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Home My WebLink About20140936.tiff United States Forest Pawnee 660"O"Street USDA Department of Service National Grassland Greeley,CO 80631 Agriculture Voice: (970)346-5000 TDD: (970)346-5015 Web: www.fs.usda.gov/arp Fax: (970)346-5014 File Code: 1950 RECEIVED Date: March 17, 2014 MAR 18 2014 WELD COMMISSIONERS Re: Scoping Notice Requesting Comment On The Pawnee National Grassland Prairie Restoration Project Greetings: An environmental analysis is being prepared for the Pawnee National Grassland Prairie Restoration Project, and I am interested in your thoughts about it regarding any issues, concerns, or opportunities. The official thirty-day notice and comment period for this project has begun with the publication of a legal notice in the Greeley Tribune, March 17, 2014. This is slightly different from the appeal process the Forest Service has used in the past, in that objections happen before a final decision is made. Instructions about how to comment and or object are included below. In this project the Forest Service proposes to use adaptive management, design criteria and monitoring to apply Picloram (aka Dow Chemical's Tordon 22-K) according to the label instructions, to areas where plains prickly pear cactus is outside its historic range. Reducing cactus to its historical range and allowing for the growth of other native plant species responds to the goals and objectives outlined in the Forest Plan. It helps move the project area towards desired conditions described in the Forest Plan, Chapter Two, page 193; "Manage vegetation for endemic wildlife and plant species and forage for domestic livestock" (USDA Forest Service, 1997). Tordon 22K is listed as effective for prickly pear cactus. The label for Tordon 22-K, which defines the product, proper use, and associated hazards, can be found on the EPA pesticide label website: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/chem search/pills/062719-00006-20090401.pdf. Adaptive management allows adjustment through evaluation and learning from the actions we take.A key feature of adaptive management is to incorporate new science and considerations as appropriate and where they are compatible with the purpose and need for this project. Monitoring and reporting are key elements for the success of adaptive management and will be used to determine what acres within the 22 allotments in the attached list, would be treated each year. Monitoring will also allow us to check on the success of these treatments. Here are some important requirements for treatment: • To maintain habitat for plover utilizing cactus, initially limit treatment to no more than 30% of the habitat present in all allotments. • Cactus stands will be outside of riparian areas and wetlands, including vernal wetlands to minimize adverse effects to riparian, wetland vegetation, associated habitats, and species. • Areas that are susceptible to groundwater contamination will be avoided. 5(ail I l m 2014-0936 Caring for the Land and Serving People • Cactus stands near raptor nest trees will not be treated, or will be treated with reduced concentrations, (according to the label instructions) to avoid the effects of Tordon 22K killing live trees. In addition, the following direction would be included into the treatment to minimize adverse effects: • Minimize disturbance to wildlife by timing or eliminating treatments to avoid, for example, plover nesting season. • Scatter treatment acres over multiple allotments per year rather than focusing on one allotment atatime. • In most cases, avoid prairie dog towns. Coordinate with the biologist on treatment in these areas on a case-by-case basis. • Spraying would be from rubber-tired vehicles or hand-held sprayers to ensure cultural resources are not impacted. • To maintain some grass within cactus treatment areas, which would be in keeping with the historical mosaic of habitat types, one third of the dense cactus proposed for treatment would be left untreated. • Monitor remaining high density patches described above to determine if they remain alive. • To maintain habitat for species utilizing cactus, such as sensitive bird species, initially limit treatment to no more than 30% of the habitat present in all allotments especially in the South, Lee, Spring and Hawk Allotments. • To determine if more than 30% of the habitat may be treated on South, Lee, Hawk and Spring Allotments, field verification of habitat conditions on allotments treated at least two years prior must occur. Two years is recommended since it takes two years for cactus to die and see the effects to habitat. If habitat conditions are not met on previously treated cactus areas, limit treatment to no more than 30% in the South, Lee, Spring and Hawk Allotments. Alternatives Currently Being Considered Alternatives currently being considered for this project include: 1) the No Action Alternative in which no new management activities would occur, and 2) the Proposed Action as described in this letter. If any new issues related to the effects of implementing the proposed action are identified through the comments I receive in response to this request, it may be refined or another alternative may be developed. Pursuant to 36 CFR 218.7, this proposed project implements Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan http://www.fs.usda.gov/land/arp/landmanauement ) direction for these areas and is subject to the Pre- decisional Administrative Review Process (referred to as the 'objection process'). Establishing Standing for Objection Eligibility An objection period, if required, will follow the regulation found in §218.7, which can be found on the Internet at, http://www.cioo.00vAdsys/pku/FR-2012-08-08/html/2012-19302.htm. All comments received on the proposal will be considered; however, only those who have submitted timely, specific written comments during the designated opportunity for public comment may file an objection. It is the responsibility of all individuals and organizations to ensure that their comments are received in a timely manner. To establish standing for objection eligibility, the designated opportunity for scoping comments to be received will be 30 days following the publication of a legal notice in the Greeley Tribune March 17, 2014 (§218.24). Issues to be raised in objections must be based on previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project and attributed to the objector, unless the issue is based on new information that arose after a designated opportunity to comment (§218.8(c)). How to Comment Specific written comments as defined by §218.2 should be within the scope of the proposed action, have a direct relationship to the proposed action, and must include supporting reasons for me, as the Responsible Official, to consider. Please be aware that comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record on this project and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the agency with the ability to notify the respondent when the environmental analysis is available or when the next designated opportunity for public comment occurs and will not give the commenter objection rights. Specific written comments must be submitted to: Tristram S. Post, Acting District Ranger, 660 O Street, Greeley, CO, 80631 fax (970) 346-5014, office (970) 346-5000, The office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments are: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc, .docx) to comments-rocky-mountain-arapaho-roosevelt- pawnee@fs.fed.us . Please state "Prairie Restoration Project" in the subject line when providing electronic comments, or on the envelope when replying by mail. If you have questions relating to this proposal or want more information about it, please contact NEPA Planner, Mary Ann Chambers by email at machambers@fs.fed.us or by phone (970) 346-5009. Thank you for your interest in the management of the Pawnee National Grassland. Sincerely, TRISTRAM S. POST Acting District Ranger Attachments: Proposed Allotment Acres and two vicinity maps depicting east and west sides of the PNG Proposed Allotment Acres Allotment Name Total Acres National Forest Gross Proposed System (NFS) Acres Treatment Acres West Allotments: Allenbaw 3045 2485 300 Center 7421 6781 640 Elliott 5359 4559 400 Erickson 400 400 80 Gunn 3720 3080 415 Hawk 987 667 190 Lee 1290 1217 296 Murphy 4961 4641 280 Owl 3783 3463 600 Pony 1120 1120 400 Roe 3625 3625 200 Sand 5139 4419 400 Spring 724 724 113 Vivian 6437 5957 200 West Willow 2121 2121 300 Wildhorse 3847 3134 320 Yearling 3750 2950 400 West Total Acres: 57729 51343 5534 East Allotments: Box 3794 2481 320 East Keota 3766 3766 280 Keota 5928 5430 500 Keota Steer 3337 3322 280 South 2720 2720 736 Wye 678 678 100 East Total Acres: 20223 18397 2216 Grand Total Acres 77952 69740 7750 T 0 L\ J 1 • a A • c ° 0 , Q a- 13 . ° .* a n • ,:, ' .a y , ' 0 3 3O .. • J CC.0 tl • _ • .... ..... . 0 _. . • O , O 4P CO • • fIN-y ,=. r rt i.:i. 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