Projects are proposed actions that are analyzed through the NEPA process (EIS, EA, or CE) that involves analyzing different alternatives to the proposed action, requires public notice and comment, and results in a NEPA decision (ROD, DN, or DM) which, subject to an administrative appeals process, and is implemented on the ground. The Forest Projects below are projects that we are analyzing or have analyzed under the NEPA process. Projects that are "Developing Proposal" or "Under Analysis" may have an opportunity for public collaboration and input on the proposed actions and the analysis being conducted.
Developing Proposal
Ellis Commercial Thin
The Ellis Commercial Thin project proposes to reduce stocking levels by using a commercial timber sale. This project consists of one thinning unit totaling approximately 70 acres in size located south of the 2105 road.
Herren Commercial Thin
The Herren Thin project proposes to reduce stocking levels by using a commercial timber sale. This project consists of one thinning unit totaling approximately 70 acres located along the 5326020 road.
Natural Resource Conservation Service Snotel Site Permit Renewal
Issue a new forest-wide special use permit to the Natural Resource Conservation Servace for a term of 30 years for nine SNOTEL sites on the Umatilla National Forest.
Rhea Commercial Thin
The Rhea Thin project proposes to reduce stocking levels by using a commercial timber sale. This project consists of two thinning units totaling approximately 70 acres located along the 2100050 road.
Smith Commercial Thin
The Smith Commercial Thin project proposes to reduce stocking levels by using a commercial timber sale. This project consists of one thinning unit totaling approximately 70 acres in size located north of the 5300750 road and east of the 5300252 road.
Spout Springs Communication Site Permit Renewal
The project would consist of issuing 5 new Special Use Permits to Oregon State Patrol, Oregon Dept. of Forestry, Oregon Dept. of Transportation, Oregon Dept. of Corrections, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to replace their expiring permits.
Under Analysis
2013 North Fork John Day Ranger District Spring Development Project
Protect the sensitive riparian area around a spring from being trampled by cattle. A permanent fence will be constructed around the one acre area. This will improve aquatic habitat for spotted frogs, and shrub habitat for neotropical migratory birds.
Asotin Creek Prescribed Fire Project
Implement prescribed fire on approx. 7900 acres of FS land & 2400 acres of WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife land to reduce fuels (ground, ladder, canopy biomass) and rehabilitate grass and shrubs to improve wildlife forage. Project will be rescoped in February 2012 to include additional information of proposed burning prescriptions.
Balloon Cabin Landscape Prescribed Fire
Landscape prescribed fire proposal on NFS lands that are adjacent to private property. Project activities would be designed to reduce fine dead fuel loading, tree densities, and ladder fuels. Project area covers approximately 5,000 acres.
Eden Cattle and Horse Allotment
This project would reauthorize grazing activities within the Eden Cattle and Horse allotment. The Eden C&H allotment is approximately 34,000 acres in size.
Granite Creek Watershed Mining Plans
Analyze proposed mining plans of operations within the Granite Creek Watershed on the Umatilla and Wallow-Whitman NFs. This project occurs on both the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman NFs. Prior to the April 2010 SOPA, the Umatilla portion was titled Lower Granite Area Mining Projects and the W-W portion was titled Upper Granite Mining. As of 4/2010, these projects are combined with the lead contact person located on the Wallowa-Whitman NF.
Hidaway Mining EA
Expansion of current exploration pits to a maximum of 30 ft wide by 25 ft deep using hand tools & limited mechanical equipment. Use of an existing closed road & shelter. Placement of an outhouse. Limited use of a spring for hand-washing of rock.
Kahler Dry Forest Restoration
The Kahler Dry Forest Restoration project seeks to restore dry upland forest conditions throughout the Kahler Creek watershed through a combination of thinning and prescribed burning.
North Fork John Day Ranger District Waid Street House Conveyance
Selling of the Forest Service owned house located at 301 East Waid Street, Ukiah, Oregon. This proposed conveyance is authorized under the Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005
Potamus Fuels Reduction
Identify and reduce wildfire risk to public and private lands within the Potamus subwatersheds as identified in the Morrow County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This project has had a number of public meetings as part of a collaborative process for discussing what should be proposed for this area. See: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/fire/potamus/potamus_aa.shtml
Swale Creek C & H Allotment
Authorization for the continued cattle grazing of the Swale Creek Allotment.
Tollgate Fuels Reduction Project
The project seeks to conduct fuels reduction activities within the Tollgate Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Due to an error in the legal notice (published in East Oregonian on 12/28/2012), the project's comment period has been extended to March 15, 2013.
Wilkins Dry Forest Restoration Project
Restore upland forest conditions, encourage growth of large trees, and move the analysis area towards its Historical Range of Variability (HRV) in tree density, species composition and stand structure using commercial and noncommercial thinning.
Analysis Completed
Boe Vegetation Management Project
Project proposes to improve forest health and stand growth/vigor. The project consist of one treatment unit approximately 68 acres in size. The proposal calls for the stand to receive an improvement cut. Harvest would be by ground based equipment.
Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuel Reduction Project Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)
A Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) is being prepared to clarify and revise aspects of the analysis disclosed within the October 2010 Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). See "Public Notification Letter May 06,2011" listed below under Supporting Documents for more information. See the following web site for information on the original Cobbler II FEIS: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa test/fs-usda-pop.html?project=29678. Draft SEIS notice of availability was published in August 12, 2011 Federal Register. Comment period was 45 days in length. Comment Period has ended. FSEIS published on the web on May 14, 2012. FSEIS published in the Federal Register 5/18/2012.
District Wide Planting Project
The Heppner Ranger District proposes to use supplemental planting of tree seedlings in previously managed stands to promote diversity in species composition and structure and increase stand resiliency.
Groschen Cabin Commercial Thin
The Groschen Cabin Commercial Thin project proposes to reduce stocking levels using a commercial timber sale. This project consists of one thinning unit, approximately 70 acres in size. The project is located in Management Area E2: Timber & Big Game. Approximate elevation is 4,500 ft. The unit is within the Mallory Creek subwatershed. The unit is a moist upland forest stand composed primarily of ponderosa pine, grand fir, western larch and Douglas-fir. Aspect is southwest and slopes are gentle. The project would use variable density thinning to reduce basal area. Tree species preference will be for early seral types, such as ponderosa pine and western larch. No trees over 21? dbh will be removed. Diseased trees and those with heavy mistletoe infestations would be removed. Trees will be removed using ground-based methods. Some dead and downed wood may be removed where current amounts are in excess of management area guidelines. Minimum downed wood standards will be maintained.
Jubilee Campground Hazard Tree Removal Project
The project would involve the removal of trees that have been identified as hazardous to users of the Jubilee Lake Campground. Removal would occur in 2013 across approximately 50 acres in and around the campground.
NFJD Ranger District 2013 Riparian Improvement Project
This project will include construction of approximately 2.1 miles of fence to limit cattle access to designated critical habitat for steelhead along Smith Creek and Little Indian Creek.
North End Sheep Allotment
Environmental Impact Statement. This project proposes the continuation of a livestock (sheep) grazing permit in the North End Allotment. This allotment is located on the Walla Walla Ranger District of the Umatilla National Forest. It is located northwest of Elgin, OR., in parts of Umatilla, Union and Wallowa Counties (see Vicinity Map under Scoping Documents). Legal Notice of Decision was published in the East Oregonian on 9/9/11. Notice of Availability was published in the Federal Register on 9/9/11.
SF Walla Walla Trail Bridge Replacement
This project proposes routine trail maintenance in the form of replacing a native log stringer bridge with a pressure treated glue-laminated bridge. The proposal does not proposes changes to the existing authorized uses of the trail.
Site Productivity Research Study
Project would install a long-term (30-year) forest productivity study examing forest nutrient management issues. The study is led by the Intermountain Forest Tree Nutrition Cooperative which is headquartered at the University of Idaho.
The study would be located in a timber sale unit that was harvested in 2011 under the Loon Timber Sale as Unit 23.
South George Vegetation and Fuels Management Project
Vegetation management project to improve vigor, health, and fire resistence within a forested ecosystem. It includes timber harvest, treatment of acitivity and natural fuels, landscape prescribed burning, and non-commercial treatments. Scoping was conducted in March of 2009. The decision made on this project has been appealed. The project will not be implemented while the appeals are being considered.
Swamp Creek Commerical Thin
This project proposes commerical thinning activities on approximately 60 acres. Project activities would occur within the footprint of an old clearcut unit which was harvested in the 1960s.
Umatilla National Forest Invasive Plants Treatment
Environmental Impact Statement - Treatment of known and newly discovered invasive plants using herbicide, manual, mechanical, biological, and/or cultural methods. The Forest has approx. 25,000 acres of invasive plants, approx. 18,500 acres is proposed for herbicide treatment. Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision was published in the Federal Register on August 13, 2010. Legal notice of the Decision was published in the East Oregonian newspaper on August 13, 2010. This project has been appealed. Implementation is automatically on-hold until the appeal is resolved. An appeal decision was made on 11/12/2010. The decision to implment this project was upheld.
Wall Creek Road and Watershed Improvement
Reconstruction, decommissioning, storm damage risk reduction including culvert removal and waterbar construction, and aquatic organism passage improvement on selected roads throughout the Wall Creek watershed.
Wildcat II Fuels Reduction and Vegetation Management Project
Environmental Assessment - Vegetation and fuels treatment that includes approximately 2200 acres of commercial harvest, 2100 acres of mechanical fuels treatment, approximately 10,300 acres of prescribed fire, and approximately 1100 acres of non-commercial thinning. Forest Supervisor, Kevin Martin signed the decision for the Wildcat II Project on July 12, 2010. This Decision was appealed. Implementation was automatically stayed pending resolution of the Appeal. An appeal decision was made on 10/14/10 upholding the Umatilla Forest Supervisor's decision to proceed with this project. A lawsuit has been filed to stop implementation of this project. The District Court ruled in favor of the Forest Service on all counts in this lawsuit. The District Court's Decision has been appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Settlement Agreement reached (see Supplemental Information Report 5/7/12 - Project proceeding
On Hold
Oriental Loop OHV Trail Construction
Designate 9.6 miles of new OHV trail to provide additional access to the Winom-Frazier OHV Complex from the Oriental Campground. Most of the route would occur on existing open and closed roads, with only 1-2 miles of new construction.
Paradise Trail Reroute
Reroute the lower portion of the Paradise Trail to install grade-reducing switchbacks (3.4 miles), bringing the grade from 40% to 10-15% for the entire trail. Decommission 1.1 miles of existing, steep trail.
Ruby Creek Snowmobile Trail Grooming
This is an existing, un-groomed snowmobile trail. In order to groom the trail, a bridge will be constructed over Ruby Creek and trees less than six inches DBH along each side of the trail will be removed to a 14-foot width.
Cancelled
Heppner District Riparian Road Restoration 2
Categorical Exclusion - The Heppner Ranger District is proposing to decommission 3 miles of currently closed roads in RHCAs which are no longer needed for future management. This project would also remove 11 stream crossing structures associated with these roads.
Pomeroy Landscape Prescribed Fire Project
Implement prescribed fire treatments on approximately. 28,000 acres to reduce ground and ladder fuels to maintain and restore vegetation. Multi-year project (10 years). Incorporates the Wenatchee Creek and Pomeroy Maintenance prescribed fire projects.