[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78208-78209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31443]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Black Hills National Forest, Northern Hills Ranger District; 
South Dakota; Steamboat Project

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 on a proposal to implement multiple resource management 
actions within the Steamboat Project Area to implement the amended 
Black Hills National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The 
Steamboat Project Area covers approximately 21,833 acres of National 
Forest System land and approximately 2,713 acres of interspersed 
private land northwest of Rapid City, South Dakota. Proposed actions 
include a combination of vegetation and fuels treatments to provide 
structural diversity in big game winter range, reduce the risk of 
mountain pine beetle infestations and reduce the risk of high severity 
wildfire. The proposed action includes approximately 4,665 acres of 
commercial thinning, 970 acres of overstory removal, 1,408 acres of 
non-commercial thinning, 1,379 acres of shelterwood cuts, 255 acres of 
group selection, 1,186 acres of individual tree selection, 636 acres of 
hardwood enhancement, 200 acres of meadow enhancement, 1,031 acres of 
product-other-than-log thinning, 460 acres of understory thinning, and 
190 acres of patch clearcutting. In addition, approximately 10,608 
acres will be analyzed for prescribed burning. Approximately 18 miles 
of new road construction would be necessary to carry out the proposed 
vegetation management actions.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by January 14, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected May 2011 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected September 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Rhonda O'Byrne, District Ranger, 
Northern Hills Ranger District, 2014 N. Main Street, Spearfish, SD 
57783. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected] with ``Steamboat Project'' as the 
subject or via facsimile to 605-642-4156.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Stores, Assistant NEPA Planner, 
Northern Hills Ranger District, 2014 N. Main Street, Spearfish, SD 
57783. Telephone number: 605-642-4622.
    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 and need for the action in the Steamboat project 
area is to create greater structural diversity in an area managed for 
big game winter range, to reduce the risk of mountain pine beetle 
infestation, and to reduce the risk of high severity wildfire. All 
actions are intended to move toward or achieve related Forest Plan 
Goals and Objectives, consistent with Forest Plan Standards and 
Guidelines.

Proposed Action

    The Forest Service is proposing actions on National Forest System 
lands to move toward or achieve Forest Plan Goals and Objectives in the 
Steamboat project area northwest of Rapid City, South Dakota and 
adjacent to the towns of Nemo and Piedmont, South Dakota. Proposed 
actions include the following:
    Create structural diversity in an area managed as big game winter 
range through meadow enhancement, hardwood enhancement, uneven-aged 
management, thinning of the forest's overstory and understory, and 
patch clear cuts to create open browsing areas.
    Reduce acres at high or medium susceptibility to mountain pine 
beetle by thinning stands and changing stand structure. Commercial and 
non-commercial (including prescribed burning) methods may be used.
    Reduce acres at high or very high risk to wildfire by thinning 
stands and reducing the amount of fuel available to fires. Commercial 
and non-commercial (including prescribed burning) methods may be used.
    Road construction and maintenance activities would be necessary to 
access areas proposed for timber harvest. New roads would be closed 
following management activities.
    Implementation of proposed activities would likely begin sometime 
during 2012 and continue for up to ten years following a project 
decision.
    The Forest Service is the sole responsible agency for this project; 
no cooperators are participating in project planning.

Responsible Official

    Rhonda O'Byrne, District Ranger, Northern Hills Ranger District, 
2014 North Main Street, Spearfish, SD 57783.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether or not to approve the proposed 
action or alternatives to the proposed action that may be developed. No 
Forest Plan amendments are proposed.

[[Page 78209]]

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Northern 
Hills Ranger District will also provide a letter including a 
description of the proposed action and soliciting comments on the 
proposal to local land owners, interested tribal entitites, permittees 
that use the project area, and others who have expressed interest in 
projects similar to this one. A public meeting will be held at the 
Piedmont Fire Department in Piedmont, South Dakota during the comment 
period. Forest Service personnel will be on hand to answer questions 
about the project, and large-scale maps of the proposed action will be 
available for review.
    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.
    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.

    Dated: December 8, 2010.
Craig Bobzien,
Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2010-31443 Filed 12-14-10; 8:45 am]
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