![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Red Pines EIS Project, Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho County, ID
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: June 13, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 114)]
[Notices]
[Page 35377-35379]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13jn03-38]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Red Pines EIS Project, Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho County, ID
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement to disclose the environmental impacts of implementing fuel
hazard reduction and watershed improvement activities within the Red
Pines project area in the Red River watershed. Individuals interested
in actions of this nature are encouraged to submit comments and become
involved in the planning process.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received
at the address below on or before July 14, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Bruce Bernhardt, Forest Supervisor,
Route 2, Box 475, Grangeville, ID 83530.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kara Chadwick, Project Coordinator,
and (208) 983-1950.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Red Pines project area is located on the
Nez Perce National Forest in northern Idaho within Idaho County. The
project area lies about 34 air miles southeast of Grangeville Idaho and
three air miles southeast of Elk City Idaho. The project area
encompasses 31,466 acres and includes Dawson, Little Moose, Blanco and
Ditch Creeks and Lower and Main Red River subwatersheds, and small
portions of Trail, Soda and Moose Butte Creeks subwatersheds, which
drain into Red River, which drains directly into the South Fork
Clearwater River.
The actions proposed for implementation would reduce existing and
potential fuel loads through the following activities:
A combination of thinning and/or salvaging and underburning on
approximately 4,760 acres. This combination would result in some
regeneration (clearcut) harvest. A combination of tractor and cable
yarding systems would be used.
Approximately 1,645 acres of plantations, 20-50 years in age, would
be thinned and underburned, favoring fire resistant species. A
combination of tractor and cable yarding systems would be used.
Approximately 100 acres of 15-20 year old plantations would be
precommercially thinned.
Approximately 25 miles of temporary road would be constructed to
access the fuel hazard reduction areas described above. These roads
would be decommissioned following activities.
Approximately 18 miles of existing roads would be reconditioned
prior to use for fuel hazard reduction activities.
As part of this project, activities would be implemented to meet
Forest Plan requirements for upward trend in fish habitat and water
quality. The following activities would maintain or improve aquatic
conditions in the subwatersheds in the project area:
Restore soil productivity on 175 to 350 acres through soil
restoration techniques, such as decompaction, revegetation, and
reestablishing natural drainage features.
Reduce erosion and water quality impacts at four inactive mine
sites, using techniques such as reshaping of disturbed areas, soil
amendments, revegetation, and possibly treatment of water draining from
adits.
Reduce sediment production from existing and temporary roads
planned
[[Page 35378]]
for use in this project. These activities would include improving the
road surface, improving drainage and stabilizing eroding areas.
Decommission 40 to 45 miles of existing road that do not improve
access to the area for public recreation or administrative use, using
techniques ranging from abandonment to recontouring.
Reduce erosion and water quality impacts from an existing rock pit.
Replace three culverts identified as barriers to fish passage.
Replace as many culverts (85 identified) as possible to prevent
them from becoming plugged with debris.
Add large woody debris to stream channels where they have been
determined to be debris deficient.
Plant riparian areas with native grasses, forbs and woody species
where needed to promote bank stability and/or streamside shade.
Maintain existing fish habitat improvement structures in the main
stem of Red River. This would involve mostly handwork, but could
include machine work.
Improve two miles of Red River and one mile of Little Moose Creek
by placing large woody debris or other structures in the stream,
remeandering selected channel reaches, stabilizing banks and planting
riparian areas.
Improve dispersed sites in the Blanco area along Red River by
defining and hardening campsites to reduce sediment runoff, providing
vault-type toilets to reduce pollutants into Red River, and providing a
parking area, an unloading ramp, hitching rails and a feed bunk.
Two Forest Plan amendments are necessary to implement fuel hazard
reduction activities.
Past activities have caused detrimental soil disturbance in some
areas proposed for fuel hazard reduction activities. The proposed
amendment would state, ``Where detrimental soil conditions from past
activities affect 15 percent or less of the activity area, a cumulative
minimum of 85 percent of the activity area shall not be detrimentally
compacted, displaced, or puddled upon completion of activities'' and
``Where detrimental soil conditions from past activities affect more
than 15 percent of the activity area, the cumulative detrimental soil
disturbance from project implementation and past activities shall not
exceed the conditions prior to the planned activity and shall provide a
net improvement in soil quality.''
A second Forest Plan amendment is necessary to implement projects
in Ditch, Trail, Bridge, Baston and Soda Creeks and in Upper and Main
Red River. Appendix A of the Forest Plan states that ``Management--
derived sediment which could affect fish habitat will not be allowed
until monitoring indicates that habitat has recovered to planned
levels.'' The proposed activities, including the aquatic improvement
activities, are expected to produce some sediment in the short term
that could affect fish habitat, however, the activities would be
designed to result in an upward trend in fish habitat conditions over
time.
The following footnote would apply to Siegel, Deadwood, Redhorse,
Dawson, Moose Butte, Ditch, Trail, Otterson, Bridge, Upper Baston,
Soda, Shcooner and Trapper Creeks and Upper Main, Main, Lower, Lower
South Fork, Upper South Fork, Middle Fork and West Fork of Red River,
as listed in Appendix A of the Nez Perce Forest Plan:
``Aquatic conditions in these watersheds have been determined to
fall below levels needed to meet fish/water quality objectives. General
forest management activities can occur concurrently with aquatic
improvements in these watersheds as long as an upward trend in habitat
carrying capacity is indicated. Upward trend is indicated using
multiple sources of information including stream surveys, monitoring
data, predictive modeling, literature reviews and/or professional
judgment. It is not specifically required that an upward trend be
demonstrated through monitoring prior to initiation of general forest
management activities.''
Five subwatersheds (French Gulch, Lowest Red River, and Campbell,
Little Moose and Blanco Creeks) within the Red River watershed have not
been rated for water quality conditions. Water quality ratings for
these subwatersheds need to be completed on a site- or project-specific
basis. If these subwatersheds are determined to be below objective, the
footnote described above would apply.
A scoping letter outlining these actions described here is being
mailed to over 200 interested individuals and organizations. In
addition, the Red River District will host an informal, open house
session the evening of June 17, 2003 to answer questions and solicit
comments on the proposal. A field trip to the project area is being
planned for August 2003. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement will
be mailed to all those who responded during the scoping period.
The Interdisciplinary Team has identified five preliminary issues
associated with potential effects on the proposed activities: Potential
effects of the activities on lynx and lynx habitat; potential effects
of the activities on the Region One listed sensitive plant known as
candystick; potential effects of the activities on soil productivity;
potential effects of the activities on threatened, endangered and
sensitive fish, fish habitat and water quality; consistency with the
anticipated Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the 303(d) listed South
Fork Clearwater River; and reduction in miles of road and access to the
area.
The decision to be made in response to this analysis include: (1)
Are fuel hazard reduction activities needed, and if so, where, when and
how would they be implemented? (2) What transportation system is
necessary in the analysis area and how will it be managed? (3) Are the
fish habitat and water quality improvement activities for Forest Plan
upward trend requirements needed, and if so, where, when and how would
they be implemented? (4) What mitigation is needed to assure forest
management activities are consistent with the Nez Perce Forest Plan and
environmental law? (5) Are amendments to the Nez Perce Forest Plan
necessary to implement the proposed actions? (6) What implementation
and effectiveness monitoring is needed?
The responsible official for this project is the Nez Perce Forest
Supervisor. Comments to this notice should be sent to the address and
contacts identified above and should be submitted within 30 days of
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. A Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected to be available in
January 2004 and a Final EIS in April 2004. Should an action
alternative be selected, implementation could be initiated in fall/
winter 2004.
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 it is important to give reviewers
notice at this early stage 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 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
[[Page 35379]]
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may
be waived or dismissed by the courts. 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 during this scoping and
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 draft environmental impact 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.).
Dated: June 3, 2003.
Bruce E. Bernhardt,
Forest Supervisor, Nez Perce National Forest.
[FR Doc. 03-14727 Filed 6-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M