[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 139 (Wednesday, July 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 42374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-17755]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 139 / Wednesday, July 21, 2010 /
Notices
[[Page 42374]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, Pack and Saddle
Stock Outfitter-Guide Special Use Permits Issuance Environmental Impact
Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revised Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact
statement.
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SUMMARY: On June 22, 2005, the USDA, Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee
National Forest, published a notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement for Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-
Guide Special Use Permit Issuance in the Federal Register (FR, Vol. 70,
No. 119, 36112). The purpose of this revised notice of intent is to
update the Purpose and Need, change the number of service days
proposed, to describe a proposed forest plan amendment, and to revise
the planned release date.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Zbyszewski, Project Team
Leader, Methow Valley Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National
Forest, Forest Service, (509) 996-4021 or Laurie Dowie, Special Use
Permit Administrator, Methow Valley Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee
National Forest, (509) 996-4071.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
A part of the original purpose and need in the notice of intent was
based on a Need Assessment completed in 1996. The Forest Service has
prepared a new Need Assessment titled ``Determination of Need and
Extent Necessary for Commercial Service (Outfitters and Guides) in the
Pasayten Wilderness and the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness'', July
2010 (Need Assessment) and confirmed that there is a need for pack and
saddle stock outfitter-guides in these wilderness areas. It evaluated
the service in terms of wilderness dependency and education of clients
about wilderness practices, in addition to the public need for the
service based on skill, equipment, knowledge, safety, and current
interest and demand.
The Wilderness Act prohibits commercial services in wilderness
except to the extent necessary to provide for wilderness appropriate
activities. The Need Assessment established that the minimum number of
service days needed to meet this need for pack and saddle stock
commercial services in the Pasayten and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth wilderness
areas is 2,720.
Currently both the Okanogan and Wenatchee Land and Resource
Management Plans (Forest Plans, 1989, 1990) have inconsistent
management direction regarding party sizes and maximum vegetation loss
sizes. The Okanogan Forest Plan currently does not allow vegetation
loss to exceed 400 square feet (MA15B-22B). The Wenatchee Forest Plan
allows vegetation loss of up to 1,000 square feet (Table IV-15, page
IV-77). Both Forest Plans allow party sizes of up to 12 people and 18
head of stock in these wildernesses. It is physically impracticable to
fit camps with 12 people and 18 head of stock inside areas of 400 to
1,000 square feet. Using computations included in the analysis file,
5,250 square feet was identified as an area in which 12 people and 18
head of stock could reasonably camp. Due to historical use, including
large party-sizes and livestock grazing, some existing camps exceed
5,250 square feet. Continued use and short growing seasons have
perpetuated some of these camps even though livestock grazing is no
longer occurring and party size is now limited. There is a need to make
camp sizes consistent with party sizes in the existing Forest Plans.
These needs are added to the need published in the original Federal
Register notice of intent.
Proposed Action
The USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, is
changing the total number of service days (including both wilderness
and non-wilderness) that would be divided between the pack and saddle
stock outfitter-guides to 4,620 from what was published in the original
Federal Register notice of intent. These days are specifically divided
in separate sub-units, and include 2,720 service days in wilderness.
The Forest is also proposing a non-significant amendment to the
Forest Plans that would make standards for outfitter-guide campsites
more compatible with party size limitations and provide for non-
degradation of wilderness conditions as required in the Okanogan Forest
Plan (MA15B-21D, page 4-91). For the Wenatchee Forest Plan the
amendment would improve the compatibility of outfitter-guide campsites
with some `limits of acceptable change' indicators (Table IV-15, page
IV-77). These amendments would only apply to pack and saddle stock
outfitter-guides in the Pasayten and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness
Areas. The following standard and guideline would be added to the
Okanogan and Wenatchee Forest Plans:
Pack and saddle stock outfitter-guides shall not be
allowed to increase the existing amount of barren core (bare, mineral
soil) in established campsites. In campsites where the existing amount
of barren core exceeds 5,250 square feet, outfitter-guides shall not
use more than 5,250 square feet of the barren core. All pack and saddle
outfitter-guides shall use the same delineated, 5250 square foot area
for each camp and shall not use any area outside of the delineated
5,250 square foot area.
This amendment would require outfitter-guides to jointly identify
the portion of the impacted area for consistent use. This would be
included in the Camp Management Plan for each campsite. Areas outside
of the designated area would not be used, allowing recovery to proceed.
DATES: Due to delays because of other work priorites and the need for
completion of the Need Assessment, the draft environmental impact
statement will now be available in August 2010, and the final will be
available in March 2011.
Dated: July 14, 2010.
Stuart M. Woolley,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-17755 Filed 7-20-10; 8:45 am]
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