[Federal Register: May 23, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 99)]
[Notices]
[Page 29610-29611]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23my06-23]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Long Ridge Project, Clearwater National Forest, Idaho County, ID
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of timber harvest
and watershed restoration activities in the Long Ridge project area on
the Lochsa Ranger District of the Clearwater National Forest. The Long
Ridge project area is located in the Musselshell Creek drainage, a
tributary to Lolo Creek, approximately 8 air-miles southeast of the
town of Pierce, Idaho.
DATES: This project will be scoped beginning in May 2006. Comments that
are received during the scoping period will be used to develop
alternatives to
[[Page 29611]]
the proposed action in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. A 45-
day public comment period will follow the release of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement that is expected in December 2006. The
Final Environmental Impact Statement is expected in June 2007.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the scope of
this project should be sent to Lois Foster (lfoster@fs.fed.us),
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Lochsa Ranger District, Kamiah Ranger
Station, Rt. 2, Box 191, Kamiah, ID 83536.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois Foster (lfoster@fs.fed.us),
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Lochsa Ranger District, Kamiah Ranger
Station, Rt. 2, Box 191, Kamiah, ID 83536. Phone (208) 935-4258.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Long Ridge Project area contains
approximately 4,200 acres, all of which are National Forest lands. The
legal location is portions of Sections 27, 32, 33, and 34, T36N, R6E;
and Sections 4, 5, 8, 9, and 17, T35N, R6E; Boise Meridian, Idaho
County, Idaho. The proposed actions would occur on National Forest
lands and are all outside the boundaries of any inventoried roadless
area or any areas considered for inclusion in the National Wilderness
System as recommended by the Clearwater National Forest Plan or by any
past or present legislative wilderness proposals.
Purpose and Need for Action is to: (1) Reestablish white pine and
larch as major components of the forest ecosystem, and change the tree
species mix to more closely resemble the historic species composition
for this landscape; (2) Remove dead trees on the ground that are
currently creating high fuels levels, and reduce the excessive numbers
of standing dead and dying trees that will contribute to ground fuels
in the future; and (3) Capture the commercial value of the timber in
these stands before it is lost due to mortality and decay.
The Proposed Action would harvest timber using regeneration harvest
on approximately 850 acres within the Musselshell Creek drainage.
Regeneration harvest would leave approximately 15-20 trees per acre as
individual trees and in groups, where feasible, to provide a continued
source of nutrients and organic materials to the soils to maintain site
productivity, and to provide future snags and down woody material for
wildlife habitat. To facilitate timber removal, existing temporary and
permanent roads would be used. Gravel would be replaced and additional
cross drains would be installed on approximately 5 miles of existing
roads, and an estimated 2 miles of new permanent roads would be
constructed. Approximately 5 miles of existing roads that are not
needed for future management access would be obliterated following
completion of sale-related activities.
Possible Alternatives the Forest Service will consider include a
``no action'' alternative in which none of the proposed activities
would be implemented. Additional alternatives that will be considered
may include varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to
achieve the purpose and need for action, as well as to respond to the
issues and other resource concerns.
The Responsible Official is the Forest Supervisor of the Clearwater
National Forest, 12730 Highway 12, Orofino, ID 83544. The Responsible
Official will decide if the proposed project will be implemented, and
will document the decision and reasons for the decision in a Record of
Decision. That decision will be subject to Forest Service Appeal
Regulations. The responsibility for preparing the DEIS and FEIS has
been delegated to Cindy Lane, District Ranger, Lochsa Ranger District,
Rt. 1, Box 398, Kooskia, ID 83539.
The Scoping Process will be initiated with the release of a Scoping
Letter in April 2006. Comments that are received in response to the
Scoping Letter will be included in the documentation for the EIS.
Additional scoping will follow the release of the DEIS, expected in
December 2006. This proposal also includes openings greater than 40
acres. A 60-day public review period and approval by the Regional
Forester for exceeding the 40-acre limitation will occur prior to the
signing of the Record of Decision. The 60-day public review period is
initiated with this Notice of Intent.
Preliminary Issues that could be affected by proposed activities
include air quality, economics, fuels treatment, future management
accessibility, grazing, heritage resources, old growth habitat,
recreation access, scenic quality, size of openings, soil compaction
and productivity, tribal treaty rights, and water quality.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: 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 believes, 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,
553 (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.Supp. 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 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 addresses 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)
Dated: April 27, 2006.
Thomas K. Reilly,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 06-4757 Filed 5-22-06; 8:45 am]
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