[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 92 (Friday, May 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22000-22002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10029]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Umpqua National Forest; 
Oregon; Stella Landscape Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest 
(RRSNF), High Cascade Ranger District, is providing notice that it will 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Stella 
Landscape Restoration Project (Project), which would implement multiple 
landscape restoration actions on National Forest System lands within an 
approximately 64,000-acre project planning area.

[[Page 22001]]

Restoration actions include vegetation treatments, prescribed fire, 
sustainable recreation, and sustainable roads actions. Included in the 
project area is approximately 4,000 acres on the Umpqua National 
Forest, in the Huckleberry Special Interest Area, which is adjacent to 
the RRSNF. Only non-commercial activities are proposed on the Umpqua 
National Forest. In order to implement the Project, the RRSNF also 
identified the need for a project-specific amendment to the Rogue River 
Land and Resource Management Plan to exempt the Big Game Winter Range 
Management Strategy from the thermal cover requirement.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by June 11, 2018. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is 
expected in spring of 2019 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS) is expected in spring of 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to David Palmer, District Ranger, High 
Cascade Ranger District, 47201 Hwy. 62, Prospect, OR 97536. Comments 
may be submitted electronically at [email protected]. Comments may also be sent via 
facsimile to 541-247-3641 or submitted in person during regular 
business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the address 
listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Trapanese, Environmental 
Coordinator [email protected], 541-560-3433.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf may call 
the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. 
and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need

    The purpose and need for this project includes the need to restore 
forest resiliency by reestablishing forest structure and pattern, 
vegetation composition and diversity, and riparian communities to 
conditions that are more resilient to natural disturbance processes. 
Comparison of the existing condition with the desired condition 
indicates the specific need to reduce risk of habitat degradation and 
loss from uncharacteristic wildfire and/or insect and disease outbreak. 
There is a need to maintain and improve habitat for fish and wildlife 
species and sustain and enhance northern spotted owl habitat to aid in 
recovery.
    Additionally, there is a need to conserve and restore culturally 
significant plants and maintain habitat for rare plant populations. 
There is a need within the project area to provide for a variety of 
social and cultural values and opportunities, such as huckleberry 
picking and hunting. There is a need to contribute to the RRSNF 
probable sale quantity target, and a need to restore and provide a 
sustainable road and trail transportation system.

Proposed Action

    This project proposes approximately 23,000 acres of variable 
density thinning, 3,000 acres of plantation thinning, and 5,500 acres 
of non-commercial plantation thinning for a total of 31,500 acres of 
vegetation treatment. Thinning of natural stands and managed stands, 
along with application of prescribed fire, would be the primary 
restoration actions for pines and plantation units. Thinning in pure 
Douglas fir stands would allow for the growth of large trees in the 
future. Changes in road maintenance levels and road decommissioning 
would address water quality concerns, provide for wildlife needs, and 
move towards a sustainable road system.
    Approximately 13,000 acres of special habitat restoration are 
proposed. The special habitat restoration would use primarily non-
commercial mechanical treatment to restore a variety of different 
habitats. The restoration treatments would benefit huckleberry, aspen, 
meadow, oak, and legacy pine.
    Forty-two miles of stream restoration are proposed within the 
project area. Stream restoration would utilize large wood and rock 
placement in fish bearing streams to restore habitat. These structures 
improve the complexity and function of instream habitat. The culverts 
targeted for replacement would allow all life stages of aquatic 
organisms to pass. The current culverts in these locations do not allow 
this.
    The recreation proposals include installing modern vault style 
outhouses at Woodruff Day Use area. The existing outhouses at this 
popular day use site are cemented culverts that may not hold up over 
time, and could have a negative impact on water quality. This is 
necessary to maintain and improve fish habitat, of which water quality 
is an important component. The Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail re-route 
would take existing trail off of mixed use maintenance level 2 roads 
and place it on maintenance level 1 roads to improve safety for riders.
    The proposed action includes decommissioning approximately 40 miles 
of roads and changing 64 miles of roads to maintenance level 1. The 
proposed changes to road maintenance levels and decommissioning will 
make the current transportation system more sustainable. Many of these 
roads are currently being managed at a lower maintenance level on the 
ground, or are already part of the OHV Trail system. Some of these 
roads have been identified as likely not needed in Subpart A of Travel 
Management (36 CFR[thinsp]212, Subpart A).
    A project specific forest plan amendment is also likely needed to 
accomplish restoration actions within Management Strategy 14, Big Game 
Winter Range. This amendment would exempt the project from the 
requirement for thermal cover over ``50 percent of 500-1000 acre 
analysis areas.'' The amendment would apply to the 7,984 acres in this 
Management Strategy in the project area. This amendment would be the 
only exemption to Plan standards, and all other standards and 
guidelines would be unaffected; it would only apply to the RRSNF. When 
proposing a Forest Plan amendment, the 2012 planning rule (36 CFR 219), 
as amended, requires the responsible official to provide in the initial 
notice ``which substantive requirements of Sec.  [thinsp]219.8 through 
219.11 are likely to be directly related to the amendment'' (Sec.  
219.13(b)(2)). Whether a rule provision is likely to be directly 
related to an amendment is determined by any one of the following: The 
purpose for the amendment, the beneficial effects of the amendment, and 
the substantial adverse effects of the amendment, as informed by the 
best available scientific information, scoping, effects analysis, 
monitoring data or other rationale. Based on this amendment proposal 
and requirements of the planning rule, the following substantive 
requirements of 36 CFR 219 would likely be directly related to the 
proposed amendment: 36 CFR 219.10(a)(1) Aesthetic values, cultural and 
heritage resources, ecosystem services, fish and wildlife species, 
forage, grazing and rangelands, habitat and habitat connectivity, 
recreation settings and opportunities, riparian areas, scenery, soil, 
surface water quality, timber, vegetation, viewsheds; and (a)(5) 
Habitat conditions, subject to the requirements of 36 CFR[thinsp]219.9, 
for wildlife, fish, and plants commonly enjoyed and used by the public; 
for hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, observing, subsistence, and 
other activities (in collaboration with federally recognized Tribes, 
Alaska Native Corporations, other Federal agencies, and State and local 
governments).

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Possible Alternatives

    The Project will analyze no action, the proposed action, and 
additional alternatives developed during the evaluation period that 
respond to issues generated throught the scoping process. The agency 
will give notice of the full environemental analysis and decision 
making process so interested and affected parties may participate and 
contribute to the final decision.

Responsible Official

    The responsible officials for this decision will be the Forest 
Supervisor for the RRSNF and the Forest Supervisor for the Umpqua 
National Forest.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisors will decide where, and whether or not, to 
take action to meet desired conditions within the planning area. The 
responsible officials also will decide how to mitigate any potential 
impacts of these actions and will determine when and how possible 
effects monitoring would take place. The final Project decision and 
rationale will be documented in a Record of Decision supported by a 
Final EIS.
    Per 36 CFR 218.7(a)(2), this is a project proposing to implement a 
land management plan and is not authorized under the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act (HFRA). Therefore, it is subject to both subparts A and 
B of 36 CFR 218, Project-level Predecisional Administrative Review 
Process. This administrative review process also applies to the 
project-specific amendment, consistent with 36 CFR 219.59. Only those 
who submit timely and specific written comments regarding the proposed 
project or activity during a public comment period established by the 
responsible official are eligible to file an objection Sec.  
218.24(b)(6). The publication date of the NOI in the Federal Register 
is the exclusive means for calculating this scoping period. For issues 
to be raised in objections, they must be based on previously submitted 
specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity 
and attributed to the objector.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the EIS. 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.
    Documents related to information in this notice are available for 
review at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=5324.

    Dated: April 20, 2018.
Chris French,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-10029 Filed 5-10-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P