Rimrock Projects, Umatilla National Forest, Grant, Morrow, and Wheeler Counties, Oregon

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Rimrock Projects, Umatilla National Forest, Grant, Morrow, and

Wheeler Counties, Oregon

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) on a proposal to implement ecosystem management

projects designed to promote long-term resiliant, sustainable watershed

conditions. Project guidance is provided by the Ecosystem Analysis of

the Wall Watersheds (September 1995). The project area is located on

the Heppner Ranger District and lies approximately 25 miles southwest

of Heppner, Oregon, within the Wall Creek watershed (subwatersheds 24A-

G).

Proposed project activities consist of in-channel fish structure

maintenance, hydrologic stability projects (road obliteration/

decomissioning, road resurfacing/reconstruction), wildlife enhancement

projects, aspen habitat enhancement, noxious weed treatments, range

improvements, recreation opportunities, landscape prescribed fire, and

restoration of forest stand structure/composition using a variety of

silvicultural treatments including commercial timber harvest. The

proposed action is designed to reduce risks to ecosystem

sustainability, prevent further degradation of forest health, reduce

risks of catastrophic wildfire, improve or maintain water quality and

aquatic habitat, and provide economic return to local economies. The

proposed projects will be in compliance with the 1990 Land and Resource

Management Plan FEIS for the Umatilla National Forest, as amended,

which provides overall direction for management of this area.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be

received on or before March 31, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions to the Responsible

Official, Delanne Ferguson, District Ranger, Heppner Ranger District,

P.O. Box 7, Heppner, Oregon 97836.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlene Bucha Gentry, Project Team

Leader, Heppner Ranger District, Phone: (541) 676-9781.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The decision area contains approximately

42,000 acres within the Umatilla National Forest in Grant, Morrow, and

Wheeler Counties, Oregon. It is within the boundary of the Wall

watershed which includes Lower, Middle, and Upper Big Wall; Porter;

Lower and Upper Wilson; and Indian subwatersheds. The legal description

of the decision area is as follows: R.25E. T.6S. sections 24-28 and 32-

36; R.25E. T.7S. sections 1-5, 9-15, 23-25, and 36; R.26E. T6S.

sections 16, 19-23, and 26-35; R.26E. T.7S. sections 1-36; R.26E. T.8S.

sections 1-6, 8-16, and 24; R.27E. T.7S. sections 13-36; R.27E. T.8S.

sections 2-10 and 16-19; and R.28E. T.7S. sections 19, 30, and 31, W.M.

surveyed. All proposed activities are outside the boundaries of any

roadless or wilderness areas.

Fish habitat projects include maintenance and restoration of in-

channel structures. Proposed hydrologic stability projects include 34

miles of road obliteration or decommissioning, 37 miles of road

resurfacing, 47 miles of road reconstruction, installation of a culvert

to replace a low-water ford (Forest Road 23), and installation of three

low-water fords designed for fish passage (concrete approaches with a

suspended grate) on Forest Road 23 and 2300100 where they intersect

with Big Wall Creek. Aspen habitat enhancement includes removal of

encroaching conifers, construction of ungulate-proof fences, prescribed

burning, and mechanical root stimulation. Range improvements consist of

the construction of barbed wire fencing on three creeks to protect

riparian areas. Bull Prairie Reservoir has silted in considerably in

the 32 years since its construction. Excavation of three identified

areas along the shoreline of the reservoir would remove cattails,

deepen the lake shoreline, and enhance

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fishing opportunities. Landscape prescribed fire across the analysis

area would reduce the potential for future catastrophic wildfires,

enhance wildlife habitat, maintain forest health, and reduce fuel

loadings. A variety of silvicultural methods would treat approximately

5,500 acres within the area. This would result in an estimated 33,000

ccf (17.5 million board feet) of wood products produced for local

economies. Proposed silvicultural treatments are as follows:

Precommercial Thinning: Saplings (generally up to 6 inch dbh) would

be thinned to a tree per acre variable spacing to promote growth,

restore and maintain a more sustainable species composition, and to

promote visual quality along Hwy 207. This treatment is proposed on

about 380 acres.

Commercial Thinning: Stand densities would be reduced to a residual

square foot of basal area per acre based on recommended stocking levels

appropriate for the plant association to restore a more ecologically

sustainable structure and species composition. All stands would remain

fully stocked upon completion of harvest activities. This treatment is

proposed on approximately 5,100 acres.

Proposed commercial thinning units would be harvested using

tractor, harvester/forwarder, and helicopter logging systems. Access

for harvest would require reconstruction of about 47 miles of existing

roads and construction of approximately 12 miles of temporary roads.

The temporary roads would be closed and obliterated upon completion of

harvest activities. Activities that would occur concurrently or in

association with timber harvest include subsoiling of landings and

temporary roads to mitigate soil compaction, waterbarring, seeding of

skid trails and landings for noxious weed control, and burning of some

slash.

Public participation will be especially important at several points

during the analysis, beginning with the scoping process (40 CFR

1501.7). Scoping will include listing of this EIS in the Spring 1999

issue of the Umatilla National Forest's Schedule of Proposed

Activities; letters to agencies, organizations, and individuals who

have already indicated their interest in such activities; and news

releases in the East Oregonian and other local newspapers. No public

meetings have been planned at this time; they will be scheduled later

as needed. This notice is to encourage members of the public,

interested organizations, federal, state and county agencies, and local

tribal governments to take part in planning this project. They are

encouraged to visit with Forest Service officials at any time during

the analysis and prior to the decision. Any information received will

be used in preparation of the Draft EIS. The scoping process includes:

1. Identifying potential issues

2. Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth

3. Considering alternatives based on themes which will be derived

from issues recognized during scoping activities

4. Identifying potential environmental effects of project and

alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and

connected actions).

Preiliminary issues include: effects of proposed activities on

water quality and the anadromous and resident fisheries resource;

effects of the proposed activities on Threatened, Endangered and

Sensitive (TES) species and what opportunities exist to improve

habitat; and the ability of proposed activities to restore historic

vegetation composition, structure, and pattern.

A full range of alternatives will be considered, including a ``no-

action'' alternative in which none of the activities proposed above

would be implemented. Based on the purpose and need, as well as issues

gathered through scoping, the action alternatives will vary (1) the

number, type and location of projects, (2) the silvicultural and post-

harvest treatments prescribed, (3) the amount and location of harvest

and thinning, (4) the type and amount of excavation to occur in Bull

Prairie Reservoir, and (5) the type and amount of repairs to occur on

Forest Road 23.

Appropriate Federal, state, and local permits or licenses will be

obtained for activities associated with the project, including Oregon

Division of State Lands Fill and Removal Permit.

The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available to the public for review by

July 1999. At that time, the EPA will publish a Notice of Availability

of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment period on the

Draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes the notice of

availability in the Federal Register. It is important that those

interested in the management of the Umatilla National Forest

participate at that time.

The Final EIS is scheduled to be completed by October 1999. In the

Final EIS, the Forest Service will respond to comments and responses

received during the comment period that pertain to the environmental

consequences discussed in the Draft EIS and applicable laws,

regulations, and policies considered in making a decision regarding the

proposal.

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

until after completion of the final environmental impact statement 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 environmental impact statement.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments 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 provision of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points).

The Forest Service is the lead agency. Delanne Ferguson, District

Ranger, is the Responsible Official. As the Responsible Official, she

will decide which, if any, of the proposed projects will be

implemented. She will document the decision and reasons for the

decision in the Record of Decision. That decision will be subject to

Forest Service Appeal Regulations (36 CFR part 215).

Dated: February 8, 1999.

Delanne Ferguson,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 99-4647 Filed 2-24-99; 8:45 am]

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