[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4245-4246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2120]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Environmental Impact Statement, Crystal Creek Timber Harvest on
the Petersburg Ranger District, Stikine Area, Tongass National Forest,
Petersburg, Alaska
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Stikine Area of the USDA Forest Service proposes to
harvest approximately 16 million board feet of timber in the Crystal
Creek project area, which is near Thomas Bay on the Southeast Alaska
mainland. A variety of harvest methods and silvicultural prescriptions
will be used. This project would include the necessary road
construction for transport of timber. The existing log transfer site
would be reconstructed at Thomas Bay.
The purpose and need for this project is to make available for
harvest approximately 16 million board feet of timber. This will:
1. Implement direction in the Tongass Land Management Plan,
2. Contribute to providing a sustained volume of wood to meet local
and national demand, and
3. Provide local and regional employment opportunities.
There may also be opportunities to maintain or enhance forage for
moose habitat to sustain a huntable population in the area. Activities
such as commercial and pre-commercial thinning of second growth stands,
and geographically distributing timber harvest over time and habitat
will be considered toward achieving this goal.
A variety of resources and values will be maintained through the
application of ecosystem management principles in the design of the
project.
A range of alternatives will respond to environmental and social
issues. The no-action alternative will not harvest timber in the area.
The Thomas Bay log transfer facility will be reconstructed and required
roads will be constructed or reconstructed as needed.
The decision to be made is:
1. Whether or not timber harvest will occur in the Crystal Creek
project area;
2. How much timber will be harvested;
3. Location and design of harvest units;
4. Location and design of road construction and reconstruction; and
5. What mitigation measures and monitoring will be implemented.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The Draft Environmental Impact Statement should be
available for public review by June, 1997. The final Environmental
Impact Statement is scheduled to be completed by November, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions, written comments, and suggestions
concerning the analysis should be sent to Bruce Sims, Team Leader,
Petersburg Ranger District, P.O. Box 1328, Petersburg, AK 99833, phone
(907) 772-3871, fax (907) 772-5995.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All appropriate agencies will be contacted
and all required permits will be received before the proposed action is
implemented. The following permits are anticipated in order to
implement the proposed action:
[[Page 4246]]
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval under Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act,
State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources tideland
permit and lease or easement, and
State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation
authorization under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
Public Comment
Federal, State, and local agencies, potential contractors, and
other individuals or organizations who may be interested in, or
affected by, the decision are invited to participate in the scoping
process. This process will include:
1. Identification of potential issues;
2. Identification of issues to be analyzed in depth;
3. Determination of potential cooperating agencies and assignment
of responsibility; and
4. Examination of various alternatives.
The Forest Supervisor will hold public meetings during the planning
process. Interested people are invited to comment. The comment period
on the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the Notice of
Availability appears in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several draft environmental impact
statements must structure their participation in the environmental
review process. First, reviewers of the draft environmental impact
statements must structure their participation in the environmental
review of the proposal so 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 have been raised at the Draft EIS stage may be waived if not
raised until after the completion of the final environmental impact
statement 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 substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at the time when we 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
environmental impact 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 Environment
Policy Act in 40 CFR 1503.3 while addressing these points.
The responsible official for the decision is Abigail R. Kimbell,
Forest Supervisor, Stikine Area, Tongass National Forest, Alaska
Region, Petersburg, Alaska.
Dated: January 13, 1997.
Abigail R. Kimbell,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 97-2120 Filed 1-28-97; 8:45 am]
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