82 FR 33865 - Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming, Landscape Vegetation Analysis (LaVA) Project

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 139 (July 21, 2017)

Page Range		33865-33867
FR Document		2017-15322

The Forest Service is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) on its proposed treatment of 150,000 acres of insect- infested areas of the Medicine Bow National Forest (MBNF). The Forest Service believes this treatment is necessary to ensure the future health of the MBNF.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 139 (Friday, July 21, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 139 (Friday, July 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33865-33867]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15322]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming, Landscape Vegetation
Analysis (LaVA) Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service is preparing an environmental impact
statement (EIS) on its proposed treatment of 150,000 acres of insect-
infested areas of the Medicine Bow National Forest (MBNF). The Forest
Service believes this treatment is necessary to ensure the future
health of the MBNF.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by August 21, 2017. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is
expected in November 2017 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement
is due in March 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: LaVA Project, Medicine Bow
National Forest, 2468 Jackson Street, Laramie, WY 82070, or via
facsimile to 307-745-2467, c/o LaVA Project. Written comments may also
be hand-delivered to the above address between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Mountain Time, Monday through Friday except federal holidays. Comments
may also be submitted electronically at https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?Project=51255.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Martin, Project Manager, at
307-745-2371. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-811-8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday
through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Medicine Bow National Forest (MBNF) has
experienced epidemic levels of mountain pine beetle and spruce bark
beetle infestations since the mid to late 1990s. Although the epidemic
has slowed in recent years, the infestation has left behind a changed
landscape consisting primarily of regenerating forests that have an
overstory of large, dead and dying trees. Action is needed to
accelerate management response to this major forest health event to
proactively and adaptively respond to changing forest vegetation
conditions.
On March 22, 2017, Forest Service Chief Thomas L. Tidwell
designated the majority of the MBNF as a landscape-scale insect and
disease area under Section 602(d) of the Healthy Forests Restoration
Action of 2003 (HFRA, 16 U.S.C. 6591 et seq.), as amended by Section
8204 of the Agricultural Act of 2014. These authorities provide for
expedited environmental analysis and treatments to address areas
affected by insect and disease infestations. Accordingly, the Medicine
Bow Landscape Vegetation Analysis (LaVa) Project will proceed according
to Section 104 of the HFRA and will be subject to subparts A and C of
the U.S. Forest Service Project-Level Pre-decisional Administrative
Review Process. Intended goals of the project include, but are not
limited to, using tree cutting and/or prescribed burning to: make areas
more resilient to future disturbance; restore, and enhance forest
ecosystem components; supply forest products to local industries;
provide for human safety; reduce wildfire risk to communities,
infrastructure, and municipal water supplies; and improve, protect, and
restore wildlife habitat.
The LaVA analysis area encompasses the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre
Mountain Ranges of the MBNF and includes roughly 850,000 acres of
National Forest System (NFS) lands. Of the 850,000 acres, the Forest
Service has identified roughly 575,000 acres wherein treatment
activities could be proposed; these areas are termed `treatment
opportunity areas' (TOAs). Actual treatments are proposed on a subset
of the TOAs (150,000-350,000 acres), as described in the Proposed
Action.

Purpose and Need for Action

The purpose of the project is to respond to changed forest
vegetation conditions presented by the bark beetle epidemics
experienced on the MBNF. The approach is to actively manage forest
vegetation using tree cutting and/or prescribed burning, consistent
with the goals outlined in the Governor's Task Force on Forests (Final
Report, 2015), the Western Bark Beetle Strategy (July 2011), and the
Wyoming Statewide Forest Resource Strategy (2010). These goals include
promoting recovery from the insect infestations, improving the
resiliency of green stands to future disturbances, helping to protect
forested areas on adjacent private and state land, and providing for
human safety. These general goals will be adapted to local

[[Page 33866]]

landscapes where treatments are needed based on Forest Plan direction,
foreseeable conditions, and local environmental, social and economic
concerns. The project is needed to:

Enhance Forest and Rangeland Resiliency to Future Insect and Disease
Infestations

Increase age class, structural, and vegetative diversity
across the landscape;
Promote forest and rangeland conditions to improve forage
and wildlife habitat; and
Actively accelerate recovery and regeneration of forest
ecosystems.

Provide for Recovery of Forest Products

Promote vegetation management to recover merchantable
products; and
Provide commercial forest products to local industries at
a level commensurate with Forest Plan direction and goals.

Provide for Human Safety

Treat hazard trees in areas not covered by the Forest-wide
Hazard Tree Decision Notice (August 12, 2008);
Treat hazard trees within and outside the wildland urban
interface (WUI);
Increase the extent of defensible space around resources
at risk; and
Create fuel breaks to slow or stop the progress of
wildfires.

Provide for Protection of Infrastructure, Municipal Water Supplies, and
Threatened and Endangered Species Habitat

Treat vegetation adjacent to infrastructure and non-
federally owned lands;
Treat vegetation to protect municipal water supplies and
infrastructure; and
Treat vegetation where fire is identified as a threat to
the habitat of a threatened or endangered species.

Mitigate Hazardous Fuel Loading

Treat hazardous fuels to minimize the potential for large,
high intensity/high severity wildfires; and
Treat hazardous fuels to reduce fire behavior and the
possibility of fires spreading onto adjacent, non-federal lands.

Proposed Action

The Forest Service proposes to conduct vegetation management
activities on NFS lands, including inventoried roadless areas, within
the Sierra Madre and Snowy Range Mountain Ranges of the MBNF.
Vegetation management activities, including prescribed fire,
mechanical, and hand treatment methods, could be applied to 150,000-
350,000 acres to protect, restore and enhance forest ecosystem
components; reduce wildfire risk to communities and municipal water
supplies; supply forest products to local industries; and improve,
protect, and restore wildlife habitat. Treatments would be authorized
over a 10-year period beginning in 2018 and would be completed within
approximately 15 years of the project decision.
Due to ever-changing conditions, the Proposed Action incorporates
the principles of adaptive management in that it does not identify
specific treatment units. Instead, it proposes a range of acres
(150,000-350,000) that could be treated within the pre-established TOAs
(575,000 acres). During project implementation, the Forest Service
would cooperate with other agencies, local governments, interested
stakeholders, and organizations to identify specific treatment units.
Specific objectives of each treatment unit would be determined prior to
any ground-disturbing activities using existing vegetation conditions
and a series of project-developed field checklists. The sum of all
treatments would not exceed 350,000 acres.
Specifically, the Proposed Action would allow each of the following
activities to occur within the pre-established TOAs:
Cutting trees or shrubs using a variety of treatment
methods including, but not limited to, clearcutting/coppice; group and
individual tree selection; salvage; mastication; sanitation; and
thinning. Treatments would be designed to protect, restore, and enhance
forest ecosystem components; supply forest products to local
industries; provide for human safety; reduce wildfire risk to
communities and municipal water supplies; and improve, protect, and
restore wildlife habitat.
Cutting trees that have encroached on grass and shrub
lands to maintain desired species dominance and improve wildlife
habitat.
Prescribed burning areas using jackpot, pile burning, and
broadcast burning. Maintenance burns on previously treated areas would
occur to maintain desired fuels or habitat conditions.
Prescribed burning or tree/shrub cutting on portions of
inventoried roadless areas (IRAs). Treatment opportunity areas in IRAs
were proposed by Cooperating Agencies and the Forest Service to protect
communities at risk; threatened, endangered, and sensitive wildlife
habitat; critical infrastructure; and municipal water supplies. No new
permanent or temporary road construction would occur in IRAs.
Utilizing and/or reconstructing existing open and closed
NFS roads to access treatment units. Reconstruction may include road
blading, culvert installation or replacement, and gravelling. Closed
NFS roads would be for administrative access only (i.e., they will be
managed as closed to the public) and would be returned to a closed
status with the method of closure being determined at implementation.
Constructing approximately 25 miles of new, permanent NFS
roads, as necessary, to access treatment areas; the final assessment of
road needs has not been determined and could be more or less. All newly
constructed system roads would be physically closed to public motorized
vehicle use following completion of treatment activities; however,
their templates would be retained for future management entries.
Constructing approximately 1,000 miles of temporary road,
as necessary, to access treatment areas; the final assessment of road
needs has not been determined and could be more or less. While open,
the roads would be for administrative use only (i.e., they would be
managed as closed to the public). Temporary roads would be
decommissioned following treatment activities to preclude future
motorized use and to restore ecological function; decommissioning
returns a road to a natural state. Decommissioning methods may include,
but are not limited to, re-contouring the road, ripping/scarifying the
roadbed, removing culverts, installing drainage features, creating
physical barriers to preclude motorized travel, scattering wood/rock
debris onto the road, applying seed and mulch to the area, and posting
signs.
Conducting regeneration surveys, noxious weed control,
native grass seeding, and road maintenance.
Using a combination of commercial timber sales, service
contracts, stewardship contracts, cooperative authorities, partner
capacity, and Forest Service crews to implement the project.
Adaptive Management Process: Due to the adaptive nature of the
Proposed Action (i.e., a range of treatment acres v. identification of
specific treatment units), the Forest Service will develop standards,
protocols, and monitoring requirements to guide project implementation.
Under this scenario, the Forest Service would:
Complete all required surveys for each individual
treatment area; complete required layout and marking

[[Page 33867]]

of each treatment area; determine appropriate design features to be
applied; and document compliance with requirements of the environmental
impact statement using a set of pre-established field checklists.
Perform monitoring during and following implementation of
individual treatment activities to ensure treatments are implemented as
planned and that project objectives are being attained.
Establish an annual monitoring review with interested
stakeholders, partners, and collaborative groups to ensure treatments
are implemented as planned and that project objectives are being
attained.

Possible Alternatives

At a minimum, the environmental impact statement will disclose the
effects of the Proposed Action and a No Action alternative. The No
Action alternative represents no change from current conditions and
serves as the baseline for the comparison among alternatives. An
alternative to the Proposed Action may be developed in response to
public comments.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

The Forest Supervisor of the MBNF is the deciding official for the
LaVA Project. Once the NEPA analysis is completed, he will decide:
Whether or not to implement, in part or full, the proposed actions or
other alternatives; rationale for the decision; and design criteria,
mitigation and monitoring requirements necessary for project
implementation.

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 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. A more detailed scoping document may be
accessed at http://data.ecosystem-management.org/nepaweb/nepa_project_exp.php?project=51255.
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, they will not become part of the
public record.

Objection Process

The Forest Service is operating under Part 218--Project-level Pre-
decisional Administrative Review Process (hereinafter referred to as
`objection'), 36 CFR. 218 Subparts A and C, for this analysis. Per
these regulations, individuals and entities who submit timely, specific
written comments regarding a proposed project or activity during any
designated opportunity for public comment will have standing to file an
objection. This includes requests for comments during this initial
scoping period as well as comments submitted during the 45-day comment
period for the draft environmental impact statement.
It is the responsibility of persons providing comments to submit
them by the close of established comment periods. Only those who submit
timely and specific written comments will have eligibility (36 CFR
218.5) to file an objection under 36 CFR 218.8. For objection
eligibility, each individual or representative from each entity
submitting timely and specific written comments must either sign the
comment or verify identity upon request. Individuals and organizations
wishing to be eligible to object must meet the information requirements
in Sec. 218.25(a)(3). Names and contact information submitted with
comments will become part of the public record and may be released
under the Freedom of Information Act.

Dated: June 23, 2017.
Jeanne M. Higgins,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2017-15322 Filed 7-20-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 139 / Friday, July 21, 2017 / Notices 33865

Agriculture, Office of Information and Total Burden Hours: 12,401. to accelerate management response to
Regulatory Affairs, Office of this major forest health event to
Charlene Parker,
Management and Budget (OMB), New proactively and adaptively respond to
Executive Office Building, 725 17th Departmental Information Collection changing forest vegetation conditions.
Clearance Officer. On March 22, 2017, Forest Service
Street NW., Washington, DC 20502.
[FR Doc. 2017–15282 Filed 7–20–17; 8:45 am] Chief Thomas L. Tidwell designated the
Commenters are encouraged to submit
their comments to OMB via email to: BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P majority of the MBNF as a landscape-
OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or scale insect and disease area under
fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental Section 602(d) of the Healthy Forests
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Restoration Action of 2003 (HFRA, 16
Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– U.S.C. 6591 et seq.), as amended by
Forest Service
7602. Copies of the submission(s) may Section 8204 of the Agricultural Act of
be obtained by calling (202) 720–8958. Medicine Bow National Forest, 2014. These authorities provide for
An agency may not conduct or Wyoming, Landscape Vegetation expedited environmental analysis and
sponsor a collection of information Analysis (LaVA) Project treatments to address areas affected by
unless the collection of information insect and disease infestations.
displays a currently valid OMB control AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. Accordingly, the Medicine Bow
number and the agency informs ACTION:Notice of intent to prepare an Landscape Vegetation Analysis (LaVa)
potential persons who are to respond to environmental impact statement. Project will proceed according to
the collection of information that such Section 104 of the HFRA and will be
persons are not required to respond to SUMMARY: The Forest Service is subject to subparts A and C of the U.S.
the collection of information unless it preparing an environmental impact Forest Service Project-Level Pre-
displays a currently valid OMB control statement (EIS) on its proposed decisional Administrative Review
number. treatment of 150,000 acres of insect- Process. Intended goals of the project
infested areas of the Medicine Bow include, but are not limited to, using
Rural Housing Service National Forest (MBNF). The Forest tree cutting and/or prescribed burning
Title: 7 CFR 3575–A, Community Service believes this treatment is to: make areas more resilient to future
Programs Guaranteed Loans. necessary to ensure the future health of disturbance; restore, and enhance forest
OMB Control Number: 0575–0137. the MBNF. ecosystem components; supply forest
Summary of Collection: The Rural DATES: Comments concerning the scope products to local industries; provide for
Housing Service (RHS) is authorized by of the analysis must be received by human safety; reduce wildfire risk to
Section 306 of the Consolidated Farm August 21, 2017. The Draft communities, infrastructure, and
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. Environmental Impact Statement is municipal water supplies; and improve,
1926) to make loans to public agencies, expected in November 2017 and the protect, and restore wildlife habitat.
nonprofit corporations, and Indian Final Environmental Impact Statement The LaVA analysis area encompasses
tribes for the development of essential is due in March 2018. the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre
community facilities primarily serving ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Mountain Ranges of the MBNF and
rural residents. The Community LaVA Project, Medicine Bow National includes roughly 850,000 acres of
Facilities Division of the RHS is Forest, 2468 Jackson Street, Laramie, National Forest System (NFS) lands. Of
considered Community Programs under WY 82070, or via facsimile to 307–745– the 850,000 acres, the Forest Service has
the 7 CFR, part 3575, subpart A. 2467, c/o LaVA Project. Written identified roughly 575,000 acres
Implementation of the Community comments may also be hand-delivered wherein treatment activities could be
Programs guaranteed loan program was to the above address between 8:00 a.m. proposed; these areas are termed
affected to comply with the and 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday ‘treatment opportunity areas’ (TOAs).
Appropriations Act of 1990 when through Friday except federal holidays. Actual treatments are proposed on a
Congress allocated funds for this Comments may also be submitted subset of the TOAs (150,000–350,000
authority. The guaranteed loan program electronically at https://cara.ecosystem- acres), as described in the Proposed
encourages lender participation and management.org/Public/ Action.
provides specific guidance in the CommentInput?Project=51255. Purpose and Need for Action
processing and servicing of guaranteed
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The purpose of the project is to
Community Facilities loans.
Need and Use of the Information: Melissa Martin, Project Manager, at respond to changed forest vegetation
RHS will collect information in a 307–745–2371. Individuals who use conditions presented by the bark beetle
written format and using several forms. telecommunication devices for the deaf epidemics experienced on the MBNF.
RHS will use collected information to (TDD) may call the Federal Information The approach is to actively manage
determine applicant/borrower Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–811–8339 forest vegetation using tree cutting and/
eligibility, project feasibility, and to between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., or prescribed burning, consistent with
ensure borrowers operate on a sound Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. the goals outlined in the Governor’s
basis and use loan funds for authorized SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Task Force on Forests (Final Report,
purposes. Failure to collect proper Medicine Bow National Forest (MBNF) 2015), the Western Bark Beetle Strategy
information could result in improper has experienced epidemic levels of (July 2011), and the Wyoming Statewide
mountain pine beetle and spruce bark Forest Resource Strategy (2010). These
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

determination of eligibility, improper
use of funds, and/or unsound loans. beetle infestations since the mid to late goals include promoting recovery from
Description of Respondents: Not-for- 1990s. Although the epidemic has the insect infestations, improving the
profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal slowed in recent years, the infestation resiliency of green stands to future
Government. has left behind a changed landscape disturbances, helping to protect forested
Number of Respondents: 680. consisting primarily of regenerating areas on adjacent private and state land,
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: forests that have an overstory of large, and providing for human safety. These
Quarterly; Annually. dead and dying trees. Action is needed general goals will be adapted to local

VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:50 Jul 20, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\21JYN1.SGM 21JYN1

Document Created: 2017-07-21 06:00:38
Document Modified: 2017-07-21 06:00:38

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
Dates		Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by August 21, 2017. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected in November 2017 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement is due in March 2018.
Contact		Melissa Martin, Project Manager, at 307-745-2371. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1- 800-811-8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
FR Citation		82 FR 33865

82 FR 33865 - Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming, Landscape Vegetation Analysis (LaVA) Project

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREForest Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 139 (July 21, 2017)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service