[Federal Register: March 28, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 60)]
[Notices]
[Page 15147-15148]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28mr03-36]
[[Page 15147]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
McNally Fire Roadless Restoration Project
AGENCY: USDA Forest Service.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is preparing an
environmental impact statement (EIS) to address the impacts of the
McNally Fire within the Rincon, Chico, and Cannell Roadless areas. In
July and August of 2002, the Sequoia National Forest experienced the
largest wildfire in its history. The Sequoia National Forest proposes
to begin long-germ ecological restoration on that portion of the fire
damaged areas on the Cannell Meadow and Hot Springs Ranger Districts
that are inside the inventoried roadless areas with the exclusion of
those areas that lie within the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The
McNally Fire Roadless Restoration Project would implement restoration
measures on those watersheds that burned with a moderate to high
intensity leading to heavy tree mortality and/or other adverse effects
to forest resources such as soils, riparian areas, and wildlife
habitat. The fire also killed hundreds of thousands of trees that if
left untreated will contribute to high fuel loading over time and re-
create high risks for another catastrophic fire. The goal of the
project is to move the burned areas toward the desired conditions
described in the Sequoia National Forest Land and Resource Management
Plan (Forest Plan) as amended by the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan
Amendment (SNFPA).
DATES: The public is asked to submit any issues (points of concern,
debate, dispute, or disagreement) regarding potential effects of the
proposed action by April 25, 2003. The draft EIS is expected to be
available for public comment in August 2003 and the final EIS is
expected to be published in November 2003.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: McNally Fire Roadless Restoration
Project, USDA Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest, 900 W. Grant
Avenue, Porterville, CA 93257.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Simonson, Ecosystem Manager,
Sequoia National Forest, at the address listed above. The phone number
is (559) 784-1500.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
In light of desired conditions specified in the Forest Plan and the
existing conditions within the project area outlined above, there is an
immediate need to:
1. Accelerate the re-establishment of burned conifer stands to
provide important habitat for such old forest species as the spotted
owl, fisher, marten, and goshawk.
2. Restore ground cover to soils left unprotected by the fire in
order to minimize erosion in the short term and to replace organic
material over the long term.
3. Reduce existing fuels in order to reduce the risk of another
stand-replacing fire, which would damage recovering habitats and
riparian condition, thereby setting back the clock on development of
old forest habitat and ripaian restoration.
Proposed Action
This project proposes to restore approximately 17,700 acres of
conifer habitat and 12,130 acres of Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs),
of which 5,894 acres are within conifer habitat, with a combination of
treatment and non-treatment methods. No roads would be constructed
within the inventoried roadless areas. All the areas proposed for
treatment are to be managed following the land management direction in
the Forest Plan as amended.
Treatments that would be applied in a specific area depend upon the
specific restoration need, the slope of the terrain, the degree of
vegetation mortality, and the land management allocation. Where
possible, dead trees that have commercial value and that are not needed
to meet resource objectives would be removed from the site primarily by
helicopter through a commercial timber sale. Restoration may require
the removal of fire-killed trees to facilitate the future management of
those stands. Standing dead trees may present safety hazards and
physical barriers to the restoration activities and to future uses.
Removal may also be needed to reduce future fuels accumulation to help
mitigate future uncharacteristic wildfire effects. Other fuel
treatments besides removal will include prescribed burning in
combination with removal and/or the dropping and leaving of dead trees.
Felling of dead trees across the contour of the slope is proposed
to stabilize sediment. Reforestation with conifers (planting and
seeding) is proposed to re-establish habitats occupied by late-seral
species prior to the fire, to link together suitable remnant habitats,
and to restore large expanses of old forest habitat. Large-diameter
snags and logs will be retained in sufficient quantity to maintain
legacy structures for both the late-seral species and their prey.
Riparian Conservation Areas (RCA) would also be treated to restore
riparian values by re-establishing vegetation, reducing excessive fuel
loadings, stabilizing stream channels and sediment, and improving
ground cover conditions. Contour felling of dead trees is proposed to
stabilize sediment. Planting and seeding of native plants, such as
conifers and willows, is proposed to re-establish some of the riparian
corridors and other special areas.
Responsible Official
The responsible official is Forest Supervisor Arthur L. Gaffrey,
Sequoia National Forest, 900 West Grand Avenue, Porterville, California
93257.
Comment Requested
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 that, at this early stage, it is very
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 the 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 should be as specific as possible.
[[Page 15148]]
Dated: March 14, 2003.
Arthur L. Gaffrey,
Forest Supervisor, Sequoia National Forest, USDA Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 03-6685 Filed 3-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M