81 FR 86320 - Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts, Tongass National Forest; Alaska; Prince of Wales Landscape Level Analysis Project Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 230 (November 30, 2016)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to propose a variety of projects for multiple resource benefits at a landscape level to implement over the course of 10 to 15 years. Both the Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts encompass Prince of Wales Island (POW) and surrounding islands, which serves as the project area for the Prince of Wales Landscape Level Analysis (POW LLA) Project. Our intention is that this project will be a highly collaborative process involving the public at all stages throughout the development of this analysis.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 230 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86320-86321]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28760]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts, Tongass National Forest; 
Alaska; Prince of Wales Landscape Level Analysis Project Environmental 
Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to propose a variety of 
projects for multiple resource benefits at a landscape level to 
implement over the course of 10 to 15 years. Both the Craig and Thorne 
Bay Ranger Districts encompass Prince of Wales Island (POW) and 
surrounding islands, which serves as the project area for the Prince of 
Wales Landscape Level Analysis (POW LLA) Project. Our intention is that 
this project will be a highly collaborative process involving the 
public at all stages throughout the development of this analysis.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by December 30, 2016. The publication date of this NOI in the Federal 
Register is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period for 
this scoping opportunity. If the comment period ends on a Saturday, 
Sunday, or Federal holiday, comments will be accepted until the end of 
the next Federal working day (11:59 p.m.). The POW LLA Project is an 
activity implementing the forest plan and is subject to 36 CFR 218, 
subparts A and B. Only individuals or entities who submit timely and 
specific written comments about this proposed project or activity 
during this or another public comment period established by the 
Responsible Official will be eligible to file an objection. The draft 
environmental impact statement is expected January of 2018 and the 
final environmental impact statement is expected July of 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Thorne Bay Ranger District, at P.O. 
Box 19001, Thorne Bay, AK 99919. Comments may also be submitted 
electronically at https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?project=50337, or via facsimile to (907) 828-3309.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Anderson, District Ranger, 
Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts, at 504 9th Street, Craig, AK 
99921, by telephone at (907) 826-3271; or Delilah Brigham, Project 
Leader, at 1312 Federal Way, Thorne Bay, AK 99919, by telephone at 
(907) 828-3232.
    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 POW LLA Project is to improve forest ecosystem 
health on Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts, help support community 
resiliency, and provide economic development through an integrated 
approach to meet multiple resource objectives.
    There is a need to provide a sustainable level of forest products 
to contribute to the economic viability of the region. There is also a 
need to provide old-growth timber to help maintain the expertise and 
infrastructure of the existing timber industry so the forest products 
industry can prepare for an increasing amount of merchantable young-
growth offerings. These businesses are fundamental to both the young-
growth and restoration components of the evolving timber program, and 
to the economic vitality of the region.
    Timber stand establishment (TSE) and timber stand improvement (TSI) 
activities that restore and enhance early seral forests are necessary. 
This translates to the need for commercial and precommercial treatments 
of young-growth forests to produce future desired resource values, 
products, services, and forest health conditions that sustain the 
diversity and productivity of forested ecosystems.

[[Page 86321]]

    Past management activities have affected watershed function and 
fish and wildlife habitat in the project area. There is a need for 
restoration activities in these watersheds to reestablish self-
sustaining habitats that promote viable fish and wildlife populations. 
These will contribute to subsistence values and the continued 
traditional and cultural uses by residents of Prince of Wales and 
surrounding islands.
    Providing sustainable recreation opportunities on POW and 
surrounding islands is critical to maintaining the existing 
opportunities for residents as well as to expand opportunities for 
growth in the recreation and tourism business sector. A sustainable 
program in terms of operations and maintenance is needed in order to 
maintain infrastructure to an acceptable level.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action will be developed through extensive public 
involvement to meet the Purpose and Needs for the project, with 
activities that will occur over the course of 10 to 15 years. Input 
from the tribes and the public will help determine the location and 
types of activities, and how extensively they will occur across the 
landscape. Management activities that traditionally meet the needs 
associated with this project include: (1) Commercial and precommercial 
young-growth treatments including timber stand improvement activities, 
timber harvests, planting/interplanting, pruning and slash removal/
manipulation; (2) old-growth timber harvests; (3) transportation 
management activities such as road construction, reconstruction, 
maintenance, and decommissioning in support of accomplishing other 
proposed management actions; (4) in-stream restoration work, riparian 
thinning, improvement of fish passages at road crossings, and improving 
water quality and both fish and wildlife habitat; and (5) developing 
and improving recreation infrastructure such as cabins and shelters, 
trails, winter recreation areas, campgrounds, interpretive sites, and 
boat launches. The proposed action is not limited to only the above 
activity types, but will be consistent with the Tongass Land and 
Resource Management Plan.

Possible Alternatives

    Scoping comments will be used to develop a full range of 
alternatives to the proposed action, in response to significant issues 
that are identified. A no-action alternative will be analyzed as well, 
which represents no change and serves as the baseline for the 
comparison among the action alternatives.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for the decision on this project is M. 
Earl Stewart, Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest, Federal 
Building, 648 Mission Street, Ketchikan, Alaska, 99901.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need of the project, the Forest Supervisor 
will review the no action, the proposed action, other alternatives, and 
the environmental consequences in order to make decisions including the 
following: (1) Whether to select the proposed action or another 
alternative; (2) the locations, design, and scheduling of commercial 
and precommercial timber treatments, restoration activities, habitat 
improvements, road construction and reconstruction, and improvements to 
recreation opportunities; (3) mitigation measures and monitoring 
requirements; and (4) whether there may be a significant restriction of 
subsistence uses. No Forest Plan Amendments are anticipated with this 
decision.

Permits or Licenses Required

    All necessary permits will be obtained prior to project 
implementation, and may include the following:
    (1) State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation 
(DEC), Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (APDES):
     General permit for Log Transfer Facilities in Alaska;
     Review Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan;
     Certification of Compliance with Alaska Water Quality 
Standards (401 Certification) Chapter 20;
     Storm Water Discharge Permit/National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System review (Section 402 of the Clean Water Act);
     Solid Waste Disposal Permit;
    (2) U.S. Army Corp of Engineers:
     Approval of discharge of dredged or fill material into the 
waters of the United States under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act;
     Approval of the construction of structures or work in 
navigable waters of the United States under Section 10 of the Rivers 
and Harbors Act of 1899;
    (3) State of Alaska, Division of Natural Resources (DNR):
     Authorization for occupancy and use of tidelands and 
submerged lands.
    (4) State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
     Fish Habitat Permit and Concurrence (Title 16)

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest 
Service will be seeking information, comments, and assistance from 
Tribal Governments; Federal, State, and local agencies; individuals and 
organizations interested in or affected by the proposed activities. In 
addition to this Notice of Intent, legal notices will be placed in the 
Ketchikan Daily News, the official newspaper of record for this 
project. There will also be ample public involvement on Prince of Wales 
Island, including: Public meetings held in various communities, 
subsistence hearings, information posted in public places and in local 
publications such as the Island Post, and from the Prince of Wales 
Landscape Assessment Team, a collaborative group independently formed 
to provide widely based proposals to be considered by the U.S. Forest 
Service in the POW LLA Project development and analysis process. 
Project information and updates, meeting notices, and documents will be 
provided throughout the process on the project Web page at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50337. Individuals may also provide 
comments and sign up for an electronic mailing list at that site.
    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, anonymous comments will not provide 
the Agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent 
environmental documents.

    Dated: November 23, 2016.
Tawnya Brummett,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2016-28760 Filed 11-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P