81 FR 84550 - Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District; California; Horse Creek Community Protection and Forest Restoration Project

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 226 (November 23, 2016)

The purpose of the Horse Creek Community Protection and Forest Restoration Project (Horse Creek Project) is to reduce fuels along egress and ingress roads, on strategic ridges, and adjacent to private property; to reduce safety hazards along roads and in concentrated stands in and around the community of Horse Creek, California; to restore previously stocked units; and treat the riparian areas within the Horse Creek Botanical Special Interest Area. The Horse Creek Project includes 103 miles of roadside hazard treatment and 7,325 acres of other treatments within the 40,834-acre project boundary.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84550-84551]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28209]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District; California; Horse Creek 
Community Protection and Forest Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The purpose of the Horse Creek Community Protection and Forest 
Restoration Project (Horse Creek Project) is to reduce fuels along 
egress and ingress roads, on strategic ridges, and adjacent to private 
property; to reduce safety hazards along roads and in concentrated 
stands in and around the community of Horse Creek, California; to 
restore previously stocked units; and treat the riparian areas within 
the Horse Creek Botanical Special Interest Area. The Horse Creek 
Project includes 103 miles of roadside hazard treatment and 7,325 acres 
of other treatments within the 40,834-acre project boundary.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by December 23, 2016. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected March 2017 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected July 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to C. Christine Frisbee ATTN: Lisa 
Bousfield 1711 S. Main Street, Yreka, California 96097-9549. Comments 
may also be sent via email to [email protected], or via facsimile to 
(530) 493-1796.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Bousfield, (530) 493-1766, 
[email protected] or Jeff Marszal, (530) 493-2243, 
[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

    Purpose and need is drive by the desired conditions for the 
landscape or management area in the Forest Plan. Where the forest is in 
the desired condition described in the Forest Plan, there is no need to 
act--meaning the existing condition is consistent with the Forest Plan. 
Where the existing condition of the landscape does not represent the 
desired conditions described in the Forest Plan, there is a need to act 
to accomplish the goals and objectives or purposes described in the 
Forest Plan.
     All Land Allocations--There is a need for public safety 
because the Gap Fire created unsafe conditions for the public and for 
adjacent private landowners. There is a need for safe conditions for 
forest workers, firefighters, tree planters, and recreationists.
     General Forest--There is a need for recovered timber 
volume from fire killed trees in the General Forest Management Area 
because these areas contribute to the timber base of the Forest. There 
is a need for reduced fuel loads to reduce the probability and extent 
of future high-severity fire. There is a need for fire-resilient 
coniferous forests in severely burned areas to meet Forest Plan 
Objectives.
     Partial Retention Visual Quality Objective--There is a 
need for recovered timber volume from fire killed trees on Partial 
Retention lands because these areas contribute to the timber base of 
the Forest. There is a need for reduced fuel loads to reduce the 
probability and extent of future high severity fire. There is a need 
for fire-resilient coniferous forests in severely burned areas to meet 
Forest Plan Objectives for partial retention.
     Late Successional Reserves--There is a need for reduced 
fuels to reduce the risk of future large-scale high severity fire 
losses of late successional habitat. There is a need for a fire 
resilient coniferous forest in severely burned areas to meet the 
desired conditions for late successional reserves.
     Riparian Reserves--There is a need to reduce fuels to 
reduce the risk of future high severity fire.
     Special Interest Area--There is a need to restore 
ecological functions to reflect the unique characteristics for which 
the Horse Creek Botanical area was designated.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action was designed to meet the purpose and need of 
the project. The proposed action would treat roadside hazard trees 
adjacent to approximately 103 miles of roads and 7,325 acres of other 
treatments within the 40,834-acre project boundary. Acres by treatment 
type are described below and do not account for the overlap in 
treatment types. Treatment acreages are approximate at this point, 
riparian reserves have not been field validated, and may be adjusted 
and refined following scoping.
    This project includes the following seven types of treatments: (1) 
Roadside hazard tree removal; (2) roadside fuels treatments; (3) fuels 
reduction adjacent to private property; (4) developing and maintaining 
fuels management zones; (5) salvage harvest with site preparation and 
planting; (6) site preparation and planting (without salvage); and (7) 
Horse Creek SIA.
    (1) Roadside Hazard Tree Removal (103 miles)--Trees adjacent to 
National Forest System roads or along county roads adjacent to National 
Forest System lands within the project area will be evaluated for 
hazard tree removal.
    (2) Roadside Fuels Treatment (1,243 acres)--The National Forest 
System Roads 12, 46N60, and 46N50 would receive treatment within 150 
feet on either side of the road. To maintain strategic ingress and 
egress roads and to decrease the amount of activity-generated fuels in 
hazard tree removal areas, we propose to remove dead vegetation and 
live understory vegetation along with live conifer trees less than 12 
inches at breast height.
    (3) Fuels Reduction Adjacent to Private Property (1,684 acres)--
Fuels reduction treatments are proposed within the 500 feet of National 
Forest System lands adjacent to private property with an existing 
structure or that had a structure that was affected by the fire. 
Treatment would include removing dead vegetation and live understory 
vegetation including conifer trees less than 12 inches in diameter at 
breast height to reduce fire behavior activity, specifically reduced 
flame length, crown fire potential and intensity to meet desired 
conditions.
    (4) Developing and Maintaining Fuels Management Zones (1,499 
acres)--During the Gap Fire, strategic dozer lines built during the 
Beaver Fire in 2014 or from past wildfires were re-opened. Strategic 
ridge systems, many containing historic firelines already in place, 
would be maintained by removing dead vegetation and live understory 
vegetation along with live conifer trees less than 12 inches at breast 
height.
    (5) Salvage Harvest with Site Preparation and Planting (Ground-
based 1,262 acres and Skyline (Cable) 995 acres)--Standing dead trees 
14 inches in diameter at breast height or greater would be considered 
for salvage. Fire-killed and fire-injured trees with a 70 percent or 
greater chance of dying within the next three to five years

[[Page 84551]]

would be considered for salvage harvest. Salvage logging treatments 
would be accomplished by a combination of ground-based and skyline 
logging systems. All salvage units would be reforested as described in 
the site-preparation and planting section.
    (6) Site Preparation and Planting (without salvage) (458 acres)--
Forest stands selected for site preparation and tree planting are 
predominately plantations composed of standing dead trees generally 
under 16 inches in diameter at breast height. Both manual and 
mechanical methods would be used to cut or masticate standing dead 
trees depending on slope steepness, accessibility and feasibility. 
Activity-generated fuels would be treated using a variety of methods 
including piling and burning, underburning, or lop and scattering. 
Reforestation would be accomplished by directly planting nursery-grown 
seedlings or by allowing natural regeneration.
    (7) Horse Creek SIA (184 acres)--Treatment within the Horse Creek 
SIA includes, hazard tree removal, placing trees with rootwads into the 
riparian reserve, and planting hardwood and conifers within the 
riparian reserves.

Connected Actions

     Road Access--Access for this project would be mainly 
accomplished by use of roads on National Forest Transportation System. 
Temporary roads are estimated at this time and will be finalized to 
comply with standards and guidelines as designated within the forest 
plan.
     Landings--Existing landings will be used where possible. 
Landing size will be commensurate with operation safety. Skyline 
landings will use roads where possible. Skyline landings off the road 
system and ground-based landings will average one acres in size but 
will not exceed 1.5 acres in size. Both new and existing landings will 
be hydrologically stabilized at the end of the project.

Responsible Official

    C. Christine Frisbee, Klamath National Forest Acting Forest 
Supervisor, 1711 South Main Street, Yreka, California 96097, will 
prepare and sign the Record of Decision at the conclusion of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Service is lead agency for the project. Based on the 
result of the NEPA analysis, the Forest Supervisor's Record of Decision 
regarding the Horse Creek Project will recommend implementation of one 
of the following: (1) The proposed action and mitigation necessary to 
minimize or avoid adverse impacts; (2) An alternative to the proposed 
action and mitigation necessary to minimize or avoid adverse impacts; 
or (3) The no-action alternative. The Record of Decision will also 
document the consistency of the proposed action or one of the 
alternatives with the Klamath National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement.
    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. 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: November 16, 2016.
Ted O. Mcarthur,
Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2016-28209 Filed 11-22-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P