Federal Register: December 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 243)
DOCID: fr17de08-27 FR Doc E8-29706
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr17de08-27
ACTION: Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Six Rivers National Forest, Mad River Ranger District, Ruth, California, Beaverslide Timber Sale and Fuel Treatment Project
DATES: Scoping for this project is planned for December 2008. The draft environmental impact statement is expected by February 2009 and the final environmental impact statement is expected in June 2009.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The Forest Service is proposing the Beaverslide Timber Sale and Fuel Treatment Project to provide timber products to local economies and to reduce hazardous fuels in strategically located high risk areas around communities in the vicinity of Ruth, California. The Beaverslide planning area encompasses approximately 13,236 acres; 11,757 acres are National Forest System (NFS) lands and 1,479 acres are in private ownership. The project would treat approximately 5,500 acres of NFS lands by harvesting timber through thinning on approximately 2,800 acres, and reducing fuels on an additional 2,700 acres.
The proposed project would take place within the Upper Mad River watershed on NFS lands administered by the Mad River Ranger District in Trinity County, California. The legal location includes portions of the following townships: Township 2 South, Range 7 East; Township 2 South, Range 8 East; and Township 3 South, Range 7 East; Township 3 South, Range 8 East, Humboldt Baseline and Meridian, and Township 26 North, Range 12 West; Township 27 North, Range 12 West, Mount Diablo Baseline and Meridian.
SUMMARY:
Six Rivers National Forest, Mad River Ranger District, Ruth, CA, Beaverslide Timber Sale and Fuel Treatment Project,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
The Beaverslide Timber Sale and Fuel Treatment Project is designed to contribute timber commodity outputs in support of the Six Rivers Forest National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP). One of the goals of the LRMP is to provide a stable supply of outputs and services that contribute to local, regional, and national social and economic needs. The Six Rivers National Forest seeks to provide a sustainable, predictable, longterm timber supply for local economies (LRMP p. II2).
The project area also occurs within the wildlandurban interface
(WUI) for communities in the vicinity of Ruth, California. In 2005, the Trinity County Fire Safe Council completed a
[[Page 76609]]
Community Wildfire Protection Plan to address the fire risk surrounding
these communities. There are several homes and businesses in the area
that are within the WUI. Fuel hazards are moderate but fire risk
relative to human safety and property is high due to the number of
people in the area. The project is designed to reduce fire hazard and risk to the community.
Purpose and Need for Action
Given Forest goals, and environmental conditions within the planning area, the Purpose and Need for the proposed action is to:
Within the context of meeting the purpose and need, there would be opportunities for fuelwood or biomass utilization associated with proposed activities.
Proposed Action
The proposed action is designed to meet the project's purpose and need while meeting the standards and guidelines of the LRMP. The Beaverslide Timber Sale and Fuel Treatment Project would treat vegetation to provide commodities and reduce hazardous fuel conditions.
1. Approximately 2030 million board feet (MMBF) of timber would be harvested from approximately 2,800 acres within 95 treatment units. Harvesting would be accomplished by utilizing groundbased, skyline, and helicopter logging systems.
Actions connected with commercial timber harvest include:
2. Fuel loading would be reduced on approximately 2,700 acres within 20 fuel treatment units and 7 strategic fuel treatment corridors.
Responsible Official
The responsible official will be the Forest Supervisor for the Six Rivers National Forest.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The responsible official will consider the comments, response, disclosure of environmental consequences, and applicable laws, regulations, and policies in making the decision and stating the rationale in the Record of Decision.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides the development of the environmental impact statement. Public scoping will include notices in the newspaper of record and mailings of the scoping package to interested and affected parties and posting of the project on the agency's project planning web page and notice in the agency's quarterly Schedule of Proposed Action. A preliminary scoping package was mailed to interested and affected parties in October 2008.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions. The submission of timely and specific comments can affect a reviewer's ability to participate in subsequent administrative appeal or judicial review.
Dated: December 10, 2008.
Tyrone Kelley,
Forest Supervisor, Six Rivers National Forest.
[FR Doc. E829706 Filed 121608; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 341011P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Thomas Hudson; Mad River Ranger District; 741 State Highway 36; Bridgeville, CA 95526 or by telephone at (707)5746233.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 18008778339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.