Schedule of Proposed Action (SOPA) 01/01/2017 to 03/31/2017

Transcription

1 This report contains the best available information at the time of publication. Questions may be directed to the. Schedule of Proposed Action (SOPA) 01/01/2017 to 03/31/2017, Forestwide (excluding Projects occurring in more than one Forest) Vegetation Management in Open Areas Scoping Start 11/21/2014 Est. Comment Period Public Notice 12/2015 :08/ /2016 Mary Miller manage permanent grassy & herbaceous openings using a combination of treatment methods; openings include permanent openings benefiting wildlife species & utility corridors under special use permit by utility agencies UNIT - All Units. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, McMinn, Monroe, Polk, Sullivan, Unicoi, Washington. LEGAL - Not Applicable.., Occurring in more than one District (excluding Forestwide) ConaCat - Recreation management - Forest products - Watershed management Completed Actual: 12/07/ /2017 Janan Hay (423) fs-commentssouthern-cherokeetellico@fs.fed.us Vegetation Management through various tools for forest health and wildlife habitat improvement. Also, watershed and trail improvements with connected road management. UNIT - Ocoee - Hiwassee Ranger District, Tellico Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Monroe. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Project area is 6 to 18 miles east of Etowah, TN and 1 to 7 miles south of Tellico Plains, TN. 01/01/ :34 am MT Page 1 of 10

2 , Occurring in more than one District (excluding Forestwide) Decommissioning of Illegal OHV Routes Project North Zone Open Area Management II Scoping Start 07/15/2016 :09/ /2016 Lynn DiFiore Block access to user created trails in the Flatwoods, Halls Top East and West, Ripshin, Rich Mountain, and Buffalo Mountain areas. UNIT - Unaka Ranger District, Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Carter, Johnson, Washington. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Unaka and Watauga Ranger Districts. Marcia Carter (423) mscarter@fs.fed.us Maintain open areas (fields, balds, overlooks, and linear wildlife openings) by controlling woody vegetation using herbicides. UNIT - Nolichucky Ranger District, Unaka Ranger District, Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, Washington. Throughout north zone (Nolichucky, Unaka, and Watauga Districts) of. Stone Pile Ocoee - Hiwassee Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) - Forest products Mark Pistrang comments-southerncherokee-ocoeehiwassee@fs.fed.us The project is designed to improve or maintain wildlife habitat, species diversity of stands, and forest health through vegetation management and other treatments. UNIT - Ocoee Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Polk. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Northwest of Turtletown. 01/01/ :34 am MT Page 2 of 10

3 BellSouth Hwy 64 Fiber Optic Cable Ocoee - Hiwassee Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) - Special use management Scoping Start 06/16/2016 :02/ /2017 BellSouth has requested to install 880 feet of conduit for fiber optic cable installation along Hwy Terinda Whisenant Along Hwy 64 from Ocoee #1 Dam to Ocoee Marina. Dinkey - Forest products Comment Period Public Notice 02/17/2016 :06/ /2018 Janan Hay The project is designed to improve or maintain wildlife habitat, species diversity of stands, and forest health through vegetation management and other treatments. East of Big Frog Wilderness, west of State Highway 68, south of State Highway 64 and north of the Georgia state line. Howell Land Acquistion - Land acquisition Est. Scoping Start 12/2016 :02/ /2017 Laura Lewis Purchase of approximately 640 acres of land. Project includes painting and posting approximately 1/2 mile of National Forest System boundary line. Near Conasauga River. 01/01/ :34 am MT Page 3 of 10

4 Sina Branch Culvert Replacement Ocoee - Hiwassee Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) - Watershed management Janan Hay comments-southerncherokee-ocoeehiwassee@fs.fed.us In-stream work extending approximately 250 ft. upstream and downstream of each of the nine culverts on NFSR Nine perennial stream crossings on Sina Branch Road (NFSR 67). Starr Mountain Road Seasonal Closure Cancelled This project has changed to a that does not require a written decision document and will be removed from the SOPA. Gary Hubbard Seasonally close NFSR 297 annually from 12/1 to 3/1 to prevent resource damage and prohibit illegal activities. UNIT - Ocoee - Hiwassee Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - McMinn, Monroe. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Starr Mountain Road. Volunteer Electric Cooperative Buried Utility Line *NEW LISTING* - Special use management Est. Scoping Start 01/2017 :03/ /2017 Terinda Whisenant Remove existing overhead line and install an approximately 340 foot underground utility line in same location. Cabin 1 south of Hwy /01/ :34 am MT Page 4 of 10

5 YMCA Camp Ocoee Cabin (Brown) Removal *NEW LISTING* Ocoee - Hiwassee Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) - Special use management Est. Scoping Start 01/2017 :03/ /2017 Terinda Whisenant Disassemble and remove Brown cabin from the permit area to a location off National Forest System land. After removal the cabin site would be allowed to revert to a natural condition. YMCA Camp Ocoee. Britton Tract Acquisition *NEW LISTING* Tellico Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) - Land acquisition Est. Scoping Start 12/2016 :03/ /2017 Laura Lewis fs-commentssouthern-cherokeetellico@fs.fed.us Purchase of approximately 3.55 acres of land. Project includes painting and posting of National Forest System boundary line around the tract. UNIT - Tellico Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Monroe. LEGAL - Not Applicable. 164 Unicoi Lakes Road, Tellico Plains, TN. Indian Boundary Lake Fish Attractors *NEW LISTING* - Recreation management Est. Scoping Start 12/2016 :02/ /2017 Philip Earhart fs-commentssouthern-cherokeetellico@fs.fed.us Utilize native materials to enhance Indian Boundary Lake habitat for non-game and game fish species and macroinvertebrates by adding natural brush and woody vegetation to the lake bed. UNIT - Tellico Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Monroe. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Indian Boundary Lake. 01/01/ :34 am MT Page 5 of 10

6 Monroe County 911 Waucheesi Repeater *NEW LISTING* Tellico Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) - Special use management Est. Scoping Start 01/2017 :03/ /2017 Terinda Whisenant fs-commentssouthern-cherokeetellico@fs.fed.us Issue a permit to Monroe County to add a repeater with rack, antenna, transmission lines and backup at an existing Communication Site building and tower on Waucheesi Mountain. UNIT - Tellico Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Monroe. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Waucheesi Mountain Electronic Site. Buffalo Mountain Land Acquisition Unaka Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) - Land acquisition Scoping Start 07/29/2016 This project has changed to a that does not require a written decision document and will be removed from the SOPA. :08/ /2017 Laura Lewis lauralewis@fs.fed.us The Forest Service proposes to acquire 488 acres, more or less, located in the Fourth Civil District of Washington County southwest of Johnson City, Tennessee. UNIT - Unaka Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Washington. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Washington County, Tennessee, located on Buffalo Mountain, approximately 8 air miles southwest of Johnson City, Tennessee. Cowbell Hollow Horse Trail Relocation Project (Trail #24). - Recreation management :08/ /2016 Lynn DiFiore ldifiore@fs.fed.us This project proposes constructing approx. 330 ft. of new trail to relocate the trail away from an existing spring. UNIT - Unaka Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Greene. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Trail /01/ :34 am MT Page 6 of 10

7 Gulf Tract Roads Repair Project Unaka Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) Scoping Start 07/15/2016 This project has changed to a that does not require a written decision document and will be removed from the SOPA. :09/ /2016 Gary Watson gwatson01@fs.fed.us Reconstructing the road in one location on FSR and doing heavy maintenance on 19 other locations along FSR%u2019s 2250, 2251& in the Gulf area of the Cherokee NF UNIT - Unaka Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Cocke. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Gulf Area. Meadow Creek Environmental Assessment Wolf Creek Rx Burn - Forest products Est. Scoping Start 06/2016 Est. Scoping Start 08/2015 :11/2017 :10/ /2017 Jonathan Lampley jlampley@fs.fed.us Create early successional habitat, improve forest health and vigor, promote mast-producing species, prescribed burning, wildlife habitat improvements, and maintain, decommission, and authorize roads. UNIT - Unaka Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Cocke, Greene. LEGAL - Not Applicable. The Meadow Creek analysis area is located in southeastern Cocke and southwestern Greene counties, TN. 11/2015 Greg Salansky gregsalansky@fs.fed.us provide fuel reduction, stimulate new vegetation growth, & increase soft mast and herbaceous plants for wildlife; dormant and early growing season UNIT - Unaka Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Cocke. LEGAL - Not Applicable. C232 and 239. Watauga Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) 01/01/ :34 am MT Page 7 of 10

8 Beaverdam Creek Project Watauga Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) Wildlife Habitat and Forest Health projects Vern Maddux UNIT - Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Johnson. Shady Valley in Johnson Co. Grindstone Knob RX Burn Holston Mountain RX Burn Peninsula Forest Health Project - Forest products Scoping Start 12/29/2015 Scoping Start 12/16/2015 :02/2016 UNIT - Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Johnson. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Compartment 51 and 52. :02/2016 UNIT - Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Sullivan. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Compartment 105 and /2016 Understory maintenance burning to improve habitat conditions for wildlife and reduce hazardous fuels. 03/2016 Understory maintenance burning to improve habitat conditions for wildlife and reduce hazardous fuels jlampley@fs.fed.us Jonathan Lampley jlampley@fs.fed.us Jim Stelick jstelick@fs.fed.us Area 1-41 ac; Area 2-47 ac; Area 3-18 acres. Variable density thinning; damaged/diseased trees followed by poplar, red maple, scarlet/black oak, white pine. Longer-lived species, such as oaks and hickory, favored. UNIT - Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Sullivan. Sullivan County, Compartment /01/ :34 am MT Page 8 of 10

9 Peninsula Prescribed Burn Project Rogers Ridge Prescribed Burn Rye Patch RX Watauga Ranger District (excluding Projects occurring in more than one District) Scoping Start 12/29/2015 :02/2016 Jim Stelick Low intensity midstory control burn in three blocks: burn block 1 = 131 acres; block acres; block acres. Goal to move area towards open woodland conditions. UNIT - Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Sullivan. Compartment 118, Sullivan County. Fuel Reduction Prescribed Burn 958 acres Mitchell Ketron mitchellketron@fs.fed.u s UNIT - Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Johnson. Rogers Ridge Burn Unit W-08 in upper East Tennessee. UNIT - Watauga Ranger District. STATE - Tennessee. COUNTY - Carter. LEGAL - Not Applicable. Compartment 69 and /2016 Understory maintenance burning to improve habitat conditions for wildlife and reduce hazardous fuels. Jonathan Lampley jlampley@fs.fed.us 01/01/ :34 am MT Page 9 of 10

10 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. This report contains the best available information at the time of publication. Questions may be directed to the. 01/01/ :34 am MT Page 10 of 10