[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 193 (Monday, October 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60131-60133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22817]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Kootenai National Forest; Lincoln County; Montana; Lower Yaak, 
O'Brien, Sheep Project EIS

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of commercial and 
non-commercial vegetation management activities, prescribed burning, 
watershed and recreation improvement activities, and granting road 
access to private timber lands. Access management changes and other 
design features are included to protect resources and facilitate 
management activities. The project is located in the Lower Yaak, 
O'Brien, and Sheep planning subunits on the Three Rivers Ranger 
District, Kootenai National Forest, Lincoln County, Montana, near Troy, 
Montana.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by November 5, 2014. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected June 2015 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected August 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Kirsten Kaiser, District Ranger, 
Three Rivers Ranger District, 12858 US Highway 2, Troy, MT 59935. 
Comments may also be sent via email to [email protected], or via facsimile to 406-295-7410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leslie McDougall, Project Team Leader, 
Three Rivers Ranger District, 12858 US Highway 2, Troy, MT 59935. 
Phone: (406) 295-4693. 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: The Lower Yaak, O'Brien, Sheep project area 
is approximately 67,500 acres in size and is located adjacent to and 
east of Troy, Montana along the Kootenai River. O'Brien, Lynx, Rabbit, 
Hummingbird, Kilbrennan, and Arbo Creeks are the main watersheds in the 
project area. The legal description includes Townships 31, 32, 33, and 
34 North, Ranges 32, 33, and 34 West, PMM, Lincoln County, Montana.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for this project is to: (1) Promote resilient 
vegetation by managing towards Forest Plan desired conditions for 
landscape-level vegetation patterns, structure, patch size, fuel 
loading, and species composition; (2) maintain or improve water quality 
and native aquatic species habitat; (3) provide forage opportunities 
while maintaining wildlife security; (4) provide wood products that are 
in demand by the American public, contribute to the local economy by 
generating jobs and income, and provide a safe and efficient 
transportation system; and (5) treat hazardous fuels to reduce crown 
fire potential and stand replacing wildfire within the wildland urban 
interface (WUI) and other areas while promoting fire behavior 
characteristics and fuel conditions that allow for safe and effective 
fire management.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action includes timber harvest and associated fuels 
treatments, prescribed burning, and watershed work to address the 
purpose and need. The proposed action includes:
    (1) Approximately 2,202 acres of regeneration harvest and 1,149 
acres of intermediate harvest are being proposed. These treatments 
would be accomplished through 2,500 acres of tractor harvest and 851 
acres of skyline yarding. There are 40 units proposed that would create 
or contribute to 24 different openings larger than 40 acres. This 
action requires a 60-day public review and Regional Forester approval 
(FSM 2471.1). This document serves as the beginning of the 60-day 
comment period. The largest of these treatment units would be 
approximately 190 acres in size. Approximately 769 acres of the total 
2,080 proposed prescribed burning and fuel reduction treatments are 
within the WUI, while 2,894 of the total 3,351 acre proposed timber 
harvest treatment is within the WUI. Total WUI treatment is 
approximately 3,663 acres.
    (2) In an effort to return fire to the landscape and to promote 
wildlife foraging opportunities approximately 1,508 acres of prescribed 
burning (1,482 acres of broadcast burning and 26 acres of maintenance 
underburning) is being proposed. Approximately 727 acres in the WUI are 
proposed for burning. Approximately 660 acres acres of this burning 
will occur in the Inventoried Roadless Areas.
    (3) It is estimated that two temporary roads, totaling 
approximately 0.4 mile would be constructed to accomplish the timber 
harvest and associated fuel reduction work. These roads would be 
decommissioned following activities. Two segments of road would be 
rerouted for resource protection (approximately 0.5 mile on near 
Kilbrennan Lake and 0.3 mile near the Troy shooting range).
    (4) Implementation of best management practice (BMP) work and road 
maintenance work would be implemented on Forest Service haul roads. 
Approximately 45 miles of National Forest System road (NFSR) would be 
reconstructed to meet State BMPs for water quality.
    (5) Implementation of BMPs on roads not used for haul routes, 
including NFSR 4429 O'Brien Lynx Creek road, and NFSR 4445 Lynx Creek. 
This road

[[Page 60132]]

work would be completed separately from the timber sale and would be 
dependent on other sources of funding.
    (6) Approximately 10.7 miles of active road storage, 6.3 miles of 
passive road storage, 1.3 miles of active decommissioning, and 7.0 
miles of passive decommissioning would be done on roads not currently 
open for public motorized travel. Roads identified in the Travel 
Analysis as needed for long-term management of NFS lands would be put 
into intermittent stored service (storage). Roads identified as not 
needed for future management would be decommissioned. Both storage and 
decommissioning could have a range of treatments including simple 
barrier installation (passive treatment) where watershed impacts are 
not likely, to active treatments ranging from removing culverts to full 
recontouring where risks to watersheds are high. Non-motorized access 
would be facilitated with improved tread on road segments identified by 
the public as important for use.
    In addition, five sites are proposed for road stream crossing 
restoration where abandoned road stream crossing structures are failing 
and delivering sediment to the streams. Streams where work is proposed 
include North Fork O'Brien, Rabbit Creek, and Prospect Creek.
    (7) An estimated 650 acres of grizzly bear Core habitat would be 
impacted by proposed harvest and/or road use activities occurring 
within or adjacent to existing Core. To compensate for this potential 
loss of Core acres, roads open or restricted (gated) to motorized use 
elsewhere within the bear management unit (BMU) would be effectively 
barriered to motorized traffic occuring during the active bear year. 
This compensation work would occur prior to or concurrently with the 
proposed harvest or road use to be in compliance with design features 
of the Access Amendment. Similarly, to offset potential increases in 
open motorized route densities incurred during roadwork and harvest 
activities in the BMU, a road(s) currently open to motorized use would 
be temporarily gated during the implementation period of these 
activities.
    (8) Construction of approximately 0.14 mile of new road on NFS 
lands on Yaak Mountain to allow access to Stimson Lumber Company lands 
for land management purposes. This new road construction would access 
Stimson land in T32N R34W, Section 3.
    (9) Recreation improvement projects.

Possible Alternatives

    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative in which none of the 
proposed action would be implemented. Additional alternatives may be 
included in response to issues raised by the public during the scoping 
process or due to additional concerns for resource values identified by 
the interdisciplinary team.

Responsible Official

    The Forest Supervisor of the Kootenai National Forest, 31374 US 
Highway 2, Libby, MT 59923-3022, is the Responsible Official. As the 
Responsible Official, I will decide if the proposed action will be 
implemented. I will document the decision and rationale for the 
decision in the Record of Decision. I have delegated the responsibility 
for preparing the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and final 
environmental impact statement (FEIS) to the District Ranger, Three 
Rivers Ranger District.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Based on the purpose and need, the Responsible Official reviews the 
proposed action, the other alternatives, the environmental 
consequences, and public comments on the analysis in order to make the 
following decisions:
    (1) Whether to implement timber harvest and associated fuel 
reduction treatments, prescribed burning, watershed work, recreation 
improvements, and private property access, including the design 
features and potential mitigation measures to protect resources; and if 
so, how much, and at what specific locations.
    (2) What, if any, specific project monitoring requirements are 
needed to assure design features and potential mitigation measures are 
implemented and effective, and to evaluate the success of the project 
objectives. Preliminary project monitoring needs identified include 
effectiveness of BMP work, and retention of coarse woody debris. A 
project-specific monitorng plan will be developed.

Preliminary Issues

    Initial analysis by the interdisciplinary team has brought forward 
several issues that may affect the design of the project.
    (1) There are 40 harvest units that would contribute to 24 openings 
larger than 40 acres. This action requires a 60-day public review and 
Regional Forester approval (FSM 2471.1). This document serves as the 
beginning of the 60-day public review period.
    (2) Because four of the proposed units would combine to create 
three openings larger than 40 acres in MA 12 (big game summer range), a 
site-specific Forest Plan amendment for MA 12 may be required for 
Wildlife Standard 7, Forest Plan page III-49, which states that 
generally harvest unit size should not exceed 40 acres in elk and mule 
deer habitat or 20 acres in moose and whitetail deer habitat. An 
amendment to allow timber harvest in MA 2 (semi-primitive non-motorized 
recreation/unsuitable) Timber Standards 1, which states that this MA is 
unsuitable for timber production, and 2, which states the timber 
harvest will not occur, may be necessary. An amendment to allow timber 
harvest MA 13 (old growth/unsuitable) for Timber Standard 1, which 
states that this MA is not suitable for timber production, and Timber 
Standard 3 which states that timber harvest will not occur, may also be 
required.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The 
interdisciplinary team will continue to seek information, comments, and 
assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies, tribal governments, 
and other individuals or organizations that may be interested in, or 
affected by, the proposed action. There are several collaborative 
groups in the area that the interdisciplinary team will interact with 
during the analysis.
    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. A more detailed 
scoping letter is available on request as well as on the Kootenai 
National Forest projects page located here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/kootenai/landmanagement/projects.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will become part of the public 
record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered, however they will not grant standing to the 
commenter during the objection period.


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    Dated: September 15, 2014.
Christopher S. Savage,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-22817 Filed 10-3-14; 8:45 am]
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