[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57715-57716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25059]



[[Page 57715]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ellis Integrated Vegetation 
Management Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger Districts propose 
the Ellis Integrated Vegetation Project (Ellis Project) to reduce 
overstocking, improve ecosystem health, and enhance resilient 
landscapes by creating and maintaining heterogeneous vegetative 
conditions at multiple scales. As a result, this action will reduce the 
risk of uncharacteristic disturbances; enhance vegetative communities; 
provide well-distributed, high quality wildlife habitat for associated 
species; aid in protecting values at risk; promote the health and 
safety of the public and firefighters; and contribute to social, 
cultural, and economic needs. The project area is approximately 15 
miles southeast of Heppner and 7 miles west of Ukiah, Oregon, in 
Morrow, Umatilla, and Grant Counties. Based on internal and external 
issues raised early in proposal development; and the scope, scale, and 
potentially significant beneficial impacts to distribution of wildlife, 
forest health, and fuels reduction, the Umatilla National Forest plans 
to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by January 15, 2019. The draft EIS is expected November 2019 and the 
final EIS is expected July 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Heppner District Ranger, Brandon 
Houck; c/o Leslie Taylor, PO Box 7, Heppner, Oregon, 97836, or they can 
be hand delivered to the Heppner Ranger District (117 So. Main St., 
Heppner, OR 97836). Comments may also be submitted electronically via 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=41350 selecting the ``Comment 
on Project'' link in the ``Get Connected'' group at the right hand side 
of the project web page, or via facsimile to 541-278-3730.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Berkley, 541-278-3814, 
[email protected].
    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 Ellis Project is located within the 
Upper Butter Creek, Upper Willow Creek, Rhea Creek, Lower Camas Creek, 
and the Potamus Creek-North Fork John Day River 5th field watersheds. 
Private land accounts for approximately 4,626 acres within the project 
boundary, leaving about up to 110,000 acres that may be considered for 
treatment on National Forest System lands.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Ellis Project is an interdisciplinary project developed to meet 
a wide variety of program needs. The key purposes are to reduce the 
risk of undesirable wildfire, improve ingress and egress for 
firefighters, increase forest health and vigor for timber and non-
timber values, and improve wildlife habitat. This project is needed to 
protect values at risk, create healthy, fire-resistant landscapes and 
improve wildlife habitat and forage variability. Additional program 
purposes include improving the quality of rangelands, enhancing unique 
vegetation communities, improving ethnographically important foods, and 
improving and maintaining recreational opportunities.

Proposed Action

    The Ellis Project is expected to include the following types of 
treatments: commercial thinning; small diameter thinning; mechanical 
fuels treatments; pile, jackpot, and broadcast burning; landscape 
burning; pruning and planting. Target basal area for thinning will be 
dependent on species composition, stand age, size classes and desired 
future conditions. Varying desired stand density will create or 
maintain a clumpy, patchy, uneven mosaic of trees across the landscape. 
Regeneration harvest will occur in cold and cool moist forest areas 
affected by insect and disease. Areas of additional treatment will be 
focused on the ember reduction zone, areas of scenic recreational 
value, and areas of conifer encroachment on aspen stands, wet meadows 
and shrub-steppe. Additional wildlife habitat improvements will include 
forage plantings and road closures to increase security. Rangeland 
improvements may include water developments and fencing. Project 
outputs include a variety of forest products including fuelwood, posts 
and poles, saw logs, and other wood fiber products.

Responsible Officials

    Brandon Houck (Heppner) and Paula Guenther (North Fork John Day) 
District Rangers.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need, the responsible officials will review 
the proposed action and comments on the scope of the project to develop 
any alternatives to address issues identified by the public. 
Alternatives and the environmental consequences will be drafted and 
analyzed in the draft decision. The responsible officials will compare 
the proposed action and alternatives and consider environmental 
consequences of the Ellis Project in order to decide how well the 
selected alternative meets the purpose and need described in the EIS; 
how well the selected alternative moves the project area toward the 
desired conditions; and if the selected alternative mitigates potential 
adverse effects.

Preliminary Issues

    Issues identified so far include potential impact of treatments in 
cold and cool moist forest and wildlife movement/displacement. 
Vegetation treatments in cold and cool moist forest remains a 
contentious topic among stakeholders as these areas are considered more 
sensitive to disturbance, but the need still exists to reduce stand 
density for forest vigor and to reestablish historical fire regimes. 
Wildlife movement and distribution, particularly for elk, is also a 
growing concern. Early stakeholder engagement has identified a need to 
improve security and forage on National Forest System lands to better 
retain elk, which are pushed off-forest onto private lands, creating 
conflict in agricultural areas. High road use and road density 
exacerbate this issue.

Scoping Process

    The Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger Districts have scheduled 
three public workshops to help facilitate conversations about the 
project area and solicit input on the proposal. These workshops are 
scheduled for November 8, November 15, and December 13, 2018, from 1800 
to 2000 hours (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.). Two will be held at the Heppner 
Ranger District (117 So. Main St., Heppner, OR 97836) and the other at 
the North Fork John Day Ranger District office (401 W. Main, Ukiah, OR 
97880). Exact locations will be announced closer to scheduled dates in 
consideration of weather and road conditions.
    Comments should be as specific as possible and focus on desired 
conditions or means to address concerns about the proposed action. It 
is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in 
such

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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 commenter's suggestions for alternatives.
    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, anonymous comments will not allow the 
Agency to provide the respondent with updates or subsequent 
environmental documents.

     Dated: November 1, 2018.
Gregory C. Smith,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-25059 Filed 11-15-18; 8:45 am]
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