83 FR 42105 - Willamette National Forest, McKenzie River Ranger District; Oregon; Flat Country Project

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 161 (August 20, 2018)

The Flat Country Project is located on the western slope of the Cascades, extending from Scott Mountain to the upper reach of the McKenzie River, eight miles east of McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. The project area is approximately 74,063 acres. There is a high amount of mid-seral stands, moving the seral distribution away from historic levels and limiting stand structure and species diversity across the landscape. This project proposes to thin, reduce the number of trees, and increase the size and structure of the remaining forest over time. Activities proposed include forest management treatments across approximately 5,001 acres, including forest thinning (including riparian reserve thinning) and regenerating harvests. Additional proposed activities would include road work (including maintenance, reconstruction, temporary road construction, and decommissioning), and meadow enhancements.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 161 (Monday, August 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42105-42106]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17837]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Willamette National Forest, McKenzie River Ranger District; 
Oregon; Flat Country Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Flat Country Project is located on the western slope of 
the Cascades, extending from Scott Mountain to the upper reach of the 
McKenzie River, eight miles east of McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. The 
project area is approximately 74,063 acres. There is a high amount of 
mid-seral stands, moving the seral distribution away from historic 
levels and limiting stand structure and species diversity across the 
landscape. This project proposes to thin, reduce the number of trees, 
and increase the size and structure of the remaining forest over time. 
Activities proposed include forest management treatments across 
approximately 5,001 acres, including forest thinning (including 
riparian reserve thinning) and regenerating harvests. Additional 
proposed activities would include road work (including maintenance, 
reconstruction, temporary road construction, and decommissioning), and 
meadow enhancements.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by September 19, 2018. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected March 2019 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected August 2019.

ADDRESSES: Scoping comments can be submitted electronically through 
https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=53966. You may also submit written comments via 
mail or by hand delivery to Darren Cross, District Ranger, McKenzie 
Bridge Ranger District, 57600 McKenzie Hwy., McKenzie Bridge, OR 97413; 
or via facsimile to 541-822-7254.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean Schlichting (Project Team Leader) 
at [email protected], 541-822-7214.
    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: 

Background

    This project was originally an environmental assessment and was 
scoped from May 22 to June 23, 2018. Scoping comments were received on 
a range of concerns and topics. Primary concerns included: Providing a 
sustainable supply of timber products for local industry, reasons for 
and against road construction, preserving and impacting northern 
spotted owl habitat, no logging of mature forests, encouraging the 
creation of early seral habitat, and alerting the recreating public of 
operation schedules and haul routes to avoid conflict. After the review 
of the project and due to the complexity and size of this project, as 
well as public input, the decision was made to elevate the analysis to 
an environmental impact statement.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Flat Country Project is proposed to provide a sustainable 
supply of timber products, actively manage stands to improve stand 
conditions (density, diversity, and structure), increase vegetative 
habitat complexity and hardwood composition along streams, and 
sustainably manage the network of road systems in the project area. 
Within the project area trees are competing for sunlight, water and 
nutrients causing reduced tree growth and vigor. The productivity and 
site conditions of forests in the project area allow for the production 
of forest products while being sensitive to the ecology of the area and 
meeting other important natural values and services.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action has multiple facets:
    (1) Commercially harvest about 5,001 acres (3.7% of the Project 
Area) and regenerate roughly 962 acres (1.0% of the Project Area). We 
propose to use thinning across the majority of the project and these 
treatments would incorporate some untreated areas (skips) and create 
gaps of up to three acres with variable spacing of remaining trees. We

[[Page 42106]]

would design the regeneration harvest to increase forest-age diversity 
across the project area. The type of regeneration harvests would vary 
and may potentially include: Shelterwood harvests, two-aged systems, 
group selection harvests, variable retention harvests, and seed tree 
harvests. The age of stands proposed for treatment range from 29 to 150 
years.
    (2) Thin and treat fuels on approximately 767 acres of riparian 
reserves outside of riparian buffers to accelerate and/or improve 
Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives (ACSOs). Additional riparian 
reserve treatments could occur on up to 50 acres within buffers, 
including diversity thinning in plantations, wood placement in creeks 
and cutting and leaving conifers in areas of hardwoods to encourage 
hardwood growth. All treatments will be designed to accelerate and/or 
improve ACSOs.
    (3) Maintain or reconstruct approximately 146 miles of road, 
including installation of approximately 200 culverts (primarily 
replacements).
    (4) Decommission and hydrologically stabilize approximately 11 
miles of road.
    (5) Construct 16 miles of temporary roads; temporary roads would be 
restored to their previous function and closed after all project 
activities are completed.
    (6) Create fuel breaks along forest roads. Treatments would occur 
along approximate 57 miles of road and range from 33 to 66 feet wide 
which would equate to about 2597 acres.
    (7) Enhance dry and wet meadow habitats on approximately 368 acres, 
which includes a combination of tree removal and broadcast burning.
    (8) Reduce hazardous fuels on both existing fuel loadings and 
logging slash as a result of harvest to bring stands to levels within 
Forest Plan standards and guidelines. Proposed treatments include 
broadcast or under-burning, machine piling, burning of landings, hand 
piling and chipping.

Possible Alternatives

    Due to the responses we received from the initial scoping, there is 
at least one other action alternative that may be considered. One 
commentor suggested the Forest Service consider alternatives that avoid 
logging mature forests. The district will develop an alternative that 
harvests only in previously managed stands under 80 years old 
(Alternative 3).

Responsible Official

    McKenzie River District Ranger.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need, the scope of the decision to be made by 
the responsible official will be as follows: Do the proposed actions 
comply with all applicable laws governing Forest Service actions and 
with the applicable standards and guidelines found in the Willamette 
Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP)? Does the Environmental Impact 
Statement have sufficient site-specific environmental analysis to make 
an informed decision? Do the proposed actions meet the purpose and need 
for action? With these assurances the responsible official must decide: 
Whether or not to select the proposed action or one of any other 
potential alternatives that may be developed, and what, if any, 
additional actions should be required.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent begins the formal 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.
    We are interested in your comments on the following questions: Are 
there alternative ways to meet the purpose of the project other than 
the proposed action we offer, which you would like the Forest Service 
to consider and analyze? Is there any information about the project 
area, which you believe is important in the context of the proposed 
activities that you would like the Forest Service to consider? What 
specifically are the potential effects of this proposal that you are 
particularly concerned about? For example, rather than simply stating 
that you would like a change in a proposed activity or that you would 
not like an activity to take place, it is most helpful to understand 
why you desire this. What are your underlying concerns with an activity 
or action; what are the effects from the activity that concern you?
    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: July 26, 2018.
Chris French,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-17837 Filed 8-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P