[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78208-78209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31443]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Black Hills National Forest, Northern Hills Ranger District;
South Dakota; Steamboat Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement on a proposal to implement multiple resource management
actions within the Steamboat Project Area to implement the amended
Black Hills National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The
Steamboat Project Area covers approximately 21,833 acres of National
Forest System land and approximately 2,713 acres of interspersed
private land northwest of Rapid City, South Dakota. Proposed actions
include a combination of vegetation and fuels treatments to provide
structural diversity in big game winter range, reduce the risk of
mountain pine beetle infestations and reduce the risk of high severity
wildfire. The proposed action includes approximately 4,665 acres of
commercial thinning, 970 acres of overstory removal, 1,408 acres of
non-commercial thinning, 1,379 acres of shelterwood cuts, 255 acres of
group selection, 1,186 acres of individual tree selection, 636 acres of
hardwood enhancement, 200 acres of meadow enhancement, 1,031 acres of
product-other-than-log thinning, 460 acres of understory thinning, and
190 acres of patch clearcutting. In addition, approximately 10,608
acres will be analyzed for prescribed burning. Approximately 18 miles
of new road construction would be necessary to carry out the proposed
vegetation management actions.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by January 14, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected May 2011 and the final environmental impact statement is
expected September 2011.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Rhonda O'Byrne, District Ranger,
Northern Hills Ranger District, 2014 N. Main Street, Spearfish, SD
57783. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected] with ``Steamboat Project'' as the
subject or via facsimile to 605-642-4156.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Stores, Assistant NEPA Planner,
Northern Hills Ranger District, 2014 N. Main Street, Spearfish, SD
57783. Telephone number: 605-642-4622.
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 and need for the action in the Steamboat project
area is to create greater structural diversity in an area managed for
big game winter range, to reduce the risk of mountain pine beetle
infestation, and to reduce the risk of high severity wildfire. All
actions are intended to move toward or achieve related Forest Plan
Goals and Objectives, consistent with Forest Plan Standards and
Guidelines.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service is proposing actions on National Forest System
lands to move toward or achieve Forest Plan Goals and Objectives in the
Steamboat project area northwest of Rapid City, South Dakota and
adjacent to the towns of Nemo and Piedmont, South Dakota. Proposed
actions include the following:
Create structural diversity in an area managed as big game winter
range through meadow enhancement, hardwood enhancement, uneven-aged
management, thinning of the forest's overstory and understory, and
patch clear cuts to create open browsing areas.
Reduce acres at high or medium susceptibility to mountain pine
beetle by thinning stands and changing stand structure. Commercial and
non-commercial (including prescribed burning) methods may be used.
Reduce acres at high or very high risk to wildfire by thinning
stands and reducing the amount of fuel available to fires. Commercial
and non-commercial (including prescribed burning) methods may be used.
Road construction and maintenance activities would be necessary to
access areas proposed for timber harvest. New roads would be closed
following management activities.
Implementation of proposed activities would likely begin sometime
during 2012 and continue for up to ten years following a project
decision.
The Forest Service is the sole responsible agency for this project;
no cooperators are participating in project planning.
Responsible Official
Rhonda O'Byrne, District Ranger, Northern Hills Ranger District,
2014 North Main Street, Spearfish, SD 57783.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made is whether or not to approve the proposed
action or alternatives to the proposed action that may be developed. No
Forest Plan amendments are proposed.
[[Page 78209]]
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Northern
Hills Ranger District will also provide a letter including a
description of the proposed action and soliciting comments on the
proposal to local land owners, interested tribal entitites, permittees
that use the project area, and others who have expressed interest in
projects similar to this one. A public meeting will be held at the
Piedmont Fire Department in Piedmont, South Dakota during the comment
period. Forest Service personnel will be on hand to answer questions
about the project, and large-scale maps of the proposed action will be
available for review.
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.
Dated: December 8, 2010.
Craig Bobzien,
Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2010-31443 Filed 12-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P