[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64362-64363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25687]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Helena National Forest, Montana, Tenmile--South Helena Vegetation 
Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Helena National Forest is going to prepare an 
environmental impact statement for vegetation management actions in the 
Tenmile Municipal Watershed and the South Hills of the City of Helena 
east of the Continental Divide. The purpose of the project is to 
address the need to modify forest fuels accumulation in order to reduce 
the potential for high-severity wildfire effects within the City of 
Helena's Municipal Watershed, wildland urban interface, and surrounding 
area as well as provide for firefighter and public safety. Treatment 
activities are proposed on both Forest Service and Bureau of Land 
Management Lands (BLM).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by November 28, 2014. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected April 2015 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected May 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to William Avey Helena and Lewis & 
Clark National Forests Supervisor, Helena National Forest, 2880 Skyway 
Dr., Helena, MT 59602. Comments may also be sent via email to [email protected], or via facsimile to 406-449-5436
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a way that they are useful to the Agency's preparation of 
the EIS. 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allen Byrd Team Leader, at 406-449-
5201. 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 purpose of the project is to maintain consistent quantity and 
quality of water within the municipal watershed and improve conditions 
for public and firefighters safety across the landscape in the event of 
a wildfire. In order to achieve this purpose, there is a need to create 
a mosaic of vegetation and fuel structure more resilient to disturbance 
which will provide for safer, more effective fire suppression actions. 
Reducing intensity of wildfires and increase fire suppression 
effectiveness would improve protection measures for the surrounding 
communities and key municipal watershed infrastructure. These actions 
would reduce the probability of post-wildfire watershed impacts in the 
Tenmile municipal watershed. In addition, sources of anthropogenic 
sediment to streams need to be addressed in order improve water 
quality, watershed function, and other resource values in the project 
area.

Proposed Action

    Approximately 24,946 acres are proposed for treatment (24, 020 
acres on Forest Service lands and 926 acres on BLM lands) which include 
a combination of commercial harvest of trees, non-commercial vegetation 
treatments, and prescribed fire. Mechanical and/or hand treatment 
methods would be used to accomplish treatment objectives. Proposed 
treatment activities include: Roughly 4,002 acres of Improvement 
Harvest; 11,194 acres of Low Severity Prescribed Fire; 2,420 acres of 
Mixed Severity Prescribed Fire; 470 acres of Precommercial Thinning; 
2,231 acres of Private Land Buffers; and 4,629 acres of Regeneration 
Harvest. Up to 40-miles of new temporary and/or short-term specified 
road construction and approximately 80 miles of reconstruction of 
existing system road would be necessary to implement the proposed 
action. Temporary roads will be obliterated (restored to natural 
contours) upon completion of fuels removal operations. Site-specific 
amendments to the Helena National Forest (HNF) Plan standards 
pertaining to elk hiding cover, elk winter range, and elk thermal cover 
may be necessary in order to meet the project's purpose and need. 
Approximately 35 percent (8,803 acres) of the project area is located 
within the Jericho Mountain and Lazyman Gulch Inventoried Roadless 
Areas (IRAs). The Jericho Mountain IRA is 8,749 acres. Of this, 78 
percent or 6,902 acres are within the project area boundary. Treatment 
activities are proposed on 45 percent or 3,958 acres within the Jericho 
Mountain IRA. The Lazyman Gulch IRA is 11,848 acres and is entirely 
within the project area boundary. Treatment activities are proposed on 
40 percent or 4,845 acres of the Lazyman Gulch IRA. Proposed treatment 
activities in IRAs would include a combination of commercial harvest of 
trees, non-commercial vegetation treatments, and prescribed fire. 
Mechanical and/or hand treatments methods would be utilized to 
accomplish treatment objectives within both IRAs. Commercial transport 
of timber is proposed on Forest Service System roads 1863 and 1863-E1 
which are located within the Jericho Mountain IRA. The current 
maintenance level of these roads is capable of supporting commercial 
activities and no re-construction of road features is necessary. Also, 
use of Forest Service system road 1864, located in the Jericho Mountain 
IRA, is proposed for the purpose of providing machine access into 
proposed treatment units. No commercial haul of timber is proposed on 
road 1864. No road construction of system or temporary roads is 
proposed within either IRA. The legal location of this project is: 
Township 10N RO6W

[[Page 64363]]

Section 36; T10N RO5W Section 31; T10N R4W Section 34 & 35; T9N R6W 
Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35, and 36; T9N R5W Sections 
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 
27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36; T9N R4W Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 
5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 
26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35; T8N R6W Sections 1, 2, 12, 
13, 14, 23, 24, 25 and 26; T8N R5W Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 
10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29 and 30; T8N R4W 
sections 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Responsible Official

    Helena and Lewis & Clark National Forests Forest Supervisor (Lead 
Agency) Bureau of Land Management Butte Field Manager

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decisions to be made include: Whether to implement the proposed 
action or an alternative to the proposed action, what monitoring 
requirements would be appropriate to evaluate the implementation of 
this project, and whether a forest plan amendment would be necessary as 
a result of the decision for this project.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. In November 
2014, a scoping notice (flyer) will be mailed to interested and 
affected parties directing them to the project's information which will 
be posted to the Helena National Forest's Web page (http://www.fs.usda.gov/helena/). The Web page will contain detailed project 
information, identification of when public meetings will be scheduled, 
project proposal maps, and other pertinent project information.
    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. The submission of 
timely and specific comments can affect a reviewer's ability to 
participate in the administrative objection process or any judicial 
review.

    Dated: October 23, 2014.
William Avey,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-25687 Filed 10-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P