[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 6 (Thursday, January 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1620-1622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00058]


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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. 79, No. 6 / Thursday, January 9, 2014 / 
Notices  

[[Page 1620]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Wallowa-Whitman National Forest; Oregon; Lower Joseph Creek 
Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: In the Lower Joseph Creek Restoration Project area, decades of 
fire suppression and past land management activities have resulted in 
overstocked stand conditions, reduced forage productivity, degraded 
wetlands and springs, reduced grassland extent, and increased ladder 
fuels relative to historic reference and anticipated future conditions. 
Dry and moist upland forest types in the project area are showing a 
deficit of open stands dominated by large trees of ponderosa pine, 
larch, and Douglas-fir. Standing and down dead trees were also an 
important component of these stands. The purpose of the Lower Joseph 
Creek Restoration Project is to restore, maintain, and enhance forest 
and rangeland resiliency to natural disturbances, protect natural 
resources at risk to uncharacteristic wildfires and insect and disease 
outbreaks, contribute to local economic and social vitality, modify 
fire behavior potential, and improve future forest, range, and fire 
management opportunities. The USDA Forest Service will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to disclose the potential 
environmental effects of implementing restoration treatments on 
National Forest System lands within the project area.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by 30 days following the date that this notice appears in the Federal 
Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected July 
2014 and the final environmental impact statement is expected December 
2014. The comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
will close 45 days after the date the EPA publishes the Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. A Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) and draft Record of Decision (ROD) will be published 
after all comments are reviewed and responded to. Objections to the 
FEIS and draft ROD must be filed 45 days following publication of the 
legal notice of the ``opportunity to object''.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to John Laurence, Forest Supervisor, 
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, c/o Blue Mountains Restoration 
Strategy, 72510 Coyote Rd., Pendleton, OR 97801. Comments may also be 
sent via email to: [email protected], 
or via facsimile to 541-278-3730 c/o Blue Mountains Restoration 
Strategy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ayn Shlisky, Blue Mountains 
Restoration Strategy Team Lead, Umatilla National Forest, 72510 Coyote 
Rd., Pendleton, OR 97801; phone 541-278-3762. 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: 

Background

    The Lower Joseph Creek project area lies adjacent and east of 
Oregon State Highway 3 on the northern boundary of the Wallowa-Whitman 
National Forest (WAWNF), approximately 20 miles north of Enterprise. 
The project area is bounded by Cold Springs Ridge to the northeast, 
Forest Road 46 to the east, and Elk Mountain to the south. It contains 
the upper reaches of the Joseph Creek drainage, including the 
watersheds of Lower and Upper Swamp Creek, Peavine Creek, Rush Creek, 
Davis Creek, Sumac Creek, Lower and Upper Cottonwood Creeks, Broady 
Creek, Horse Creek, Cougar Creek, and Green Gulch.
    The area is characterized by deep canyons with very steep, grass-
covered side slopes interspersed with numerous exposed rock (basalt) 
layers. Vegetation is generally composed of: (1) Warm/moist forest 
communities on steep canyon slopes (42% of forested area), (2) warm/dry 
forests on south-facing slopes, in transitional areas with scablands, 
and on shallower soils (about 30%), (3) cool/dry forest on gently 
rolling uplands with deeper soils (26%), and (4) relatively small 
amounts of wet mixed conifer and subalpine fir/Engelmann spruce 
forests. Elevations range from about 3600 to 5000 feet.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The project takes advantage of effective collaboration between 
representatives from environmental organizations, timber industry, 
county governments, the general public, and various government agencies 
to assess conditions and develop restoration and management strategies 
in the Lower Joseph Creek project area. All interested parties will 
have an opportunity to provide input on how this project develops, 
including the types of treatments, products produced, and monitoring 
that occurs.
    In general, relative to desired conditions, the Lower Joseph Creek 
project area exhibits: (1) A deficit of forest stands with large trees 
and open canopies, (2) an overabundance of young open forest stands 
with relatively dense tree seedling understories (cold and moist 
forests), (3) a surplus of small diameter downed woody fuel and fuel 
ladders, (4) reduced understory plant diversity and productivity, (5) 
reduced grassland extent due to conifer expansion into grassland 
habitat, (6) improving trends in fish habitat quality and connectivity 
and opportunities for continued improvement, (7) reduced fire 
frequencies, and increased vulnerability to uncharacteristic 
disturbance from wildfire, (8) roads with native surface conditions, 
and other management impacts to wetlands, springs, riparian areas and 
stream channels, and (9) opportunities to contribute to the economic 
vitality of the local community.
    Tangible products, such as wood, fiber, firewood, watershed 
restoration projects, forage, wild edible plants and mushrooms, and 
income generated from this project would contribute to the stability of 
highly valued forest and range products infrastructure, family wage 
earners and local industries. In turn, these products and income will 
support other local businesses, hospitals, and services contributing to 
the overall economic vitality of Wallowa County and northeast Oregon. 
In

[[Page 1621]]

addition, less tangible but valuable results are expected, such as 
learning how to build strong working relationships among local 
collaborators and the Forest Service, developing effective restoration 
plans, and creating NEPA-ready projects that can be quickly 
implemented.
    The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is committed to meeting our 
Federal Trust Responsibility to consult and coordinate with American 
Indian Tribes. Actions analyzed to meet the purpose and need will 
address potential effects to treaty reserved rights and cultural 
resources.
    The purpose and need for action is consistent with the 1990 
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as 
amended (Forest Plan). It is supported by differences between existing 
and desired ecosystem conditions, as determined from the Forest Plan, 
local policy recommendations for desired ranges of variation in 
vegetation conditions, local landscape assessments (e.g., Lower Joseph 
Creek Watershed Assessment (2013)), collaboration with the Wallowa-
Whitman Forest Collaborative and other publics, other agencies, 
consultation with Tribes, and field reviews. The purpose and need is 
also driven by goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management 
Strategy (2011), particularly goals to restore and maintain landscape 
resiliency to fire-related disturbances, and reduce risk of wildfire to 
human communities and infrastructure. The purpose and need is also 
consistent with the Endangered Species Act for the protection and 
restoration of Snake River steelhead as well as the Clean Water Act for 
protection of water quality and waterways in the project area.

Proposed Action

    The Forest Service proposes to implement activities across the 
approximately 98,561 acre Lower Joseph Creek project area. Silviculture 
treatments would provide a diversity of forest structures that are more 
in line with desired conditions, and more resilient to anticipated 
future environmental conditions. Thinning, and mechanical fuel 
treatments across approximately 20,000 acres would encourage the 
development of large tree structural characteristics, understory plant 
diversity, forage productivity, and resilience to disturbances such as 
wildfire. Thinning of largely younger trees across an additional 5,000 
acres, which are in the process of recovery after stand replacement 
disturbance, would encourage the development of spatial heterogeneity 
and increase the proportion of early seral tree species. Silvicultural 
treatments would generally retain and protect large trees of early 
seral species and trees with old growth physical characteristics 
consistent with historical reference conditions. Prescribed burning of 
hazardous fuels, where ecologically appropriate, on up to 90,000 acres 
would reduce fuel loads, increase understory productivity and 
diversity, allow fire to perform its natural ecological role, and 
reduce uncharacteristic disturbance from wildfire, insects, and 
disease.
    Restoration of wetlands and springs would allow these landscape 
components to play their natural role in providing for effective 
grazing management, wildlife habitat, and high quality drinking water. 
Restoration of some riparian areas would protect and restore watershed 
function. Riparian and flood plain restoration may include road closure 
or modification, channel reconstruction, fencing, planting, conifer 
removal, instream structure placement, and bank stabilization.
    The transportation system would be managed through road 
construction, reconstruction, use of temporary roads, and seasonal or 
permanent closures, as needed to support public access, proposed forest 
management activities, wildlife habitat quality, and aquatic habitat 
connectivity. The majority of road-related activities would make use of 
the existing system road network. A roads analysis will be conducted to 
assess the transportation system and the appropriate actions needed to 
meet project and administrative needs, public access, forest plan 
standards and guidelines, future needs, and consultation guidance for 
federally listed fish. Approximately 1.5 miles of new system road would 
be constructed; 24 miles of system road would be reconstructed; and 26 
miles of new temporary roads would be constructed. Of the roads that 
have already been identified for seasonal or permanent closure under 
past decisions, or that have been naturally closed, 40 miles would be 
seasonally closed, and approximately 45 miles would be permanently 
closed or decommissioned, as determined in the roads analysis and an 
evaluation of each segment's status, future need, and impact on other 
resources. Roads proposed for any type of closure will focus on 
resource damage to water quality, fish habitat and wildlife habitat. 
Where possible, detrimental soil impacts from roads would be mitigated.
    In the interest of landscape learning and streamlining NEPA, two 
Research Natural Areas, which have been proposed for establishment in 
the WAW Forest Plan (Horse Pasture Ridge (338 acres) and Haystack Rock 
(425 acres)) would be established and serve as untreated baseline study 
areas. The establishment of the two RNAs will require no changes in 
current land management allocations, except for any necessary 
adjustments to RNA boundaries mapped in the current Forest Plan to 
facilitate management or correct mapping errors.
    Additional benefits of implementation of the proposed action 
include maintenance and enhancement of culturally significant 
resources, settings, viewsheds, and sensitive plant and animal species 
habitat, including those of interest to the Tribes. A monitoring 
strategy will be developed to support adapting management strategies 
and sharing lessons learned through time. Input from interested parties 
and the most current, applicable science will be used to guide this 
monitoring.
    Connected actions that would be included in the analysis include 
road maintenance, and hazard tree cutting or removal. Fuels associated 
with silvicultural treatments (activity fuels) would be treated with a 
suite of available tools including, but not limited to, mastication, 
removal, pile and burn, cutting and scattering limbs, or prescribed 
fire.
    Project design elements and site specific mitigation measures would 
be developed during the analysis of individual activity areas to reduce 
or eliminate unwanted effects, including those affecting tribal 
resources and cultural values. Mitigation measures may include seasonal 
operating restrictions, snag creation, and/or soil amendments (e.g., 
adding biochar) on compacted or detrimental soils.

Forest Plan Amendments

    1. The Forest Service proposes to amend the forest plan in some 
areas to allow for the removal of trees greater than 21'' in diameter 
at breast height. To ensure conservation of old trees, the project 
would adopt scientifically-derived guidelines, such as the ``Van Pelt 
guidelines'' (2008), to assess tree age regardless of the diameter of 
individual trees.
    2. The Forest Service may need to amend the forest plan, if 
necessary, to allow tree harvests that restore old growth 
characteristics, natural ecological processes, or habitat for old 
growth dependent species in Old Growth Preserves (Forest Plan 
Management Area 15).
    3. The Forest Service may need to amend the forest plan in some 
areas where restoration activities would not

[[Page 1622]]

meet visual quality objectives in the short-term.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is the Wallowa-Whitman Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest will 
decide whether to implement the action as proposed, whether to take no 
action at this time, or whether to implement any alternatives that are 
proposed. The Forest Supervisor will also decide whether to amend the 
1990 Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, 
if an action alternative is chosen.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Issues that are 
raised with the proposal may lead to alternative ways to meet the 
purpose and need of the project.
    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 periods 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.

    Dated: December 20, 2013.
John Laurence,
Forest Supervisor, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2014-00058 Filed 1-8-14; 8:45 am]
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