[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 34 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9537-9540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3698]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Sequoia National Forest; California; Piute Mountains Travel
Management Plan
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Sequoia National Forest proposes to develop a travel
management plan for the Piute Mountains, located in northeast Kern
County, California. The Piute Mountains, with a mixed conifer and pine
forest, are included in the eastside Sierra Nevada ecosystem. The
project area for this analysis includes 77,679 acres of National Forest
System land in the Piute Mountains part of the Sequoia National Forest.
There are an additional 7,170 acres of private land within the Piute
Mountains. The Piute fire burned
[[Page 9538]]
approximately 37,000 acres within the Piute Mountains in 2008.
The Sequoia National Forest intends to prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the possible effects associated with
the proposed action which will add approximately 125 miles of existing
roads and trails to the National Forest Transportation System (NFTS),
and close approximately 5 miles of NFTS roads and trails, 4.5 miles of
which are currently open only to motorcycle, and close 0.5 mile of
roads open to all vehicles (Table 1). The proposed action includes an
amendment to the Sequoia National Forest Land and Resource Management
Plan that would change approximately 7,175 acres of semi-primitive non-
motorized (SPNM) recreation land to semi-primitive motorized.
DATES: Comments concerning the proposed action must be received by
March 21, 2011. The Forest Service expects to release the draft
environmental impact statement in mid October 2011, and the final
environmental impact statement by the end of December 2011.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Warren Niemi, Environmental
Coordinator, Sequoia National Forest, 1839 South Newcomb Street,
Porterville, California 93257. Mr. Niemi's phone number is 559-784-
1500, extension 1137. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected] or via facsimile to (559) 781-4744.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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
As a result of the Piute fire, the Piute Mountains were removed
from the travel management analysis included in the Sequoia National
Forest Motorized Travel Management Environmental Impact Statement
released in October 2009. The Piute fire burned part of the project
area being evaluated in the environmental impact statement between June
28 and July 25, 2008. Approximately 37,000 acres were burned. A
majority of the non-system trails not included in the NFTS, within the
fire burn area were proposed for addition to the NFTS as part of the
Sequoia National Forest Motorized Travel Management EIS. A series of
heavy rain events occurred in the area following the Piute Fire,
causing excessive runoff and flash flooding. Early evaluations
indicated that erosion was intense in much of the burned area. After
review and consultation with the travel management interdisciplinary
team, the Forest Supervisor decided to remove the Piute Mountains area
from the Motorized Travel Management Proposed Action and other
alternatives being evaluated. Only the prohibition of cross-country
travel was considered in the Piute Mountains by the Motorized Travel
Management EIS.
The use of motor vehicles in the Kern River Ranger District of the
Sequoia National Forest has increased in recent years. Increased
recreational vehicle use has led to the development of non-system off
highway vehicle (OHV) trails, and has increased the potential for
disagreements arising between motorized and non-motorized users of the
Sequoia National Forest, in addition to complaints from private and
Tribal property owners regarding trespassing, noise, stock, and fences.
OHV use can also result in areas of degraded soil, water, and
vegetation.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose behind the Piute Mountains travel management project is
to evaluate motor vehicle recreation opportunities in the Piute
Mountains, while maintaining the natural and cultural resources present
in those parts of the Piute Mountains managed by the Forest Service.
The following needs for the Piute Mountains travel management plan have
been identified by the project's interdisciplinary team:
1. The Sequoia National Forest has a need to provide greater
diversity of motorized recreational opportunity for a variety of
vehicles used by forest visitors. There is a need to provide motor
vehicle access to dispersed recreation sites used for camping, hunting,
sightseeing, horseback riding, hiking, rock climbing, rock hounding,
and vegetation and firewood collecting. Forest Service policy calls for
providing forest users with diverse road and trail opportunities for
experiencing a variety of environments and modes of travel consistent
with the national forest recreation role and land capability as stated
in Forest Service Manual 2353.03(2).
2. Provide diverse opportunities for vehicles capable of off
highway travel.
3. Evaluate the Piute Fire burn area regarding roads and trails,
and natural and cultural resources.
4. Evaluate the forest transportation system needs of forest users,
private and Tribal property owners, and special use permit holders
within the Piute Mountains.
5. Establish consistency with the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum
(ROS) semi-primitive non-motorized setting located within the Piute
Mountains as established in the Sequoia National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan (LRMP) and its amendments. There are currently
five NFTS motorcycle trails, totaling approximately13 miles, located
within the project area semi-primitive non-motorized area. The Sequoia
National Forest LRMP states that no OHV roads and trails will be
designated within established semi-primitive non-motorized areas.
6. Determine if the Long Canyon/Dry Meadows Trail No. 34E31 should
continue to be managed for motor vehicle use. Trail No. 34E31 provides
a north south trail in the northern Piute Mountains as obligated by the
July 1990 Mediated Settlement Agreement to the Sequoia National Forest
LRMP (pages 99-101). Trail No. 34E31 extends northward from Dry Meadows
to the Forest boundary. Motorized use on Trail No. 34E31 was allowed to
continue until a determination is made regarding its future. Trail No.
34E31 is currently located within a semi-primitive non-motorized area.
The Mediated Settlement Agreement states that if a trail can
accommodate OHV use, the boundary of the semi-primitive non-motorized
area shall be adjusted (page 100). The Mediated Settlement Agreement
also states that an environmental analysis shall be completed to
evaluate forest resources, with emphasis on soils, wildlife and the
Long Canyon Research Natural Area (page 100).
7. There is a need to evaluate the compatibility of motor vehicle
use on the Bright Star Trail No. 34E34 with existing conditions,
including trespass and sound, in the vicinity of the Liebel property.
The Sequoia National Forest will consider the following criteria
presented in Subpart B of the Forest Service Travel Management Rule of
2005 during the environmental analysis regarding proposed changes to
the forest transportation system. These considerations include:
Possible impacts to natural and cultural resources;
Public safety;
Access to public and private lands;
Availability of resources to maintain and administer
roads, trails and use areas if actions proposed are undertaken;
Minimizing damage to soil, watersheds, vegetation and
other forest resources;
[[Page 9539]]
Minimize disturbance of wildlife and disruption of
wildlife habitat;
Minimize the potential for disagreement between the
various users of forest lands;
Recognize the possible consequences of conflicting forest
uses; and
Compatibility of motorized and non-motorized uses of
forest lands.
The Sequoia National Forest will also consider the speed, volume,
composition and distribution of forest road traffic, the compatibility
of vehicle class and forest road design features, and the maintenance
of existing rights-of-way, during the environmental analysis.
Proposed Action
The Sequoia National Forest proposes the following changes to the
current forest transportation system. The proposed action is based upon
the purpose and need for the project, and the results of an evaluation
of motor vehicle use within the Piute Mountains. Public input gathered
in a series of five meetings held in Kernville was used to develop the
proposed action which would:
1. Add approximately 121 miles of existing non-system routes to the
National Forest Transportation System (NFTS) as trails open to
motorcycles only;
2. Add approximately 3 miles of existing non-system routes to the
NFTS as trails open to all public vehicles;
3. Add approximately 0.1 miles of existing non-system route to the
NFTS as road open to all public vehicles.
4. Change the status of approximately 3 miles of closed NFTS road
to NFTS trail open to all public vehicles.
5. Change the status of approximately 1 mile of closed NFTS road to
NFTS trail open to motorcycles only.
6. Change approximately 10 miles NFTS roads closed to public
vehicles to NFTS roads open to all public vehicles.
7. Change approximately 0.5 miles NFTS road open to all to NFTS
road closed to all public vehicles.
8. Change approximately 0.7 miles NFTS road open to all to NFTS
road open to highway legal vehicles only.
9. Change approximately 0.4 miles of NFTS road open to highway
legal vehicles only to NFTS road open to all public vehicles.
10. Change approximately 2.1 miles of NFTS trail open to
motorcycles only to NFTS trail open to all public vehicles.
11. Change approximately 4.5 miles NFTS trail open to motorcycles
only to NFTS trail closed to all public vehicles.
12. Add non-system route U00125, approximately 0.5 miles in length,
and located in the Greenhorn Mountains, as a NFTS road.
13. Establish consistency with ROS settings and between the use of
the Long Canyon/Dry Meadow Trail 34E31 and the 1990 Mediated Settlement
Agreement by changing the ROS classification on 7,175 acres of semi-
primitive non-motorized land west of trail No. 34E31 to semi-primitive
motorized. This would allow the continued motor vehicle use of NFTS
trails 34E31, 34E41, and 34E52, and non-system trail U0013. This
proposed action would require an amendment to the Sequoia National
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.
Table 1--Summary of Mileage in Current Inventory and the Proposed Action
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Road open to Trail open to
Proposed action current inventory Closed road Road open to highway legal Trail open to motorcycles Closed trail Total miles
all vehicles only all only
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Existing Non-System Route............... .............. 0.1 .............. 3.4 121.4 .............. 124.9
Closed Road............................. 7.9 10.0 .............. 2.8 1.0 .............. 21.7
Road Open to All........................ 0.5 48.8 0.7 .............. .............. .............. 50.0
Road Open to Highway Legal Vehicles Only .............. 0.4 4.5 .............. .............. .............. 4.9
Trail Open to Motorcycles Only.......... .............. .............. .............. 2.1 66.7 4.5 73.3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Miles......................... 8.4 59.8 5.2 8.3 189.1 4.5 275.3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maps showing the existing and proposed forest transportation system
in the Piute Mountains can be found at the Piute Mountains Travel
Management Plan Web site http://fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/projects/piutes-tm/index.html. The project maps are also available for viewing at:
Forest Supervisor's Office, 1839 South Newcomb, Porterville,
California, and Kern River Ranger District, 105 Whitney Road,
Kernville, California.
Possible Alternatives
Other alternatives will be developed based on significant issues
identified during the scoping process for the environmental impact
statement. Alternatives evaluated will need to respond to the specific
condition of providing benefits equal to or better than the current
condition. Alternatives being considered at this time include: (1) No
Action, and (2) the Proposed Action.
Responsible Official
The Forest Supervisor of the Sequoia National Forest, 1839 South
Newcomb Street, Porterville, CA 93257, is the responsible official. A
Record of Decision will be prepared by the responsible official
documenting the decision and reasons for the decision. That decision
will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR part 215).
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Responsible Official will decide whether to adopt and implement
the proposed action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no
action regarding the existing Piute Mountains forest transportation
system. The Responsible Official will also decide whether to amend the
Sequoia National Forest LRMP. The Sequoia National Forest will publish
a Motor Vehicle Use Map identifying the roads, trails and areas that
are designated for motor vehicle use. The Motor Vehicle Use Map will
identify the classes of vehicles and, if appropriate, the times of year
for which use is designated.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the 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 U.S. Forest Service in
preparation of the environmental impact statement.
[[Page 9540]]
Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's issues 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 also be
accepted and considered.
Dated: February 11, 2011.
Tina J. Terrell,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-3698 Filed 2-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P