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Dixie National Forest, Utah, Duck Creek Fuels Treatment Analysis
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: July 18, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 138)]
[Notices]
[Page 42677-42679]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18jy03-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Dixie National Forest, Utah, Duck Creek Fuels Treatment Analysis
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to implement fuels treatments in the Duck Creek area,
within the Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National Forest, Utah. A
Notice of Intent for this project was published in the Federal Register
May 23, 2002. This Notice of Intent is a revision to change the dates
of the EIS and minor corrections of acreages. The agency gives notice
of the full environmental analysis and decision-making process that
will occur on the proposal so that interested and affected people may
become aware of how they can participate in the process and contribute
to the final decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
within thirty days after publication of this Notice Of Intent in the
Federal Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
in September, 2003. The final environmental impact statement is
expected in December, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Duck Creek Fuels Treatment
Analysis Coordinator, Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National
Forest, 1789 Wedgewood, Cedar City, Utah 84720.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Duck Creek Fuels Treatment Analysis
Coordinator, Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National Forest, 1789
Wedgewood, P.O. Box 627, Cedar City, Utah 84720.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed treatments will implement
direction in the National Fire Plan, a USDA/USDI effort to reduce
impacts of wildfires on people and resources. In August, 2000 President
Clinton directed the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to reduce
the impacts of wildland fires on rural communities. The Secretaries
subsequently developed the National Fire Plan. This direction was
followed by congressionally-approved plans that funded ``hazardous fuel
reduction'' near urban interface areas.
The National Fire Plan directs Federal agencies within USDA/USDI to
engage states and local communities in reducing forest fuels, using a
variety of fuel reduction treatments (mechanical, prescribed fire and
intensive manual treatment). Hazardous fuel reduction is a critical
investment necessary to reduce fire risk and fire suppression costs
into the future and is focused on areas near communities and interface
areas that the States have judged to be in harm's way of a wildfire.
The analysis area of 25,741 acres of National Forest System lands
is located thirty miles east of Cedar City, Utah. The analysis area
includes six tracts of private lands which are surrounded by National
Forest lands. The tracts are subdivided into residential lots and
contain an estimated 1,900 homes and 10 businesses. The specific
subdivisions are as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Legal location (approximate)
Subdivision Salt Lake Base Meridian
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Meadow View Heights.............. T38S R7W Sec 6.
2. Mirror Lake...................... T38S R7W Sec 5, 8.
3. Movie Ranch...................... T38S R7W Sec 7.
4. Movie Ranch South................ T38S R7W Sec 7.
5. Color Country.................... T38S R7W Sec 8, 17.
6. Timber Trails.................... T38S R7W Sec 7, 17, 18.
7. Ponderosa Villa.................. T38S R7W Sec 16.
8. Strawberry Valley................ T38S R7W Sec 20, 21.
9. Swains Creek..................... T38S R7W Sec 26, 2.
10. Blackman Hill................... T38S R7W Sec 26, 27.
11. Harris Springs.................. T38S R7W Sec 26.
12. Swains Creek Pines.............. T38S R7W Sec 33, 34.
13. Ponderosa Ranch................. T38S R7W Sec 24;
T38S R6W Sec 19.
14. Zion View Mtn Estates........... T38S R8W Sec 2.
15. Duck Creek Pines................ T38S R7W Sec 7.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The private lands were designated an ``urban interface community at
risk from wildfires on National Forest lands'' by the Chief of the
Forest Service (Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 160 / Friday, August
17, 2001 / Notices). This designation meant that Federal funds from the
National Fire Plan could be spent to reduce fuels on National Forest
lands adjacent to the private lands.
Historic prevention and suppression of wildfire has resulted in
ever-increasing accumulations of forest fuels. These buildups of forest
fuels increase the risk of high intensity fires to the National Forest
and to large private subdivisions within the forest boundary. The
extensive development and high recreation use have also increased the
threat of human-caused fires. A high intensity fire occurring within
this area would cause significant damage to property and natural
resources. Reducing the risk of wildfires in these areas would provide
the best opportunity to protect National Forest lands and adjacent
private properties. The Forest Service has determined that the fuels
treatment objectives will be met without harvesting trees over nine
inches in diameter.
Purpose and Need for Action. The purpose of this project is to
modify existing, high fuel loads that influence fire behavior in
National Forest lands adjacent to private lands in the Duck Creek area.
There is a need to reduce minute, hour, ten-hour and hundred-hour fuels
adjacent to private property and in the defensible fire space zone.
There is a need to change the structure and composition of the fuels
throughout the project area, especially in aspen-dominated sites. There
is a need to change the characteristics of the residual trees by
removing ladder fuels from the ground to eight feet high. Changing
these fuels characteristics and reducing the fuel loads would help
reduce the risk of property damage and allow sufficient time for
firefighters to directly attack and control a wildfire before housing
and other developments are threatened or destroyed. The fuel elements
that need to be treated are as follows:
Element 1--Ground Fuels Reduction. Current fuel loads adjacent to
private lands range from 20-50 tons per acre. The desired condition of
the area immediately surrounding the subdivisions, Defensible Fire
Space (DFS), is to have fuel loads reduced to 5-10 tons per acre, a
level that would not sustain a high intensity wildfire.
The current fuel loads range from 20-50 tons per acre in the
general forest area outside of the DFS. Reducing the fuel loads in the
general forest area to 10-15 tons per acre would slow the spread of
fire and would reduce the potential for a fire to spread into the
crowns of the trees.
Element 2--Ladder Fuels Reduction. Lower branches and small trees
currently extend from the ground upward, creating the ladder a fire
would climb to reach higher crowns. Ladder fuels have increased
dramatically as ponderosa pine trees with small crowns and few lower
branches have been replaced by fir and spruce that have large crowns
and branches extending to the ground. Fire suppression has also
resulted in a dense understory of young
[[Page 42678]]
trees that contribute to the fire ladder. The desired condition within
the DFS is to effectively prevent a ground fire from climbing into
upper tree crowns.
Element 3--Retention of Fire Tolerant Species. Aspen is naturally
regenerated by wildfire, and therefore is considered a fire-tolerant
species. Aspen stands within the watershed are being encroached upon by
tree species such as spruce and fir, which are fire intolerant species.
Stands with a high density of aspen act as natural firebreaks or areas
where fire activity is slowed. Aspen is a short-lived species that
requires disturbance in order to regenerate; without disturbance, these
stands will eventually be taken over by conifers, eliminating the aspen
from the area. Conifer encroachment increases fire susceptibility and
fire behavior within these stands. Maintaining aspen stands would help
slow the spread of fires that may occur. The desired condition is to
regenerate and maintain aspen stands.
Proposed Action: The Forest Service proposes to treat fuels in
timber stands located in Kane County, Utah, Salt Lake Base Meridian,
T38S R8W, T38S R7W, T39S R8W, T39S R7W and T38S R6W. The specific fuels
treatments are as follows:
1. Defensible fire space treatments. Establish a defensible fire
space (DFS) in National Forest lands from 500'-2000' wide immediately
surrounding private lands with subdivisions. The area to be treated in
the DFS is approximately 2,724 acres. To reduce the risk of a wildfire
reaching or spreading through tree crowns within the DFS, intensive
fuels removal treatments will be conducted by cutting all conifer trees
under nine inches in diameter and pruning limbs under eight feet high
on conifer trees to reduce ladder fuels. Limbs, existing ground fuels
and slash will be disposed of by piling/burning or chipping.
2. Mixed conifer treatments. Reduce fuel loads and favor the
establishment of ponderosa pine on approximately 7,352 acres of mixed
conifer stands in National Forest lands south and west of the private
subdivisions. Mixed conifer stands have major components of ponderosa
pine, white fir and Douglas-fir with minor components of subalpine fir,
Engelmann spruce and Colorado blue spruce. Fuel loads will be reduced
by cutting white fir, Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce and
Colorado blue spruce trees under nine inches in diameter. Limbs,
existing ground fuels and slash will be disposed of by piling/burning
or chipping.
3. Spruce/fir treatments. Reduce fuel loads on approximately 947
acres of spruce/fir conifer stands in National Forest lands south and
west of the private subdivisions. Spruce/fir stands have major
components of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir with minor components
of ponderosa pine, Colorado blue spruce, Douglas-fir and white fir.
Fuel loads will be reduced by cutting subalpine fir, white fir and
Douglas-fir under nine inches in diameter. Engelmann spruce, Colorado
blue spruce and ponderosa pine trees under nine inches in diameter will
be retained in this area in order to maintain a spruce component into
the future. Limbs, existing ground fuels and slash will be disposed of
by piling/burning or chipping.
4. Aspen treatments. Regenerate and maintain stands dominated by
aspen in approximately 2,366 acres of National Forest lands south and
west of the private subdivisions by cutting Engelmann spruce, Colorado
blue spruce, subalpine fir and white fir trees under nine inches in
diameter and underburning fuels. Slash will be pulled away from mature
(over 18'' diameter) ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir trees to provide
partial protection from prescribed fire. Aspen, a short-lived species
that acts to slow the spread of wildfire, requires periodic disturbance
to induce new growth. Underburning will result in stimulating and
regenerating the aspen. A prescribed fire plan will be developed prior
to underburning. The plan will outline appropriate burning conditions
and fire control methods to be implemented to insure the prescribed
fire is confined to the area to be treated.
Fuels and slash piling may be done by machine, except where Forest
Plan standards for soils or slope dictate otherwise. Piles will be
burned. The transportation system required to treat or remove fuels is
in place. No new roads would be constructed with this project. Riparian
areas along perennial streams would be protected with a 300-foot no-
treatment buffer along the edges. Riparian areas along ephemeral
streams would be thinned, but piling and burning would occur at least
50 feet away from the channel. No treatment would occur within 100 feet
of springs in order to protect water sources, soils that are wet and
sensitive to compaction, and riparian habitat. The project will be
implemented in accordance with direction in the Dixie National Forest
Land and Resource Management Plan.
Possible Alternatives: Three or more alternatives will be
considered in the analysis.
No action. Under this alternative, the proposed fuels treatments
will not be completed. The current forest fuels conditions would not be
substantially changed and natural processes would continue. This
alternative will be fully evaluated and described.
Proposed Action (as described above).
Additional Alternatives--Additional alternatives may be developed
in response to issues and resource conditions evaluated through the
analysis.
Responsible Official: The responsible official for this EIS and the
Record of Decision is: Robert A. Russell, Forest Supervisor, Dixie
National Forest, 1789 Wedgewood, PO Box 627, Cedar City, Utah 84720-
0627; FAX: (435) 865-3791.
Nature of Decision To Be Made: The Responsible Official will decide
whether forest fuels treatment would be conducted to reduce risks from
wildfires to the National Forest and to private lands held within the
National Forest; and, if so, what extent and types of treatments should
be done.
Scoping Process: Public participation was initiated through scoping
in October, 2001. A scoping notice was sent to 2,796 individuals and
organizations who are potentially affected parties and those currently
on the Dixie National Forest mailing list that have expressed interest
in natural resource projects. Two public meetings were held (October
27, November 1). Comments and issues were received in response to these
public contacts.
Scoping will continue. Public participation is especially important
during scoping and review of the draft EIS. Individuals, organizations,
federal, state, and local agencies who are interested in or affected by
the decision are invited to participate in the scoping process. This
information will be used in the preparation of the draft EIS.
Preliminary Issues. The following issues were identified through
public scoping and internal resource analyses:
1. The proposed fuels treatments would reduce travel corridors for
big game (e.g. elk and deer) and birds and small mammals (e.g. turkey,
grouse, red squirrels and flying squirrels) by substantially
fragmenting habitat throughout the project area.
2. The proposed fuels treatments would remove understory trees and
limbs, which are used by juvenile goshawks within nest areas and
flammulated owls as roosting habitat.
3. The proposed fuels treatments would create openings in the
forest and increase sight distance from the homes within the
subdivision into the forest. This would change the visuals/aesthetics
of the area by reducing or eliminating the ``vegetative screening''
that many residents value.
[[Page 42679]]
4. Older stands of aspen would be regenerated and replaced by
younger stands of aspen, reducing and/or changing the aesthetic value
of these stands. Older trees with large, white boles would be replaced
by thickets of seedlings and saplings in the short term. Fall color
viewing would also be impacted.
5. The proposed fuels treatments would remove young trees and
seedlings from the spruce/fir stands, resulting in the eventual loss of
the timber stand due to lack of regeneration.
6. The proposed fuels treatments are too costly to implement.
7. The proposed fuels treatment would reduce or eliminate
understory vegetation that serves as a barrier to off-road motorized
vehicles, especially by ATV's (All Terrain Vehicles).
Comments Requested. Comments will continue to be received and
considered throughout the analysis process. Comments received in
response to this notice and through scoping, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public
record of this proposed action and will be available for public
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR parts 215 or
217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request
the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing
how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality.
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that, under the
FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very limited
circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest Service
will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding the
request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within a
specified number of days.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and to be available for public
review. At that time the EPA will publish a notice of availability of
the draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment period for the draft
environmental impact statement will be forty-five days from the date
the EPA's notice of availability appears in the Federal Register.
Comments on the draft EIS should be as specific as possible and may
address the adequacy of the statement or the merits of the alternatives
discussed (Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these
points).
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is 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 an agency to the reviewers' position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could have been 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, (9th Circuit, 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 the time 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 about the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the
statement or the merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in
the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in
addressing these points.
In the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to
substantive comments and responses received during the comment period
that pertain to the environmental consequences discussed in the draft
EIS and applicable laws, regulations, and policies considered in making
a decision regarding the proposal. The Responsible Official will
document the decision and rationale for the decision in a Record of
Decision. The final EIS is scheduled for completion in January, 2003.
The decision will be subject to review under Forest Service Appeal
Regulations.
Dated: July 8, 2003.
Robert A. Russell,
Forest Supervisor, Dixie National Forest.
[FR Doc. 03-18176 Filed 7-17-03; 8:45 am]
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