81 FR 62 - Klamath National Forest, California; Craggy Vegetation Management Project

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 1 (January 4, 2016)

The Klamath National Forest is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) to improve fire resiliency on National Forest System lands by reducing fuels and stand density. The project area includes about 6,270 acres of private land and 29,500 acres of National Forest System lands. Project treatments will be limited to National Forest System lands. The project is about 10 miles north of Fort Jones and one mile west of Yreka, in Siskiyou County, California.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62-63]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32522]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest, California; Craggy Vegetation Management 
Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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

SUMMARY: The Klamath National Forest is preparing an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) to improve fire resiliency on National Forest 
System lands by reducing fuels and stand density. The project area 
includes about 6,270 acres of private land and 29,500 acres of National 
Forest System lands. Project treatments will be limited to National 
Forest System lands. The project is about 10 miles north of Fort Jones 
and one mile west of Yreka, in Siskiyou County, California.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by February 3, 2016. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected to be completed by April 2016, and the final environmental 
impact statement is expected to be completed by July 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Agency Web site: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=31770. Select the ``Comment on Project'' link in the ``Get 
Connected'' group at the right hand side of the project Web page. 
Attachments may be in the following formats: Plain text (.txt), rich 
text format (.rtf), Word (.doc, .docx), or portable document format 
(.pdf).
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 530-468-1290.
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Patricia Grantham, ATTN: 
Andrew Mueller, 11263 N. Highway 3, Fort Jones, CA 96032-9702.
    All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=31770, including any personal 
information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Mueller, Interdisciplinary Team 
Lead by email at [email protected] or by phone at 530-468-1223. 
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 project is to:
    1. Reduce the threat of wildfire to communities in the wildland 
urban interface while moving toward a diverse fire-resilient ecosystem.
    2. Reduce overstocked, drought-stressed and dying trees to promote 
forest health.
    3. Enhance early seral foraging and winter range habitat for deer 
and wild turkeys; and improve long-term habitat for northern spotted 
owl.
    4. Maintain or improve habitat for Calochortus persistens, a Forest 
Service sensitive plant.
    5. Limit the discharge of sediment to streams from sediment legacy 
sites to improve water quality.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action was designed to meet the purpose and need for 
the project. A total of 10,700 acres is being proposed for treatment 
within the 29,500-acre project area. Strategic actions within project 
boundary will treat about 250 acres of the 1,190-acre defense zone and 
3,870 acres within the 12,350-acre threat zone around the community of 
Yreka, California. Proposed treatments also include about 1,450 acres 
of fuel breaks along strategic road systems and ridges; 4,160 acres of 
prescribed burning; 860 acres of mastication to enhance wildlife 
habitat while reducing hazardous fuels; 1,350 acres of thinning 
(without the removal of Forest products); and 2,880 acres of thinning 
(with removal of Forest products).

Responsible Official

    Forest Supervisor, Klamath National Forest, 1711 South Main Street, 
Yreka, CA 96097.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide whether to adopt and implement 
the proposed action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no 
action.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. During the 
comment period, an open house will be held in conjunction with the 
Yreka Area Fire Safe Council at the Forest Headquarters, 1711 South 
Main Street in Yreka on Wednesday, January 13, 2016, from 5 to 7 p.m. 
This is an opportunity to share location-specific information about the 
project with the public.
    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. We are particularly interested in 
hearing about any potential issues, which are defined as points of 
discussion, dispute, or debate about the effects of the proposed 
action. Your participation will help the interdisciplinary team develop 
effective, issue-driven alternatives and mitigations to the proposed 
action as needed.
    This project is subject to comment pursuant to 36 CFR 218, subpart 
B. Only those who submit timely project-specific written comments 
during a public comment period are eligible to file an objection. 
Individuals or representatives of an entity submitting comments must 
sign the comments or verify identity upon request. Comments received, 
including the names and addresses of those who comment, will be 
considered part of the public record on this proposal and will be 
available for public inspection (40 CFR 1501.7

[[Page 63]]

and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 21). However, 
comments submitted anonomously will be accepted and considered.

    Dated: December 15, 2015.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2015-32522 Filed 12-31-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P