Notice2024-08954
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests; Idaho; End of the World Project
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 26, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
The Forest Service ("Forest Service"), United States Department of Agriculture, is giving notice of its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the End of the World Project on the Salmon River Ranger District of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. The Forest received an unpublished order in Friends of the Clearwater v. Cheryl F. Probert. The court ordered the environmental assessment (EA), decision notice (DN), and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the End of the World project to be remanded to the United States Forest Service for further evaluation under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EIS will further analyze old growth in the project area and evaluate the cumulative impacts with the neighboring Hungry Ridge Project to ensure old growth was retained per the 1987 Nez Perce National Forest land management plan requirements.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 82 (Friday, April 26, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 82 (Friday, April 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32395-32397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08954]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests; Idaho; End of the World
Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Service (``Forest Service''), United States
Department of Agriculture, is giving notice of its intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the End of the World Project
on the Salmon River Ranger District of the Nez Perce-Clearwater
National Forests in Idaho. The Forest received an unpublished order in
Friends of the Clearwater v. Cheryl F. Probert. The court ordered the
environmental assessment (EA), decision notice (DN), and finding of no
significant impact (FONSI) for the End of the World project to be
remanded to the United States Forest Service for further evaluation
under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and National
Environmental Policy Act
[[Page 32396]]
(NEPA). The EIS will further analyze old growth in the project area and
evaluate the cumulative impacts with the neighboring Hungry Ridge
Project to ensure old growth was retained per the 1987 Nez Perce
National Forest land management plan requirements.
DATES: The Forest Service is not conducting a scoping period because we
are using the information we collected during the development of the
previous EA. The draft EIS will be published for public comment as
required by 40 CFR 1503.1. Notice of the draft EIS availability will be
announced for public review and comment in the Federal Register and on
the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests' project website, as well as
other local media. The comment period for the draft EIS will be 45 days
from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice
of availability in the Federal Register. The Forest Service anticipates
that the draft EIS will be available for public review in spring/summer
2024.
ADDRESSES: Nez Perce Clearwater National Forests, 1008 Highway 64,
Kamiah, Idaho 83536.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Shinn, Salmon District Ranger,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d0bab5b6b6a2b5a9fea3b8b9bebe90a5a3b4b1feb7bfa6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0a606f6c6c786f732479626364644a7f796e6b246d657c">[email protected]</span></a> or 208-839-2103. Individuals who use
telecommunications devices for the hearing impaired may call 711 to
reach the Telecommunications Relay Service, 24 hours a day, every day
of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The End of the World project area is located
approximately six (6) miles south of Grangeville, Idaho. The name of
this project is a tribute to local community members who often gather
at the previous Fish Creek Lookout site (located prominently within the
project area) which they affectionately call ``The End of the World''
because of the extensive viewscape. The EIS will expand the analysis
from the End of the World Final EA (January 2021) by providing an
updated analysis of the environmental effects related to old growth and
analysis of cumulative effects of the Hungry Ridge and End of the World
projects. The End of the World Final EA evaluated the potential effects
of three alternatives, including No Action and two action alternatives.
The final Decision Notice was signed January 25, 2021. The EIS will
provide updated information about the project's ability to meet Forest
Plan standards for old growth in the project area and the cumulative
effects between the End of the World and Hungry Ridge projects. Other
resources will be addressed by following 40 CFR 1502.2(b).
The Forest Supervisor of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests
will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) after evaluating the EIS and
public comments.
Purpose and Need for Action
The End of the World Project area is designated as part of an
insect and disease treatment program in accordance with Title VI,
Section 602, Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA), as amended by
Section 8204 of the Agriculture Act (Farm Bill) of 2014. Based on
observed existing conditions, as well as other supporting information
(e.g., annual insect and disease aerial detection surveys, national
insect and disease risk maps, community wildfire protection plan
(CWPP), and input from local community members), there is a need to:
<bullet> Change the nature and arrangement of fuels to reduce
wildfire risk to the local communities and surrounding Federal lands;
<bullet> Reduce the risk or extent of, or increase resilience to,
insect or disease infestation;
<bullet> Restore forest vegetation, dry meadows, and grasslands to
a healthy condition; and
<bullet> Improve water quality and aquatic habitats.
This project is in the heart of the Forests' Wildland Fire Crisis
Emergency Landscape. The project lies entirely within the Wildland
Urban Interface (WUI) for the Grangeville area as defined by the CWPP
of Idaho County. It was originally authorized as part of an insect and
disease treatment program in accordance with title VI, section 602,
HFRA, as amended by section 8204 of the Agriculture Act (Farm Bill) of
2014. This project meets Executive Order (E.O.) 14072 because it was
created using science-based modelling that indicated that this area is
in high need for treatment through sustainable forest and land
management activities. The project conserves America's mature and old-
growth forests through authorization under title VI, section 602, HFRA
as well as application of the 1987 Nez Perce Forest Plan Standards.
Proposed activities will improve the resilience of our lands, waters,
wildlife, and communities in the face of increasing disturbances and
chronic stress arising from climate impacts.
Proposed Action
The goal of this project is to treat at a landscape scale to
increase the resilience of the forest to insects, disease, fire, and
future climate impacts. The project is also designed to improve water
quality, aquatic habitats, and resources important to the Nez Perce
Tribe (project area is fully within the ceded territory). Finally, the
project is adjacent to the community of Grangeville, Idaho, and actions
are designed to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires to both
private residences in and adjacent to the Forest and to the community
of Grangeville.
Pre-commercial thinning, intermediate harvest, regeneration
harvest, and aquatic improvements are proposed to change the nature and
arrangement of fuels and reduce wildfire risk. The project proposes to
remove hazard trees in campgrounds and dispersed camping areas, create
a fuel break on Forest Service Road 221, conduct prescribed landscape
burning, treat invasive plant species, improve range conditions and
restore dry meadows, conduct trail restoration or reconstruction,
decommission roads, replace culverts, improve cross drains, and
complete stream crossing hardening. There will be no regeneration
harvest in old growth. Project activities will maintain or promote old
growth characteristics consistent with the regional definition of old
growth.
The EIS will provide updated information about the project's
ability to meet the 1987 Forest Plan standards for old growth in the
project area and the cumulative effects on old growth between the End
of the World and Hungry Ridge projects as directed by the court.
Preliminary Alternatives
The alternatives from the EA will be incorporated into the EIS. The
End of the World EA (January 2021) evaluated the potential effects of
three alternatives, including No Action and two action alternatives.
Both the Proposed Action and Alternative B meet the purpose and need of
the project. Alternative B was created in direct response to
collaboration and public comments that requested alternative treatments
near private properties, less harvest, fewer temporary roads, and less
potential sediment production. The No Action alternative provided the
baseline for the comparison of the environmental effects of the action
alternatives to the existing condition. The No Action Alternative would
continue to elevate the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire and would not
address fuel accumulations in the WUI, nor would it respond to the
priority landscapes identified by the Governor of Idaho. It would not
further implementation of the National Wildfire Crisis or National
Cohesive Strategies.
[[Page 32397]]
Expected Impacts
The Forest Service will evaluate potential impacts to old growth in
the project area and cumulative effects on old growth by the End of the
World and Hungry Ridge projects.
Responsible Official
Cheryl F. Probert, Nez Perce--Clearwater Forest Supervisor, Nez
Perce-Clearwater National Forests Supervisor's Office, 1008 Highway 64,
Kamiah, Idaho 83536.
Comments and the Objection Process
A legal notice was published in the Lewiston Tribune on February
16, 2018. This notice started a 30-day scoping/comment period. In
accordance with 40 CFR 1502.9(d)(3), there will be no scoping conducted
for this EIS. The scope of the End of the World final EA established
the scope for this EIS. The Forest Service will be seeking comments on
the draft EIS. The Forest Supervisor will be requesting Emergency
Action Determination authority under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,
section 40807, since the project is within two of the 250 high-risk
western firesheds. If the Emergency Action Determination authority is
approved, the End of the World project would not be subject to the pre-
decisional objection review process pursuant to 36 CFR 218 subparts A
and B.
The Forest Service will be soliciting future participation via the
GovDelivery email notification system, rather than postal mail. Details
about the upcoming project will be sent through GovDelivery. To sign up
for GovDelivery and take advantage of electronic notifications, visit
the End of the World Project web page at: <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52541">https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52541</a>. On the right side of the screen, under ``Get
Connected,'' select ``Subscribe to Email Updates.'' When you click on
that item, you will be prompted to provide your email address and
select a password in the GovDelivery program. Once you have logged in,
you will be able to manage your account by subscribing to projects by
National Forest, Ranger District, project type, or project purpose.
Select the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, Salmon River Ranger
District, and/or End of the World Project to receive any updates on the
project. Once you are subscribed, you will continue to receive all
project information and updates via email. Updates will not be sent via
postal mail.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Responsible Official will review the information and analysis
in the EIS to determine whether direct, indirect, and cumulative
effects on old growth in the End of the World project area meet the
requirements of appendix N of the 1987 Nez Perce National Forest Land
and Resource Management Plan (Plan); if there are cumulative impacts to
old growth by the End of the World Restoration Project and the Hungry
Ridge Restoration Project; and which alternative best meets the purpose
and need of the project and complies with the Plan.
Dated: April 22, 2024.
Troy Heithecker,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2024-08954 Filed 4-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 26, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.