[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 227 (Monday, November 28, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page ]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-29138]
[Federal Register: November 28, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Emigrant Wilderness Management Direction, Stanislaus National
Forest, Tuolumne County, California
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement (EIS).
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an EIS for a proposal to
revise current management direction for the 113,000-acre Emigrant
Wilderness on the Summit Ranger District, Stanislaus National Forest,
Tuolumne County, California
DATES: To be most helpful in the preparation of the Draft EIS, comments
should be received in writing by April 1, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions to Karen Caldwell,
District Ranger, Summit Ranger District, #1 Pinecrest Lake Road,
Pinecrest, CA, 95364, (209) 965-3434.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cindy Diaz, Team Leader, (209) 965-3434.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS will evaluate alternatives,
including standards and guidelines to assure an enduring resource of
Wilderness as described in the 1964 Wilderness Act (U.S.C. 16 1131-
1136). The resulting decision will be utilized to amend the 1991
Stanislaus National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) for
Management Area 1, Wilderness. This EIS will include all areas within
the Emigrant Wilderness boundary and will not consider Wilderness
additions.
Preliminary scoping, which was initiated with notification in the
Stanislaus National Forest quarterly NEPA summary in spring of 1993,
press releases and direct mailings during August of 1993 and a public
meeting October 2 of 1993, has resulted in the identification of nine
key issues: Ecosystems, Heritage Resources, Fisheries, Economic and
Regional Considerations, Social, Range, Wilderness Opportunities,
Recreation, and Access.
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. Project mailing list participants from the
preliminary scoping efforts receive periodic updates on the planning
process along with notifications of public meetings.
Glenn Gottschall, acting Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor, is
the responsible official, 19777 Greenley Road, Sonora, CA, 95370, (209)
532-3671.
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by
October of 1995.
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. It is very important
that those interested in this proposed action participate at that time.
To be the most helpful, comments on the draft environmental impact
statement should be as specific as possible and may address the
adequacy of the statement or the merits of the alternatives discussed
(see The Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3).
In addition, Federal court decisions have established that
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 reviewers' position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). 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. City of Angoon v. Hodel, (9th
Circuit, 1986) and 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.
Dated: November 8, 1994.
Glenn Gottschall,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 94-29138 Filed 11-25-94; 8:45 am]
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