[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4323-4324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01480]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest; California; Crawford Vegetation 
Management Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Klamath National Forest is preparing an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Crawford Vegetation Management 
Project to improve forest health and biological diversity and to 
provide forest products on approximately 1,467 acres. The project was 
originally proposed as an environmental assessment and an opportunity 
for public scoping comments was provided between August 2011 and 
October 2011. Although consultation and analysis are still ongoing, so 
far they indicate that in order to effectively meet the purpose and 
need of the project, proposed project treatments might result in a 
likely to adversely affect determination for the Northern Spotted Owl 
and its habitat. Responsible official, Forest Supervisor Patricia 
Grantham, has decided to prepare an EIS instead of an EA for this 
project. The proposed action for the EIS is identical to the previous 
proposal as scoped in 2011.
    The project is located about 15 miles southwest of the community of 
Happy Camp, off of the Bear Peak Road (Forest Road 15N19). The legal 
description of the proposed project area is: Township 14 North, Range 5 
East, Sections 1, 12; Township 14 North, Range 6 East, Section 1, 3-
5,12, 13, 15-17, 20-22, 28, 29; Township 15 North, Range 5 East, 
Section 25, 36; and Township 15 North, Range 6 East, section 26-29, 32-
36, Humboldt Meridian.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by February 11, 2014. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected April 2014 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected September 2014.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Patricia A. Grantham, ATTN: Lisa 
Bousfield, Happy Camp Oak Knoll Ranger District, 63822 Highway 96, P.O. 
Box 377, Happy Camp, CA 96039. Comments may also be sent via email to: 
[email protected], or via facsimile to 530-
493-1796. Put the project name in the subject line; attachments may be 
in the following formats: Plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), 
Word (.doc, .docx), or portable document format (.pdf). Comments may 
also be hand-delivered to the Happy Camp Oak Knoll District office 
during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 
excluding holidays). For oral comments contact the interdisciplinary 
team leader, Lisa Bousfield at 530-493-1766.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Bousfield, Happy Camp Oak Knoll 
Ranger District, Klamath National Forest, Happy Camp, California, 
96039. Phone: 530-493-1766. Email: [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. Proposal 
information is also available on Klamath National Forest's project Web 
page at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=30373.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 4324]]

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need of the project is to improve forest health and 
biological diversity and to provide forest products. There is a need to 
close the gap between the existing and desired conditions, while 
protecting forest resources. The objectives are as follows: Forest 
Health: (1) Reduce tree density and competition, and restore a more 
resilient condition. (2) Maintain tree vigor for long term general 
health and to minimize insect and disease susceptibility. (3) Design 
and implement treatments that move the area towards conditions similar 
to which existed prior to fire suppression. (4) Use prescribed fire to 
reduce existing fuel buildups, treat pre- and post-harvest fuels, and 
influence vegetative development or composition. (5) Design desired 
fuel treatments to mimic the natural processes of the area and break up 
fuel continuity. (6) Reduce potential fire size and severity in order 
to protect natural resources, life, and property within and adjacent to 
the project area. (7) Maintain soil productivity. Forest Biological 
Diversity: (1) Manage specific areas to provide habitat for early and 
mid-seral species while retaining a legacy component. (2) Maintain and 
promote meadow, wetland, and riparian habitats for vegetation diversity 
and wildlife species. (3) Maintain conifer/species diversity. (4) 
Maintain black oak, chinquapin, and madrone when possible. (5) Develop 
trees toward legacy recruitment components. Provide Forest Products: 
(1) Provide personal use posts and poles. (2) Provide firewood--
personal or commercial. (3) Provide a programmed flow of timber 
products, within the natural capabilities of the area.

Proposed Action

    The Crawford Project includes five overlapping types of treatment: 
(1) Commercial Thinning--Natural Stands and Plantation Thinning; (2) 
Noncommercial Fuels Reduction Treatment; (3) Noncommercial 
Precommercial Thinning (PCT); (4) Mastication; and (5) Meadow and 
Wetland Restoration. In addition, the proposed action includes the use 
of 0.29 miles of temporary road on existing roadbeds within the project 
area, and construction of a total of approximately 0.69 miles of new 
temporary roads. No roads will be added to or deleted from the National 
Forest Transportation System. The estimated number of new landings 
needed for the project is 16 (about 10 acres) and 50 existing landings 
(about 15 acres).

Responsible Official

    Patricia A. Grantham, Klamath National Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide whether to adopt and implement 
the proposed action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no 
action to make changes to existing conditions in the Crawford Project 
Area.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The project was 
originally proposed as an environmental assessment and an opportunity 
for public scoping comments was provided between August 2011 and 
October 2011. The proposed action for the EIS is identical the proposal 
as originally scoped in 2011. If you previously commented on the 
project, your comments have been and will continue to be considered in 
the development of alternatives. In order to move forward with this 
project, we ask that you do not repeat your comments. Following 
alternative development, the Forest Service will be providing another 
opportunity to comment on the alternatives and analysis.
    If you have any new comments, we welcome those at this time. We are 
particularly interested in hearing about any potential issues, which 
are defined as points of discussion, dispute, or debate about the 
effects of the proposed action. Your participation will help the 
interdisciplinary team develop effective, issue-driven alternatives and 
mitigations to the proposed action as needed.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a 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 project 
record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide 
the agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent 
environmental documents.

    Dated: January 21, 2014.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-01480 Filed 1-24-14; 8:45 am]
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