[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 73 (Friday, April 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19936-19937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8618]
========================================================================
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.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 73 / Friday, April 16, 2010 /
Notices
[[Page 19936]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger
District Saratoga, WY
Title: Savery.
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Epidemic levels of mountain pine beetle continue to spread
across National Forest System lands in northern Colorado and southern
Wyoming. It is a priority to restore forest and watershed health to
these affected areas. In areas managed to produce commercial wood
products, it is necessary to salvage merchantable timber and regenerate
these forests. At this large scale, deadfall in beetle-kill areas has
the potential to slow or prevent forest regeneration; negatively impact
grazing and recreation; increase fuel loading, fire hazard, and the
potential for large, high-intensity fires, and create public safety
hazards.
The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) to analyze and disclose the environmental effects of implementing
a variety of proposed actions within the Savery Analysis Area of the
Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District of the Medicine Bow-Routt National
Forests within Carbon County, Wyoming. Proposed actions include
prescribed burning to create conditions that promote regenerating
forests and rangelands, and commercial timber sales to salvage
merchantable timber, decrease potential fire hazards, and remove dead
and dying trees that are posing a public safety hazard in high priority
areas. The proposal also includes habitat improvement projects,
recreation improvement proposals, and travel management.
DATES: The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be filed
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public
review during July 2010. At that time, the EPA will publish a Notice of
Availability (NOA) of the draft EIS in the Federal Register. The
comment period on the draft EIS will be for a period of not less than
45 days from the date the EPA publishes the NOA in the Federal
Register. It is important that those interested in the management of
this area comment at that time.
The final EIS is expected to be available in September 2010. In the
final EIS, the Forest Service will respond to any comments received
during the public comment period that pertain to the environmental
analysis. Those comments and the Forest Service responses will be
disclosed and discussed in the final ElS and will be considered when
the final decision about this proposal is made.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Brian Waugh, Brush Creek/Hayden
Ranger District, PO Box 249, Saratoga, WY 82331. Comments may also be
sent via electronic mail (e-mail) to comments-rocky-mountain-medicine-
bow-routt-brush-creek-haydenfs.fed.us and FAX may be sent to (307) 326-
5250. Please reference the Savery Analysis on the subject line. It is
important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in
such a way that they are useful to the Agency's preparation of the EIS.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Waugh, Environmental
Coordinator, (307) 326-2518, or M. Stephen Best, District Ranger, (307)
326-5250, Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District, PO Box 249, Saratoga, WY
82331.
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 the Savery Project is to restore forest health and
productivity to the area to meet the needs of present and future
generations by implementing forest management techniques that will
salvage (beetle-killed) dead and dying trees; reduce hazardous fuels;
provide forest products; promote forest regeneration; reduce hazard
trees from high priority areas affecting public safety; improve
recreational facilities and opportunities; improve wildlife habitat
diversity; repair soil and water resource damaged areas; and
decommission, relocate and/or maintain portions of the existing road
and trail systems that are detrimentally contributing to watershed
health.
There is a need to:
Provide merchantable timber products for sale and to
salvage and remove dead and dying trees from forested lands classified
as being suitable in order to keep them in production and positively
contributing to the Forest's future Allowable Sale Quantity.
Remove dead and dying trees to promote and enhance
regeneration opportunities.
Treat overstocked timber stands to improve growth and
vigor.
Reduce the development of large continuous high hazard
fuel conditions in high timber production areas.
Maintain and improve aspen stand health and plant
diversity to enhance wildlife habitat.
Maintain or enhance Colorado River cutthroat trout.
Decommission, relocate, maintain, and improve drainage
along road segments within the analysis area that are contributing to
degraded resource conditions.
Restore hillslope hydrology and subsurface flow along
roads.
Reduce connected disturbed areas and channel network
extensions throughout the analysis area to minimize increases in peak
streamflow.
Upgrade recreational facilities and improve recreation
opportunities within the analysis area to meet increasing demand.
[[Page 19937]]
Proposed Action
The proposed action would salvage approximately 11,755 acres of
dead and dying beetle-killed lodgepole pine and precommercial thinning
would occur on approximately 2,528 acres of young overstocked lodgepole
pine. Prescribed burning would occur on approximately 2,232 acres to
improve age class diversity and reduce fuel hazards. Fuel breaks are
planned on approximately 359 acres and are generally located along
roads and in proposed cutting units. Treatments to improve Colorado
River cutthroat trout habitat is proposed on approximately 116 acres to
enhance aspen regeneration and enhance development of pooling habitat.
Approximately 102 acres of this proposed treatment would occur in the
Singer Peak Inventoried Roadless Area. The travel management proposal
would identify the minimal road system needed to meet Forest management
and recreation needs while addressing ongoing resource damage
associated with roads and trails by decommissioning approximately 38
miles of road, constructing approximately one mile, reconstructing
approximately 1.5 miles, rerouting approximately .75 miles, and
converting approximately 4.5 miles of existing roads to All Terrain
Vehicle (ATV) trails. Approximately 12 miles of user created roads are
proposed to be added to the road system. Recreation proposals include
development of approximately seven miles of nonmotorized trails along
with a trailhead facility for the two trail loops near or adjacent to
the Jack Creek Campground. Reconstruction or enlargement of the Jack
Creek Campground is proposed to more readily accommodate RV's and
provide additional campsites. Development of ATV loop trails on
existing designated routes along with 3.4 miles of new trail
construction with an emphasis on loops tying back into the Jack Creek
campground/dispersed camping areas, the Hart Creek trailhead, and onto
the existing ATV route on National Forest System Road 412 along the
continental divide. This would add approximately 32.8 miles of
designated trails to the Wyoming Off Highway Vehicle Trail System and
would include a combination of open roads, newly proposed ATV trail
segments, and road to trail conversions. Decommissioning of the Haskins
Creek Campground would also be implemented with this project.
Responsible Official
M. Stephen Best, District Ranger, USDA Forest Service, Medicine
Bow-Routt National Forests, Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District, PO Box
249, Saratoga, Wyoming 82331, is the official responsible for making
the decision on this action.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Responsible Official will consider the results of the analysis
and its findings and then document one or more final decision(s) for
each proposed action. More than one Record of Decision (ROD) will be
issued based on this analysis. The decisions will include a
determination whether or not to implement the proposed action or
another alternative.
Preliminary Issues
Natural disturbances (fire, beetle) has resulted in a high
percentage of many project area watersheds with dead or young trees.
Measurable increases in water yield are expected in these watersheds,
with either no action or implementation of the proposed action.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Forest
Service has listed the project in the Schedule of Proposed Actions that
is posted on the Web. One meeting will be planned after the draft EIS
is available. The Forest Service will also respond to information
requests about the project and add additional public meetings and field
trips as interest dictates. Comments from scoping efforts will be
reviewed to identify potential issues for this analysis. While comments
are welcome at any time, comments received within 30 days of the
publication of this notice in the Federal Register will be most useful
for the identification of issues and the analysis of alternatives.
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.
Dated: April 2, 2010.
Mary H. Peterson,
Forest Supervisor, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests.
[FR Doc. 2010-8618 Filed 4-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M