The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Ellis Integrated Vegetation Project is now available for public review and comment. The project is located on the Umatilla National Forest between Ukiah and Heppner, OR and is within Morrow, Umatilla, and Grant Counties. The project area is about 114,600 acres which includes approximately 4,600 acres of private land. Approximately 105,000 acres may be considered for treatment on National Forest System lands. No treatments are proposed by private landholders at this time, but the Forest Service is working collaboratively with partners and neighbors to improve resiliency across boundaries and meet objectives of this project.
The Ellis Project was identified initially to address the deviation from the natural range of variability for forest density, composition, and structure concerns. The overall objectives for the project include increasing forest health and vigor; enhancing unique plant communities; improving wildlife habitat; maintaining and continuing public and traditional land uses; and protecting values at risk, public and firefighter safety.
The DEIS analyzes the environmental consequences of the No Action Alternative (Alternative 1) and four action alternatives. Alternative 2 and 5 includes forest mechanical thinning activities across approximately 75,000 acres. Alternative 3 includes 43,000 acres and Alternative 4 includes 49,000 acres of mechanical thinning activities. Action Alternatives include mechanical thinning; small diameter mechanical and non-mechanical (hand-thinning) thinning; mechanical and non-mechanical fuels treatments; landscape burning; pruning; planting of native vegetation; and aspen and meadow enhancement. Alternative 5 is considering treatments that would be consistent with the Forest Plan as amended by the Eastside Screens (2021 USDA Forest Service) allowing the harvest of some live trees greater than 21-inch diameter at breast height. All Alternatives are proposing modifications to roads by either converting to seasonal use or retain for future use (yearlong closure). No preferred alternative has been identified at this time.
The Forest Service will accept comments on the DEIS for 45 days following publication of the notice of availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The publication date of the NOA in Federal Register is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period. Commenters should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source.
