[Federal Register: May 18, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 96)]
[Notices]
[Page 28110-28111]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18my04-34]
[[Page 28110]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Thorne Bay Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, AK; North
Thorne Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Thorne Bay Ranger District proposes to implement a series
of timber, road, and vegetation management projects in the 35,750-acre
North Thorne project area near the community of Throne Bay, Alaska. The
goal of this project is to implement Tongass National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan direction and move the project area toward the
desired future condition described in that plan. Proposed actions
include: harvest of about 10 million board feet of timber, construction
of 4.7 miles of road, reconstruction of 31 miles of road, storage of 15
miles of drivable road, storage of 15 miles of non-drivable road, and
treatment of 3,800 acres of young second-growth timber.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
within 30 days of the date of this notice. The draft environmental
impact statement is expected December 2004 and the final environmental
impact statement is expected April 2005. Public meetings are scheduled
at the Thorne Bay Ranger District office, Thorne Bay Alaska: June 3,
2004, 6 p.m. and June 5, 2004, 10 a.m.
ADDRESSES: You may comment on the project in the following ways:
Mail: Thorne Bay Ranger District, Attn: North Thorne EIS,
PO Box 19001, Thorne Bay, AK, 99919.
FAX to 907-828-3902.
E-mail: comments-alaska-tongass-thorne-bay@fs.fed.us
Subject: comments north thorne eis.
Hand delivery: Thorne Bay Ranger District, Forest Service
Dr, Thorne Bay AK. Include your name, address, and organization name if
you are commenting as a representative. Scanned signatures are accepted
on e-mails.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Howell, North Thorne EIS Project
Leader, PO Box 19001, Thorne Bay, AK, 99919. Phone 907-828-3263.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action: The goal (need) of the North Thorne
project is to implement Forest Plan direction and move the project area
toward the desired future conditions described in that plan. The
objectives (purpose) of the project are to:
1. Provide socio-economic opportunities for local communities and
Southeast Alaska through timber harvest, road construction and
maintenance, and vegetation management projects.
2. Improve vegetation conditions and wildlife habitat by treating
densely stocked second-growth timber.
3. Manage access and reduce damage to aquatic habitats by replacing
or removing road crossing structures that restrict fish passage,
reducing sedimentation, and improving maintenance of drivable roads.
Background: The proposed project area is located on the Thorne Bay
Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest in Township 69, 70 and
71 South, Range 82, 83 and 84 East, Copper River Meridian in Southeast
Alaska. The project are covers 35,750 acres and is located in VCUs
5750, 5780, 5790, 5800, 5810, 5830, 5840, 5850, 5860, 5971, 5972. The
project area consists of three land use designations (LUDs) that allow
for timber harvest: Timber Production (18,898 acres), Modified
Landscape LUD (4,752 acres), Scenic Viewshed LUD (1,178 acres). There
are alos three LUDs that either limit or prohibit timber harvest: Old-
growth Habitat (6,726 acres), Scenic River (3,062 acres), and
Recreation River (1,133 acres).
The Thorne Bay Ranger District completed field reconnaissance of 27
potential timber harvest units in the North Thorne drainage between
1995 and 2000. An environmental assessment called North Thorne Timber
Sale Project was scoped in September 2000 as a 5 MMBF environmental
assessment. Internal and external concerns about the cumulative effects
of past timber harvest on watershed health (especially fish and
wildlife habitat), and the desire to make more volume available
elevated the NEPA analysis level to an environmental impact statement.
This project was sidelined until resources were available to complete
the analysis.
Responsible Official: Forrest Cole, Tongass National Forest
Supervisor, 648 Mission Street, Ketchikan, Alaska, 99901.
The Forest Supervisor will decide:
1. The amount, location and method of timber harvest and vegetation
treatment.
2. Road management objectives including which roads will remain
open to vehicle traffic.
3. Whether there may be a significant restriction on subsistence
uses.
4. Watershed and stream restoration projects including which stream
crossing structures will be replaced/removed.
Scoping Process: In addition to this notice and the two public meetings
listed under DATES, notices will be placed in the Juneau Empire and the
Island News newspapers. The Juneau Empire is the official newspaper of
record for this project. Scoping letters were mailed to individuals and
agencies on the Thorne Bay Ranger District's public involvement list on
May 10, 2004.
Preliminary Issues: Previous scoping efforts have identified three
preliminary issues: maintenance of a timber supply and local employment
opportunities, management of roads in the project area, the cumulative
effects of past harvest and road construction on vegetation conditions
and fish and wildlife habitat.
Early notice of public participation: a draft environmental impact
statement will be prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft
environmental impact statement will be 45 days from the date the
Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in
the Federal Register.
The Forest Service thinks, at this early stage, it is important to
give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Sup. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it
is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to
them in the final environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the
[[Page 28111]]
adequacy of the draft environmental impact statement or the merits of
the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers
may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations
for implementing the procedural provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received, including the names and address of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, section 21.
Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 04-10529 Filed 5-17-04; 8:45 am]
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