[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9157-9159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03428]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest; California; McCollins Late Successional 
Reserve Habitat Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Klamath National Forest will prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose the 
environmental effects of treatments proposed to: Promote the continued 
development and retention of late successional old growth conditions; 
promote resilience of early- and mid-seral vegetation to large scale 
disturbance events such as wildfire or insects and disease; restore and 
maintain pine/oak forest type, oak woodlands, and wildlife habitat; 
and, reduce wildfire threat and potential fire intensity within the 
Wildland Urban Interface, especially surrounding private residences and 
structures. Treatments are proposed on about 2,700 acres and consist of 
commercial and non-commercial thinning, and, piling and burning of 
activity generated fuels. The project area is located east of Horse 
Creek, in Siskiyou County, California. Legal location: Township 46 
North Range 9 West Sections 9, 10, 15-22, 27-33; and Township 46 North 
Range 10 West Sections 13, 21-28, and 32-36; Mount Diablo Meridian.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by March 20, 2014. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
December 2014 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
June 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Patricia A. Grantham, ATTN: Kim 
Crider, Project Leader, Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District, 63822 
Highway 96, Klamath National Forest, Happy Camp, California 96039. 
Submit electronic comments at the Klamath

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National Forest's project Web page: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=38559 by selecting the ``Comment on Project'' 
link in the ``Get Connected'' group at the right hand side of the 
project Web page. 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). Send 
comments via facsimile to 530-493-1796.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Crider, Project Leader, phone: 
530-493-1724, 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 the Klamath National Forest's project Web page at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=38559.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    A Forest Service interdisciplinary team composed of specialists 
from a wide array of disciplines in conjunction with interested 
parties, considered the need for change and potential actions in the 
project area. The collaboration efforts included a public meeting and 
field trip. The IDT identified the following purpose and need for the 
project by comparing the existing conditions in the project area with 
the desired conditions described in the Klamath National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan and Late Successional Reserve Assessments: 
(1) Promote the continued development and retention of Late 
Successional Old Growth conditions; (2) Promote resilience of early- 
and mid-seral vegetation to large-scale disturbance events such as 
wildfire or insects and disease; (3) Restore and maintain pine/oak 
forest type, oak woodlands, and wildlife habitat; and (4) Reduce 
wildfire threat and potential fire intensity within the WUI, especially 
surrounding private residences and structures.

Proposed Action

    The Klamath National Forest proposes actions to move the project 
area from the existing condition to the desired condition. Project 
design features and best management practices are incorporated into the 
proposed action. Acres by treatment type are described below and do not 
account for the overlap in treatment types. Treatment acreages are 
approximate at this point and may be adjusted and refined following the 
opportunity to provide scoping comments.
    No roads will be added to, or removed from, the National Forest 
Transportation System as part of this project. To facilitate commercial 
treatments and reduce log skidding distances and associated impacts to 
soils and other resources, the proposed action includes temporary 
access along sixteen segments of existing roadbeds totaling about 1.34 
miles and 0.36 miles of new temporary roadbed construction within the 
project area. Both existing and new temporary roadbeds will be closed, 
and where needed, hydrologically stabilized following project 
implementation.
    About 137 landings will be needed to treat commercial units. Of 
these, 125 are existing landings and about twelve new landings will be 
constructed. About102 landings will be roadside continuous landings 
averaging one-tenth of an acre in size. Thirty-five landings will be 
needed for ground based units; landings will average from one-third to 
one-half acre in size.
    Commercial Thinning: Commercial thinning treatments will use 
tractor, mechanized and cable logging systems to treat about 590 acres. 
Treatment prescriptions will vary by unit, and will be guided by 
topographic location, amount of disease present, and desired 
regeneration species. Treatment of trees larger than 20 inches diameter 
at breast height (dbh) will be considered as needed to meet the project 
objectives. Commercial utilization of wood fiber will be a by-product 
of the need for treatment in Late Successional Reserves and Riparian 
Reserves. Where possible, commercial thinning will involve whole tree 
yarding or yarding with tops attached. This will limit fuel 
accumulation in harvest units by allowing for limbs and tops to be 
piled and burned at landings. Other post-harvest fuel treatment methods 
will be considered as deemed necessary by a fuels specialist and may 
include: Grapple piling and burning, hand piling and burning, lop and 
scatter, or no treatment.
    Mastication: Mastication will be used on about 164 acres to reduce 
fuel bed depth, raise crown base height, increase fuel to ground 
contact to promote decomposition and generate more fine materials.
    Non-commercial Thinning: Non-commercial thinning on about 1,269 
acres, will involve cutting trees less than nine inches dbh, piling, 
and burning using hand methods. This will reduce ladder fuels and 
surface fuels, while promoting tree growth rates.
    Non-commercial Thinning Adjacent to Private Property: Non-
commercial thinning on about 656 acres of National Forest System lands 
within 500 feet of private property will involve cutting, piling, and 
burning of trees less than nine inches dbh using hand methods. This 
will reduce ladder fuels and surface fuels, while promoting tree growth 
rates.
    Oak Stand Improvement: Oak stand improvement treatments on about 20 
acres involves removal of conifers encroaching on black and white oaks. 
Trees less than nine inches dbh will be cut, piled, and burned using 
hand methods or non-commercial means. This will reduce ladder fuels and 
surface fuels, while promoting oak growth rates and mast production.
    Treatment in Riparian Reserves: There are about 335 acres (43 acres 
of proposed commercial thinning; and 292 acres of proposed non-
commercial thinning) of stream associated riparian reserves within 
proposed treatment units. Thinning in riparian reserves is planned 
where necessary to meet desired conditions as described in the Klamath 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Trees of commercial 
value that are thinned will be left on site, except where large woody 
debris and/or coarse woody debris is above reference condition in which 
case they may be removed to produce wood fiber as a by-product.

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 change existing conditions within the project area.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. To assist the 
Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on 
the proposed action, comments should be as specific as possible. 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 manner that they are useful to the

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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.

    Dated: February 10, 2014.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-03428 Filed 2-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P