Notice2023-27742
Region 5 and Region 6; California, Oregon, and Washington; Forest Plan Amendment for Planning and Management of Northwest Forests Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl
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Published
December 18, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
The Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest Regions of the Forest Service, USDA, are proposing to amend the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). The amendment would apply to those Forest Service units, or parts thereof, with land management plans amended in 1994 by the NWFP or with land management plans developed later to include provisions of the NWFP. Units in the Pacific Northwest Region (Region 6) include: Deschutes National Forest, Fremont-Winema National Forest, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Mt. Hood National Forest, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Olympic National Forest, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Siuslaw National Forest, Umpqua National Forest, and Willamette National Forest. Units in the Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5) include: Klamath National Forest and Butte Valley National Grassland, Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Modoc National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest, and Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This notice initiates a scoping period on a preliminary proposed action and advises the public that the Forest Service is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the effects of amending the Northwest Forest Plan.
Full Text
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 241 (Monday, December 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87393-87398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27742]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Region 5 and Region 6; California, Oregon, and Washington; Forest
Plan Amendment for Planning and Management of Northwest Forests Within
the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest Regions of the
Forest Service, USDA, are proposing to amend the 1994 Northwest Forest
Plan (NWFP). The amendment would apply to those Forest Service units,
or parts thereof, with land management plans amended in 1994 by the
NWFP or with land management plans developed later to include
provisions of the NWFP. Units in the Pacific Northwest Region (Region
6) include: Deschutes National Forest, Fremont-Winema National Forest,
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest,
Mt. Hood National Forest, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Olympic
National Forest, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Siuslaw National
Forest, Umpqua National Forest, and Willamette National Forest. Units
in the Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5) include: Klamath National
Forest and Butte Valley National Grassland, Lassen National Forest,
Mendocino National Forest, Modoc National Forest, Six Rivers National
Forest, and Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This notice initiates a
scoping period on a preliminary proposed action and advises the public
that the Forest Service is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) to evaluate the effects of amending the Northwest Forest Plan.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis are most valuable
to the Forest Service if received by January 29, 2024. The draft EIS is
expected in June 2024 and will be accompanied by a 90-day comment
period. The final EIS is expected to be available for review in October
2024. These dates are subject to changes in the project schedule. The
dates and times of webinars that will be scheduled to share more
information on the Northwest Forest Plan and potential proposed actions
can be found at <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fsbdev2_026990">https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fsbdev2_026990</a>.
ADDRESSES: Individuals and entities are encouraged to submit comments
via webform at <a href="https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=64745">https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=64745</a>. Hardcopy letters must be submitted to the
following address: Regional Forester, U.S. Forest Service, 1220 SW 3rd
Avenue, Portland, OR 97204. For those submitting hand-delivered
comments, please call 971-260-7808 to make arrangements.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Dougherty, Planning Portfolio
Supervisor, via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#285b45064e5b06465f4e58774e494b49685d5b4c49064f475e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e89b85c68e9bc6869f8e98b78e898b89a89d9b8c89c68f879e">[email protected]</span></a> or at 541-519-0154.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf and hard of
hearing (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339, 24
hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.
[[Page 87394]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: On April 3, 1994, the Secretaries of Agriculture and
Interior approved what is commonly referred to as the NWFP, an
amendment to land management plans for National Forests, and resource
management plans for lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) within the range of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis
caurina) (NSO) in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California (NWFP
area). The NWFP provided management direction that was intended to
conserve late successional and old growth forest ecosystems and
associated species, including the NSO, marbled murrelet, and threatened
and endangered at-risk anadromous fish, while providing a sustainable
supply of timber and non-timber products to support and stabilize local
and regional economies. The NWFP includes objectives to protect late
successional and old growth forest habitats; an Aquatic Conservation
Strategy to protect and restore aquatic habitat and watersheds; land
allocations with associated management standards and guidelines; and
``Survey and Manage'' standards and guidelines intended to provide a
reasonable assurance of the persistence of rare and little-known
species thought to be associated with mature and old growth forests.
For nearly 30 years, Federal agencies have worked together and with
partners to implement the NWFP to protect the long-term health of
Federal forests in Oregon, Washington, and California in the range of
the NSO. In many cases, the land management plans within the NWFP area
are delivering effective, landscape-scale management, achieving
positive community benefits and moving toward long-term desired
ecological conditions by maintaining vegetation conditions that support
NSO and marbled murrelets, protecting mature and old-growth forests,
and retaining and improving habitat for aquatic and riparian-associated
organisms.
While important progress has been made, changed ecological and
social conditions are challenging the effectiveness of the NWFP. In
recent years, large, uncharacteristic wildfires have resulted in losses
of mature and old growth forests eliminating gains achieved in the
first 25 years of implementation of the NWFP, and research indicates
that large wildfires, with impacts to mature and old growth forests and
associated NSO habitat, will increase in frequency and extent in both
the wetter (e.g., western Cascades) and drier (e.g., eastern Cascades,
Klamath province) portions of forests within the NWFP area. Further,
there is broad recognition, documented in numerous monitoring and
research reports (see Changed Conditions below), that tribal
involvement in the development of the 1994 NWFP was overlooked and that
engaging tribes in addressing the challenges faced in the NWFP area is
critical to success.
There is also substantial new information relevant to the NWFP
including the 2011 recovery plan for the NSO, the 2012 critical habitat
designation for the NSO and the 2021 revision of that critical habitat
designation, the 2021 Executive Order 14008, ``Tackling the Climate
Crisis at Home and Abroad,'' and the 2022 Executive Order 14072
``Strengthening the Nation's Forests, Communities, and Local
Economies.''
The NWFP affected Federal lands managed by the Forest Service and
BLM. In 1995, the BLM updated resource management plans in western
Oregon for the management of BLM-administered lands in the Coos Bay
District, Eugene District, Salem District, and the Swiftwater Field
Office of the Roseburg District, consistent with the NWFP, which guide
management of approximately 2.5 million acres of BLM-administered
lands. On August 5, 2016, the BLM revised these 1995 resource
management plans to maintain strong protections for the NSO, listed
fish species, and water resources while offering predictable and
sustainable outcomes for local communities from tourism, recreation,
and timber harvest.
The Forest Service is proposing to amend NWFP direction, addressing
changed conditions and new information, to improve resistance and
resilience to fire where needed across the NWFP landscape, support
adaptation to and mitigation of climate change in the NWFP landscape,
address management needs of mature and old growth forests with related
ecosystem habitat improvement, and contribute predictable supplies of
timber and non-timber products to support economic sustainability in
communities affected by forest management in the NWFP landscape,
including addressing environmental justice concerns and ensuring tribal
inclusion in developing and implementing plan direction in the NWFP. By
strengthening habitat supported by mature and old growth ecosystems, an
amendment is likely to enhance habitat protections for listed and
unlisted wildlife to the wildlife-focused framework of the NWFP. The
Forest Service is coordinating with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
as well as NOAA Fisheries regarding consultation pursuant to Section 7
of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). An agreement will be developed to
guide the consultation process.
Changed Conditions: The Forest Service and its partners have
assessed and monitored the overall outcomes resulting from implementing
the NWFP strategy. Decades of research findings and monitoring
results--including monitoring reports prepared by the Northwest Forest
Plan Interagency Monitoring Program--have advanced our understanding of
NWFP ecosystems and highlighted changed conditions. Reports that
summarize the best available science and contribute to both our current
understanding of ecosystem dynamics and identifying the preliminary
needs for change include:
<bullet> Synthesis of Science to Inform Land Management Within the
Northwest Forest Plan Area (Spies et al. 2018.), and supplement,
published by the Pacific Northwest Research Station.
<bullet> Bioregional Assessment of Northwest Forests (BioA) (2020).
<bullet> Supplemental Report to the Bioregional Assessment of
Northwest Forests (2021).
New Information: Actions related to NSO conservation have generated
additional information since establishment of the NWFP in 1994. In
2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) approved the ``Revised
Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl'' (recovery plan), after the
1990 listing of the species as threatened under the Endangered Species
Act (ESA). The ESA requires agencies to ensure that their actions are
not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or
result in the adverse modification or destruction of critical habitat.
The NSO inhabits structurally complex forests from southwest British
Columbia through the Cascade Mountains and coastal ranges in
Washington, Oregon, and California, and as far south as Marin County,
California. Managing sufficient habitat for the NSO now and into the
future is important for its recovery, though this challenge is
exacerbated by competition from the barred owl (Strix varia) which
poses a significant and complex threat to the NSO. An important goal of
the NWFP is to conserve mature and old growth forests which provide
habitat for NSO.
After publication of the recovery plan, the USFWS designated
critical habitat for the NSO in 2012 and revised that designation in
2021. The designated areas are all located within the geographical area
occupied by the NSO and contain specific characteristics, resources,
and conditions necessary to support one or more life processes of the
[[Page 87395]]
species. The identified critical habitat contains features that are key
to the conservation of the NSO and include lands within the NWFP
reserves and matrix. Designation of critical habitat is a tool that
supports the continued conservation of imperiled species by guiding
cooperation within the Federal Government.
More recently, in November 2023, the USFWS published a draft
``Barred Owl Management Strategy'' and draft environmental impact
statement that addresses the threat of the non-native and invasive
barred owls to NSO and California spotted owls. Based on a recent
analysis, NSO populations in study areas throughout their range
declined by 35% to more than 80% over the past two decades. California
spotted owls, which the USFWS proposed for ESA listing earlier this
year, face a similar risk from barred owl competition as barred owl
populations continue to expand southward.
New information has also been generated by the NWFP Interagency
Regional Monitoring Program which evaluates the effectiveness of the
NWFP in achieving its management objectives on Federal lands in the
planning area. Monitoring efforts, conducted at 5-year intervals,
emphasize important regional scale questions for multiple resource
areas including populations and habitat of NSO. Based on the most
recent monitoring findings, barred owls are a primary factor that
negatively affects NSO demographic traits and population trends. Other
factors such as habitat loss resulting from wildfire, logging, and
insects and disease have also contributed. Concern about the impacts of
climate change is also increasing. Ecologically appropriate timber
management, such as thinning, can contribute to development of new
habitat.
As part of the monitoring program, in 2021, the Forest Service
published ``Strengthening the Federal-Tribal Relationship: A Report on
Monitoring Consultation Under the Northwest Forest Plan.'' The report
identifies opportunities to make Federal-Tribal relationships more
effective and meaningful. It includes recommendations to improve
consultation, protect Tribal rights and access, and to improve Federal-
Tribal forest management compatibility.
Much more is known about the impact of climate change now than when
the NWFP was approved in 1994, as described in the ``Supplemental
Report to the Bioregional Assessment of Northwest Forests'' and in
Executive Order 14008, ``Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and
Abroad.'' Further, in 2012, the Forest Service updated its land
management planning regulation (36 CFR 219, ``2012 Planning Rule,'')
and included as a priority the need to plan for climate change and
adaptation.
In 2022, Executive Order 14072, ``Strengthening the Nation's
Forests, Communities, and Local Economies'' was published. This
executive order set in motion a multi-agency analysis of threats to
mature, or late successional, as defined in the NWFP Record of
Decision, and old-growth forests on Federal lands, including from
wildfire and climate change, along with efforts to identify
conservation strategies that will help address these threats. These
analyses, along with advancements in best available science, including
Indigenous Knowledge, offer ideas and strategies for better meeting the
objectives of the NWFP.
Purpose. The purpose of the proposed action is to amend the NWFP to
establish new or modify existing plan components for 17 affected
national forests to better enable the agency to meet the original
intent of the NWFP to conserve mature and old-growth ecosystems and
habitat for the NSO and other species, protect riparian areas and
waters, and provide a sustainable supply of timber and non-timber
forest products. Amending the NWFP will provide an opportunity for the
Forest Service to incorporate findings from the Bioregional Assessment,
the Science Synthesis and supplements, which identify changed
conditions across the NWFP area since it was approved in 1994, and to
incorporate new information relevant to the NWFP including monitoring
reports.
Need to Change. In preparing an amendment to the NWFP, the
responsible official shall base an amendment on a preliminary
identification of the need to change the plan (36 CFR 219.13(a)(1)).
The preliminary need to change documents the issues identified by the
agency through public and Tribal engagement, the Science Synthesis,
Bioregional Assessment and new information described above, as well as
issues identified by its partners and consideration by the NWFP Federal
Advisory Committee (NWFP FAC).
The preliminary need to change focuses on five interrelated topic
areas, including:
<bullet> Improving fire resistance and resilience across the NWFP
planning area,
<bullet> Strengthening the capacity of NWFP ecosystems to adapt to
the ongoing effects of climate change,
<bullet> Improving conservation and recruitment of mature and old-
growth forest conditions, ensuring adequate habitat for species
dependent upon mature and old growth ecosystems and supporting regional
biodiversity,
<bullet> Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into planning, project
design, and implementation to achieve forest management goals and meet
the agency's general trust responsibilities, and
<bullet> Providing a predictable supply of timber and non-timber
products, and other economic opportunities to support the long-term
sustainability of communities located proximate to National Forest
System lands and economically connected to forest resources.
Fire Resistance and Resilience: Recent wildfires, particularly in
dry forests, have burned extremely large areas at high severities and
at levels that differ from historic reference conditions in dry
forests, where large patches of fire-killed trees were historically
rare. Such fires have resulted in considerable harm to communities,
including tribes, compounding existing social and economic
sustainability challenges. The recent trend of increasing high-severity
wildfire also threatens the ecological integrity of these forests,
including mature and old growth forest conditions and the species,
including the NSO, that depend on them--the precise resources that the
NWFP was meant to maintain and restore. The Forest Service seeks
additional plan direction that improves managers' ability to mitigate
the risks of wildfire to communities, including tribes, and natural
resources by supporting the functional role that fire plays in the
ecological integrity of forests within the NWFP area, particularly in
dry forests. In addition, while the NWFP recognizes the differences in
management needs along the gradient of wet to dry forests, more clarity
is needed to ensure that managers can implement the beneficial use of
fire and other strategies appropriately across the varying ecosystems,
including within riparian areas in the NWFP area.
In the drier portions of the NWFP area, more than a century of fire
exclusion and other management practices have resulted in overly dense
and homogenous forest conditions that heightens the risk of large,
high-severity fires. Such management practices have resulted in forest
composition and structure that is more vulnerable to fire, because
forests often have higher densities of smaller trees and shrubs and a
lower proportion of fire-resilient species than were historically
present.
In moist forests, remaining mature and old growth ecosystems are
being
[[Page 87396]]
lost and further fragmented by wildfire. Plan direction is sought to
prioritize mature and old growth forest conditions including habitat
for the NSO and other ecosystem services during wildfire suppression
activities. New post-wildfire silvicultural direction would guide
reforestation and restoration of burned landscapes and for other post-
disaster recovery efforts. New direction would also effectively steward
existing plantations to contribute to a robust and resilient ecosystem
that support the region's communities.
Indigenous fire stewardship and cultural burning regimes can
contribute to the ecological health of NWFP forests. The NWFP did not
adequately address the severe ecological impacts of a century of fire
suppression and removal of Indigenous fire practices and cultural fire
regimes on the landscape. Equitable and meaningful Tribal co-management
and co-stewardship related to fire is needed, including recognition of
the importance of Indigenous fire stewardship and cultural burning
regimes to the ecological health of NWFP ecosystems. Developing and
maintaining mature and old growth forest conditions, heterogeneous and
complex forest structures, biodiversity, habitat, and cultural
ecosystem services is strengthened through inclusion of Indigenous fire
practitioners and practice.
Climate Change: Hot and dry conditions are projected to become
increasingly frequent, intense, and prolonged in the NWFP area as
temperatures warm and summer rains become less frequent. The Pacific
Northwest is rapidly warming, and while changes in total annual
precipitation are not projected to be substantial, changes in snowpack
and streamflow are anticipated, contributing to the potential for
uncharacteristic fire. As a result, climate change is significantly
altering the ecological processes and disturbance regimes which shape
NWFP area forests. Acute disturbance events in turn leave forests more
susceptible to long-term shifts in tree species composition that is
less fire resilient. There is also a recognition of the critical role
forests within the NWFP area can play in carbon sequestration and
storage as a mitigation to climate change.
Climate change is also affecting other ecological and hydrologic
processes, increasing the vulnerability of NWFP forests and overall
ecological integrity. With climate change, the timing and significance
of rain events is increasingly atypical with respect to impacts on
plants, people, and infrastructure. In the wet systems, atmospheric
rivers cause floods, affecting road systems and culverts with impacts
to fish, aquatic biodiversity, and access for recreation. Within dry
forest systems, climate change is increasing the likelihood of drought
and is contributing to wildland fires occurring at uncharacteristic
scales and severities. Furthermore, climate change is shifting the
distribution of forest types, plant and animal communities and fire
regimes (e.g., wet versus dry forests) throughout the NWFP area.
Climate-related vulnerabilities include increased drought-related
stress, increasing insect, exotic species and pathogen damage, and loss
of appropriate historical forest type cover in some areas. Drought
conditions and longer fire seasons are climate impacts with wide-
ranging effects, and improved fire resilience is an important
adaptation strategy.
Since 1994, Tribes and State and Federal agencies have produced a
range of climate vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans
applicable to the NWFP area. Amendment of the NWFP should reflect
consideration of pre-existing and ongoing forest-level, Tribal and
State climate vulnerability assessments, adaptation plans and
resilience-building initiatives. Tribal communities are on the front
lines of climate change, both in experiencing significant impacts of
climate stressors and as leaders in climate change monitoring,
planning, mitigation, and adaptation. The NWFP should reflect Tribal
knowledge and a significant role for Tribes in monitoring the effects
of climate change, conducting research on these effects and developing
strategies to address climate change adaptations and responses across
the NWFP area.
Mature and Old Growth Ecosystems: Protecting and enhancing
biodiversity of mature and old growth ecosystems is a central tenet of
the NWFP, and the 2012 Planning Rule's focus on ecosystem integrity
emphasizes this priority. Mature and old growth ecosystems are critical
components of biodiversity and provide carbon storage. The NWFP
protects mature and old growth ecosystems primarily through a system of
reserves and leave tree requirements, though mature and old growth
stands outside of reserves do not have the same level of protection.
As noted, the NWFP did not adequately address important differences
in successional and disturbance dynamics in different types of forests,
and so did not adequately account for threats from uncharacteristic
disturbance and climate change. New plan direction would improve
conservation and recruitment of mature and old growth forest conditions
and associated habitat for NSO and other vulnerable species in moist
forest settings. At the same time, active management is necessary to
restore and conserve mature and old growth forest conditions and
associated biodiversity in seasonally dry, fire prone forests. More
nuanced direction would support mature and old growth ecosystems with
management strategies that recognize biophysical and cultural
variability in forests and the importance of future forest adaptation
and resiliency.
Tribal Inclusion: The NWFP area encompasses tribal lands or
ancestral territories associated with over 80 federally recognized
American Indian Tribes, and additional tribes that are not currently
recognized. The development and implementation of the NWFP in 1994
could have involved more consultation, engagement, and partnership with
tribes and the inclusion of ecological and traditional ecological
knowledge. It is imperative that Tribal governments, representatives,
and communities across the NWFP area have the opportunity to engage in
amendment of the NWFP to ensure that Tribal sovereignty and treaty
rights are accurately addressed and to integrate co-stewardship and co-
management frameworks for accomplishing plan objectives. In some cases,
cultural resources and other forest products that are important to
tribes, or are recognized as treaty rights, should be prioritized over
non-native or commercial uses. For example, there may be First Food
locations or resources, such as huckleberries, where Indigenous
Knowledge and practices are primary/dominant and should be considered
for prioritization of management separately from other public
interests.
An amendment to the NWFP would incorporate best available
scientific evidence from both western and Indigenous science
perspectives to meet the threats to, and drivers of fire resilience in
forests and communities. Where Tribal, forest-level, or regional plans
have not been developed, the Forest Service should collaborate with
Tribal Natural Resources and Wildlife departments, Forests and
communities to support efforts to design strategies for climate refugia
and habitat connectivity for threatened and endangered and culturally
relevant species, vulnerability assessments, and adaptation plans, and
to build social and ecological resilience to climate change related
stressors.
Communities: The development and implementation of the NWFP has had
significant socio-economic, cultural, workforce, and financial impacts
on
[[Page 87397]]
communities and publics. The NWFP has largely not achieved its timber
production goals, which were the NWFP's primary criteria for supporting
economies and community wellbeing (e.g. livelihoods and subsistence
practices). Impacts include not only timber-related employment, but
also community and industry infrastructure, and community connection to
management and conservation practices and activities. In addition, some
social, economic, and ecological challenges currently facing
communities were not anticipated by the NWFP. For example, communities
are facing increasing risks from natural hazards (e.g., wildfire,
flooding, debris flows) related to conditions on National Forest System
lands. The intent of the NWFP amendment is to be forward-looking and
promote adaptability of communities, the forest workforce, and the
Forest Service to future changes with a focus on timber and non-timber
products and other economic opportunities.
Proposed Action. The following is a preliminary description of the
agency's proposed amendment to address the interrelated concerns
identified in the preliminary need to change. The agency will refine
the proposed action considering comments received from the public and
recommendations from the Northwest Forest Plan Area Federal Advisory
Committee. To strengthen the NWFP to meet its objectives, the Forest
Service seeks to amend the 1994 action to:
<bullet> Improve fire resistance and resilience by clarifying
direction for employing prescribed fire, managed fire use associated
with natural ignitions, cultural burning, and active management.
Direction should reflect differences in dry and moist forested
ecosystems, non-forested ecosystems, and in riparian areas. Direction
would ensure that forests are managed to adapt to changing fire
regimes, restore fire in a functional role in the health and integrity
of forest ecosystems, and contribute to traditional cultural resources.
Improved fire resilience will meet the needs of the Endangered Species
Act, support the Forest Service's Wildfire Crisis Strategy, and
strengthen relationships between the agency and Tribal Nations and
Indigenous peoples.
<bullet> Strengthen the capacity of NWFP ecosystems to adapt to the
ongoing effects of climate change and to mitigate impacts of climate
change. Deliberate focus on climate impacts is needed to help managers
address key vulnerabilities of drought-related stress, increasing
impacts of disease, insects and exotic species, negative impacts to
forest cover, and watershed management strategies that improve
conservation of fish habitat and stream flows.
<bullet> Improve sustainability of mature and old growth ecosystems
by providing plan direction to maintain and expand mature and old
growth forest conditions and reduce loss risk across all land use
allocations. Amended plan content would differentiate and clarify
varying conservation goals for moist and dry forest ecosystems. In
addition, it would clarify management intent within land use
allocations, including matrix and adaptive management areas.
<bullet> Add plan direction incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into
planning and plan implementation, including future project design, to
identify and support tribal goals, achieve forest management goals and
meet the agency's trust responsibilities.
<bullet> Support the long-term sustainability of communities
located near National Forest System lands and those that are culturally
and economically connected to forest resources. Clarity is needed
regarding opportunities for timber and non-timber products, including
from restoration activities. The NWFP should sustain the values,
benefits, and other ecosystem services that national forests provide to
communities, including tribes, that directly depend on them. Above all,
changes in plan direction would ensure effective wildfire risk
reduction to reduce risks to communities, life, and property.
Expected impacts are strong tribal inclusion, improved fire
resilience, especially in mature and old growth forests, with
associated improvements to habitat and biodiversity and supply of
timber and non-timber products and economic opportunity from National
Forest System Lands.
Preliminary Alternatives. This notice of intent initiates the
official scoping process, which guides the development of the
environmental impact statement. Written comments received in response
to this notice will be analyzed to further develop the proposed action
and to identify potential significant issues for developing
alternatives to the proposed action. A no-action alternative, which
represents no change to existing management direction, will be analyzed
in addition to the proposed action and will serve as the baseline for
the comparison among action alternatives. Comments we receive in
response to this notice of intent may identify additional alternatives.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies. Public agencies and Tribes are
invited to indicate interest in participating as a cooperating agency.
Responsible Official. The Responsible Officials for this amendment
are the Regional Foresters of the Pacific Northwest Region and the
Pacific Southwest Region.
Nature of the Decision to Be Made. The Responsible Officials will
decide whether to approve one or more proposals to amend the NWFP to
establish new or to modify existing plan components. Given the purpose
and need of the amendment, the Responsible Officials will review
alternatives and public comments, consider the environmental
consequences, and document the finding in an environmental impact
statement. The Responsible Officials will decide whether to select the
proposed action, another alternative, or a combination of alternatives
and base their decision on the preliminary need to change the plan.
Substantive Provisions. When proposing a Forest Plan amendment, the
2012 Planning Rule at 36 CFR 219.13(b)(2) requires the responsible
official to provide notice of which substantive requirements of 36 CFR
219.8-219.11 are likely to be directly related to the amendment.
Whether a Planning Rule provision is directly related to an amendment
is determined by any one of the following: The purpose for the
amendment, a beneficial effect of the amendment, a substantive adverse
effect of the amendment, or a lessening of plan protections by the
amendment (36 CFR 219.13(b)(5). Based on those criteria, the
substantive provisions that are likely to be directly related to the
proposed amendments are: (1) 36 CFR 219.8(a)(1), ecosystem integrity;
(2) 36 CFR 219.8(b), Social and economic sustainability; (3) 36 CFR
219.9(a), ecosystem plan components; (4) 36 CRF 219.10 (a)(5), Habitat
conditions, subject to the requirements of Sec. 219.9, for wildlife,
fish, and plants commonly enjoyed and used by the public; for hunting,
fishing, trapping, gathering, observing, subsistence, and other
activities (in collaboration with federally recognized Tribes, Alaska
Native Corporations, other Federal agencies, and State and local
governments); (5) 36 CFR 219.10 (a)(8), System drivers, including
dominant ecological processes, disturbance regimes, and stressors, such
as natural succession, wildland fire, invasive species, and climate
change; and the ability of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems on
the plan area to adapt to change (Sec. 219.8); (6) 36 CFR 219.10
(b)(1)(iii), Management of areas of tribal importance; and (7) 36 CFR
219.11(c), Timber harvest for purposes other than timber production.
[[Page 87398]]
Scoping Comments and the Objection Process. This notice of intent
initiates the scoping process. Comments submitted in response to this
notice will be considered and will guide the development of the
proposed amendment and draft environmental impact statement which will
be accompanied by a 90-day comment period. In this scoping period, the
Agency is requesting comments on potential alternatives and impacts,
and identification of any relevant information, studies, or analyses
concerning impacts that may affect the quality of the environment. 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 agency is planning several
webinars to share information about the Northwest Forest Plan and
potential proposed actions. See DATES section above for a link to
dates, times and links will be <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fsbdev2_026990">https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fsbdev2_026990</a>.
The proposed action is subject to the objection process identified
in 36 CFR 219, subpart B (219.50-219.62). Commenting during the
opportunity to comment provided by the Responsible Official as
prescribed by the applicable regulations will establish eligibility to
object once the final environmental impact statement and draft record
of decision have been published. Only individuals or entities who
submit substantive written comments during the designated comment
periods will be eligible to participate in the objection process (36
CFR 219.53(a)). Substantive written comments should be within the scope
of the proposed action, have a direct relationship to the proposed
action, and include supporting reasons for the Responsible Official to
consider. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and
considered; however, they cannot be used to establish eligibility for
the objection process. Comments received in response to this
solicitation, including names (and addresses, if included) of those who
comment, will be part of the public record for this proposed action.
This preliminary proposed action and other related documents are
available for comment on the project website listed in the ADDRESSES
section above, and additional information regarding this proposal can
be found at <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fsbdev2_026990">https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fsbdev2_026990</a>.
Dated: December 13, 2023.
Troy Heithecker,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2023-27742 Filed 12-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 18, 2023.
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