[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13222-13225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06132]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Andrew Pickens Ranger District, Sumter National Forest, South 
Carolina; Supplement to the 2013 AP Loblolly Pine Removal and 
Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the AP Loblolly Pine Removal and Restoration Project.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service is preparing a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the AP Loblolly Pine Removal 
and Restoration Project. The purpose of this project is to restore 
native vegetation typical of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in 
areas that were planted to non-native loblolly pine plantations in the 
1970s. A number of vegetative treatments have been implemented since 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement was completed and the

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Record of Decision was signed in 2013. Implementation monitoring and 
field reviews indicate that some changes are needed to the original 
decision.

DATES: Scoping comments for this supplement must be received by April 
27, 2018. The Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) 
is expected in June 2018, and the Final Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (FSEIS) is expected in October 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to USDA Forest Service, 112 Andrew 
Pickens Circle, Mountain Rest, South Carolina 29664. Comments may also 
be sent via email to [email protected], or via facsimile to 864-638-2659.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robbie Sitzlar ([email protected]) 
and/or Victor Wyant ([email protected]), 864-638-9568.
    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: In May 2013, the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the AP Loblolly Pine Removal and Restoration Project 
(2013 FEIS) was completed and a Record of Decision (2013 ROD) was 
signed by the Andrew Pickens District Ranger on May 22, 2013. The 2013 
FEIS and 2013 ROD along with other supporting documents are available 
at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=28634. These documents 
include descriptions of the purpose and need for the project and the 
three alternatives that were evaluated. Alternative 3 was selected by 
the Responsible Official for implementation. Since the 2013 ROD was 
signed, a number of timber sale units have been logged and subsequent 
implementation monitoring and field reviews indicate a need to make 
some changes to the decision.

Purpose and Need for Action

    Additions to the purpose and need for action are based on project 
implementation monitoring and field reviews, as described below.
    1. Field reviews have identified 1,330 acres of new loblolly stands 
that were not addressed in the 2013 FEIS. These stands need to be 
restored to native forest species appropriate for the ecological zone 
and loblolly pine (a non-native species) needs to be eliminated as a 
long term seed source.
    2. Since the 2013 ROD was signed, 902 acres of loblolly stands have 
become commercially viable and/or have road access to them that was not 
available at the time of the original decision. There is a need to 
recover any economic value in trees to be harvested prior to 
restoration of native forest vegetation.
    3. As a non-native species in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, 
loblolly pine has proven to be an aggressive competitor and seed stored 
in the soil germinates prolifically following harvest and hampers 
establishment of native forest vegetation. The herbicides currently 
approved for use have proven effective for hardwood control but 
ineffective at controlling loblolly pine regeneration. There is a need 
to include both prescribed burning and herbicides as site preparation 
treatments that are more effective at controlling loblolly pine 
regeneration. This would facilitate restoration of desirable native 
pine and hardwood species on appropriate ecological types.
    4. Implementation monitoring indicates that undesirable understory 
hardwoods (such as red maple, sweetgum, blackgum, rhododendron, and 
mountain laurel) are well-established in some stands. The lack of 
periodic fire has allowed these species to become dominant and 
persistent in the understory at levels not typical for their ecological 
zone. In addition, past Southern pine beetle activity that killed 
portions of the overstory loblolly pine has also resulted in these 
hardwood species gaining dominance of the site at the exclusion of 
other desirable species such as oaks, hickories, and native pines. 
Loblolly pine regeneration is also present and needs to be eliminated 
from the stand. There is a need to treat undesirable hardwood and 
loblolly pine understories prior to timber harvest in some areas to 
facilitate reestablishment of native forest vegetation.
    5. Ecological classification mapping for the district has been 
updated since the 2013 ROD was signed. This new information has been 
used to help identify potentially suitable areas for woodland 
management. Also, establishment of woodland areas has proven to be more 
labor intensive than was originally thought. There is a need to reduce 
the total number of acres managed as woodlands and to use ecological 
mapping to identify areas suitable for woodland management. This would 
result in some woodland areas being changed to regeneration harvest and 
some new areas selected for woodland management. In some cases, stands 
selected for woodland management contain desirable hardwood species 
such as oak and hickory but lack sufficient native pine species typical 
of the ecological zone. Woodland areas should contain a variety of 
ecologically suitable species of native pines (that include pitch pine, 
Table Mountain pine and shortleaf pine) and hardwoods with an open 
overstory and an understory dominated by herbaceous vegetation. 
Woodland restoration needs to include native pine species suitable to 
the ecological zone.
    6. Implementation monitoring has shown the need to drop mitigation 
measure #1 from the 2013 FEIS. This mitigation measure provides for 
staggering some harvest units in identified small sub-watersheds to 
reduce timber harvesting effects on water quality. However, this 
mitigation measure has proven difficult to implement and has caused 
additional adverse environmental effects. Staggering harvest units has 
resulted in additional soil disturbance from roads. Instead of using a 
system road once during a timber sale and then putting it back into 
storage and allowing it to revegetate, another entry is needed a few 
years later resulting in additional disturbance in the watershed. In 
addition, there is an increased risk of loblolly pine seeding into the 
newly restored unit from the adjacent uncut stand.
    7. Mitigation measure # 6c would be revised to permit log trucks to 
cross some perennial and intermittent streams using other methods (such 
as low-water crossings) in addition to temporary bridges. 
Implementation monitoring indicates that some crossings make it 
impracticable to use a temporary bridge without placing fill material 
on the banks of the stream. This fill material has the potential to be 
a sediment source once the temporary bridge is removed. The revised 
mitigation would require consultation with Forest Service resource 
specialists prior to proceeding with other crossing methods. The intent 
is to choose the best form of crossing to protect soil and water 
resources.
    8. A mitigation measures would be added to protect residual trees 
during site preparation prescribed burn treatments and another 
mitigation measure would be added to require hand fireline construction 
near streams.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action includes adding about 1,330 acres of new 
loblolly stand treatments, modifying loblolly treatments on 902 acres 
from pre-commercial to commercial treatments, reducing the acres to be 
managed as woodlands, adding planting of native pines in woodlands, 
adding two herbicides (that are already approved for

[[Page 13224]]

Forest Service use) to more effectively manage understory vegetation, 
adding prescribed fire, and modifying or adding mitigation measures to 
protect resources.
    Regeneration Harvest, with Reserves (cut-and-remove): Commercial 
timber harvest would occur on an additional 1,330 acres. Unmerchantable 
loblolly pine and other undesirable species would be cut down by manual 
(saws, hand tools) or mechanized felling equipment. In addition, to 
cutting loblolly pine, harvest would also include Virginia pine, white 
pine, red maple, sourwood, blackgum, mountain laurel, rhododendron, 
yellow-poplar and other less desirable hardwoods. The intent of cutting 
from these associated species is to limit their abundance and achieve a 
mix of species typical of natural forest conditions. Desirable dominant 
and co-dominant oaks, hickories, shortleaf pine, Table Mountain pine, 
and pitch pine of good vigor would be retained where possible unless 
removal is necessary for safety or for equipment operability reasons. 
Site-preparation treatments would be implemented prior to tree 
planting. Shortleaf pine, Table Mountain pine, and pitch pine would be 
planted on some sites; densities would vary based on residual desirable 
species, site quality and consideration of the ecological zone for each 
stand.
    Regeneration Harvest, with Reserves (treatments changed from cut 
and leave to cut and remove): Commercial timber harvest would occur on 
approximately 902 acres previously designated for non-commercial 
treatment. Treatments would be the same as those described for 
Regeneration Harvest, with Reserves (cut-and-remove).
    New Woodland Stands: The woodland prescription would remove all 
loblolly pine and undesirable tree species including but not limited to 
Virginia pine, white pine, maples, and yellow poplar on 188 acres. The 
treatment would include thinning oaks, hickories, and shortleaf pine if 
necessary to a 30 to 60% canopy cover. Maintenance treatments could 
include prescribed burning, herbicide, manual, and mechanical methods 
as needed to achieve the desired species composition. Manual and 
mechanical methods include hand tools (chainsaws, brush saws), and/or 
heavy equipment (tractor with mower, gyro-track that grind up or 
masticate undesirable understory vegetation). Herbicides in combination 
with a surfactant and spray pattern indicator would also be used to 
control undesirable understory vegetation. Herbicides would be applied 
manually (between the first of July and the end of September) via 
directed foliar or cut surface application methods.
    Stands Changed from Woodland Treatments to Regeneration Harvest, 
with Reserves (cut-and-remove): Commercial timber harvest would occur 
on approximately 282 acres. Treatments would be the same as those 
described for Regeneration Harvest, with Reserves (cut-and-remove).
    Woodlands Planted with Native Pines: The proposed action would 
include the option to plant pitch pine, Table Mountain pine and 
shortleaf pine to supplement species diversity in newly established 
woodland areas (631 acres). Planting would be done manually in small 
patches and densities would be based on the number needed to meet 
woodland ecological objectives for the site.
    Additional Site Preparation Treatments: The supplement would 
include the addition of site-preparation prescribed burning and two new 
herbicides that are more effective at controlling loblolly pine 
regeneration.
    Prescribed Burning Treatment: Site-preparation burning would be 
used to control loblolly regeneration typically in the first growing 
season following harvest in regeneration stands (4,369 acres). It would 
also be used to reduce competition from Virginia pine, white pine, and 
undesirable hardwoods. Firelines would utilize natural features as 
practicable such as streams or constructed features such as roads. 
Dozer and hand constructed firelines would be needed in some places to 
contain the prescribed fire. Stands that overlap with larger landscape 
prescribed burn blocks may be burned in the growing season or dormant 
season subject to landscape scale burning objectives. Burning would be 
done manually with drip torches or with aerial ignition (i.e., 
helicopter).
    Herbicide Treatments: Chemical site preparation would be used in 
stands that are not prescribe burned or where burning does not have the 
anticipated effect at controlling competition. Glyphosate and 
aminopyralid herbicides would be added to the existing herbicides to 
control regenerating loblolly pine seedlings and undesirable species as 
needed in order to achieve native species composition. Herbicides would 
be applied manually using the foliar or hack-n-squirt methods. In 
addition, pre-harvest site-preparation herbicide treatments may be used 
to control mid and understory species composition in all regeneration 
areas.
    Changes to Mitigation Measures: Mitigation measure #1 which 
required staggering of harvest units in some watersheds would be 
dropped and instead reliance would be placed on adherence to ``South 
Carolina's Best Management Practices for Forestry and National Best 
Management Practices for Water Quality Management on National Forest 
System Lands'' and standards in the Revised Land and Resource 
Management Plan Sumter National Forest (Forest Plan).
    Mitigation measure # 6c would be revised to allow log trucks to 
cross perennial and intermittent streams using other methods (low-water 
crossing) in addition to temporary bridges as deemed practicable and 
effective at resource protection with approval from Forest Service 
specialists. Crossings would adhere to BMPs and the Forest Plan.
    A new mitigation measure would be added to protect residual trees 
in harvest units during prescribed burn activities. Protection measures 
could include manual and mechanical removal of logging slash from under 
the drip-line to the base of residual trees. A new mitigation measure 
would be added to protect streams by requiring hand fireline 
construction within 100 feet of streams when deemed necessary during 
prescribed burning.
    Additional Forest Service System Road Reconstruction and 
Maintenance: Road reconstruction and maintenance would be needed on an 
additional 9.4 miles of existing Forest Service system roads. 
Reconstruction work would consist of but not be limited to graveling 
road surfaces, replacing culverts--including replacements for aquatic 
organism passage, ditch cleaning, removing brush and trees along road 
rights-of-way, installing, repairing or replacing gates and correcting 
road safety hazards. Road maintenance would consist of but not be 
limited to spot gravel replacement, blading, cleaning culverts, 
brushing and mowing.
    Temporary Roads: Approximately 12 miles of additional temporary 
roads would be used to access stands. Temporary roads would be closed 
and the area returned to resource production after the access is no 
longer needed.
    Fireline Construction: Approximately 8 miles of dozer fireline 
would be needed for site preparation burning treatments. Typically, 
constructed line would not be needed to control fire during the growing 
season site preparation burning, but key locations would need it (such 
as along private land boundaries next to residences). Additional 
information including maps on the proposed action are located at the 
following website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53047.

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Responsible Official

    Andrew Pickens District Ranger, Sumter National Forest

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Whether or not to implement the Proposed Action or continue to 
implement the 2013 ROD.

Scoping Process

    This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the SEIS. We are inviting you to submit comments to 
help refine the proposed action. In addition, the Responsible Official 
is currently preparing an environmental analysis of the proposed action 
and needs your assistance to better identify issues, concerns and 
opportunities. Pursuant to 36 CFR 218.7(a)(2), this proposed project 
implements the land management plan and is subject to 36 CFR 218 
subparts A and B.
    Specific written comments as defined by Sec.  218.2 should be 
within the scope of the proposed action, have a direct relationship to 
the proposed action, and must include supporting reasons for the 
Responsible Official to consider. It is the responsibility of all 
individuals and organizations to insure that their comments are 
received in a timely manner.
    A notice and comment period will be provided at a future date 
(Sec.  218.24). Only those that respond to this request for comments 
will remain on the mailing list for this project.
    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 considered part of the 
public record on these proposed actions and will be available for 
public inspection. 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: February 28, 2018.
Chris French,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-06132 Filed 3-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P