[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75023-75024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26582]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests; Idaho; Hungry Ridge 
Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service is giving notice of its intent to 
prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the 
Hungry Ridge Restoration Project on the Salmon River Ranger District of 
the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, in Idaho. The Forest 
Supervisor plans to prepare a SEIS to further evaluate old growth and 
cumulative effects under National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) consistent with Case No. 3:21-
cv-00189-CWD Memorandum and Decision Order (June 24, 2022).

DATES: There is no comment period at this time. The draft SEIS will be 
advertised for public comment as required by 40 CFR 1503.1. The draft 
SEIS is anticipated to be available for public review and comment in 
early 2023 and will be announced in the Federal Register, on the Nez 
Perce-Clearwater National Forests' project website and other local 
media. The comment period for the draft SEIS will be 45 days from the 
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of 
availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Nez Perce Clearwater National Forests, 1008 Highway 64, 
Kamiah, Idaho 83536.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennie Fischer, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, [email protected]; 208-983-4048. Individuals who use 
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, 
every day of the year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement will improve the Hungry Ridge Restoration final Enivironmntal 
Impact Satement (FEIS) (September 2020, EIS No. 20200185) by providing 
an updated analysis of the environmental effects related to old growth 
and analysis of cumulative effects of the Hungry Ridge and End of the 
World projects on old growth. The Final Record of Decision was signed 
in March 2021. The SEIS will address the Judge's order regarding old 
growth and cumulative effects.
    If needed, the Forest Supervisor of the Nez Perce-Clearwater 
National Forests will issue a new Record of Decision (ROD) after 
evaluating the SEIS and public comments. If needed, an objection period 
for a new ROD will be provided, consistent with 36 CFR part 218.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The overall purpose of the Hungry Ridge Restoration project is to 
manage forest vegetation to restore natural disturbance patterns; 
improve long-term resilience at the stand and landscape levels; reduce 
the potential risk to private property and structures; improve 
watershed conditions; and maintain/improve habitat structure, function 
and diversity. Timber outputs from the proposed action would be used to 
offset treatment costs, support the economic structure of local 
communities, and provide for regional and national needs.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action was presented as Alternative 2 in the FEIS 
(September 2020). The Hungry Ridge Restoration project is located 
approximately 17 miles southeast of Grangeville in Idaho County, Idaho 
and includes the following actions: 7,164 acres of commercial timber 
harvest and fuels reduction; 12,372 acres of prescribed burning, and 10 
acres of hand thinning around private property to reduce fuel levels. A 
combination of ground-based and aerial logging systems would be used. 
Associated road work includes up to: nine miles of permanent road 
construction, 23 miles of temporary road construction that would be 
decommissioned, two miles of road reconstruction, 34 miles of road 
reconditioning, road maintenance for log haul, and four miles of road 
long term storage. Approximately 1.8 miles of private road would be 
used under a road use agreement. Restoration actions to improve 
watershed conditions include approximately 25 miles road 
decommissioning, replacement of 18 culverts, improvement at two trail 
stream crossings, 87 acres of hardwood planting, and 75 acres of soil 
restoration. Monitoring and one project-specific amendment to the Nez 
Perce National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) 
are also proposed.

Preliminary Alternatives

    The additional alternative the SEIS may consider is in response to 
impacts to old growth. The Hungry Ridge Restoration FEIS (September 
2020)

[[Page 75024]]

evaluated the potential effects of four alternatives, including No 
Action and three action alternatives. The proposed action addresses the 
need to: manage vegetation to provide forest products, to reduce 
hazardous fuels on forest lands and adjacent to private property, 
reduce effects to wild and scenic rivers, reduce effects to steep 
slopes, reduce effects to wilderness characteristics, improve watershed 
condition through changes to access management, treatment of road and 
trail stream crossings. Alternatives were developed based on the 
potential effects to: old growth and old growth-dependent species; 
watershed and fish habitat, visual resources from timber harvest, new 
road construction, mechanical treatment in Forest Plan Management Area 
20, and landscape prescribed burning.

Expected Impacts

    Preliminary significant impacts to be evaluated included: effects 
to old growth and cumulative effects.

Responsible Official

    Cheryl F. Probert, Nez Perce--Clearwater Forest Supervisor, Nez 
Perce-Clearwater National Forests Supervisor's Office, 1008 Highway 64, 
Kamiah, Idaho 83536.

Scoping Comments and the Objection Process

    A Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register on 
February 12, 2014, and initiated the scoping period for the Hungry 
Ridge Restoration Project. That notice started a 45-day scoping period. 
In accordance with 40 CFR 1502.9(d)(3), there will be no scoping 
conducted for this SEIS. The court's Decision on the Hungry Ridge 
Restoration FEIS established the scope of this SEIS.
    The Forest will be soliciting future participation via the 
GovDelivery email notification system, rather than postal mail. Details 
about the upcoming project information will sent to you through 
GovDelivery. To sign up for GovDelivery and take advantage of new 
electronic notifications, please visit the Hungry Ridge Restoration 
project web page at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=43661. 
Updates will not be sent via postal mail.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The deciding official will review the additional information to 
determine whether direct, indirect and cumulative effects on old growth 
in the Hungry Ridge Restoration project area meet the requirements of 
Appendix N of the Forest Plan; if there are cumulative impacts to old 
growth by the Hungry Ridge Restoration Project and the End of the World 
Restoration Project; and whether a new decision is needed to comply 
with the Forest Plan.

    Dated: December 2, 2022.
Troy Heithecker,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2022-26582 Filed 12-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P