[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 201 (Friday, October 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54039-54040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27569]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Squirrel Meadows-Grand Targhee Resort Land Exchange; Targhee
National Forest, Teton County, Wyoming
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document the
analysis and disclose the environmental impacts of a proposed land
exchange with Booth Creek, Inc., dba Grand Targhee Resort.
In this proposed exchange the Targhee National Forest would trade
parcels of National Forest System Lands totaling about 265 acres to
Booth Creek, Inc., for a private parcel totaling approximately 330
acres. The National Forest System lands to be conveyed are located at
the base of the Grand Targhee Resort, 7 miles east of Alta, Wyoming.
The lands to be acquired are located at Squirrel Meadows, 26 miles east
of Ashton, Idaho.
Values of the parcels will be appraised following a process
stipulated for Federal land adjustments. In order for the exchange to
take place, the appraised values of the lands must be equal.
Differences in appraised values may be made up by reducing the acreage
of National Forest System lands offered for exchange, or by including a
cash payment. The cash value may not exceed 25 percent of the appraised
value of the Federal lands to be conveyed.
DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described
in this notice should be received on or before December 1, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Teton Basin Ranger District, Attn:
Jack Haddox, PO Box 777, Driggs, ID 83422. The responsible official for
this decision is Robert W. Ross, Jr., Director, Recreation and Lands,
USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, 324 25th Street, Ogden, UT
84401.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions concerning the proposed action and EIS should be directed to
Patty Bates, Teton Basin District Ranger, Targhee National Forest,
phone: (208) 354-2312.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Targhee National Forest is proposing to
exchange up to 265 acres of National Forest System lands within the
Grand Targhee Resort permit area for 330 acres of private land at
Squirrel Meadows. The final acreage will be decided through an
appraisal process pursuant to the Uniform Federal Appraisal Standards
for land adjustments. Values must be equal in order for the exchange to
proceed. If it becomes necessary to equalize values the National Forest
System acreage may be reduced from the proposed 265 acres. In the event
the values cannot be equalized by the adjustment a cash equalization
payment of up to 25 percent of the appraised value of the Federal lands
may be made by either party.
The decision to be made is whether to proceed with the exchange as
proposed; modify the exchange; or withdraw from the exchange. Public
scoping will be completed through letters, news releases and public
meetings. Dates have not yet been set.
Preliminary issues identified are:
(1) Impacts from potential development of the exchanged lands at
Grand Targhee on the base area and in Teton Valley, Idaho.
(2) Impacts on wildlife in the area of Grand Targhee from potential
development and increased use of the area in general.
(3) Impacts on the Jedediah Smith Wilderness from the potential
increased use and development of the grand Targhee area.
(4) Creation of a private inholding within the boundary of the
Targhee National Forest.
(5) The effects on grizzly bears (listed as threatened under the
Endangered Species Act) and other threatened, endangered and sensitive
species from the potential development of the exchanged lands and
potential development of the lands if they are not exchanged.
Other issues may be identified during the scoping period. Written
suggestions and comments are invited on the issues related to the
proposal and the area being analyzed. Information received will be used
in the preparation of the Draft EIS and Final EIS. For most effective
use, comments should be submitted to the Forest Service within 45 days
from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service is the lead agency. The Forest Service estimates
the draft EIS will be filed in May, 1998, and the final EIS will be
filed in December, 1998.
The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency's notice
of availability appears in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give
[[Page 54040]]
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,
533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be revised 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 Circ 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 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
Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the
public record on this proposed action and will be available for public
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR Parts 215 or
217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request
the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing
how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality.
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that, under the
FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very limited
circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest Service
will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding the
request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within 15
days.
Dated: October 9, 1997.
Jack A. Blackwell,
Deputy Regional Forester, Intermountain Region, USDA Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 97-27569 Filed 10-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
