[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 103 (Friday, May 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30902-30903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13235]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 103 / Friday, May 27, 2011 / 
Notices  

[[Page 30902]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Shasta Lake Management Unit, Shasta-Trinity National Forest; 
California; Green-Horse Habitat Restoration and Maintenance Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Shasta-Trinity National Forest proposes to reduce fuels on 
approximately 41,816 acres under the Green-Horse Habitat Restoration 
and Maintenance Project. Proposed treatments include mostly prescribed 
underburning, with some thinning, pruning, piling, and pile burning. 
The proposed action does not include any commercial timber harvest, new 
forest system or temporary road construction, or existing road 
reconstruction.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by June 30, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
to be completed in January of 2012 and the final environmental impact 
statement is expected in August of 2012.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Betsy Hammet, 1602 Ontario Street, 
Sandpoint, ID 83864. Comments may also be submitted via e-mail to 
[email protected] with ``Green-Horse 
Habitat Restoration and Maintenance'' in the subject line, or by 
facsimile to (530) 275-1512.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project leader Betsy Hammet, 1602 
Ontario Street, Sandpoint, ID 83864. Phone: (208) 263-1059; e-mail 
address: [email protected]. Comments may also be provided during normal 
business hours via telephone by calling project fuels specialist Ben 
Newburn at (530) 339-0024; e-mail address: [email protected]. 
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may 
call (530) 242-5526.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    The majority of the project area is located within the Shasta Lake 
Unit of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, in Shasta County, 
approximately 20 miles northeast of Redding, California. The project 
area encompasses approximately 46,336 acres. A detailed description of 
the proposed action and treatment map can be downloaded from the Forest 
Web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_projects?forest=110514.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The project's purpose and need arose from a comparison of the 
existing and desired conditions within the project area. Desired 
conditions have been identified in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan (hereafter referred to as the 
``forest plan''). The purpose of the project is as follows:
     Reduce fuel accumulations in the project area and trend 
the area toward historic fire regime conditions.
     Reduce the risks and consequences of public health and 
safety concerns related to poor air quality during wildfire events.
     Protect, enhance or maintain wildlife habitat quality, in 
particular for threatened, endangered and Forest Service sensitive 
species (e.g., bald eagles).
     Protect, enhance or maintain scenic values, campgrounds, 
trails and other recreational values.

Proposed Action

    Approximately 41,637 acres are proposed for prescribed 
underburning. In addition, hand thinning and/or brush cutting, pruning, 
piling, and burning of hand piles and/or underburning would occur on 
approximately 92 acres 50 feet from private property boundaries and on 
approximately 83 acres within 300 feet surrounding bald eagle nest 
sites. Approximately 4.61 miles (about 4 acres) of dozer firelines 
would be improved or constructed. Dozer lines would be approximately 8 
feet wide. Project design features are included in the proposal to 
ensure protection of a variety of forest resources. The proposed 
treatment methods and prescriptions would be accomplished using an 
adaptive management strategy to allow modification of treatments if 
necessary during implementation.
    A project-level forest plan amendment is also proposed. Currently, 
the forest plan requires an average of 20 tons per acre of downed wood 
for the limited roaded motorized forest plan management prescription. 
Management direction for the roaded recreation prescription is an 
average of 10 tons of unburned dead and down material per acre on 
slopes less than 40 percent and where feasible, the same amount on 
slopes over 40 percent. Those down fuel levels contradict current 
Forest Service Handbook soil standards, which recommend fuel levels of 
less than about 6 tons per acre overall to reduce the risk of adverse 
effects to soils from wildfires.
    The Shasta-Trinity National Forest proposes to amend the Forest 
Plan to require an average of 5 to 15 tons per acre for those two 
management prescriptions. This project-level amendment is proposed to 
enable the Forest Service to achieve the stated fuel reduction 
objectives while providing for wildlife habitat needs and protecting 
soil and soil productivity. The amendment would affect approximately 
16,602 acres of areas with limited roaded motorized recreation 
management prescriptions and 9,662 acres of areas with roaded 
recreation management prescriptions.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for this proposal is J. Sharon Heywood, 
Shasta-Trinity Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide whether to implement the 
proposed action, no action, or other alternatives considered under 
analysis. She will consider the comments, responses, 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

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Public scoping 
will include notices in the newspaper of record, mailings of the 
scoping package to interested and affected parties and posting of the 
project on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest project planning

[[Page 30903]]

webpage and notice in the Quarterly Schedule of Proposed Actions.

Comment Requested

    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. The submission of 
timely and specific comments can affect a reviewer's ability to 
participate in subsequent administrative appeal or judicial review.
    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, anonymous comments will not provide 
the respondent with standing to participate in subsequent 
administrative or judicial reviews.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21.

    Dated: May 23, 2011.
J. Sharon Heywood,
Forest Supervisor, Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2011-13235 Filed 5-26-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P