would be 
harvested from approximately 2,800 acres within 95 treatment units. 
Harvesting would be accomplished by utilizing ground-based, skyline, 
and helicopter logging systems. Actions connected with commercial 
timber harvest include:
    a. Treating harvest activity generated fuel;
    b. Constructing approximately 5.4 miles of new temporary road, and 
re-opening/re-utilizing approximately 2.9 miles of existing non-system 
roads;
    c. Constructing new landings and reutilization of existing 
landings;
    d. Hauling of commercial timber products on County Road 504 and 
Forest Service System roads within the planning area;
    e. Felling and removal, where appropriate, of hazard trees along 
haul routes; and
    f. Decommissioning, maintaining, and reconstructing roads as 
needed.
    2. Fuel loading would be reduced on approximately 2,700 acres 
within 20 fuel treatment units and 7 strategic fuel treatment 
corridors.

[[Page 20980]]

Responsible Official

    The responsible official will be the Forest Supervisor for the Six 
Rivers National Forest.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will consider the comments, response, 
disclosure of environmental consequences, and applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies in making the decision and stating the 
rationale in the Record of Decision.

Scoping Process

    Comments received during the initial scoping process, the 45-day 
public comment period for the original DEIS, and the appeal filing 
period provided numerous opportunities for public comment. Since this 
NOI involves the intent to publish a supplemental EIS instead of the 
initiation of a new project, no additional comments are needed at this 
time. Public comment will again be solicited at the onset of the 45-day 
comment period when the supplemental DEIS is published.

    Dated: April 15, 2010.
Tyrone Kelley,
Forest Supervisor, Six Rivers National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2010-9291 Filed 4-21-10; 8:45 am]
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