Comment Period for Casa Diablo Maintenance Prescribed Burning Project

Comment Period for Casa Diablo Maintenance Prescribed Burning Project
Release Date: Jan 20, 2011 Bishop, CA
Contact(s): Nancy Upham

The Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger District, is soliciting comments for the Casa Diablo Maintenance Prescribed Burning Project. During the decade between 1999 and 2009, approximately 10,000 acres of Jeffrey Pine forest have been treated with prescribed fire in late winter or early spring in the Casa Diablo area southeast of Crowley Lake. This burning was accomplished by actively lighting the litter layer and shrubs beneath the pine trees, then allowing low intensity fire to creep into adjoining areas to burn small patches of grasses and shrubs. Previous prescribed burning activities were planned in phases, with NEPA decisions issued in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2007. This project proposes to continue with maintenance prescribed burning using the same methods and in the same Casa Diablo project area as completed between 1999 and 2009. Areas with pure pinyon pine stands are not planned for treatment and would not be burned.

The purpose of burning is to maintain reduced fuel loading and seral diversity in grass and shrublands. Prescribed burning would be conducted by fire crews using drip torches to ignite the treatment areas. Typically, existing roads would be used as fire containment lines, though there may occasionally be need to construct a fire line using hand tools or a small piece of equipment such as a bobcat.

The preliminary assessment is that this proposal falls within a category of actions listed in the Forest Service NEPA Handbook (FSH) that are excluded from documentation in an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and there are no extraordinary circumstances that would preclude use of the category. [FSH 1909.15, Chapter 30. (6)—Timber stand and/or wildlife habitat improvement activities that do not include the use of herbicides or do not require more than 1 mile of low standard road construction. (iv) Prescribed burning to reduce natural fuel build-up and improve plant vigor; 36 CFR 220.6(e)(6)].

This scoping period is intended to provide those interested in or affected by this proposal an opportunity to raise concerns or provide input on the potential effects of the proposed project. To obtain a copy of the proposed action and project maps, contact project leader Gabriel Gamino at phone number 760.873.2462 or by email at ggamino@fs.fed.us.
How to Comment and Timeframe

If you have information you feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or you feel you have issues (points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential effects of this proposal, please mail these in writing to the project leader Gabriel Gamino at: White Mountain Ranger District, Inyo National Forest, 798 North Main Street, Bishop, CA 93514.

Comments may also be submitted by fax (760.873.2563) or by hand-delivery to the White Mountain Ranger District office, during normal business hours (Monday – Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm). Electronic comments may be submitted via email to the following address, with “Casa Diablo Prescribed Burning” in the subject line: comments-pacificsouthwest-inyo-white-mtn@fs.fed.us . Electronic comments should be submitted in the following formats [plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), or Word (.doc)]. Comments must be received by February 18, 2011.