[Federal Register: February 24, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 37)]
[Notices]
[Page 9515-9516]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24fe06-36]
[[Page 9515]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Black Hills National Forest, Bearlodge Ranger District, Wyoming,
Dean Project Area Proposal and Analysis
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact
statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a supplemental environmental
impact statement on a proposal to implement multiple resource
management actions within the Dean Area as directed by the Black Hills
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The Dean Project
Area covers about 12,468 acres of National Forest System land and about
2,256 acres of interspersed private land within the Redwater Creek
watershed directly north of Sundance, Wyoming. Proposed actions would
modify the structure of forest stands across the planning area to
reduce fuel loads, potential for uncharacteristically intense wildfire
behavior, and risk of insect outbreaks; provide for diverse wildlife
habitat and restore hardwoods; and provide a mix of motorized and
nonmotorized use opportunities. A previous decision on this project was
reversed on appeal. A supplemental EIS will be prepared with the aim to
issue another project decision.
DATES: Scoping was conducted as described in the Notice of Intent of
November 24, 2004 (69 FR 68303). The original Draft EIS was issued in
March 2005 (70 FR 12211), and the comment period was extended once (70
FR 19951). Comments were accepted through May 2, 2005. The Notice of
Availability of the Final environmental impact statement was issued
June 3, 2005 (70 FR 32610). The project decision was appealed, and
reversed in a written appeal decision on September 1, 2005. The Forest
Service expects to issue the Supplemental Draft EIS for this project in
February 2006, and the Supplemental FEIS and decision in about May
2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janis Bouma, Project Coordinator,
Black Hills National Forest, Bearlodge Ranger District, 121 S. 21st
Street, Sundance, Wyoming 82729, phone (307) 283-1361.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The actions are proposed in direct response
to management direction provided by the Black Hills National Forest
Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended by the
Phase II Forest Plan amendment. The site-specific actions are based on
Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines to promote existing resource
conditions in the Dean Project Area toward meeting Forest Plan Goals
and Objectives. The project area lies in the Bear Lodge Mountains in
the Black Hills National Forest, directly north of Sundance, Wyoming.
Issues considered include: Fire and fuel hazard reduction; impacts of
vegetation treatment and multiple forest uses on wildlife and fish
habitat; and travel management and recreation.
Purpose of and Need for Action
There is a need to reduce the potential for uncharacteristically
intense wildfire behavior and insect infestation, provide diverse
wildlife habitat, and manage motorized recreation in the Dean Project
Area. This project will address Forest Plan Goals 1 (protect basic
soil, air, water and cave resources); 2 (provide for biologically
diverse ecosystems); 3 (provide for sustained commodity uses); 4
(provide for scenic quality and recreation opportunities, and protect
heritage resources); 7 (cooperate with outside parties); and 10
(establish and maintain a mosaic of vegetation conditions to reduce the
occurrences of large-scale fire and insect/disease events), consistent
with Forest Plan standards and guidelines.
Proposed Action
Actions proposed in the Dean Project Area include:
Modifying stand structure across the planning area to
reduce potential for uncharacteristically intense wildlife behavior and
benefit wildlife. This action includes thinning the forest, removing
conifers from stands of hardwoods such as aspen, bur oak, and birch,
and expanding and/or creating meadows.
Reducing fuel loads by decreasing the volume and
arrangement of both existing fuels and those resulting from other
vegetation treatment activities. Treatment could include lopping,
chipping, crushing, piling and burning, and prescribed burning on up to
2,971 acres.
Reducing the density of pine stands on up to 4,840 acres
to decrease the potential for spreading crown fires, increase tree
growth and vigor, and lessen the risk of insect infestation and
disease. This may be done by using commercial timber harvest to thin
out merchantable trees and using other methods to thin small,
unmerchantable trees. These actions would provide wood fiber to local
industry and would require construction of up to 5.7 miles of new
specified roads.
Modifying the Forest Plan through a non-significant
amendment to change management area (MA) designation in part of the
project area to better reflect actual conditions. The entire project is
currently in MA 5.4 (Big Game Winter Range Emphasis). The lower
elevations and south aspects on the east side of the project area
currently provide appropriate and important winter range for deer and
elk and are utilized as such. However, the remainder of the project
area is heavily used by deer and elk only during the spring, summer,
and fall, including calving and fawning periods. Therefore, the Forest
proposes to change the Management Area designation in a portion of the
project area to MA 5.6 (Forest Products, Recreation, and Big Game
Emphasis) to better reflect the actual utilization, better manage the
project area to benefit a variety of wildlife, including big game
species, and better reflect existing non-motorized recreation
opportunities.
Providing a mix of motorized and non-motorized
opportunities and protecting wildlife in the area by closing the
project area to off-road motorized travel and restricting ATV use to
designated routes. Main system routes currently open to motorized
travel would remain open. Approximately 23.5 miles of roads would also
be decommissioned.
Alternatives Considered
Four alternatives will be analyzed in the Supplemental Draft EIS.
These alternatives are:
Alternative A, No Action--Proposed actions would be
deferred at this time.
Alternative B--Promote late succession habitat and
increase diversity while reducing fuels and insect infestation risk.
Alternative C--Proposed Action--Aggressively treat forest
vegetation to reduce fire and fuels hazard; prohibit off-road motorized
travel in the project area; amend the Forest Plan to allow for a change
in management area designation.
Alternative D--Focus treatments near private lands and in
other strategic locations; de-emphasize the use of commercial timber
harvest and feature broadcast burning and fuel breaks.
Responsible Official
Craig Bobzien, Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest, is
the responsible official. The address is Black Hills National Forest,
1019 N. 5th Street, Custer, South Dakota 57730. The telephone is (605)
673-9200.
[[Page 9516]]
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decisions to be made are whether to implement the proposed
action or alternatives at this time; and whether to amend the Revised
Forest Plan to allow a change in management area designation for part
of the project area.
Dated: February 16, 2006.
Craig Bobzien,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 06-1692 Filed 2-23-06; 8:45 am]
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