81 FR 31587 - Gila National Forest, Quemado Ranger District; New Mexico; Luna Restoration Project

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 97 (May 19, 2016)

The Gila National Forest will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate a proposed action on a landscape level project to improve forest health within 185,586 acres Luna planning area on the Quemado Ranger District. The full text and maps of the proposed action will be located on the Forest's Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/home/ ?cid=STELPRD3828973.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 97 (Thursday, May 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31587-31588]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11801]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Gila National Forest, Quemado Ranger District; New Mexico; Luna 
Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Gila National Forest will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement to evaluate a proposed action on a landscape level project to 
improve forest health within 185,586 acres Luna planning area on the 
Quemado Ranger District.
    The full text and maps of the proposed action will be located on 
the Forest's Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/home/?cid=STELPRD3828973.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by July 5, 2016. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
December, 2016 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
July 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Quemado Ranger District, ATTN: 
District Ranger, P.O. Box 159, Quemado, NM 87829. Comments may also be 
sent via email to [email protected], or via 
facsimile to 575-773-4114.
    An Open House is scheduled for Wednesday June 8, 2016, 5 to 7 p.m. 
at the Luna Community Center, Luna, NM.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Irwin, District Ranger, Quemado 
Ranger District, at (575) 773-4678 or [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: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the Luna Restoration Project is to create and 
maintain a healthy resilient landscape and watersheds capable of 
delivering benefits to the public including clean air and water, 
habitat for native fish and wildlife, forest products, and outdoor 
recreation opportunities. There is a need to:
     Reduce the impacts of high severity fire on natural and 
cultural resources, private inholdings, communities, infrastructure, 
and livelihoods within the planning area;
     Implement vegetative treatments to restore departed 
landscapes that are overstocked, encroached, and at risk to fire, 
disease, insects, and other climate stressors;
     Implement treatments in watershed that are not properly 
functioning;
     Improve water quality by hardening stream crossings and 
performing road maintenance;
     Continue to provide the wide range of forest products that 
are important to the culture, tradition and livelihoods of local 
communities;
     Protect and restore threatened and endangered species and 
habitat;
     Provide opportunities for OHV use, enjoyment, and access 
from the community of Luna;
     Provide permanent water to support wildlife and livestock; 
and
     Improve rangeland, wildlife, aquatic and riparian habitat.

Proposed Action

    In response to the purpose and need, the Gila National Forest 
proposes to conduct a wide variety of restoration, maintenance, and 
improvement projects within the Luna planning area (185,570 acres) on 
the Quemado Ranger District.
    Vegetation treatments would be accomplished by hand or mechanized 
equipment, cutting trees individually or in groups. Maintenance and 
restoration activities are prosed on approximately 73,446 acres of 
woodland (e.g. pinyon juniper, pinyon pine) and forest (ponderosa pine 
and mixed conifer) stands.
    Grassland maintenance and restoration treatments are proposed on 
approximately 23,373 acres. Ponderosa pine and pinyon juniper have 
encroached, become established, and continue to spread into the 
grasslands. Proposed activities consist of cutting ponderosa pine and 
pinyon-juniper by hand or mechanized equipment, to reduce tree canopy 
cover to less than 10% in grasslands.
    Rabbit brush treatment consists of mowing with rubber tired 
equipment during the dormant season (late fall to early winter) on 
approximately 100 acres for consecutive years to improve rangeland 
condition on the Centerfire Allotment. An additional 100 to 1,000 acres 
may be treated depending on monitoring results of the initial 100 
acres.
    Thin small diameter trees <9 inches, pile burn or broadcast burn 
approximately 1,464 acres within Mexican Spotted Owl protected activity 
centers. No activities would take place between March 1 to August 31 to 
avoid disturbance during breeding season.
    Cut and prescribe burn Gambel oak and mountain mahogany stands to 
promote new growth and sprouting in various locations across the 
planning area for wildlife, especially game species. This would be 
accomplished with other vegetation and fuel treatments.
    Fall snags over approximately 1,955 acres within the Wallow Fire 
(2011) for site preparation (planting or natural regeneration of 
trees). Snags would be cut by hand or by mechanical equipment and 
piled, decked, removed and/or left where felled. Decks may be burned.
    Use prescribe fire exclusively to treat approximately 12,898 acres 
to maintain and/or reduce fuel loadings. Use prescribe fire in areas 
identified for vegetation treatments (approximately 70,000 to 100,000 
acres). Prescribed fire can be implemented prior and after proposed 
vegetation treatments. Areas identified for prescribed fire are 
available for re-entry if objectives are not fully achieved as a result 
of initial treatments or for maintenance
    Improve and restore stream and riparian habitat through various 
activities such as constructing exclosures, planting riparian species, 
installing bank stabilization structures; removing invasive or non-
native plant species; placing weirs to restore channel gradient; 
improving stream crossing, and installing and/or upgrading road 
drainage features.
    Add new or upgrade existing water systems on the Luna, Centerfire, 
and Mangitas allotments to increase livestock and wildlife distribution 
to benefit rangeland conditions, including watershed, soils, and stream 
resources.
    Conduct heavy maintenance and upgrade drainage features on forest 
roads to improve water quality. Harden crossings on roads and motorized 
trails to improve accessibility and reduce impacts to aquatic species 
and habitat.
    Decommission approximately 121 miles of closed roads to improve 
watershed condition and reduce wildlife habitat fragmentation. 
Decommission user created routes within the planning area.
    Add and designate approximately 20 miles of routes for ATV use, 
creating loop and connector route opportunities around the Luna 
Community.

[[Page 31588]]

Responsible Official

    Gila Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made will be whether or not to implement the 
proposed action or an alternative to the proposed action and what 
mitigation measures would be required. The Forest Supervisor will also 
decide which forest project-level plan amendments to adopt.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. An Open House is 
scheduled for Wednesday June 8, 2016, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Luna Community 
Center, Luna, NM to provide an opportunity to review project maps, ask 
questions, and provide input to the proposed project.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a 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, however.

    Dated: May 10, 2016.
Adam Mendonca,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2016-11801 Filed 5-18-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P