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Davis Fire Recovery Project, Deschutes National Forest, Deschutes and Klamath Counties, OR
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: September 17, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 180)]
[Notices]
[Page 54415-54416]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17se03-33]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Davis Fire Recovery Project, Deschutes National Forest, Deschutes
and Klamath Counties, OR
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) on a proposed action to salvage dead and severely
damaged trees, utilize small diameter forest products, and plant trees
to assist in the restoration of the area burned in the Davis Fire on
the Crescent Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest. The
Davis Fire, located about 10 miles west of La Pine, Oregon, burned
approximately 21,000 acres, entirely on National Forest System Lands.
The alternatives will include the proposed action, no action, and
additional alternatives that respond to issues generated during the
scoping process. The agency will give notice of the full environmental
analysis and decision making process so interested and affected people
may participate and contribute to the final decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by October 15, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Phil Cruz, District Ranger,
Crescent Ranger District, P.O. Box 208, Crescent, Oregon 97733.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Mickle, Environmental
Coordinator, P.O. Box 208, Crescent, Oregon, 97733, phone 541 433-3200.
E-mail emickle@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose and Need. More than half of the fire
occurred within the Davis Late Successional Reserve (LSR) and about
7,700 acres of that was at high or moderate intensity. The Northwest
Forest Plan states ``Late Successional Reserves are to be managed to
protect and enhance conditions of late-successional and old-growth
forest ecosystems, which serve as habitat for late-successional and
old-growth related species * * *'' (C-11). The purpose of entering the
fire area within the Davis LSR is to facilitate late-successional
habitat recovery.
Following catastrophic fire three management activities can improve
habitat recovery. These activities are--(1) Reforestation and
Regeneration--Natural regeneration of conifer species after a fire is
dependent upon seed disperal from healthy trees. In many areas,
particularly within the interior areas of the fire, adjacent seed
sources are no longer available. In order to expedite recovery,these
areas may require reforestation by planting. Ponderosa pine and
Douglas-fir are the main species desired within most of the project
area. Replanting with the appropriate species will ensure timely
establishment of species desirable for long-term objectives. The
lodgepole pine flat area south of Davis Lake would see natural
regeneration over time, but there is a need to accelerate the rate of
reforestation. (2) Fuel Levels and Fire Risk--Lowering fuel loadings to
a level that reduces the likelihood of stand-replacement fire in
regenerated stands, particularly during the early stages of stand
development, would promote the long-term survival and growth of new
conifers. The impacts to soils from another fire could be severe with
the current amount of dead wood that would become surface fuel. A fire
in heavy surface fuels could increase the duration of elevated
temperatures during a fire event to levels capable of altering soil
properties and affecting site productivity. (3) Management of Newly
Established Forest--Many forested stands within the fire area were
overly dense where they had not been recently managed. It is predicted
most of the dead trees will fall by the time regenerated stands are
ready to be thinned. Removing the dead trees now would facilitate
active management within new stands, accelerating growth and vigor of
the trees.
The remainder of the fire (approximately 9,000 acres or 45%)
occurred in Matrix or Administratively Withdrawn allocations, or was
outside the Northwest Forest Plan area. Fire intensity was categorized
as high or moderate over about 5,500 acres. The purpose of the salvage
in these areas is similar to the purpose of salvage in the LSR, but
with more emphasis on recovering the economic value of merchantable
timer from trees that were killed or severely damaged. Reduction of
fuels remaining on site would benefit the establishing stands at the
next entry of fire.
Proposed Action. This action includes salvage of commercial timber
on approximately 6,570 acres. Fuels reduction (approximately 13,000
acres) and reforestation (approximately 15,6000 acres) are also
proposed across the fire area, including the areas of commercial
salvage. Salvage is proposed in ares that burned the most intense where
tree mortality is certain. Fuels reduction activities would include
cutting of non-commercial small diameter trees, mechanical and/or hand
piling of material, and disposal of piles by either utilization or
burning. The proposal includes less than 5 miles of construction of
temporary roads necessary to provide access for salvage operations. Any
temporary roads constructed would be obliterated following their use.
No new permanent road construction is proposed.
Scoping. Public participation will be sought at several points
during the analysis, including listing of this project in the Fall 2003
and subsequent issues of the Central Oregon Schedule of Projects and on
the Deschutes National Forest website. Also, correspondence with
agencies, organizations, tribes, and individuals who have indicated
their interest would be conducted.
Issues. Preliminary issues identified include the potential effect
of the proposed action on: soil productivity; water quality and fish
habitat; wildlife habitat (especially threatened and endangered
species); snags and down wood habitat; cultural resources; views along
a designated scenic byway; and noxious weeds. A No Action alternative
will be analyzed in the EIS. Other alternatives would result from the
scoping process and refined issues.
Comment. Public comments about this proposal are requested in order
to assist in identifying issues, determine how to best manage the
resources, and to focus the analysis. Comments received to this notice,
including names and addresses of those who comment,
[[Page 54416]]
will be considered part of the public record on 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 and 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 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.
A draft EIS will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and available for public review by January 2003. The EPA will
publish a Notice of Availability (NOA) of the draft EIS in the Federal
Register. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the
date EPA publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The final EIS is scheduled to be available April 2004.
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
a draft EIS 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 EIS stage but that are not
raised until after completion of the final EIS 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 EIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS 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 EIS 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 received during the comment period for the draft
EIS. The Forest Service is the lead agency and the responsible official
is the Forest Supervisor, Deschutes National Forest. The responsible
official will decide where, and whether or not to salvage timber,
reduce fuels, and reforest the area. The responsible official will also
decide how to mitigate impacts of these actions and will determine when
and how monitoring of effects will take place.
The Davis Fire Recovery decision and the reasons for the decision
will be documented in the record of decision. That decision will be
subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations (36 CFR Part 215).
Dated: September 10, 2003.
Kevin Martin,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-23679 Filed 9-16-03; 8:45 am]
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