[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53443-53444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23086]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Flathead National Forest; Montana; Mid-Swan Landscape Restoration 
& Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Swan Landscape Restoration and Wildland Urban 
Interface Fuels Project (Mid-Swan) area encompasses approximately 
246,000 acres within the larger 1.3 million acre Southwestern Crown of 
the Continent landscape. This project is part of a long-term effort 
between the USDA Forest Service and the Southwestern Crown 
Collaborative to restore the resilience and function of the ecosystem 
within this landscape. The Mid-Swan project is proposing treatments on 
approximately 70,000 acres to improve aquatic and terrestrial 
biodiversity by removing vegetation, planting drought tolerant species 
found there historically, and reducing fuel buildup in the wildland 
urban interface (WUI).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by November 23, 2018. The publication of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) is expected in April 2019, and the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (FEIS) is expected to be published in October 2019.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Mid-Swan Project, Attention: Sandy 
Mack, 24 Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804. Comments may also be 
sent via email to [email protected], or submitted through an electronic 
form available on our project page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/flathead/landmanagement/projects.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Mack, Team Leader, via email at 
[email protected], or calling 406-329-3817; Chris Dowling, Swan Lake 
District Ranger, via email at [email protected], or calling 406-837-
7501.
    Individuals who use telecommun- ication 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

    Today's Mid-Swan landscape is the result of mixed ownerships across 
a diverse landscape with a variety of forest types. Timber harvest was 
prevalent in this area through the 20th century with combined state 
forest cutting to support local schools, harvest for commercial timber 
interests owned by Plum Creek, and National Forest System (NFS) lands 
that are managed for multiple uses. Fire suppression and commercially 
aggressive harvest practices left fire intolerant tree species behind 
to reseed the area. A logging method known as high-grading was 
practiced in some areas that removed the best trees and their naturally 
selected seed source. Roads in the area were built to a mix of design 
standards; and, are in various states of maintenance with less stable 
roads contributing to sedimentation into watersheds.
    The purpose of the Mid-Swan project is to restore and maintain 
aquatic biodiversity, and terrestrial biodiversity. It is also to 
reduce the risk from wildfire in the wildland urban interface where 
national forest system lands are close or adjacent to private land. The 
Mid-Swan area is at risk of losing key habitat components for native 
aquatic and terrestrial species in this ecologically important 
landscape. Currently state, federal and private infrastructure, 
recreationists, and residents are at risk from fire. Wildland 
firefighters are especially at risk when engaging with extreme wildfire 
behavior in this area.
    The Mid-Swan landscape was assessed with three-dimensional high 
resolution aerial photography through photo interpretation, ground 
truthing, and modeling in order to determine the needs across the 
landscape.
    The following problems have been identified regarding aquatic 
biodiversity within the project area:
    1. Amount of sediment in streams;
    2. fish barriers blocking access to available habitat; and
    3. lack of small scale disturbance in riparian areas due to reduced 
beaver activity and warming waters.
    Problems with terrestrial biodiversity include:

[[Page 53444]]

    1. Loss of large trees and old forest structure;
    2. loss of western white pine and whitebark pine;
    3. Lynx habitat quality and distribution and long-term 
availability;
    4. missed fire intervals through fire suppression (fire deficit);
    5. overabundance of young forests with multi-stories and shade 
tolerant species, in particular subalpine fir;
    6. highly fragmented forests in the valley bottom (too many small 
patches); and
    7. homogenous forests at higher elevations due to fire suppression 
(in a few large patches).
    An analysis of the WUI identified that current fuel conditions 
would create flame lengths greater than four feet precluding direct 
attack. Crown fire initiation and crown fire propagation conditions are 
high.

Proposed Action

    In order to restore and maintain aquatic ecosystem resilience, this 
project proposes to storm proof (decommission, store, or improve) 
approximately 167 miles of existing Forest Service roads, including 
about 20 miles of road that are within riparian management zones (RMZ). 
The goals of the project include: Reducing sediment loads in streams 
through road storage and decommissioning (storm proofing); removal of 
five fish passage barriers (culverts) at road/stream crossings; 
application of vegetative treatment actions within RMZs to better match 
desired conditions; and, to install beaver dam analog structures at 
nine stream sites to increase water holding capacity in cold water 
drainages. The artificial beaver dams would slightly offset predicted 
climate induced stressors in key stream reaches.
    The Mid-Swan EIS will also propose treatments on forest ecosystems 
to promote resilience by reducing ladder fuels, decreasing crown bulk 
density, and reducing the risk of crown fire in large ponderosa pine, 
western larch and Douglas-fir forest types. Other proposed treatments 
will include thinning to reduce competition from shade tolerant 
conifers. Goals include planting rust resistant western white pine 
stock in suitable areas after regeneration harvest. Tree composition 
will also be improved through the removal of encroaching subalpine fir 
and Engelmann spruce and the planting of rust resistant whitebark pine. 
Another goal of the Mid-Swan project is to restore whitebark pine 
stands by caching rust resistant whitebark pine seeds; and, converting 
overabundant competing multistory subalpine fir patches to other cover 
types with better structural stages. Whitebark pine restoration would 
also be promoted by breaking up large homogeneous patches through 
mechanical treatments and prescribed fire.
    To reduce risk of wildfire in the WUI, proposed actions will 
include removing vegetation to reduce potential flame lengths to four 
feet or less; reducing ladder fuels to minimize crown fire initiation; 
and reduction of canopy fuels to minimize crown fuel propagation.
    Vegetation treatments would include: Non-commercial thinning on 
approximately 2,900 acres, thinning with variable retention on 12,000 
acres, thinning with regeneration openings on 21,700 acres, 
regeneration harvest with variable retention on 7,400 acres, controlled 
burning on 24,600 acres, planting on 500 acres, and seed caching on 900 
acres. Proposed treatment methods include the use of tractor, skyline, 
helicopter, and hand treatments. The total number of acres proposed for 
treatment is approximately 70,000. Both temporary and permanent road 
construction would be needed to access treatments. This project would 
not change, increase, or reduce open motorized travel routes identified 
in the Flathead National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Map.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for this project is the Flathead National 
Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Flathead National Forest Supervisor will decide whether to 
implement the action as proposed, take no action, or to implement an 
alternative, or combination of alternatives, that have been analyzed. 
The Forest Supervisor will also decide whether to amend the Land and 
Resource Management Plan, if necessary, to implement the decision.

Forest Plan Amendment

    Two project-specific suspension of forest plan standards would be 
required to implement the proposed actions and achieve desired 
conditions. The substantive requirements of the 2012 Planning Rule (36 
CFR 219) that are directly related to the proposed amendments are Sec.  
36 CFR 219.8 (a)(1); 219.9 (a)(1); 219.9 (a)(2); 219.9 (b)(1); and 
219.10 (a)(8). The proposed amendments are:
    1. Conduct non-commercial thinning and regeneration operations in 
snowshoe hare habitat that occurs from the stand initiation structural 
stage (Northern Rockies Lynx Management Direction (NRLMD) Standard Veg 
S5).
    2. Conduct thinning activities in mature, multi-story lynx and 
snowshoe hare habitat (NRLMD Standard Veg S6).

Permits or Licenses Required

    When the project is scheduled for implementation the appropriate 
404 permits and approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers will be 
obtained for fish barrier removal and beaver dam analog structures 
among other proposed actions. Montana Streamside Protection Act, 124 
permits, would be obtained for any activity that disturbs stream 
channels.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent (NOI) to publish an EIS initiates the scoping 
process, which guides the development of the EIS. An open house will be 
scheduled following the publication of this NOI and release of the 
scoping document. The public will be informed through mailing and media 
release of the date, time, and location.
    Your comments will be most useful if they describe a specific 
action and the environmental effects of that action (cause and effect). 
If you cite literature in your comments please provide us with a 
complete bibliography and a copy of the reference material.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments so they are 
useful to the Agency's preparation of the EIS. 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.

    Dated: October 4, 2018.
Allen Rowley,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-23086 Filed 10-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P