[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 236 (Wednesday, December 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 67914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32054]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplement to a Final Environmental
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplement to a final
environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Fish and Wildlife
Service and National Marine Fisheries Service (Services) intend to
prepare draft and final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statements
(Supplement) pertaining to the Plum Creek Timber Company, Cascade
Timberlands Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan). The Plan was accepted by
the Services and an Incidental Take Permit (Permit) was originally
issued in June 1996 for Plum Creek lands located in King and Kittitas
Counties, Washington. The Supplement will address Plum Creek's request
for HCP modification associated with a potential land exchange with the
U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service). The Final Environmental Impact
Statement (Statement) associated with the original Plan is not being
re-opened or re-analyzed, and the decisions based on the original
Statement are not being reconsidered.
The Services are furnishing this notice in order to advise other
agencies and the public of our intentions. Formal public scoping will
not be conducted, consistent with 40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4). However, public
review and comment periods will be provided for the draft and final
Supplement and their availability will be announced in the Federal
Register.
ADDRESSES: Requests for information should be sent to William Vogel,
Wildlife Biologist, Fish and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive, S.E.,
Suite 102, Lacey, Washington, 98503-1273, (telephone: 360/753-9440;
facsimile: 360/534-9331); or Bob Turner, Habitat Conservation Plan
Program Manager, National Marine Fisheries Service, 510 Desmond Drive,
S.E., Suite 103, Lacey, Washington, 98503-1273 (telephone: 360/753-
6054; facsimile: 360/753-9517).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The June 1996 Plum Creek Plan applied to a
169,177-acre Project Area located within a 418,690-acre Planning Area.
The Planning Area is located within east King County and west Kittitas
County, Washington, and is bisected by U.S. Interstate 90.
The potential land exchange would result in a transfer to the
Forest Service of up to 54,000 acres of the 169,177-acre Project Area
previously covered by Plum Creek's Permit and Plan, and the transfer of
up to 12,000 acres of Forest Service lands within the 418,690-acre
Planning Area to Plum Creek. If modified, the Plum Creek permit area
would consist of approximately 127,000 acres.
The Permit allows Plum Creek to incidentally take threatened and
endangered fish and wildlife and requires Plum Creek to implement a
habitat-based, prescriptive management plan designed to minimize and
mitigate such take. The 1996 Plan considered that Plum Creek lands
managed under the Plan and Permit would likely change as a result of
future land exchanges with the Forest Service. Consequently, the Plan
and associated Implementation Agreement provide procedures and criteria
to modify the Plan to accommodate the exchange of lands. The Plan
describes two scenarios for land exchanges with the Forest Service
whereby ``the biological integrity of the Plan would be either
maintained or improved.''
The Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement will analyze Plum
Creek's proposal in order to determine the environmental impact
(beneficial or adverse) which would result from implementation of the
Plan modification, as compared to the original federal action (approval
and implementation of the original Plan and issuance of an Incidental
Take Permit).
Questions concerning this proposed action and the environmental
review should be directed to the Fish and Wildlife Service or National
Marine Fisheries Service at the address or telephone number provided
above.
The environmental review of this project will be conducted in
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended (42 USC 4321 et seq.), National Environmental
Policy Act Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), other appropriate Federal
laws and regulations, and policies and procedures of the Services for
compliance with those regulations.
Dated: November 25, 1998.
Thomas J. Dwyer,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 98-32054 Filed 12-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
