[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 204 (Monday, October 21, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54607-54608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26924]
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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. 61, No. 204 / Monday, October 21, 1996 /
Notices
[[Page 54607]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Modoc National Forest; Damon Fire Salvage Sales
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement to disclose the environmental effects of the proposed salvage
of fire killed or damaged timber on the Doublehead, Devil's Garden, and
Big Valley Ranger Districts of the Modoc National Forest. The proposed
activity will treat acres burnt in the Damon/Long Fire in late August
of 1996. The fire burned approximately 23,000 acres. The proposal
includes salvage of fire killed or damaged timber on approximately
9,500 acres; all yarding will be ground based with approximately 12
miles of temporary road that will be constructed and then closed after
use; place all-weather surface gravel on Roads 44N77 and 43N08;
reforest timber sites understocked by the fire on approximately 6,000
acres; remove approximately 8 miles of destroyed rangeland fence;
revegetate non-timber sites suitable cover/forage species on
approximately 2,000 acres; install 7 watering sites for wildlife;
increase snag longevity by removing the tops on 50% of retained snags
in order to offset projected snag deficiencies in fire replaced stands;
redistribute top soil and deep till in old windrowed plantations; and
treat slash adjacent to Highway 139.
Possible Alternatives to this proposal are No Action and Salvage
Outside the Released Roadless Area Only. Preliminary issues identified
with this project are impacts on big game habitat, impacts on soil
productivity, and visual impacts.
The project is located in T42N,R5E&R6E, T43N,R5E,R6E,&R7E, Mount
Diablo Meridian.
The purpose of the proposal is to meet the intent of the Modoc
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The management
emphasis for this area is growth and yield of timber and big game
habitat.
DATES: Comments concerning the proposal should be received in writing
by December 4, 1996 to receive timely consideration in the preparation
of the draft EIS. The draft EIS will be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency in February 1997. The final EIS and Record of
Decision is expected to be issued in April 1997.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments concerning this proposal to James
Kaderabek, District Ranger, Devil's Garden Ranger District, 800 W. 12th
Street, Alturas, Calif. 96101. Direct questions about the proposed
action and environmental impact statement to Paul Bailey, District
Timber Mgt. Officer, Devil's Garden Ranger District, 800 W. 12th St.,
Alturas, Calif. 96101, phone 916-233-5811.
RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: The Forest Service is the Lead Agency and the
responsible official for decisions regarding this analysis is Diane K.
Henderson-Bramlette, Modoc National Forest Supervisor. She will select
the preferred alternative based upon the analysis. Her address is 800
W. 12th St., Alturas, Calif. 96101.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposal includes harvesting only those
trees that are dead or expected to die as a result of the Damon/Long
Fire since most of the burned area is classified as marginal or low
timber site. Only 9,500 of the 23,000 acres burned are deemed
economical to harvest. The topography of the project area is flat with
scattered lava reefs. There are no streams in the area, the only
permanent water is two small ponds. The project area is not within an
identifiable watershed, all water percolates through the soil.
A portion of the project area is within the Released Damon Butte
Roadless Area, #05149. Approximately 9,900 acres of this released
roadless area burned in the Damon/Long Fire with about 2,750 acres
considered suitable for timber harvest. The Released Damon Butte
Roadless Area is composed of mostly Juniper/Shrub woodlands with
scattered aggregations of ponderosa pine. The main resource value
assigned to this area is as a transitory and winter range for deer. The
released roadless area is substantially roaded with around 17.5 miles
of existing road located in the timbered areas. The portions of the
burned area that contained timber have been harvested in the past.
The Damon/Long Fire burned across State Highway 139, the area
adjacent to the highway will be managed as a view area and will receive
total slash treatment.
The majority of the timbered areas within the fire burned with hot,
crown fires resulting in almost total mortality. Most of these areas
will require reforestation work to reestablish a forest stand.
Public participation will be especially important at several points
during the analysis. The first point is during the scoping process (40
CFR 1501.7). The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments,
and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and other
individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected by
the proposed action. This input will be used in preparation of the
draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). The scoping process
includes:
1. Identifying potential issues.
2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
3. Eliminating insignificant issues or those which have been
covered by a relevant previous environmental analysis.
4. Exploring additional alternatives.
5. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed
action and alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects
and connected actions).
The DEIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by February 1997.
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
[[Page 54608]]
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), and that environmental
objections that could have been raised at the draft stage may be waived
if not raised until after completion of the final environmental impact
statement. Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338
(E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this is to ensure 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.
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.
Dated: October 10, 1996.
Diane K. Henderson-Bramlette,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 96-26924 Filed 10-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
