[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2111-2112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-798]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Threemile Stewardship Project; Custer National Forest, Ashland
Ranger District; Powder River and Rosebud Counties, Montana
AGENCY: Forests Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of the Threemile
Stewardship Project. This project will focus on moving ecosystems
toward their desired conditions through management activities that
would maintain or improve the diversity of ponderosa pine, woody draw
and grassland vegetative communities. The project was selected for
Stewardship Contracting. The Forest Service is the lead agency for the
preparation of this document.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received
in writing by February 29, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Elizabeth A. McFarland, District
Ranger, Ashland Ranger District, P.O. Box 168, Ashland, Montana 59003.
Or send electronic mail comments to rl__custer@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald E. Hecker, Project Coordinator,
(406) 784-2344 or rl_custer@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Threemile Stewardship Project is one of
nine stewardship ``end'' result contract demonstration projects in the
northern Region of the Forest Service that is authorized under Section
347 of the 1999 Appropriations Bill.
The focus of this project is moving ecosystems toward their desired
condition through management activities that would maintain or improve
the diversity of the ponderosa pine, woody draw and grassland
vegetative communities. This project is designed to achieve vegetation
management of these plant communities through the use of partnerships
and collaboration as defined through Stewardship Contracting (Section
347, 1999 Appropriations Bill).
The objective of this project is the performance of services to
achieve land management goals on the National Forest System lands that
meet local and rural community needs (improve conditions on the land
while providing for local jobs). Land management goals may include, but
are not limited to:
Commercial and non-commercial cutting or removal of trees
to promote healthy forest stands, woody draws, and grasslands and/or to
reduce fire hazard;
Prescribed burning to improve the composition, structure,
condition and health of forests stands, woody draws and grasslands;
Road maintenance and reclamation of un-needed roads;
Control of noxious weeds; and
Restoration and maintenance of wildlife habitat.
The Stewardship proposal would look at the over-all needs of the
32,200 acres within the project area, which is located between Ten Mile
Creek and US Highway 212 on the southeast portion of the Ashland Ranger
District. The focus is ``outcomes'' and not ``outputs''. The value of
forest products removed would be used as an offset against the cost of
services received (exchange of goods for services on a value for value
basis). An example might be trading saw logs for treatment of noxious
weeds or road rehabilitation.
Along with the issuance of a project-scoping letter, later this
month, an information meeting is scheduled for February 10, 2000, at
the Ashland Ranger District, to provide the public with additional
information about the project and process. Written or oral responses
will be accepted until February 29, 2000.
The Responsible Official for this EIS for decision is Nancy T.
Curriden, Forest Supervisor, 1310 Main Street, P.O. Box 50760,
Billings, Montana 49105.
The comment period on the draft environment impact statement will
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes
the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
A Draft EIS is schedules for release to the public for comment in
August 2000, and the Final EIS is scheduled for completion in December
2000.
The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers
notice at this early stage of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First,
[[Page 2112]]
reviewers or 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. Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v.
Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 ( E. D. Wis. 1980). Because of these
courts 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
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.
Dated: January 7, 2000.
Nancy T. Curriden,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 00-798 Filed 1-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
