Upper Blue Stewardship Project; White River National Forest, Summit County, Colorado

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Upper Blue Stewardship Project; White River National Forest,

Summit County, Colorado

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

in conjunction with planning the Upper Blue Stewardship Project

(hereafter referred to as the Stewardship Project).

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, White River National Forest, gives

notice of the agency's intent to prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of timber

harvest, prescribed fire, watershed rehabilitation, road construction/

re-construction/closure/obliteration, trail reconstruction, non-system

trail obliteration, historic site interpretation, a 4 cfs water

diversion from the Miner's Creek drainage to the North Barton Gulch,

and a hut site location in conjunction with designing the Stewardship

Project for the Dillon Ranger District of the White River National

Forest. These proposed actions are being considered together because

they represent either connected or cumulative actions as defined by the

Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1508.25). This notice

describes the proposed actions, environmental issues considered,

estimated dates for filing the environmental impact statement,

information concerning public participation, and the names and

addresses of the agency officials who can provide additional

information.

Poject Area: The Stewardship Project is using an interdisciplinary

approach to manage 14,000 acres between the towns of Frisco, CO to the

north and Breckenridge, CO to the south, Highway 9 to the east, and the

top of the Tenmile Range to the west. The area is located in T5S, R77W,

Sec. 31. T6S, R78W, Sec. 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21,

22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, and 36 on the Dillon Ranger

District of the White River National forest, Summit County, CO. The

elevation in the area is between 9,000-12,933 feet.

Background: The project area was heavily logged during the mining

era (1860-1940). Many trees were removed &/or burned, particularly

Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine due to their superior lumber qualities.

The result is a dense, even-aged forest between 80-140 years old that

is dominated by lodgepole pine. The forest lacks diversity of tree

species, age classes, structure (mixed-size forests, young stands, old

growth), and understory species. The lack of diversity affects both

forest health (it is more susceptible to insects, disease and fire),

and habitat for wildlife species.

Preliminary issues: Issues identified to date include: proximity of

the proposal to private property, commercial harvest of trees in a

recreation setting, quantity of system and non-system roads and trails,

water quality, RARE II roadless area, riparian condition, impacts to

heritage resources, existing and potential impacts to visual quality,

potential spread of noxious weeds, air quality impacts from burning,

potential hut site locations, recreation user conflicts, water

depletions, providing a ditch for the Town of Breckenridge water

diversion, and affects on threatened, endangered, sensitive and

management indicator species.

Purpose & Need: This Stewardship Project aims to improve forest

health, visual quality, wildlife habitat, and fire resilience through

greater species and structural diversity; to promote responsible

recreation use; and to evaluate a ditch permit application from the

Town of Breckenridge. The Project uses a variety of techniques to

improve the health of the forest and species diversity, while

protecting and enhancing the heritage, recreation, visual, watershed

and wildlife resources. The Forest Service hopes to develop a strong

partnership with local government, private land owners and forest users

to help implement the necessary treatments on the ground.

The EIS will tier to the Land and Resource Management Plan for the

White River National Forest 2nd Printing Updated through 08/01/90.

Proposed Action: Three-quarters-mile of new road construction may

be needed. No road construction is planned within the Rare II roadless

boundary. A total of 1.5 miles of system road and 5.5 miles of non-

system roads will be closed or obliterated. Non-system trails will be

obliterated or added to the system, depending upon public input.

The Summit Huts master plan of 1989 approved a conceptual location

of an overnight hut in the Gold Hill area. This analysis will look at

site specific impacts of the Gold Hill location, and 3-4 alternative

sites. All five of the possible hut sites are within RARE II (roadless

area review and evaluation) identified areas, though three of the sites

are in former timber sale areas. All of the five possible hut sites are

within 1B management prescription which emphasizes downhill or cross

country skiing opportunities.

The Town of Breckenridge proposes to divert up to 4 cfs of water

from the Miners Creek drainage to the North Barton drainage, in order

to draw more water from the Blue River while maintaining minimum stream

flow. This will involve using 2,400 feet of an existing ditch built in

the early 1900's, constructing approximately 1500 feet of new ditch,

and running the water down an existing tributary of the Blue River.

Interpretive sites are planned along major trails. Riparian areas

may be expanded by 50 acres through removal of encroaching conifers.

All vegetation management units will follow visuals mitigation,

where possible, by modifying existing and created openings to be

irregular in shape, mimicking natural openings (including utilities

corridors). Edges will be feathered at varying densities, to reduce

sharp transition between openings and forest. Slash treatment will

emphasize the tops of the trees where fine fuels exist. These activity

fuels exist. These activity fuels will be treated by lopping and

scattering, piling and burning or broadcast burning. Activity fuels

will be treated to be less than 10 tons per acre near private property

and less than 20 tons per acre in lodgepole units. Higher fuel levels

will be allowed in areas that are surrounded by lower fuels areas.

Noxious weed management will include an integrated approach

including preventative measures such as

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re-seeding and cleaning equipment to prevent spread, as well as

treatment of existing populations through mechanical, cultural,

biological, and chemical methods based on the species to be treated,

extent of infestation, and site specific conditions.

Aspen Units--Increase aspen by 300 acres over a 1,600 acre area by

removing conifer overstory to promote aspen understory &/or aspen

sprouting. Look for opportunities to increase aspen near private

property boundaries, and existing clearcuts and utilities corridors.

Openings created will be no larger than 10 acres. Removal of the

conifers can be done by commercial, or noncommercial sale of the logs,

force account felling or girdling of the trees, burning, &/or Christmas

tree sales. There are two methods to do this, aspen release and aspen

regeneration.

Aspen release will remove the conifer overstory to allow aspen

understory to dominate the site. A young aspen forest will remain.

Conifer islands (where 10-15 trees are grouped together) will be left

to enhance landscape mosaic and increase structural diversity. Around

the unit boundary, up to a 30 meter strip will be cleared, to allow for

aspen colonization.

Aspen regeneration will occur in areas where few live, and some

dead aspens remain. Group selection cuts will be made in areas where

aspen root still exist, so the aspen can recolonize the site.

Spruce/Fir Units--Increase spruce/fir forests by 1,000 acres over a

1,880 acre area by removing lodgepole pine overstory to promote spruce/

fir understory. A young spruce/fir forest will remain. A patchy, mosaic

effect will be created. Trees will be harvested commercially, collected

for firewood, felled or girdled and left on site for nutrient cycling.

Tin, 1,000 acres of spruce/fir--lodgepole pine mix through a

combination of prescribed fire, force account, and commercial harvest.

Ponderosa Pine Units--Increase ponderosa pine by 150 acres over a

190 acre area, at or below 9,200 ft. in elevation. Some existing

clearcuts will be planted with ponderosa pine. Approximately 80 acres

of new habitat for ponderosa pine will be created using clearcutting &/

or burning, and planting ponderosa pine in several areas. Remove

lodgepole commercially, for public firewood, or by felling and burning.

Douglas-Fir Units--Increase Douglas-fir to be present in 250 acres

over a 270 acre area. Thin the lodgepole and underplant Douglas-fir in

areas where remanent Douglas-fir trees have been found. Lodgerpole will

be removed by force account or commercially. If areas are found where

Douglas-fir is already present, clear an area of 1 tree height around

it to allow for natural regeneration of Douglas-fir.

Lodgepole Pine Units--Create more early seral stage (young stands)

and mixed age classes by treating 1,740 acres over a 2,680 acre area.

Regenerate approximately 25% of each unit. Regenerate by removing

overstory conifers in up to 2 acre patches. The remaining units will be

thinned, with variable tree spacing of 8-16 feet between each remaining

tree. Trees will be removed by commercial harvest, collected for

firewood, burned, felled or girdled and left on site for nutrient

cycling.

Involving the Public: Pursuant to Part 36b Code of Federal

Regulations (CFR) 219.10(g), the Forest Supervisor for the agency's

intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Stewardship

Project described above. The Forest Service is seeking information,

comments, and assistance from individuals, organizations and federal,

state, and local agencies who may be interested in or affected by the

proposed action (36 CFR 219.6).

Public participation will be solicited by notifying in person and/

or by mail known interested and affected publics. News releases will be

used to give the public general noticed, and public scoping meeting

will occur. Public participation activities will include (but are not

limited to) requests for written comments, open houses, and field

trips. The public is invited to help identify issues and define the

range of alternatives to be considered in the environmental impact

statement.

A reasonable range of alternatives will be evaluated and reasons

will be given for eliminating some alternatives from detailed study. A

``no-action alternative'' is required, meaning that management will not

change the present condition. Alternatives will provide different ways

to address and respond to public issues, management concerns, and

resource opportunities identified during the scoping process. Scoping

comments and existing condition reports will be used to develop

preliminary alternatives; however, additional public involvement and

collaboration will be done for final alternative development.

DATES: An issue identification (scoping) meeting is scheduled for April

20, 1999 from 4:00-7:00 PM. An alternative development meetings will be

held May 20, 1999 from 5:00-8:00 PM. Both meetings will be in the

Buffalo Mountain Room at the Summit County Commons Building off of

Highway 9 (37 CR 1005) in Frisco, CO 80443. Comments concerning the

scope of the analysis should be received in writing by May 3, 1999. In

June and July a field trip(s) can be scheduled to look at particular

concerns or alternatives in the field (such as non-system trail

closures). Please respond if you are interested in attending field

trip(s).

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Upper Blue Stewardship Project,

Dillon Ranger District P.O. Box 620, Silverthorne, CO 80498.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Phelps, Gwenan Stephens, or

Alissa Roeder D'Onofrio, at (970) 468-5400. For road and trail

questions and concerns, contact Angela Glenn (970) 262-3446.

Release and Review of the EIS

The DEIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) and to be available for public comment in December 1999.

At that time, the EPA will publish a notice of availability for the

DEIS in the Federal Register. The comment period on the DEIS will be 45

days from the date the EPA publishes the notice of availability in the

Federal Register.

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

the DEIS 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 DEIS stage but are not raised until after

completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 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 FEIS.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed actions, comments on the DEIS should be as

specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific

pages or chapters of the draft statement.

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Comments may also address the adequacy of the DEIS or the merits of the

alternatives formulated and discussed in the statements. 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.

After the comment period ends on the DEIS, comments will be

analyzed, considered, and responded to by the Forest Service in

preparing the Final EIS. The FEIS is scheduled to be completed in

February 2000. The responsible official will consider the comments,

responses, environmental consequences discussed in the FEIS, and

applicable laws, regulations, and policies in making decisions

regarding these revisions. The responsible official will document the

decisions and reasons for the decisions in a Record of Decision for the

revised Plan. The decision will be subject to appeal in accordance with

36 CFR 217.

Responsible Official

Martha J. Ketelle, Forest Supervisor, White River National Forest,

PO Box 948, Glenwood Springs, CO. 81602-0948 ``As the Responsible

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

implemented. I will document the decision and reasons for the decision

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

Service appeal regulations.''

Dated: March 22, 1999.

Daniel Hormaechea,

Acting Forest Supervisor, White River National Forest.

[FR Doc. 99-7977 Filed 4-2-99; 8:45 am]

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