83 FR 57715 - Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ellis Integrated Vegetation Management Project
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 222 (November 16, 2018)
Forest Service
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 222 (November 16, 2018)
| Page Range | 57715-57716 | |
| FR Document | 2018-25059 |
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2018)] [Notices] [Pages 57715-57716] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-25059] [[Page 57715]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ellis Integrated Vegetation Management Project AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger Districts propose the Ellis Integrated Vegetation Project (Ellis Project) to reduce overstocking, improve ecosystem health, and enhance resilient landscapes by creating and maintaining heterogeneous vegetative conditions at multiple scales. As a result, this action will reduce the risk of uncharacteristic disturbances; enhance vegetative communities; provide well-distributed, high quality wildlife habitat for associated species; aid in protecting values at risk; promote the health and safety of the public and firefighters; and contribute to social, cultural, and economic needs. The project area is approximately 15 miles southeast of Heppner and 7 miles west of Ukiah, Oregon, in Morrow, Umatilla, and Grant Counties. Based on internal and external issues raised early in proposal development; and the scope, scale, and potentially significant beneficial impacts to distribution of wildlife, forest health, and fuels reduction, the Umatilla National Forest plans to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by January 15, 2019. The draft EIS is expected November 2019 and the final EIS is expected July 2020. ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Heppner District Ranger, Brandon Houck; c/o Leslie Taylor, PO Box 7, Heppner, Oregon, 97836, or they can be hand delivered to the Heppner Ranger District (117 So. Main St., Heppner, OR 97836). Comments may also be submitted electronically via https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=41350 selecting the ``Comment on Project'' link in the ``Get Connected'' group at the right hand side of the project web page, or via facsimile to 541-278-3730. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Berkley, 541-278-3814, [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: The Ellis Project is located within the Upper Butter Creek, Upper Willow Creek, Rhea Creek, Lower Camas Creek, and the Potamus Creek-North Fork John Day River 5th field watersheds. Private land accounts for approximately 4,626 acres within the project boundary, leaving about up to 110,000 acres that may be considered for treatment on National Forest System lands. Purpose and Need for Action The Ellis Project is an interdisciplinary project developed to meet a wide variety of program needs. The key purposes are to reduce the risk of undesirable wildfire, improve ingress and egress for firefighters, increase forest health and vigor for timber and non- timber values, and improve wildlife habitat. This project is needed to protect values at risk, create healthy, fire-resistant landscapes and improve wildlife habitat and forage variability. Additional program purposes include improving the quality of rangelands, enhancing unique vegetation communities, improving ethnographically important foods, and improving and maintaining recreational opportunities. Proposed Action The Ellis Project is expected to include the following types of treatments: commercial thinning; small diameter thinning; mechanical fuels treatments; pile, jackpot, and broadcast burning; landscape burning; pruning and planting. Target basal area for thinning will be dependent on species composition, stand age, size classes and desired future conditions. Varying desired stand density will create or maintain a clumpy, patchy, uneven mosaic of trees across the landscape. Regeneration harvest will occur in cold and cool moist forest areas affected by insect and disease. Areas of additional treatment will be focused on the ember reduction zone, areas of scenic recreational value, and areas of conifer encroachment on aspen stands, wet meadows and shrub-steppe. Additional wildlife habitat improvements will include forage plantings and road closures to increase security. Rangeland improvements may include water developments and fencing. Project outputs include a variety of forest products including fuelwood, posts and poles, saw logs, and other wood fiber products. Responsible Officials Brandon Houck (Heppner) and Paula Guenther (North Fork John Day) District Rangers. Nature of Decision To Be Made Given the purpose and need, the responsible officials will review the proposed action and comments on the scope of the project to develop any alternatives to address issues identified by the public. Alternatives and the environmental consequences will be drafted and analyzed in the draft decision. The responsible officials will compare the proposed action and alternatives and consider environmental consequences of the Ellis Project in order to decide how well the selected alternative meets the purpose and need described in the EIS; how well the selected alternative moves the project area toward the desired conditions; and if the selected alternative mitigates potential adverse effects. Preliminary Issues Issues identified so far include potential impact of treatments in cold and cool moist forest and wildlife movement/displacement. Vegetation treatments in cold and cool moist forest remains a contentious topic among stakeholders as these areas are considered more sensitive to disturbance, but the need still exists to reduce stand density for forest vigor and to reestablish historical fire regimes. Wildlife movement and distribution, particularly for elk, is also a growing concern. Early stakeholder engagement has identified a need to improve security and forage on National Forest System lands to better retain elk, which are pushed off-forest onto private lands, creating conflict in agricultural areas. High road use and road density exacerbate this issue. Scoping Process The Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger Districts have scheduled three public workshops to help facilitate conversations about the project area and solicit input on the proposal. These workshops are scheduled for November 8, November 15, and December 13, 2018, from 1800 to 2000 hours (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.). Two will be held at the Heppner Ranger District (117 So. Main St., Heppner, OR 97836) and the other at the North Fork John Day Ranger District office (401 W. Main, Ukiah, OR 97880). Exact locations will be announced closer to scheduled dates in consideration of weather and road conditions. Comments should be as specific as possible and focus on desired conditions or means to address concerns about the proposed action. It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in such [[Page 57716]] 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 commenter's suggestions for alternatives. 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 allow the Agency to provide the respondent with updates or subsequent environmental documents. Dated: November 1, 2018. Gregory C. Smith, Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System. [FR Doc. 2018-25059 Filed 11-15-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
![57716 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 222 / Friday, November 16, 2018 / Notices
manner that they are useful to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Board regarding characteristics of a designated
agency’s preparation of the is a non-scientific program advisory motor vehicle trail system, the basis for
environmental impact statement. Board established by the Secretary of our initial work to prepare our Motor
Therefore, comments should be Agriculture in 2003 to provide advice Vehicle Use Map in 2010–2011;
provided prior to the close of the and counsel to the U.S. Forest Service, 6. The Mountain Pine Beetle
comment period and should clearly Black Hills National Forest, in the wake Response Project in 2012 covering
articulate the commenter’s suggestions of increasingly severe and intense wild landscape scale treatments on portions
for alternatives. fires and mountain pine beetle of 248,000 acres of ponderosa pine
Comments received in response to epidemics. stands at high risk for infestation.
this solicitation, including names and The Board serves to meet the needs of 7. The Board’s annual work to attract
addresses of those who comment, will the Federal Lands Recreation funding through grants based on the
be part of the public record for this Enhancement Act of 2005 (FLREA) as a Collaborative Landscape Forest
proposed action. Comments submitted Recreation Resource Advisory Restoration Program (CFLRP), a program
anonymously will be accepted and Committee (RRAC) for the Black Hills of of the Secretary of Agriculture CFLR
considered; however, anonymous South Dakota and provides timely Program to encourage the collaborative,
comments will not allow the Agency to advice and recommendations to the science-based ecosystem restoration of
provide the respondent with updates or regional forester through the forest priority forest landscapes;
subsequent environmental documents. supervisor regarding programmatic 8. A letter to the Secretary and the
Dated: November 1, 2018.
forest issues and project-level issues Chief of the Forest Service to work,
that have forest-wide implications for restore and maintain open space for
Gregory C. Smith,
the Black Hills National Forest. wildlife habitat and recreation needs
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National The Board meets approximately ten
Forest System. like snowmobile trails; and
times a year, with one month being a 9. The annual reports to the Secretary
[FR Doc. 2018–25059 Filed 11–15–18; 8:45 am] field trip, held in August and focusing detailing the Board’s activities, issues,
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P on both current issues and the and accomplishments.
educational value of seeing management The Board is deemed to be among the
strategies and outcomes on the ground. most effective public involvement
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE This Board has been established as a strategies in the Forest Service and
Forest Service truly credible entity and a trusted voice continues to lead by example for
on forest management issues and is Federal, State, and local government
Black Hills National Forest Advisory doing often astonishing work in helping agencies working to coordinate and
Board to develop informed consent for forest cooperate in the Black Hills of South
management. Dakota and Wyoming.
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. For years, the demands made on the
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Re-establish Black Hills National Forest have Background
the Black Hills National Forest Advisory resulted in conflicts among interest Pursuant to the Federal Advisory
Board Charter. groups resulting in both forest-wide and Committee Act, the Secretary of
site-specific programs being delayed Agriculture intends to reestablish the
SUMMARY: The U. S. Department of due to appeals and litigation. The Board Black Hills National Forest Advisory
Agriculture (USDA), intends to re- provides a forum to resolve these issues Board charter. The Board provides
establish the Black Hills National Forest to allow for the Black Hills National advice and recommendations on a broad
Advisory Board (Board) charter. In Forest to move forward in its range of forest planning issues and, in
accordance with the provisions of the management activities. The Board is accordance with FLREA, more
Federal Advisory Committee Act believed to be one of the few groups specifically will provide advice and
(FACA), the Board is being re- with broad enough scope to address all recommendations on Black Hills
established to continue obtaining advice of the issues and include all of the National Forest recreation fee issues
and recommendations on a broad range jurisdictional boundaries. (serving as the RRAC for the Black Hills
of forest issues such as forest plan
Significant Contributions National Forest). The Board
revisions or amendments, forest health
The Board’s most significant membership consists of individuals
including fire management and
accomplishments include: representing commodity interests,
mountain pine beetle infestations, travel
1. A 2004 report on the Black Hills amenity interests, and State and local
management, forest monitoring and
Fuels Reduction Plan, a priority government.
evaluation, recreation fees, and site-
following the major fires including the The Board has been determined to be
specific projects having forest wide
86,000 acre Jasper Fire in 2000; in the public interest in connection with
implications.
2. A 2004 initial Off-Highway Vehicle the duties and responsibilities of the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Travel Management Subcommittee Black Hills National Forest. National
Scott Jacobson, Committee Coordinator, report; forest management requires improved
USDA, Black Hills National Forest, by 3. A report on their findings regarding coordination among the interests and
telephone at 605–673–9216, by fax at the thesis, direction, and assumptions of governmental entities responsible for
605–673–9208 or by email at Phase II of our Forest Plan produced in land management decisions and the
sjjacobson@fs.fed.us. 2005; public that the agency serves.
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES
Individuals who use 4. The Invasive Species Subcommittee
Advisory Committee Organization
telecommunication devices for the deaf Report in 2005 covering
(TDD) may call the Federal Information recommendations to better stop invasive The Board consists of 16 members
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 species from infiltrating the Forest; that are representatives of the following
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., 5. A final Travel Management interests (this membership is similar to
Eastern Standard Time, Monday Subcommittee Report in 2006 in which the membership outlined by the Secure
through Friday. the Board made 11 recommendations Rural Schools and Community Self
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Document Created: 2018-11-16 07:23:24
Document Modified: 2018-11-16 07:23:24
| 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 January 15, 2019. The draft EIS is expected November 2019 and the final EIS is expected July 2020. | |
| Contact | Elizabeth Berkley, 541-278-3814, [email protected] | |
| FR Citation | 83 FR 57715 |
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