[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 136 (Friday, July 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41753-41755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17707]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District, California, 
Grey's Mountain Ecosystem Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Bass Lake Ranger District is proposing a series of 
ecological restoration treatments, north of the community of Bass Lake, 
California, south of Soquel Meadow, east of Nelder Grove Historical 
Area and west of Graham Mountain. Treatment areas have been initially 
identified to provide a ``strategic'' means to modify intensity and 
spread of wildland fires across the landscape and near communities. 
This is commonly known as the ``SPLAT'' (Strategically Placed Area 
Treatment) strategy. Additional treatments within these SPLATs have 
been identified where stands are densely stocked and thinning is needed 
to reduce inter-tree competition and improve tree vigor to increase 
stand resiliency to large scale mortality from insects and disease. In 
addition to the SPLATS, other areas will be treated for the specific 
purpose of creating defensible fuel profiles near key transportation 
corridors and within the defense zones of the Wildland Urban Interface 
(WUI). Restoration treatments are also planned for degraded aquatic 
features such as meadows, wildlife structures/habitat improvement, 
noxious weed eradication and monitoring, and tracks created by 
motorized vehicles and forest road improvements. Additional aspects of 
the project include monitoring for designated Off Highway Vehicles 
(OHV) trails to ensure consistency with forest service best management 
standards, cultural resource improvements and range management 
improvements.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this analysis should be 
received no later than 30 days after the publication

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of this notice in the Federal Register. The draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS) is expected in December 2011 and the final 
environmental impact statement (FEIS) is expected in March 2012.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the U.S. Forest Service, Sierra 
National Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District, 57003 Road 225, North Fork, 
CA 93643, Attn: David Martin. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to 
[email protected] (use Rich Text format (.rtf) 
or Word format (.doc)) or via facsimile to (559) 877-3308. 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 EIS. 
Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the 
comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for the proposed action. However comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Burt Stalter, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, at Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District, 57003 
Road 225, North Fork, CA 93643. Individuals who use telecommunication 
devices for the death (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Services (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 
Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background Information: The Grey's Mountain Ecosystem Restoration 
Project (Madera County, California) lies within the Willow Creek and 
the Fresno River watershed, where during the period before significant 
Euro-American influence, natural fires occurred frequently and were of 
low intensity with return intervals ranging from every 5 to 10 years. 
During the past century, management activities (including harvesting 
operations, fire exclusion/suppression, etc.) and increased human 
habitation, have changed the composition of vegetation. Currently, 
vegetation within the Grey's Mountain Ecosystem Restoration Project has 
changed from one where frequent, low intensity fires occurred to one 
with increased susceptibility to infrequent moderate to high intensity 
wildland fire. Forest stand densities are above that which can be 
sustained, with inter-tree competition increasing and tree vigor 
beginning to decline. Pockets of insect and disease attack are 
beginning to show in the stands as well as the drought induced 
mortality. Non-native plant species and noxious weeds, that were absent 
in the area, now are growing in small pockets.
    The Grey's Mountain Ecological Restoration Project lies within the 
elevational bands for the Southern Sierra Fisher Conservation Area. 
Public concern and management review surrounding the significance of 
potential impacts to the Pacific fisher, a candidate species and the 
California spotted owl, a sensitive species, during past projects, has 
led to the decision to document the environmental analysis with an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for this project.

Purpose and Need for Action

    Vegetation treatments are needed to reduce density of trees and 
shrubs and increase stand health and vigor. Stand densities within the 
lower and mid-canopy layers of conifer stands need to be reduced to a 
level which provides for increased tree growth and vigor resulting in 
increased stand resiliency enabling stands to better withstand 
fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, attacks from insects and 
diseases, and the effects of wildfires by creating sustainable stand 
densities.
    Additionally there is a need to reduce the intensity and spread of 
wildfires across the landscape and near communities. Treatments would 
provide a buffer between developed areas and wildlands where fire 
suppression capabilities are enhanced by modified fire behavior inside 
the WUI zones as well as provide a safe and effective area for fire 
suppression activities to occur.
    There is a need for fuel reduction (in the surface and ladder 
fuels) that protects human communities from moderate/high intensity 
wild fires as well as minimizes the spread of wildfires that might 
originate in urban areas into the forested lands.

Proposed Action

    The Grey's Mountain Ecological Restoration Project proposes to:
     Treat surface and ladder fuels (live and dead) to 
interrupt wildland fire spread and fire intensity levels. This is 
proposed to be completed utilizing thinning of pre-commercial and 
commercial conifers, mastication and/or dozer piling and burning in 
order to improve the ability of firefighters to suppress and control 
wildland fires and provide a better measure of safety for the public 
and personnel.
     Conduct density management treatments by commercially 
thinning from below pine, mixed conifer and fir stands and, where 
needed, precommercial thinning the remainder. Precommercial thin young 
conifer plantations and conifer reproduction. This is being 
accomplished to improve the vigor of the stands.
     Masticate trees and brush/shrub patches to tie treatment 
areas together in strategic locations.
     Utilize prescribe fire where needed as a tool to reduce 
natural and activity generated fuels through pile burning, jackpot, 
under story and/or broadcast burning. Prescribed burning treatments 
will occur as the initial treatment in one area within the project 
boundary, to connect treatments together across steep broken terrain 
that cannot be treated with other methods.
     Prepare and plant conifers within specific sites of failed 
conifer plantations and promoting natural stand characteristics within 
established plantations by creating openings around black oaks and 
promoting understory diversity.
     Utilize prescribe fire and/or manual methods to treat 
infestations of noxious weeds, with the goal of eradication and 
preventing its spread into areas treated. Post treatment monitoring 
will be done to ensure any new populations are dealt with promptly.
     Improve and restore native plant communities that are 
important to local Native American tribes for traditional uses. 
Historically significant plants will be managed by prescribed fire and, 
if needed, by hand tools.
     Reduce fuel loading in selected cultural resource sites 
vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire to aid in their future protection 
and preservation.
     Improve and restore degraded aquatic features such as 
meadows by reducing encroaching conifers and stabilizing areas of 
accelerated erosion to mitigate sedimentation to streams and improve 
water quality and quantity for downstream beneficial use.
     Improve wildlife habitat by restoring key components such 
as large dbh snags, adequate quantities of coarse woody debris, and by 
promoting health and vigor of oaks and encouraging growth of larger dbh 
trees. These are essential habitat components in the Sierra Nevada that 
are used by a wide variety of vertebrates and invertebrates for 
shelter, hiding cover, denning, nesting, resting areas and food 
sources. Methods used to restore these habitat components may include 
precise scattered snag creation by girdling or topping trees or using 
prescribed fire to create pockets of contiguous snags. Plot sampling 
throughout the treatment units will gather information on current 
levels of coarse woody debris (CWD). Levels of

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CWD will be increased in those areas where they are shown to be in 
deficit for wildlife habitat use. Potential methods to achieve this 
desired level of CWD includes falling and leaving trees >16''dbh, and 
recruitment of CWD through prescribed burning activities that will 
create some snags which will eventually contribute to CWD levels. 
Growth and vigor of oaks will be promoted where needed by clearing 
overtopping conifers.
     Identify and monitor OHV trails for restoration or 
reclamation needs and use approved methods to complete these 
activities. Possible restoration activities could be maintenance and 
improvements to approved trails signage on non approved trails, and 
obliteration and reclamation of these trails.
     Identify forest roads that could be causing resource 
damage and use approved methods for construction and maintenance of 
these areas. The possible activities could be replacing plugged or non 
functioning culverts or grading of road surfaces to keep offsite soil 
movement to a minimum. Replacing damaged or missing road signs.
     Identify and improve resources for range management. 
Activities could include maintenance of stock drives, drift fence's and 
cattle guard's.
    Grey's Mountain Ecological Restoration Project encompasses 9,600 
acres. Of which the following acres would be analyzed for treatments; 
2,770 acres of Tractor, 220 acres of prescribed burning, 318 acres of 
mastication, 100 acres of hand work, and 110 acres of meadow 
restoration.

Possible Alternatives

    To comply with NEPA, the Forest Service will evaluate additional 
alternatives to the proposed action developed based on public comments. 
A no action alternative to provide a baseline for comparison to the 
action alternatives will be included within the EIS. Each alternative 
will be explored and evaluated, or rationale will be given for 
eliminating an alternative from detailed study.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Deciding Official is Scott G. Armentrout, Forest 
Supervisor, Sierra National Forest, 1600 Tollhouse Road, Clovis, CA 
93612.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor will decide whether to implement the proposed 
action, take an alternative action that meets the purpose and need or 
take no action.

Scoping Process

    The notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The project is 
included in the Sierra National Forest's quarterly scheduled of 
proposed actions (SOPA). Information on the proposed action will also 
be posted on the Sierra National Forests Web site, http://fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/projects, and will also be advertised in both the Fresno Bee and 
the Oakhurst Sierra Star. This notice of intent initiates the scoping 
process, which guides the development of the environmental impact 
statement.
    Comments submitted during this scoping period should be in writing 
and should be specific to the proposed action. The comments should 
describe as clearly and completely as possible any issues the commenter 
has with the proposal. It is important reviewers provide their comments 
at such times in such a manner that they are useful to the agency's 
preparation on the environmental impact statement.

    Dated: July 8, 2011.
Scott G. Armentrout,
Forest Supervisor, Sierra National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2011-17707 Filed 7-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M