[Federal Register: August 4, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 149)]
[Notices]
[Page 44883-44884]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04au05-22]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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[[Page 44883]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Kaibab National Forest; North Kaibab Ranger District; Jacob Ryan
Vegetation Management
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Jacob Ryan Vegetation Management project would perform
vegetation treatments on approximately 30,000 acres around Jacob Lake
in Northern Arizona. The proposal would conduct ponderosa pine
individual tree selection and group selection, commercial thinning,
with ponderosa pine precommercial thinning of saplings, meadow
restoration, fuels reduction, fuel break maintenance, hazard tree
removal, and old growth and wildlife habitat management. This proposal
would enhance habitat for the northern goshawk and its prey species by
providing a mix of cover and more open foraging areas in accordance
with the Kaibab National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan;
reduce the fuel loading across the planning area; maintain fuelbreaks
designed to slow the spread of wildfire; reduce the likelihood of ice
on highway U.S. Highways 89A and 67 by removing trees that shade the
highway; decrease the sources of dwarf mistletoe infection where they
threaten the maintenance or attainment of desired forest structure; and
remove young trees from selected areas that were formerly meadows.
DATES: The draft environmental impact statement is expected August 2005
and the final environmental impact statement is expected January 2006.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Jill Leonard, District Ranger,
North Kaibab Ranger District, 430 South Main Fredonia, AZ 86022. For
further information, mail correspondence to Jonathan M. Beck,
Environmental Coordinator, North Kaibab Ranger District, 430 South Main
Fredonia, AZ 86022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan M. Beck, Environmental
Coordinator, North Kaibab Ranger District, Forest Service USDA (see
ADDRESSES above).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The Landscape Assessment for Jacob-Lake Planning Area identified
the existing and desired conditions within the Jacob Ryan planning
area. There is a need to modify the forest vegetation to put it on a
trajectory toward the desired conditions for: (1) Reduced tree density
(as defined by the Kaibab National Forest Land and Resource Management
Plan (KNFLRMP)--e.g., because the existing vegetative structural stages
(VSS) differ from the percentages recommended in the KNFLMP; (2)
Sustained old growth forest, (3) Enhanced wildlife habitat (northern
goshawk, goshawk prey species and other species), (4) Reduced wildfire
risk; and (5) Improved scenic integrity and in turn recreation
opportunities. This action responds to the goals and objectives
outlined in the Kaibab National Forest, Forest Plan.
Proposed Action
The Jacob Ryan Planning Area is located in the northern part of the
North Kaibab Ranger District, Coconino County, Arizona; Townships 38,
39 and 40 North; Ranges 1, 2, & 3 East and 1 West. Increases in tree
density in the ponderosa pine (PP) and pinyon juniper (PJ) cover types
has had a profound effect on the Jacob Ryan Planning Area. High tree
densities have increased competition between trees. Intertree
competition has: (1) Reduced tree growth; (2) increased tree insect and
diseases susceptibility; and (3) increase the potential for intense
stand replacing wildfire. Increased tree density also has an indirect
effect on human safety in the planning area. Large numbers of trees
beside the highway decrease site distance, and create a potentially
dangerous situation for vehicles and their occupants. Hazards include
winter ice retention and build-up, from tree shading along the highway,
potential dead trees falling on vehicles, and vehicle-tree collisions
in the highway right-of-way. Dense stands and areas with few openings
in the overstory canopy inhibit the presence and growth of shrubs,
forbs, and grasses and thus limit foraging opportunities for goshawks,
goshawk prey species, and other wildlife species. The Forest Service
proposes to use vegetation treatments to reduce tree density in the
project area to meet the purpose and need. The proposed action would
perform vegetation treatments on approximately 30,000 acres in the
following manner:
Approximately 22,000 acres of commercial thinning
(9''+trees), precommercial thinning, and group selection (approximately
330 acres) in ponderosa pine are proposed. Of the 22,000 acres, 2,000-
2,200 acres would receive only precommercial thinning. This proposal
would allow thinning from below in all VSS groups.
Perform sanitation treatments on 524 acres of dwarf
mistletoe infected stands with group selection on 23 acres. These acres
are reflected in the thinning and regeneration acres included in the
first bullet, above..
Restore watershed condition by thinning 1,143 acres of
pinyon juniper woodland.
Restore and maintain 263 acres of meadows by reducing
encroaching blackjack pines, leave all trees >16 inches d.b.h. in the
meadows.
Amend the Kaibab National Forest Land and Resource
Management Plan to restore approximately 187 acres (included in
restoration acres above) of timber component 500 lands (Suited Forest
Land--Timber Emphasis) to grassland/savannah--timber component 800
lands (Incompatible).
Maintain, enhance and restore 3,300-3,400 acres of aspen
groups (included in the 22,000 thinning acres above) by removing all
``blackjack'' ponderosa pine 12 inches d.b.h. and less from the
understory or within 20 feet of the perimeter of existing aspen groups.
Remove hazard trees and trees shading the highway where
needed for daylighting hazardous portions of the highway or for
increasing sight distance along 12 miles of highways 89A and 67.
Reduce live and dead hazardous fuels on approximately 995
acres in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Zone (Acres are included in
the thinning acres above.) The acres within 300 feet of structures and
campgrounds will be treated most intensively. If needed
[[Page 44884]]
additional treatments could be done to maintain satisfactory
conditions.
Reduce fuels to levels consistent with Forest Plan
guidelines on acreage outside of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).
Conduct prescribed burning to reduce hazardous fuels on
24,141 treated acres and 9,149 non-treated acres.
Maintain 56 miles of fuelbreaks (2,140 acres--included in
thinning acres above) by removing all limbs lower than 5 feet and by
removing most trees less than 9'' diameter (except in limited areas to
be managed for trees less than 9'' in diameter).
Close or re-close all roads within the project area
except: Hwy 98A, Hwy 67, Forest Roads: 461, two short roads to J.L.
Lookout Tower, roads in Jacob Lake Campground & Group Area, ADOT yard
access road, 2098, 2284, 2333, 2366, 246, 246E, 246L, 246LA, 246T, 247,
248, 248A to bottom of canyon, 249, 249E, 257, 257G, 260, 264, 264H,
279, 279A, 280, 282, 282A, 282F, 3709, 3726, 3730, 3847, 3878, 3894,
3911, 3917A, 3989, 461, 461B, 461G, 461I, 461N, 462, 482, 482G, 482M,
487, 487A, 579, 579A, 603, 603E, 628, 628C, 634, 636, 639, 800, 800B,
800K, 8116, 9603, 9303M, 9604, 9607N, D155, D202, D261, D282, D284,
D627, D447, D475, D476, D674, D679, D684, D688, D689, and D738.
Possible Alternatives
The District considered an alternative to the proposed action on
November 14, 2001. This alternative limits vegetative manipulation to
ponderosa pine trees, 12 inches d.b.h. and less with no hazard tree
removal.
Responsible Official
Michael R. Williams--800 6th Street, Williams, AZ 86046-2899.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Given the purpose and need, the Kaibab National Forest, Forest
Supervisor will review the proposed action, the other alternatives, and
their impacts to the resources in order to make the following
decisions:
(1) Whether or not the Jacob Ryan Vegetation Management project
will proceed as proposed in the Proposed Action.
(2) Whether or not the Jacob Ryan Vegetation Management project
will proceed as described in one of the alternatives to the Proposed
Action.
(3) Which mitigation measures are necessary to reduce project
effects.
Scoping Process
The proposal was first listed in the October 2000 Schedule of
Proposed Actions. In addition, as part of the public involvement
process, the District initiated discussions with key stakeholders with
the objective of collaboratively defining old growth characteristics
and identifying potential treatment activities that could be ``tested''
within old growth vegetation as part of the Jacob Ryan Vegetation
Management project in the summer of 1998. After receiving public
comments, we clarified the proposal.
Preliminary Issues
The Forest identified 3 significant issues during scoping. These
issues are:
(1) Managing only 20% of the Plateau for old growth will result in
the lost opportunity to develop additional old growth.
(2) The proposed WUI treatment area is too large, and will remove
more trees than necessary for the protection needed.
(3) Livestock grazing in the Jacob Ryan area may affect the ability
to reach the ecosystem goal of meadow restoration.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the Environmental Impact Statement
Process for the Jacob Ryan Vegetation Management project.
Early Notice of Important of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental
impact statement will be 45 days from the date the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in the Federal
Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to
them in the final environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: July 27, 2005.
Jill Leonard,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 05-15400 Filed 8-3-05; 8:45 am]
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