Cranston Fire Reforestation Project: Purpose and Need and Proposed Action and Scoping Notice

United States Forest San Bernardino National Forest PO Box 518 Department of Service San Jacinto Ranger District Idyllwild CA 92549 Agriculture 1-909-382-2921 (Voice) 1-951-659-2691 (Fax)

Purpose and Need The purpose of the project is to plant some of the lost forest area in non-Wilderness portions of the Cranston Fire footprint and establish forest cover on pre-fire forested lands with Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) or Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri) in a mix representative of pre-fire conditions.

The proposed project would plant pockets of forested area that burned at an intensity high enough to kill all, or almost all, the conifers present and areas of annual grass with or without non-sprouting shrubs to restore a conifer presence in portions of the footprint. Pockets dominated by sprouting shrubs, rock or completely barren soil would not be planted. A multi-spot planting approach would be used for Jeffrey pine to improve survival and establishment greater than the approximately 30 percent survival that was realized in reforestation of the Mountain Fire area.

There are several reasons for which this project is needed. First is to replant pockets of forested areas comprised of Jeffrey and Coulter pine to help maintain forested stand presence in the Cranston Fire burn area and maintain a genetic and spatial pool from which our local species and forests will need to adapt to climate change. Also, the restoration of a conifer presence would improve the visual quality along State Route 74 and 243, which are the major recreation thoroughfares south of the town of Idyllwild, and it would reestablish hiding and thermal cover for deer and other wildlife, especially in the May Valley portion of the footprint where it was mostly destroyed. Proposed Action The San Jacinto Ranger District proposes to plant seedlings on approximately 741 gross acres of National Forest Lands. This project is located in Section 24 of Township 5 South, Range 2 East, Sections 15-16, 19- 21, 28, 30-32 of Township 5 South, Range 3 East, and Sections 4-6 of Township 6 South, Range 3 East, San Bernardino Base Meridian, Idyllwild 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle (see Proposed Action Map). The project is accessed by State Route 243 and 74 as well as Forest Roads 5S01, 5S05, 5S08, 5S21, and 6S11.

The discontinuous 741 gross acres would be planted with Jeffrey or Coulter pine based on which species dominated the unit pre-fire. Jeffery pine units would be planted using the multi-spot approach1 with

1 Multi-spot planting is designed for achieving management objectives without planning on precommercial thinning to manage tree densities. For example, two or three seedlings are planted per spot at a spacing of 18 inches apart. The spots are spaced at 14 to 22 feet apart depending on site quality, slope and aspect. If more than one seedling per spot survives, the release treatment to control competing vegetation would remove all but the most vigorous seedling at age three. The approach almost assures survival of at least one seedling at each planting spot. The survival of one of the seedlings per spot would ensure that site occupancy and dominance is held by trees. It is especially useful with species like sugar pine and true fir that typically suffer about fifty percent seedling mortality during the three years after planting. Obviously, there is a cost to planting the second or third seedling at a spot but it is offset by rarely having to endure the much greater cost of replanting to reach the desired number of trees. If there are one or two live seedlings to be removed at age three, the cost is

Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper three seedlings per spot and the spots spaced at an average of 18 x 18 feet resulting in 135 trees per acre for a completely covered acre. Coulter pine units would be planted using a single seedling per spot approach and the spots spaced 20 x 20 feet resulting in 110 trees per acre for a completely covered acres, except where Coulter pine units intersect existing fuel breaks, spacing would be 22 x 22 feet. Survivorship five years after planting would be at least 37 to 47 trees per acre for both species, the likely historic conditions, and no less than the density prior to the fire of 10 trees per acre in forested stands (May Valley Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment, p. 14 Baseline Conditions), or the survival after the Mountain Fire. Approximately 201,000 Jeffrey pine and 9,800 Coulter pine seedlings are being grown for the proposed project at the Forest Service Nursery in Placerville, CA from seed previously collected in Seed Zone 997 (which covers the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains) from elevation bands 4500 to 6000 feet.

Planting is expected to begin in winter to spring of 2021 when it is most feasible to obtain an optimum soil temperature for seedlings to immediately start growing roots (45o F and rising in the middle of the day about three inches below the soil surface). Planting would be timed for favorable conditions as possible – particularly before or during cooler weather or rain events. On days with predicted air temperatures of 75o F and higher, seedlings would be acclimated the day before planting using the guidelines in the Missoula Technology and Development Center Reforestation Toolbox.

Spacing of spots would vary up to 50 percent from the designated spacings to utilize acceptable planting spots and foster heterogeneity. Existing live healthy conifer seedling/saplings found at a spot, using criteria the FS provides (i.e. spacing, shading, etc.) would be considered a planted spot and a new seedling would not be planted. Planting would not occur within the driplines of existing live trees larger than sapling size. Planting spots are defined as providing sufficient soil to dig a planting hole with three or less attempts with a planting tool. Locate as many of these planting spots as feasible on the north or east side of logs, large dead manzanita shrubs or other objects that can provide shade to seedlings from afternoon summer sun and with a second preference of putting movable material, a minimum of four inches in diameter/size, next to but not touching seedlings.

Site preparation would be achieved through a variety of techniques. Possible methods would be hand cutting of dead shrubs and dead small trees, then piling and burning of cut material or using cut material to slash illegal trails or erosional areas where identified and feasible, felling of dead medium sized conifers to create seedling shading opportunities and to reduce risk to seedlings from falling trees, and clearing small areas of annual grass and debris to create three foot radius planting spots with a string trimmer, preferably, or scraping with a McLeod or similar tool.

To make soil moisture available to each seedling until successfully established, maintain the planting spots without live vegetation for at least three years with a string trimmer (preferred) or scraping. Additionally, hand cut invading shrubs out to a five foot radius around the planting spot. Release treatments would occur one or more times up to five years after planting to reduce competition from competing vegetation. The portion of an acre affected by release treatments would depend on the success of planting, level of competition observed from vegetation, and availability of Forest Service resources, but would affect a maximum of one quarter of a completely planted acre with 100 percent

negligible or non-existent because the release treatment would be occurring at the planting spots so the excess seedlings would be removed as part of that treatment.

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survival. Monitoring would occur one and three years after planting. Seedling irrigation is not planned for this project.

Between six and nine years, pruning of the lower third of the branches of established saplings would occur and the cuttings would be scattered, followed by broadcast burning in the next year or two in the late fall or winter when the buds of the pines are dormant. To accomplish the reforestation objective, the broadcast burn would be carried out within the outer perimeter of the planted areas to suppress invading shrubs and remove annual grass thatch and fallen remnants of dead shrubs so the areas are resistant to the inevitable next wildfire. For the reforestation objective, no work beyond the pruning and scattering of the cuttings is needed. Typically, roads, trails, barren areas, etc. are used as control lines as the burn would have the objective of 1 to 2 foot flame lengths but probably some hand lines would need to be constructed.

Between 15 and 25 years stand exams would be performed to assess needs for tree thinning to meet fuels and resource objectives.

Units 2, 3, and 4, known as founder plantations, would be monitored for cone development. As cone development occurs, sites directly upslope from these units would be analyzed for site preparation to assist a second cohort of natural regeneration establishment upslope. Appropriate environmental analysis will occur if new planting areas are identified.

No new temporary roads would be created. Access trails would be rehabilitated after operations are complete, if needed. Vehicles would not be used off designated roads unless otherwise approved.

Design measures to limit adverse effects to hydrological, botanical, wildlife, scenic, recreation, heritage, and archaeological resources are outlined below. The project administrator would provide a copy of these design measures to anyone who would be implementing the proposed action, now or in the future, for continuing care of the seedlings, pruning, prescribed burning, collection of seeds, etc. Prescription by Unit The Proposed Action Map shows 21 units (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4, 5, 5a, 7, 7a, 8, 10, 11, 12, 12a, 12b, 13, 13b, 15, and 16) proposed for planting. They were established primarily by using pre-fire aerial photos to determine where conifers were present and the Soil Survey of the San Bernardino Forest Area (1979) to determine soils favorable for planting. Unit 6 was dropped from the project due to difficult terrain and unit 9 was dropped from the project because it was within a wilderness area.

Field reconnaissance was conducted during the winter and spring of 2020 of most of the 21 units proposed for planting and found the following existing general Vegetation Conditions:

Veg Cond 1. Openings either bare or with annual grass that do not contain either live or dead trees which indicates they may not support trees. Perhaps these areas are inclusions of soil with very low available water holding capacity (AWC) in a soil family that on average has low or better AWC. Veg Cond 2. Patches of dead conifers without an understory of sprouting shrubs but with annual grass that could be planted, if their pre-fire canopy cover was sparse (20 percent or less), or the trees could be removed. Otherwise as the dead trees fall, the resulting ground fuels would place any planted seedlings/saplings at risk in the next fire.

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Veg Cond 3. Patches of sprouting shrubs, often with a sparse presence of dead Jeffry pine, which would be tall and dense in seven years like those that sprouted after the Mountain Fire making it impractical to care for planted seedlings without herbicides. Veg Cond 4. Patches of dead non-sprouting greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula) and annual grass, of which there are many acres in May Valley, often with a sparse presence of dead Jeffrey pine. In some of these areas, the dead manzanita and small trees are sparse so do not need to be removed to facilitate planting and would provide some passing shade for nearby seedlings. In other areas, enough of the dead shrubs and small trees would have to be hand cut, piled and burned or scattered to accomplish other resource objectives to allow physical access for planting seedlings.

Based on the above Vegetation Conditions, the following defines the Prescriptions by Unit:

Unit 1 and 1A which are 35 and 1.5 acres: plant Coulter pine (110 Trees Per Acre (TPA) or 90 TPA where a fuel-break intersects the unit) on about a quarter of the unit where Vegetation Condition 1 or 2 occurs (mostly in flat areas on the westside of the unit) using a single seedling per spot approach. Leave the balance of the acres, much of which is very rocky, unplanted. In the portion to be planted:

Site Preparation - Select 10 to 15 hard snags per five acres to be retained in clumps whenever possible (except where a fuel-break intersects the unit) (minimum size: 16 inches in diameter at breast height and 40 feet tall or next tallest available). Fell the balance of the dead trees over 16 inch diameter in an east or west direction and select planting spots in their afternoon shade as much as possible. As part of the planting operation, clear three foot radius circles free of the annual grass, other vegetation and debris, using a string trimmer or McLeod or similar scraping tool. Plant a single Coulter pine in the center of the circle.

Release – When annual grass and other vegetation reoccupy a third of the planted circles, clear those with surviving seedlings as was done during planting and additionally, hand cut invading shrubs out to a five foot radius around the circles for up to five years after planting.

Pruning - Between years 6 to 9, remove the lower third of branches from residual saplings to raise the base to crown height in preparation for broadcast burning.

Burning - A year or two after pruning, broadcast burn in the late fall or winter when the buds of the pines are dormant to reduce vegetation competition and fuel loading on the unit.

Examine - Between 15 and 25 years, examine the unit to determine future activities, such as thinning and burning.

Unit 2, 2A, and 3, which are 23, 1.5, and 1.5 acres: plant Coulter pine (110 TPA or 90 TPA where a fuel- break intersects the unit) on about two thirds of the unit where Vegetation Condition 1 occurs using a single seedling per spot approach. The other third of the unit is dominated by rock making it unplantable. In the portion to be planted, apply the prescription for Unit 1.

Unit 4 which is 10 acres, is dominated by redshank (Adenostoma sparsifolium) which is Vegetation Condition 3 making them impractical to plant without the use of herbicide to control the sprouting shrubs. No planting will occur.

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Units 5, 5a, 7 and 7a which are 46, 66, 59 and 18 acres, respectively, are about 60 percent Vegetation Condition 1 or 2, with the balance Condition 3 or very rocky so unplantable. In the portion to be planted, apply the prescription for Unit 1 as follows:

In the pockets on the Proposed Action Map in Unit 7, designated 15 and 16, plant Bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa) (100 TPA) using a single seedling per spot approach and the spots spaced 20 x 20 feet, instead of Coulter pine.

Otherwise, plant Jeffrey pine (135 TPA) using the multi-spot approach with three seedlings per spot and the spots spaced 18 x 18 feet, instead of Coulter pine.

Recreate some of the visual variety that existed pre-fire along SR 74 which runs through Unit 5 and 7 by planting about 25 randomly located pockets of about one acre with the planting spots spaced at 14 x 14 feet. Recognize there would be additional visual variety provided by open pockets in Vegetation Condition 3, very rocky areas and within the riparian zone along the intermittent stream.

Unit 8 which is 22 acres: Plant Jeffrey pine (135 TPA) using the multi-spot approach with three seedlings per spot on the entire unit, which has a different vegetation condition than any other unit. It has mostly dead rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) and big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate) and annual grass.

Site Preparation - Remove enough of the live and dead shrubs by hand cutting, piling and burning to allow easy physical access for planting seedlings. As part of the planting operation, clear three foot radius circles free of the annual grass, other vegetation and debris, using a string trimmer or McLeod or similar scraping tool. Plant three Jeffrey pine in the circle using the multi- spot approach at 18 x 18 feet per spot.

Pruning - Between years 6 to 9, remove the lower third of branches from residual saplings to raise the base to crown height in preparation for broadcast burning.

Burning - A year or two after pruning, broadcast burn in the late fall or winter when the buds of the pines are dormant to reduce vegetation competition and fuel loading on the unit.

Examine - Between 15 and 25 years, examine the unit to determine future activities such as thinning and burning.

Unit 11 is 17 acres: It was not examined to determine the current vegetation condition. Plant Jeffrey pine (135 TPA) using the multi-spot approach with three seedlings per spot where Vegetation Condition 1, 2 or 4 occurs using the prescription for the next set of units. Leave areas that are very rocky or where Vegetation Condition 3 occurs unplanted. In the portion to be planted, apply the prescription for Unit 12.

Unit 12, 12a, 12b are 81, 140, and 84 acres: Plant Jeffrey pine (135TPA) using the multi-spot approach with three seedlings per spot on about a third of the unit where Vegetation Condition 1 or 2 occurs and

Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper another third where Vegetation Condition 4 occurs. Leave the balance of the unit which is Vegetation Condition 3 unplanted. In the portion to be planted:

Site Preparation - Select 10 to 15 hard snags per five acres to be retained in clumps whenever possible (minimum size: 16 inches in diameter at breast height and 40 feet tall or next tallest available). Fell the balance of the dead trees over 16 inched diameter in an east or west direction and select planting spots in their afternoon shade as much as possible. In some of the unit, the dead manzanita and small trees are sparse so do not need to be removed to facilitate planting and would provide some passing shade for nearby seedlings. In other parts, remove enough of the dead manzanita and small trees by hand cutting, piling and burning or scattering to accomplish other resource objectives to allow easy physical access for planting seedlings. As part of the planting operation, clear three foot radius circles free of the annual grass, other vegetation and debris, using a string trimmer or McLeod or similar scraping tool. Plant three Jeffrey pine in the circle using the multi-spot approach at 18 x 18 feet per spot. Since there is substantial evidence of deer browse on mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides) and Ceanothus species, recreate some of the lost hiding and thermal cover for deer and other wildlife by planting about 40 randomly located pockets of about one acre with the planting spots spaced at 14 x 14 feet.

Pruning - Between years 6 to 9, remove the lower third of branches from residual saplings to raise the base to crown height in preparation for broadcast burning.

Burning - A year or two after pruning, broadcast burn in the late fall or winter when the buds of the pines are dormant to reduce vegetation competition and fuel loading on the unit.

Examine - Between 15 and 25 years, examine the unit to determine future activities such as thinning and burning.

Unit 10 is 95 acres: Plant Jeffrey pine (135 TPA) using the multi-spot approach with three seedlings per spot where Vegetation Condition 2 occurs with or without sparse dead Jeffrey pine or non-sprouting manzanita.

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Examine - Between 6 and 9 years, examine the unit to determine whether pruning and broadcast burning are feasible or other treatments are warranted.

Unit 13 and 13a which are 17 and 26 acres, respectively, would be planted if there are Coulter pine seedlings remaining after all the other units have been planted. It was not examined to determine the current vegetation condition. Plant Coulter pine (110 TPA) using the single seedling per spot approach where Vegetation Condition 1 occurs with or without sparse dead Jeffrey pine or non-sprouting manzanita. Leave other areas with different vegetation conditions unplanted.

Site Preparation - As part of the planting operation, clear three foot radius circles free of the annual grass, other vegetation and debris using a string trimmer or McLeod or similar scraping tool. Plant one Coulter pine in the circle using the multi-spot approach at 18 x 18 feet per spot.

Examine - Between 6 and 9 years, examine the unit to determine whether pruning and broadcast burning are feasible or other treatments are warranted. Design Features Rare plants

1. Project implementation and access routes will avoid trampling or ground disturbance within known occurrences of special status plant species that can be adversely impacted by surface disturbance (map and list to be provided by district botanist). 2. Plantings will be focused in areas of conifer presence as evidenced by skeletons or stumps. 3. No heavy equipment will be used off road within in the project areas. Project access will be on foot. All work will be conducted by hand with hand carried and/or mechanized equipment. 4. Wherever possible, crews will set out their planting lines parallel to, rather than perpendicular to, stream channels to minimize or eliminate the need to cross sensitive riparian habitat containing FS Sensitive plant species.

Invasive species

1. Weed identification information on known weeds will be provided to work crews. Crews should be instructed to clean shoes and all equipment including hand tools after working in weed infested areas prior to moving to any other work site. 2. Known occurrences of invasive weeds will be avoided for access routes. If planting or access must occur within known weed occurrences, special measures to avoid spread may be developed with input from a qualified botanist. 3. District Botanist will be notified if new invasive weed occurrences are located during project implementation.

Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper 4. If future maintenance of the plantings requires pruning and dragging material for disposal, workers would be instructed to recognize and avoid areas infested with non-native plants to prevent spread of weed seed. 5. Personnel and equipment shall avoid contact with water in aquatic habitats as much as possible to avoid spread or introduction of aquatic invasive species, diseases, and plants into the aquatic habitat.

Cultural Resources

1. All reforestation units will be surveyed for cultural resources. 2. Cultural resources identified within the project area will be flagged and avoided during project activities, or use of other appropriate protection measures, as determined by the Forest Archaeologist 3. Limited project activities including planting using low impact methods such as a planting bar, may be permitted within the boundaries of cultural resource sites on a case-by-case basis if there are no affects to the resource, as determined by the Forest Archaeologist. 4. If cultural materials are uncovered during project activities, federal and state laws require work be stopped immediately in that area until an archaeologist can evaluate the findings and provide additional protection measures or mitigate the impacts.

Hydrology

1. Foot traffic through RCAs will be minimized. Access routes to units should avoid crossing RCAs unless alternate access routes are unavailable. 2. No conifer plantings will occur in defined banks of stream channels within RCAs. 3. Fueling of mechanized equipment (chainsaws and weed-eaters) will occur outside of RCAs and known special status plant occurrences. 4. Equipment storage, hazardous materials, fueling, parking, and staging areas will be located outside of the 300-foot RCA habitat buffer or in pre-approved/designated sites with minimal risk of drainage into riparian areas and aquatic systems. Containment systems will be used where storage/use of chemicals is necessary within that distance. 5. Within RCAs, ground cover will not be reduced by more than 30%. If material is available, final ground cover will meet the following percentages, based on soil type and the LMP. a. 60%: Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 7a, 13, 13a b. 50%: Units 5, 5a, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 12a, 12b 6. As Executive Order 11990 requires that Federal agencies minimize the destruction, loss, or degradation of wetlands during land management activities, meadows will be delineated for planting avoidance prior to implementation. 7. Within riparian conservation areas retain snags and downed logs unless they are identified as a threat to life, property, or sustainability of the riparian conservation area (LMP Part 3 Standard S15) by selecting 10 to 15 hard snags per five acres to be retained in clumps whenever possible (minimum size: 16 inches in diameter at breast height and 40 feet tall or next tallest available).

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General Wildlife Resources

1. Project administrators and crews will be provided training and identification information on rare animals within project area. Observations of any rare animals or their diagnostic signs during project activities will be conveyed to the District Biologist. 2. No work will be completed after sunset or before sunrise (including lighting of work areas) with the exception of mop up patrols, if needed. 3. All project sites will be kept clean of debris. All food related trash items will be place in closed containers and regularly removed from project sites. If used, shade cards and vexlar cages will be removed from projects sites when no longer needed. 4. Crews will not intentionally injure or kill wildlife species (including rattlesnakes). Instead, animals will be allowed to leave the work area before work resumes. 5. Avoid altering habitat within 30 feet of rocky outcrops. If disturbance is unavoidable, a biologist may need to be present to monitor for sensitive species during disturbance of the habitat. Slash piles will not be stacked against living trees, existing down logs, or rock outcrops. 6. If bird nests are observed in trees/vegetation to be felled/trimmed, activities within the general area will stop until the District Biologist can determine a course of action compliant with the Land Management Plan (Raptors: Part 3 Standard 18). 7. Where available and within the capability of the site retain a minimum of 10 to 15 hard snags per five acres (minimum 16 inches diameter at breast height and 40 feet tall, or next largest available). Exception allowed in Wildland/Urban Interface Defense Zones, fuelbreaks, and where they pose a safety hazard (LMP Part 3 Standard 14). Snags identified for retention will be protected during broadcast/pile burn operations. 8. All existing downed logs and those resulting from falling snags to create shaded planting spots will be protected during broadcast/pile burning operations to ensure down log retention standards as required in the LMP are met. 9. In areas outside of Wildland/Urban Interface Defense Zones and fuelbreaks, retain soft snags and acorn storage trees unless they are a safety hazard, fire threat, or impediment to operability (LMP Part 3 Standard 17). 10. Project activities will occur outside of the migratory bird nesting season (March 1st to August 31st) to the extent practicable unless otherwise authorized by the Line Officer. 11. Hand lines constructed to facilitate broadcast or pile burning would be limited to the smallest dimensions needed to adequately control burning operations. Hand lines would be rehabilitated post-burning by pulling back berms and scattering available vegetation across the line to discourage creation of new unauthorized bike or off-highway vehicle routes. Water bars would be installed where necessary.

California Spotted Owl

1. Maintain a limited operating period (LOP) prohibiting activities within approximately .25 miles of a California spotted owl nest site (affects portions of Units 10, 5, 5a, 7, and 7a), or activity center where nest site is unknown, during the breeding season (February 1 through August 15), unless surveys confirm that the owls are not nesting. Follow the USDA Forest Service (1993, 1994 or

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subsequent) protocol to determine whether owls are nesting. When evaluating the need to implement a limited operating period, site- and project-specific factors need to be considered (use species management strategy or subsequent guidance)(LMP Part 3 Standard 20). In accordance with 2004 California Spotted Owl Conservation Strategy, exceptions to the LOP may be applicable depending on type and intensity of the activity, status of the territory, and physiographic features that could serve as barriers to the nest site. Project leader will coordinate with the District Biologist and Line Officer to identify applicability of these exceptions on a case-by-case basis. 2. Felling of hazard trees will not occur within spotted owl nest stands. Planting operations will be modified where needed to avoid safety hazards during crew implementation. 3. Woodrat middents (nests) will be protected to the extent feasible during all project operations, especially within spotted owl habitat.

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher

1. No activities will be conducted within 500 feet of suitable southwestern willow flycatcher habitat during the nesting season (May 1 through August 31), unless protocol surveys indicate absence of the species. Exceptions to this limited operating period may occur where the District Biologist determines that the activity type and noise attenuation will not result in increases of noise or disturbance above the baseline in the suitable habitat.

Quino Checkerspot Butterfly

1. Project personnel will be provided with a copy of these Design Features. 2. Manual release treatments, including broadcast and pile burning, will not occur between March 21 and May 15, thereby avoiding the Quino flight season, within suitable Quino habitat. 3. Foot access routes from roads will be designated prior to implementation to avoid sensitive areas. 4. All work will be conducted by hand with hand tools and/or hand carried mechanized equipment (e.g. chainsaw, auger, etc.). 5. No new temporary roads will be created. 6. No fertilizer or herbicide will be applied as part of the project. 7. All contractor vehicles and equipment operated within the project area will be inspected daily to ensure they are free of any leaks of fuel, cooling, lubricating, or other potentially polluting fluid. 8. Plantings will be focused in areas of pre-fire conifer presence as evidenced by snags or stumps. 9. If future maintenance of the plantings requires pruning and dragging material for disposal, workers would be instructed to limit, to the maximum amount feasible, the dragging of materials within suitable Quino habitat. 10. Piles for subsequent burning will not be constructed in suitable Quino habitat unless there are no feasible alternative locations. 11. Use of string trimmers, as opposed to scraping/scalping, to try to just skim the soil surface to remove annual grasses but not dig into the soil would be the preferred release treatment within suitable Quino habitat.

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Range

1. Coordination with the Garner Range Allotment permittees will occur prior to implementation of treatments that could affect their grazing operations (or where grazing could negatively affect sapling survivorship). 2. If range infrastructure (e.g. fences and troughs) are damaged during implementation, it will be immediately repaired and the permittee notified. Scoping Notice The San Bernardino National Forest is requesting written comments on the scope of this Proposed Action. Comments are being requested to help identify key issues, mitigation measures, and analyze effects of the proposed action. If you have points of dispute, debate or disagreement regarding the proposed action, please send those to the project leader. Please be as specific as possible expressing your comments so they can be effectively addressed.

Comments should focus on the potential for extraordinary circumstances that may preclude the use of a Categorical Exclusion. There are seven extraordinary circumstances defined in Forest Service regulations: (1) Federally listed species or designated critical habitat, species proposed for Federal listing or proposed critical habitat, or Forest Service sensitive species; (2) Flood plains, wetlands, or municipal watersheds; (3) Congressionally designated areas, such as wilderness, wilderness study areas, or national recreation areas; (4) Inventoried roadless areas or potential wilderness areas; (5) Research natural areas; (6) American Indians and Alaska Native religious or cultural sites, and (7) Archaeological sites, or historic properties or areas. The mere presence of one or more of these resource conditions does not preclude use of a categorical exclusion (CE). It is the existence of a cause-effect relationship between a proposed action and the potential effect on these resource conditions and the degree of the potential effect of a proposed action on the resource conditions that determine whether extraordinary circumstances exist.

This action will be categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement (EIS) or an environmental assessment (EA) unless extraordinary circumstances are identified during the analysis. The category of action that is applicable is: Post-fire Rehabilitation Activities (36 CFR 220.6 (e)(11)). The project activity would involve planting trees and release to encourage successful reforestation.

Project documents are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=57870. Paper copies are available upon request by contacting Lance Woolley, project lead, at [email protected] or 909- 382-2858.

The Responsible Official is Julie Hall, District Ranger. The NEPA process is being administered by the San Jacinto Ranger District. Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, and electronic comments concerning this action will be accepted, however, the preference for receiving scoping comments is by email (in e-mail text, or readable format .doc, .pdf, .txt, .rtf). Please send comments to: [email protected] , with “Scoping – Cranston Reforestation Project” in the subject line. If you are unable to send comments electronically, you may send them by mail to US Forest Service, Attn: Lance Woolley, P.O. Box 518, Idyllwild, CA 92549 or by fax at 951-659-2107.

The Forest Service is requesting that all comments be received by July 23, 2020.

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