[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 70 (Friday, April 11, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20167-20169]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07968]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Willamette National Forest, McKenzie River Ranger District; 
Oregon; Green Mountain Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Green Mountain Project is proposed to increase stream-side 
vegetative diversity, increase in-stream habitat complexity and 
productivity, shift the age-class and structural diversity of the 
forest in the project area landscape, and provide forest products. 
Proposed activities to achieve the purpose of the project include 
forest management treatments across approximately 5,154 acres (~4.9% of 
the analyzed landscape). Treatments include ~3,588 acres of variable 
forest thinning (including 1,859 acres of riparian reserve thinning) 
and ~1,250 acres of regenerating forest habitat creation through 
harvests that may include shelterwood harvests, two-aged systems, group 
selections, variable retention harvests, and seed tree harvests. Road 
work would be part of the actions associated with the proposed 
activities and would include: Road maintenance/reconstruction (~137 
miles), temporary road construction (~21 miles), new road construction 
(~0.5 miles), road decommissioning (~9.6), road closure amendments, and 
one potential bridge replacement.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by May 12, 2014. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
August 2014 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
October 2014.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 57600 McKenzie HWY, McKenzie 
Bridge, OR 97413. Comments may also be sent via email to comments-

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[email protected], or via facsimile 
to 541-822-7254. District open-house public meetings will be held at 
the McKenzie River district office (57600 McKenzie Hwy, McKenzie 
Bridge, OR 97413) on April 24, 2014 and May 1, 2014 from 1 p.m.-7 p.m. 
Green Mountain open-house meetings will be held on May 2, 2014 and May 
9, 2014 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at locations to be determined 
(please contact our office at 541-822-3381 for updated information). 
These meetings provide additional opportunity for you to submit any 
scoping comments you may have.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Guenther Castillon at 
[email protected] or at 541-822-7214.
    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:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Green Mountain project area is approximately 98,225 acres in 
size, located around Forest Road 19 above Cougar Dam. The district's 
resource specialists reviewed this landscape and identified it to have 
the greatest need across the McKenzie River District for work that 
would benefit riparian and aquatic resources. An analysis of the 
landscape also shows a lack of age-class diversity and associated 
habitat diversity, especially those affecting very old and very young 
forest-dependent species. Also approximately 79% of the forested stands 
in the project area are overstocked from a tree health perspective. 
There is opportunity to thin, reduce the number of trees, and increase 
the size and structure of the remaining forest over time. The 
productivity and site conditions of forests in the project area allow 
for the production of forest products while being sensitive to the 
ecology of the area and meeting other important natural values and 
services.
    The Purpose of this project is to provide forest products, increase 
stream-side vegetative diversity, increase in-stream habitat complexity 
and productivity, and shift the age-class and structural diversity of 
the forest in the project area landscape.

Proposed Action

    Vegetation--We propose to thin ~3,588 acres 9958 characters, 1526 
words, 94 lines (3.7% of the Project Area) and regenerate ~1,250 acres 
(1.3% of the Project Area). We propose to use thinning across the 
majority of the project and these treatments would incorporate some 
untreated areas (skips) and create gaps of up to three acres with 
variable spacing of remaining trees. We would design the regeneration 
harvest to increase forest-age diversity across the Project Area. The 
type of regeneration harvests would vary and may potentially include: 
Shelterwood harvests, two-aged systems, group selection harvests, 
variable retention harvests, and seed tree harvests. The age of stands 
proposed to be thinned ranges from 15 to 148 years, average stand age; 
and the age of stands proposed to be regenerated range from 15-135 
years. Douglas-fir trees have an average lifespan of 500 years with 
individuals exceeding 1,000 years. These treatments would occur on 
stands that are 3 to 30% of their average maximum age. The overall 
total area treated under both treatment categories would be 
approximately 5,154 acres (~4.9% of the Project Area).
    Streams--Approximately 44% of the total project area has a riparian 
reserve designation that overlaps with other management allocations. We 
are not proposing regeneration harvests within riparian reserves. We 
are proposing about 1,859 acres of thinning within riparian reserves 
(these acres include no-cut buffers adjacent to the stream channel, 
which reduces the actual total number of riparian acres treated). We 
proposed harvest or cutting within riparian reserves to increase in-
stream productivity by increasing hardwood trees and light 
availability. We would also create snags and down wood to add 
structural diversity. We would use a combination of thinning, cut and 
leave treatments, gap creations (approximately 8 acres total across all 
riparian treatments), and no-cut stream buffers.
    Roads--We propose to remove forest products and include associated 
road work across the project area. We would include approximately 137 
miles of road maintenance/reconstruction that would include the 
installment of approximately 200 culverts (primarily replacements). We 
would also propose to store and hydrologically stabilize approximately 
21 miles of road, and decommission approximately 9.6 miles of road. The 
existing seasonal closure on Forest Service (FS) roads 1900-430 and 
1900-431 would be proposed for removal. The current closure on FS road 
1927-240 would be reduced in extent by moving the current closure 
(gate) location at the intersection with FS road 1927 to a new location 
at approximately mile point 6.7 down the 240 road. We would propose 
construction of 9.5 miles of temporary road. These temporary roads 
would be restored to their previous function and closed after all 
project activities are completed. To address an existing bridge failure 
we would propose either installing a temporary bridge (FS road 1980-
204), or we would build new road across approximately 0.5 mile and 
decommission 0.7 mile of road behind the old bridge.
    Responsible Official: Willamette forest supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need, the scope of the decision to be made by 
the responsible official will be as follows:
     Do the proposed actions comply with all applicable laws 
governing Forest Service actions?
     Do the proposed actions comply with the applicable 
Standards and Guidelines found in the Willamette Land and Resource 
Management Plan (LRMP)?
    [cir] If not, will the action amend the LRMP?
     Does the Environmental Impact Statement have sufficient 
site-specific environmental analysis to make an informed decision?
     Do the proposed actions meet the purpose and need for 
action?
    With these assurances the responsible official must decide:
     Whether or not to select the proposed action or one of any 
other potential alternatives that may be developed, and what, if any, 
additional actions should be required.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. District open-
house public meetings will be held for your convenience at the McKenzie 
River district office (57600 McKenzie Hwy, McKenzie Bridge, OR 97413) 
on April 24, 2014 and May 1, 2014 from 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Green Mountain 
open-house meetings will be held on May 2, 2014 and May 9, 2014 from 
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at locations to be determined (please contact 
our office at 541-822-3381 for updated information). All of these 
meetings provide an opportunity to gain more information regarding this 
proposed project and also provide an opportunity for you to submit any 
scoping comments you may have. We are interested in your comments on 
the following questions:
     Are there alternative ways to meet the purpose of the 
project other than the proposed action we offer, which you

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would like the Forest Service to consider and analyze?
     Is there any information about the project area, which you 
believe is important in the context of the proposed activities that you 
would like the Forest Service to consider?
     What specifically are the potential effects of this 
proposal that you are particularly concerned about? For example, rather 
than simply stating that you would like a change in a proposed activity 
or that you would not like an activity to take place, it is most 
helpful to understand why you desire this. What are your underlying 
concerns with an activity or action; what are the effects from the 
activity that concern you? 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.
    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: April 3, 2014.
Meg Mitchell,
Forest Supervisor, Willamette National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2014-07968 Filed 4-10-14; 8:45 am]
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