[Federal Register: January 7, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 5)]
[Notices]
[Page 1434-1435]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07ja05-56]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-6659-4]
Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of
EPA Comments
Availability of EPA comments prepared pursuant to the Environmental
Review Process (ERP), under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act and
Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended.
Requests for copies of EPA comments can be directed to the Office of
Federal Activities at (202) 564-7167.
An explanation of the ratings assigned to draft environmental
impact statements (EISs) was published in FR dated April 02, 2004 (69
FR 17403).
Draft EISs
ERP No. D-AFS-J65421-00 Rating EC1, Grizzly Bear Conservation for
the Greater Yellowstone Area National Forests, Implementation, Amend
Six Forest Plans: Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Bridger-Teton
National Forest, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Custer National
Forest, Gallatin National Forest and Shoshone National Forest, MT, WY
and ID.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the preferred
alternative did not include protection measures to reduce conflicts
between grizzly bears and other Forest uses and to enhance food
security and habitat protections included in other alternatives. EPA
believes these measures would improve water quality, fish and wildlife,
and other natural resources and should be considered in the Final EIS.
ERP No. D-AFS-J65423-UT Rating EC2, Reissuance of 10-Year Term
Grazing Permits to Continue Authorize Grazing on Eight Cattle
Allotments, Permit Reissuance, Fishlake National Forest, Beaver
Mountain Tushar Range, Millard, Piute, Garfield, Beaver and Iron
Counties, UT.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential
adverse impacts to aquatic resources, water quality, and wildlife
habitats as well as soil erosion from continued grazing as proposed in
the Draft EIS. The Final EIS should consider greater use of upland
areas, include specific guidelines and measures for future adaptive
management processes and ensure resources for education, enforcement of
permit standards, mitigation and monitoring.
ERP No. D-AFS-J65427-WY Rating EC2, Cottonwood II Vegetation
Management Project, Proposal to Implement Vegetation Management in the
North and South Cottonwood Creek Drainages, Bridger-Teton National
Forest, Big Piney Ranger District, Sublette County, WY.
Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about potential adverse
impacts to water quality, aquatic habitat and wildlife resources, soil
condition and impacts to fish and wildlife, especially sensitive
species. In addition, the Final EIS should include the value of
recreation and impacts to recreation related business to assess the
full range of potential socio-economic impacts.
ERP No. D-AFS-J65429-CO Rating EC2, Village at Wolf Creek Project,
Application for Transportation and Utility Systems and Facilities,
Proposed Development and Use of Roads and Utility Corridors Crossing,
National Forest System Lands to Access 287.5 Acres of Private Property
Land, Mineral County, CO.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential
adverse impacts to wetlands, water quality and quantity, aquatic
habitat, air quality and wildlife, (including lynx and Rio Grande Cut
Throat Trout). The Final EIS should include an analysis and
quantification of indirect impacts, including impacts from reasonably
foreseeable actions and mitigation measures.
ERP No. D-AFS-J65430-MT Rating EC2, McSutten Decision Area,
Implementation of Harvest and Associated Activities, Prescribed
Burning, and Road Management, Kootenai National Forest, Rexford Ranger
District, Lincoln County, MT.
Summary: EPA supports the project purpose and need, but expressed
environmental concerns regarding proposed timber harvests on sensitive
soils and potential water quality impacts.
ERP No. DS-AFS-J02027-UT Rating EC2, Table Top Exploratory Oil and
Gas Wells, New Information from the Approval 1994 Final EIS, Wasatch-
Cache National Forest, Evanston Ranger District, Summit County, UT.
Summary: EPA expressed concerns about the lack of detail given in
the mitigation plans to protect the lynx. The Final EIS should include
mitigation measures to reduce potential adverse air impacts from
flaring during periods with atmospheric inversions.
Final EISs
ERP No. F-AFS-H65021-MO East Fredericktown Project, To Restore
Shortleaf Pine, Improve Forest Health, Treat Affected Stands and
Recover Valuable Timber Products, Mark Twain National Forest, Potosi/
Fredericktown Ranger District, Bollinger, Madison, St. Francois and
Ste. Genevieve Counties, MO.
Summary: The Final EIS adequately addressed EPA's issues raised in
the comments on the Draft EIS.
ERP No. F-AFS-J65415-MT Robert-Wedge Post-Fire Project, Salvage
Trees and Rehabilitate Lands, Flathead National Forest, Glacier View
Ranger District, Flathead County, MT.
Summary: EPA is concerned that logging in areas of high burn
severity may result in detrimental soil and water quality effects, and
increased erosion and sediment production and supports the use of less
damaging logging techniques. EPA also expressed environmental concerns
regarding road management activities.
ERP No. F-AFS-J65420-SD Southeast Geographic Area Rangeland
Management on National Forest System Lands of the Buffalo Gap National
Grassland, To Implement Best Management Grazing Practices, Buffalo Gap
National Grassland, Falls River Ranger District, Fall River County, SD.
Summary: EPA's main concerns relate to continuing adverse impacts
from livestock grazing to: (1) Streams, riparian zones, and wetlands;
(2) fecal coliform and other bacteria, sediment, and other impacts that
are impairing beneficial uses for warmwater fish and other aquatic
life; and (3) the need for better riparian protections to manage
livestock activities that cause adverse impacts to fish and other
aquatic life and their habitats.
[[Page 1435]]
ERP No. F-AFS-J65422-MT West Side Reservoir Post-Fire Project,
Proposed Implementation of Timber Salvage and Access Management
Treatments, Flathead National Forest, Hungry Horse and Spotted Bear
Ranger Districts, Flathead County, MT.
Summary: EPA supports less damaging logging methods proposed and
project modifications to reduce potential adverse effects. However, EPA
is still concerned that post-fire logging may impact soils, water
quality, and wildlife habitat (particularly habitat of the threatened
grizzly bear).
ERP No. F-AFS-L65456-AK Resurrection Creek Stream and Riparian
Restoration Project, Proposes to Accelerate the Recovery of Riparian
Areas, Fish and Wildlife Habitat, Chugach National Forest, Seward
Ranger District, Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK.
Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
ERP No. F-AFS-L65457-OR Crooked River National Grassland Vegetation
Management/Grazing, Vegetation Treatments and Grazing Disposition,
Ochoco National Forest, Jefferson County, OR.
Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections and supports the USFS
efforts to work with watershed councils and ODEQ to develop Water
Quality Management Plans for the streams within the Grasslands which do
not meet ambient water quality standards.
Dated: January 4, 2005.
Robert W. Hargrove,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 05-345 Filed 1-6-05; 8:45 am]
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