File Code: 1950 Date: September 26, Dear Interested Party:

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1 Fremont-Winema National Forest Grazing Allotments Project Silver Lake Ranger District P.O. Box 129 Silver Lake, OR FAX Chemult Ranger District P.O. Box 150 Chemult, OR FAX File Code: 1950 Date: September 26, 2011 Dear Interested Party: In November 2010, you received a letter describing the project proposal for the Grazing Allotments Project ( Project). That letter identified the need for action within the project area and the proposed action to meet those needs, and requested public input on the project proposal. Twenty-six comments were received from local landowners, government agencies, environmental groups, and other interested parties in response to the proposed action. These comments were reviewed, considered, and used in identifying issues and developing alternatives to the proposed action in December One issue identified required additional field reconnaissance be conducted to fully understand the details of the alternative drafted. The IDT took this issue to the Deciding Official in January 2011 to determine if the project timeline could be delayed to collect the needed field information. The Deciding Official agreed to delay the timeline stating the Project will be rescoped to the public with this new information once it has been collected for further public input. Additionally, in May 2011, Oregon Wildlife Institute was contracted by the Forest s Regional Office to develop a site management plan (SMP) for the Oregon spotted frog habitat within Jack Creek. A key component of this SMP includes management of the private lands along Jack Creek, which brought further modifications to the proposed action. Recommendations from this draft Jack Creek Oregon Spotted Frog SMP have been considered and incorporated into the revised proposed action described in this letter. This letter serves as the documentation of the refined proposed action based on the new information considered and additional field reconnaissance conducted. This letter includes details regarding the new information and does not repeat unchanged information previously presented in November A copy of the November 2010 scoping document is available online at: /abc123/forestservic.download.akamai.com/11558/www/nepa/71088_FSPLT2_ pdf. To ensure that we have an opportunity to consider your comments on this new information, we request they be submitted no later than October 10, I. Project Area Location The project area encompasses approximately 169,599 acres of land, of which approximately 137,189 acres are National Forest System (NFS) lands. It is the combined acreage of the Grazing Allotment (Silver Lake Ranger District (RD)), Cattle and Horse Allotment (Chemult RD), and an unused portion of the Jack Creek Sheep and Goat Allotment (Chemult RD) with additional acreage in the proximity of Cannon Wells and the north portion of the Tobin Cabin Pasture (Map A). Approximately 19,063 acres (18,687 NFS lands) of the Jack Creek Sheep and Goat Allotment (Jack Creek Allotment) have been added to the original analysis area located in the North Sheep Pasture. The legal description for the added portion of the analysis area is: It s Cool to Be Safe Printed on Recycled Paper

2 Jack Creek Sheep and Goat Allotment (Chemult RD) North Sheep Pasture T279E, Sec , 36; T2710E, Sec , 25-36; T289E, Sec. 1; T2810E, Sec. 1-16; 22-27, W.M., Klamath Co. II. Project Area Description & Current Condition for the North Sheep Pasture (see November 2010 Scoping for description of other areas) The North Sheep Pasture includes Winema National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Winema Forest Plan) MAs 7, 8, and 12. Table 1 displays approximate acres of Winema Forest Plan MAs within the North Sheep Pasture. Table 1. North Sheep Pasture Forest Plan MAs. MA Goal Acres Winema Forest Plan Management Areas 7 Provide, maintain, and enhance existing mature and old-growth communities Riparian area management is designed to protect soil, water, wetland, floodplain, wildlife, and fish resource values associated with riparian vegetative communities 1,389 and adjacent drier ecosystems 12 Produce a high level of growth and timber production with considerations for economic efficiency and resource protection 16,513 The Jack Creek Allotment has been under permitted grazing by the Forest Service since the Winema National Forest s congressional designation and have been grazed primarily sheep. Prior to 2003, two bands of sheep grazed the greater Jack Creek Allotment. Since 2003, only one band has grazed the southern half of the existing allotment, leaving the North Sheep Pasture ungrazed and available for consideration for including in the Allotments. The North Sheep Pasture contains several meadows, fens, and riparian areas which contain habitat or have recorded presences of sensitive wildlife and botanical species. It also contains several meadow complexes that are being encroached upon, impacting the meadow structure. Past activities have been done to improve some of these areas hydrological function or remove encroaching lodgepole. This additional portion of the analysis area contains both upland forage (typically consisting of Western needlegrass, Idaho fescue, and upland sedges) and riparian forage (typically consisting of grasses including hairgrass, meadow foxtail, California oatgrass, and mesic Carex species). Current permitted grazing for the Jack Creek Allotment permits 1 band (1,100 ewe/lambs) for 4 months (June 1 September 30). This band has only grazed the southern portion of the allotment since III. Proposed Action The addition of the North Sheep Pasture provides greater flexibility in the management of the Allotments. The proposed action continues to permit livestock grazing within the Grazing Allotment (Silver Lake RD) and Cattle and Horse Allotment (Chemult RD) and to authorize cattle grazing within the North Sheep Pasture of the Jack Creek Sheep and Goat Allotment (Chemult RD) under an adaptive management strategy (Forest Service Handbook [FSH] , Chapter 90). Grazing Allotments Project Public Re-Scoping 2

3 The addition would allow a change in the grazing system that better meets applicable Forest Plan desired conditions and project-specific desired conditions. The incorporation of the draft Oregon spotted frog SMP provides site-specific management recommendations to provide for habitat restoration and rehabilitation on both NFS and private lands in Jack Creek. The proposed action was described in the scoping letter sent November 2010, and is the same as described in that letter except where specified below: Allotment Boundary The proposed action would administratively combine the Grazing Allotment (Silver Lake RD), Cattle and Horse Allotment (Chemult RD), and a portion of the Jack Creek Sheep and Goat Allotment into one allotment, the Allotment. The allotments were administratively separate because of the Forests administrative separation prior to Administratively combining the allotments would allow for more cohesive and effective management strategy of the land and permit. The proposed addition of the North Sheep Pasture boundary would require approximately 13.6 miles of additional fencing. This modification would increase acreage on the allotment by approximately 19,063 acres but would not increase the allotment s capacity. Pastures The proposed action would create some new pastures and adjust other pastures and livestock rotation through these pastures across the allotment. The rotation strategy would help to better distribute grazing across the allotment landscape and provide for grazing management that would better adapt to forage and water conditions in any given grazing season. Further details on timing of pasture use are described below under the Permitted Grazing description. The proposed action includes adding the proposed portion of the Jack Creek Allotment as a standalone pasture. This new pasture would allow for resources in the Allotments to be better managed and utilized. Fence Construction Approximately 13.6 miles of the proposed fencing would be needed to implement the proposed portion Jack Creek Allotment as a pasture. Any additional fencing to protect resources or habitats within the proposed portion of the Jack Creek Allotment would be in addition to these known fencing needs and would be described with locations disclosed in the EA. Water Structures Some water structures within the proposed portion of the Jack Creek Allotment are in need of improvement to protect resources and prevent failure. Actions associated with water structures could include: improving existing water structures (i.e., cleaning and sealing with bentonite), developing new water structures (i.e., ponds), off-channel water source development, well development, spring protections, and designation of water haul locations. Grazing Allotments Project Public Re-Scoping 3

4 Grazing Strategies The proposed action includes changing the permitting strategy on the Cattle and Horse Allotment portion of the allotment from an open grazing strategy to a deferred rotation strategy with interior riparian units that would also allow for deferred rotation within the units annually. It also proposes to include the proposed portion of the Jack Creek Allotment into the deferred rotation strategy. A deferred rotation grazing strategy provides for a systematic rotation of deferment among the pastures. Deferment is defined as delay or discontinuance of livestock grazing on an area for an adequate period of time to provide for plant reproduction, establishment of new plants or restoration of vigor of existing plants. Grazing strategies will at a minimum meet the goals and objectives described in the Forest Plans, as amended. Permitted Grazing The proposed action would continue to authorize livestock grazing at the current permitted levels for the Silver Lake portion of the allotment and at currently grazed levels for the Chemult portion of the allotment for an appropriate season (dates may be adjusted to reflect annual variations in range conditions) as described in Tables 2 and 3. Utilization standards that address allowable utilization levels at key monitoring locations are also shown in Table 2. Table 2. Proposed livestock grazing levels and seasons. PASTURE/UNIT Approx. Acres 1 Permit Type 2 Max. # of Permitted Cattle (Cow/Calf Pairs) Halfway Pasture 8,293 Term 230 North Willow Pasture 4,831 Term 189 Flat Term 50 Flat Term 50 Flat 3 & Term 200 Tobin Cabin Pasture 66,799 Tobin Cabin Pasture 66,799 Chemult Pasture 65,018 Term/ Private Term/ Private Term/ Private Grazing Season 3 June 1- June 30 June 1- June 15 May 20- June 15 July 1- July 15 6 Sept. 15- Oct June 15- July 15 July 1- July 15 Grazing System months 7 Allowable Utilization % Dry Meadow 8 19 Term 20 2 months 7 Riparian 35-40% The inclusion of the Jack Creek private parcels (Upper Jamison, Lower Jamison, and Moffit) under a termprivate grazing permit incorporates cattle numbers currently grazed on those private lands by the permit holder of 75 pair for three months. These numbers are in addition to the permitted number of cattle on NFS land, but does not increase the number of cattle actually on the ground. Grazing Allotments Project Public Re-Scoping 4

5 PASTURE/UNIT Approx. Acres 1 Permit Type 2 Max. # of Permitted Cattle (Cow/Calf Pairs) Grazing Season 3 Grazing System 4 Allowable Utilization 5 Squirrel Camp 8 33 Term 40 2 months 7 Riparian 35-40% Rider s Camp 8 72 Term 50 2 months 7 Riparian 35-40% Cannon Well 8 45 Term 40 2 months 7 Riparian 35-40% Jack Creek 8 1,852 Term/ Private months 7 Riparian 35-40% Round Meadow Term 75 2 months 7 Riparian 35-40% North Sheep Pasture 19,063 Term days % Grazing 494 cow/calf May 20- Allotments/All 169, % pair Sept. 30 Pastures 1 Acres include both NFS land and other ownerships within pasture boundaries. 2 Term Permits authorize and direct the grazing on Federal lands. Term Private Land Permits allow the Forest Service to authorize and direct grazing on the private lands through a waiver of management clause in the permit. 3 Dates shown reflect dates proposed permitted dates. Actual on/off dates or dates identified for movement between pastures would vary annually based on forage conditions, climate conditions, or resource conditions within the overall allotment and individual pastures. 4 A deferred rotation grazing strategy provides for a systematic rotation of deferment among the pastures. Riparian grazing strategies are designed to maintain and/or enhance riparian objectives or features, generally by adjusting the timing, intensity and/or duration of the grazing. 5 Allowable utilization is based on the amount of forage that will be left at the end of the overall grazing season or the end of the growing season, whichever is later. Utilization is determined using height/weight curves developed for each pasture at the end of the grazing season. 6 Use of 2 would only be for holding while collecting cattle while moving out of Halfway and North Willow Pastures during grazing season. Use of 3 and 4 would only be for holding while collecting cattle at the end of the grazing season. 7 Pastures/units proposed for alternating season rotation (see Table 3). 8 Dry Meadow, Squirrel Camp, Rider s Camp, Cannon Well, Jack Creek, and Round Meadow are encompassed in the Chemult Pasture under the proposed action. Allocated cow/calf pair for these units would be part of the total allocation for the Chemult Pasture, not an addition to the pasture s allocation. Table 3. Example of a livestock grazing pasture two-year rotation 1 schedule. Pastures/Dates Pastures/Dates Chemult Pasture & Meadow s North Sheep Pasture Year 1 July 15 September 15 2 September 16 September 30 2 North Sheep Pasture Chemult Pasture & Meadow s Year 2 July 15 August 1 2 August 1 September Resource protection needs and/or local climate and weather could restrict rotation between pastures and would be identified and outlined in the EA. Grazing Allotments Project Public Re-Scoping 5

6 2 Dates shown reflect dates proposed permitted dates. Actual on/off dates or dates identified for movement between pastures would vary annually based on forage conditions, climate conditions, or resource conditions within the overall allotment and individual pastures. IV. Public Involvement Public participation is an important part of this project. We encourage your review of the above changes to the proposed action and submit any comments you may have. It is most helpful for comments to include what concerns you, and most importantly, why. Comments received from this mailing will be reviewed by the IDT and used in conjunction with comments received from the November 2010 mailing to determine whether there are any unresolved conflicts with this proposed action that may be used to develop alternatives to the proposed action. Any comments received on this proposal are part of the public record and, therefore, are available for public review upon request. To ensure that we have an opportunity to consider your comments, we request they be submitted no later than October 10, Please also note that commenting at this time does not guarantee legal standing to appeal. It will be necessary to comment again during the formal 30-day comment period associated with the EA to be developed by the IDT, which will display alternatives analyzed and disclose effects of implementing proposed actions. Our 30-day comment period for this project is likely to occur in early winter. There is no telling what the snow condition would be and whether access to the area will be available. If you feel the need to see the area prior to the comment period, please take this fall to review and locate specific areas of concern so comments can be specific when you review the EA during the comment period. Please address your comments to: Panchita Paulete, Project Team Leader; P.O. Box 129, Silver Lake, OR A pre-addressed comment form is enclosed for your convenience. Office hours, for those who wish to hand deliver or provide oral comments, are 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday Friday (except Federal holidays). Oral comments can be provided at the Silver Lake (65600 Highway 31, Silver Lake, OR) or Paisley (303 highway 31, Paisley, OR) district offices, or by telephone at or , during those hours. Alternatively, comments may be submitted by facsimile at or by at: comments-pacificnorthwest-fremont-silverlake@fs.fed.us (please put Comments on Project in the subject line). For electronically mailed comments, the sender should normally receive an automated electronic acknowledgement from the agency as confirmation of receipt. If the sender does not receive an automated acknowledgement of the receipt of the comments, it is the sender s responsibility to ensure timely receipt by other means. If you wish to reference scientific literature in your comment letter, please send a copy of the reference you have cited and include rationale as to how you feel it is pertinent to the specific project at hand. This will allow us to fully evaluate your comments; if we do not receive a copy of the literature, we may not be able to utilize it in my review of your comment. For further information, contact Panchita Paulete, Project Team Leader, at the Silver Lake Ranger District (65600 Highway 31, Silver Lake, OR 97638; fpaulete@fs.fed.us; telephone: or ). This letter and maps are also available on the Fremont-Winema s website at: Larger scaled maps are available upon request. Grazing Allotments Project Public Re-Scoping 6

7 /s/ Michael J. Mueller MICHAEL J. MUELLER Acting Silver Lake District Ranger /s/ David A. Sabo DAVID A. SABO Chemult District Ranger Enclosures 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. Grazing Allotments Project Public Re-Scoping 7

8 Existing Fence 8817 Proposed Fence Rebuilding ± S 8813 Proposed Fence Construction Project Area Boundary Forest Road Stream Townships Sections County NFS Land S Grazing Allotments Project Public Re-Scoping Map A North Sheep Allotment Proposed Fencing Changes Miles 1:80,000 AMP-ScopingMap-CurrentCond-11x17-10_27_10.pdf This product is produced from information prepared by the USDA, Forest Service, or from other suppliers. The Forest Service cannot assure the reliability or suitability of this information for a particular purpose. The data and product accuracy may vary due to compilation from various sources, including modeling and interpretation, and may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This information may be updated, corrected, or otherwise modified without notification. For more information contact: Fremont-Winema Supervisor s Office at The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer T E 11 E

9 T State Hwy 58 US Hwy 97 8 E R 8 E T26S-R8E S T 26 S Cattle & Horse Allotment T25S-R10E 9411 S T25S-R11E S S S Grazing Allotments Project Klamath County Public Re-Scoping Map B Project Boundary & Existing Allotment Boundaries Lake County This product is produced from information prepared by the USDA, Forest Service, or from other suppliers. The Forest Service cannot assure the reliability or suitability of this information for a particular purpose. The data and product accuracy may vary due to compilation from various sources, including modeling and interpretation, and may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This information may be updated, corrected, or otherwise modified without notification. For more information contact: Fremont-Winema Supervisor s Office at The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. State Hwy 3 T 27 T T27S-R8E R 8 E T 27 S Project Area Boundary Jack Creek Sheep & Goat Allotment McCarty Butte Allotment Allotment 8607 Cattle & Horse Allotment Allotment 2516 McCarty Butte Allotment 2780 Highway T 28 8 E Forest Road Stream Townships Jack Creek Sheep & Goat Allotment Sections County 8 E NFS Land 8610 Ü S Miles S 1:140,000 AMP-ScopingMap-CurrentCond-11x17-10_27_10.pdf S 7650 S 2804 S

10 T T 27 T State Hwy 58 US Hwy 97 8 E R 8 E T26S-R8E T 26 S T27S-R8E R 8 E T 27 S T 28 8 E 8 E 9755 May Holding Pasture July Holding Pastures October Holding Pasture 9401 June Pastures June/July Pasture Pasture Group A 8601 Pasture Group B Highway Forest Road Stream Townships Sections County NFS Land ± 8606 Squirrel S Camp S Round Meadow Jack Creek T25S-R10E Miles S 1:140,000 AMP-ScopingMap-CurrentCond-11x17-10_27_10.pdf Dry Meadow Chemult Pasture 8312 S 8851 Rider's Camp North Sheep Pasture Cannon Well 7638 T25S-R11E 2702 Tobin Cabin Pasture S S S S Grazing Allotments Project Klamath County Public Re-Scoping Map C Proposed Pastures, Seasons, & Groupings Lake County 2516 Flat 4 Flat 2 This product is produced from information prepared by the USDA, Forest Service, or from other suppliers. The Forest Service cannot assure the reliability or suitability of this information for a particular purpose. The data and product accuracy may vary due to compilation from various sources, including modeling and interpretation, and may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This information may be updated, corrected, or otherwise modified without notification. For more information contact: Fremont-Winema Supervisor s Office at The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. S Flat Halfway Pasture Flat 1 North Willow Pasture 76 S State Hwy 3