[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9740-9742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3658]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Plumas National Forest, Feather River Ranger District; 
California; On Top Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The On Top Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project would construct a 
Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) across approximately 4,650 acres on

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National Forest System (NFS) land to provide strategic locations for 
the suppression of high intensity wildfires. Group selection harvest 
would be implemented over an estimated 102 acres on NFS land to assist 
in regeneration of healthy, shade-intolerant species and to move the 
landscape towards an uneven-aged, multistory, fire-resilient forest. 
Prescriptions would treat surface, ladder, and crown fuels to reduce 
risk from wildfires to rural communities and forest resources, improve 
forest health, and contribute to the economic stability of rural 
communities.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by 45 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. The 
draft environmental impact statement is expected April 2011 and the 
final environmental impact statement is expected August 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 875 Mitchell Avenue, Oroville, CA 
95965. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected], or via facsimile to 
(530) 532-1210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Webb-Marek at (530) 534-6500; 
[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 USDA Forest Service is designing the On 
Top Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project on National Forest System land in 
compliance with the standards and guidelines in the Plumas National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (1988), as amended by the 
Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group (HFQLG) Final Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) 
(1999, 2003), legislatively extended from 2009 to 2012, per the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2754), as amended by the Sierra 
Nevada Forest Plan Amendment FSEIS and ROD (2004).
    Additionally, in December 2007, the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2008 (H.R. 2764), stated that the 2003-adopted Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act (HFRA: Pub. L. 108-148) applies to HFQLG projects. The 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 (16 U.S.C. at 1611-6591) 
emphasizes public collaboration processes for developing and 
implementing hazardous fuel reduction projects on ``at-risk'' National 
Forest System land, and also provides other authorities and direction 
to help restore healthy forests. The On Top Hazardous Fuels Reduction 
Project's Scoping Packet is available upon request in hardcopy at the 
Feather River Ranger District, 875 Mitchell Avenue, Oroville, CA, 
95965, as well as in Portable Document Format (pdf) on the Plumas 
National Forest Web site, at http://fs.usda.gov/plumas.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The USDA Forest Service proposes to 1. Reduce the risk to rural 
communities and forest resources from wildfires by modifying hazardous 
fuel conditions; 2. Improve forest health by initiating a conversion to 
an uneven-aged, multistory, fire-resilient forest by implementing group 
selection harvests, and; 3. Contribute to the economic stability of 
rural communities near Bucks Lake and surrounding areas. The On Top 
Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project responds to the need for reducing 
surface fuel loading (needle litter, downed branches and logs) and low 
and mid-level tree densities, while modifying forest structure 
homogeneity and enhancing vegetative species diversity. The true fir 
forest type dominates much of the project area and a large portion of 
the landscape is represented by even-aged white fir/red fir with pine 
species as a minor component.
    There is a need for increasing the amount of pine in the project 
area to enhance vegetative species diversity across the landscape. 
Additionally, white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), a disease 
specific to the five-needled pines such as sugar pine, and root disease 
(Heterobasidium spp.) are normally endemic to the project area, but 
have become more prevalent and contribute to impaired growth and 
significant decay of existing trees. Communities within Plumas County 
and adjacent counties are reliant upon natural resource based 
industries and experience high seasonal fluctuation in employment. 
There is a need for employment and forest products produced by the 
implementation of the On Top Project, vital for those rural communities 
isolated from urban job markets.

Proposed Action

    The Feather River Ranger District of the Plumas National Forest 
proposes in 2012 to construct a Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) and 
improve forest health on 4,650 acres in the Bucks Lake area, between 
Soapstone Hill and Mt. Ararat, by mechanically thinning and biomass 
removal 2,220 acres (2,105 acres ground-based systems and 115 acres 
cable systems); hand thinning, piling and burning 1,010 acres; 
mechanically piling and burning 255 acres; masticating 215 acres; 
underburning 3,020 acres (800 acres underburn only and 2,220 acres 
follow-up underburn for mechanically thinned areas if necessary); group 
selection harvest 102 acres (ground-based systems); group selection 
site preparation 102 acres (mechanical piling and burning); group 
selection reforestation 102 acres; group selection release 102 acres 
(grubbing and/or cutting); no treatment 150 acres (currently meets 
desired conditions); and performing associated road work including 6.70 
miles of temporary road construction and 6.40 miles of decommissioning 
temporary roads. The DFPZ is designed to occur along main travel 
corridors and ridges to compliment strategic control points in the 
event of a wildfire. Prescribed burn units are designed to use existing 
road systems to alleviate the need for ground disturbing control lines. 
Fuels treatments would follow Agee's four basic principles of effective 
fuels reduction: reduction of surface fuels, increase in canopy base 
heights, decrease in crown density and retention of large fire-
resistant trees (Agee and Skinner, 2005).

Possible Alternatives

    The Feather River Ranger District of the Plumas National Forest 
proposes in 2012 an alternative that would solely address the need to 
reduce existing surface fuel loading (needle litter, downed branches, 
and logs) and low and mid-level tree densities. This alternative would 
construct a Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) across approximately 
4,650 acres on National Forest System (NFS) land to provide strategic 
locations for the suppression of high intensity wildfires, in 
compliance with Forest Service Region 5 (California) Guidance on Court 
Order for a Non-commercial Funding Alternative (Memorandum and Order 
dated 11/04/2009, for Case 2:05-cv-00205-MCE-GGH [sec. C]).

Responsible Official

    Plumas National Forest Supervisor, Alice B. Carlton is the 
Responsible Official.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will decide to implement this proposal, 
implement an alternative that moves the area towards the desired 
conditions, or not implement any proposed land management activities at 
this time.

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Preliminary Issues

    The Forest Service has identified the following preliminary issues 
including potential effects to aquatic, riparian and water quality, 
botanical resources, economic feasibility, heritage resources, scenic/
visuals/recreation (Pacific Crest Trail), soil resources, watershed 
condition and wildlife habitat.

Permits or Licenses Required

    Smoke permits are required from the Northern Sierra Air Quality 
Management District prior to any understory or pile burning. Sorting 
and removing Forest by-products from the site to commercial off-Forest 
vendors would involve some form of permits for road use, right-of-way, 
or use of private lands for landings and access.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. A public meeting 
will be held at the Feather River District Office in Oroville, 
California on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
    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. There will be an objection process before the final decision 
is made and after the final EIS is mailed (36 CFR part 218). In order 
to be eligible to file an objection to the preferred alternative 
identified in the final EIS, specific written comments related to the 
project must be submitted during scoping or any other periods public 
comment is specifically requested on this EIS (36 CFR 218.5).

    Dated: January 19, 2011.
Alice B. Canton,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-3658 Filed 2-18-11; 8:45 am]
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