[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59736-59737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28699]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Gunflint Corridor Fuels Reduction Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: On August 24, 1999, the Council on Environmental Quality
granted alternative arrangements for the immediate actions needed to
address public safety concerns within the Gunflint Trail Corridor as a
result of the 4th of July Blowdown Event. These alternative
arrangements are effective until close of business on Friday, December
24, 1999. Subsequent actions which the Agency (Forest Service) proposed
to take over the ``longer term'' were to be addressed through the
normal NEPA process. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to reduce
the fire hazard and restore damaged components of the ecosystem within
the Gunflint Corridor. The objectives of the project are to: (1) Reduce
fuel and fire hazard, (2) Provide and improve land-based infrastructure
needs for fire suppression or public evacuation, (3) Increase the
acreage and component of longer lived species, particularly pine, (4)
Improve long term visual quality, and (5) Reforest blown-down areas.
The Record of Decision will disclose how the Forest Service has decided
to treat more than 11,000 acres of blowdown fuels. The proposed action
is to treat an estimated 8400 acres with mechanical means such as
commercial timber sales or service contract for piling and burning;
treat 3000 acres with prescribed fire; and treat 100 acres with service
contracts for hand treatment. A range of alternatives responsive to
significant issues will be developed, including a no-action
alternative. The proposed project is located on the Gunflint Ranger
District, Grand Marais, MN, Superior National Forest. The Gunflint
Ranger District is requesting the project be considered an emergency
under CFR 215.10(d)(1).
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this project should be received
by December 6, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to: Gunflint Ranger District,
Superior National Forest, Attn.: Gunflint Corridor Fuels Reduction EIS,
P.O. Box 790, Grand Marais, MN 55604.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jo Barnier, District Ranger, or Becky
Bartol, Team Leader, Gunflint Ranger District, Superior National
Forest, P.O. Box 790, Grand Marais, MN 55604, telephone (218) 387-1750.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public participation will be an integral
component of the study process and will be especially important at
several points during the analysis. The first is during the scoping
process. The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, and
assistance from Federal, State and local agencies, individuals, and
organizations that may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed
activities. The scoping process will include: (1) Identification of
potential issues, (2) identification of issues to be analyzed in depth,
and (3) elimination of insignificant issues or those which have been
covered by a previous environmental review. Written scoping comments
will be solicited through a scoping package that will be sent to the
project mailing list and to the local newspaper. For the Forest Service
to best use the scoping input, comments should be received by December
6, 1999. Issues identified for analysis in the EIS include the
potential effects of the project on and the relationship of the project
to: Fuel hazard reduction, riparian areas and Shipstead Newton Nolan
areas, reforestation, temporary roads, inventoried candidate special
management complexes, roadless areas, and others.
Based on the results of scoping and the resource capabilities
within the Project Area, alternatives, including a no-action
alternative, will be developed for the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is
projected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in
February 2000. The Final EIS is anticipated in May 2000.
The comment period on the Draft EIS will be a minimum of 45 days
from the date the EPA 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 EISs 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)). Environmental
objections that could have been raised at the Draft EIS stage may be
waived or dismissed by the courts (City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2nd
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 that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when they can be meaningfully considered and
responded to in the Final EIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns of the Proposed Action, comments during scoping and on the
Draft EIS should be as specific as possible and refer to specific pages
or chapters. Comments may address the adequacy of the Draft EIS or the
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed. In addressing
these points reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act in 40 CFR 1503.3.
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. 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.
Requesters should be aware that, under FOIA, confidentiality may be
granted in only very limited circumstances, such as to
[[Page 59737]]
protect trade secrets. The Forest Service will inform the requester of
the agency's decision regarding the request for confidentiality. If 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 seven days.
Permits/Authorizations
The proposed action includes prescribed burning in the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. An amendment to the Superior National
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan would be needed for such
burns. James W. Sanders, Forest Supervisor, Superior National Forest,
would be the responsible official for the plan amendment.
Responsible Official
Jo Barnier, Gunflint District Ranger, Superior National Forest, is
the responsible official. In making the decision, the responsible
official will consider the comments, responses, disclosure of
environmental consequences, and applicable laws, regulations, and
policies. The responsible official will state the rationale for the
chosen alternative in the Record of Decision.
Dated: October 27, 1999.
Jo Barnier,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 99-28699 Filed 11-2-99; 8:45 am]
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