[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 33 (Friday, February 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8289-8290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4091]
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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. 64, No. 33 / Friday, February 19, 1999 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Helicopter Landing Tours on the Juneau Icefield EIS 2000, Tongass
National Forest, Chatham Area, Juneau Ranger District, Juneau, Alaska
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental
impacts of authorizing helicopter landing tours on the icefield
adjacent to Juneau, Alaska. The proposed action is to issue special use
permits (2000-2004) authorizing helicopter tour companies to land on
the Juneau Icefield at specified locations and conduct tours. In
addition to the regular glacier tours, this EIS will also analyze the
effects of dogsled tours, glacier trekking tours, and a combined fixed-
wing/helicopter tour that would land at the lake at Antler Glacier. The
majority of use would occur between May and September of each year.
Tours would originate at private heliports and helicopter flight paths
would transit a variety of private and municipal lands prior to
entering the National Forest.
The proposed action would maintain the authorized helicopter
landings on the Juneau Icefield at the 1999 level of 19,039 landings.
The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from Federal,
State, and local agencies as well as individuals and organizations who
may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed action.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received
in writing by March 9, 1999. A public meeting will be held at the
Juneau Ranger District on February 25 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
District staff will be available at this open house to explain the
project, accept your comments, and answer questions.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the analysis
should be sent to Roger Birk, Environmental Coordinator, Juneau Ranger
District Office, 8465 Old Dairy Road, Juneau, Alaska 99801.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Birk, Environmental Coordinator,
Juneau Ranger District Office, 8465 Old Dairy Road, Juneau, Alaska
99801, (907) 586-8800, fax number (907) 586-8808. Email may be sent to
r10@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose and need for the proposed action
is to meet public demand for quality guided services which provide safe
access to remote locations on the Juneau Icefield. Meeting this demand
includes providing for visitor safety and an appropriate balance
between commercial guided recreation opportunities and non-commercial,
non-guided recreation opportunities without unacceptable impacts to
other forest users and resources.
Peter Griffin, Juneau District Ranger, Tongass National Forest,
Chatham Area, is the deciding official. The decision to be made is
whether or not to issue special use permits for helicopter landing
tours as requested, and if permits are issued, decide the levels to be
authorized and the mitigation measures, if any, that will be required.
The no action and proposed action alternatives will be considered
in the EIS as well as other alternatives which address significant
issues and satisfy the purpose and need for the action.
Preliminary issues that have been identified include helicopter
noise disturbance to residential areas, wildlife, and ground-based
recreation users.
In 1992 an environmental assessment and in 1995 an environmental
impact statement were prepared to analyze the effects of these tours.
Comments from the EA and EIS were used to identify issues for this EIS.
Comments will be accepted throughout the EIS process but, to be most
useful, should be received by March 9, 1999.
The draft environmental impact statement should be available for
review by August 1, 1999. The comment period of 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 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 raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage that are not raised until
after the 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 Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1335, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate at 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 meaningful 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 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.
The Final EIS and Record of Decision is expected to be released in
November, 1999. The Juneau District Ranger, Chatham Area, Tongass
National Forest will, as the responsible official for the EIS, make a
decision regarding this proposal considering the comments, responses,
and environmental consequences discussed in the Final EIS, and
applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The decision and
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supporting reasons will be documented in the Record of Decision.
Dated: February 3, 1999.
John H. Favro,
Acting District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 99-4091 Filed 2-18-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
