[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5775-5776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2795]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[I.D. 012299C]
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
Regarding Proposed Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit to Crown
Pacific for Forest Management and Timber Harvest in Whatcom and Skagit
Counties, Washington
AGENCIES: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce; Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, this notice
advises the public that NMFS and FWS (the Services) intend to prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) related to the proposed
approval of a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) and an issuance of an
incidental take permit (Permit) to take endangered and threatened
species in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act). The Permit applicant is Crown Pacific, Ltd., and the
application is related to forest management and timber harvest on a
portion of the Hamilton Tree Farm located in Whatcom and Skagit
Counties, Washington.
Crown Pacific intends to request a Permit for the northern spotted
owl (Strix occidentalis), marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus),
gray wolf (Canis lupus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), bald
eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos).
It may also request a permit for 22 currently unlisted species of
concern (including anadromous and resident fish), should these species
be listed under the Act in the future.
The Services are furnishing this notice in order to advise other
agencies and the public of our intentions and to announce that a draft
EIS is expected to be available for public review and comment during
the first quarter of 1999.
ADDRESSES: Address comments and requests for information to: Brian
Bogaczyk, Fish and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive, SE, Suite 102,
Lacey, Washington 98503, telephone (360) 753-5824; or Matt Longenbaugh,
National Marine Fisheries Service, 510 Desmond Drive, SE, Suite 103,
Lacey, Washington 98503, telephone (360) 753-7761.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Crown Pacific, Ltd., owns and manages the
Hamilton Tree Farm, located in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, Washington.
The proposed Plan area is composed of several parcels of the Hamilton
Tree Farm, totaling 84,664 acres, and is located north and south of
State Highway 20, roughly between Sedro-Woolley and Marblemount,
Washington. Management activities on the tree farm include forest
management and timber harvest. A portion of the proposed Plan area,
Arlecho Creek, is in the process of being transferred to the Nature
Conservancy and the Lummi Indian Nation, with the understanding that
the property will be managed indefinitely as a natural and cultural
area. The transfer is expected to be completed in late 1999.
Some timber management activities have the potential to impact
species subject to protection under the Act. Section 10 of the Act
contains provisions for the issuance of Permits to non-Federal land
owners for the take of endangered and threatened species, provided the
take is incidental to otherwise lawful activities and will not
appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of the
species in the wild. In order to receive a Permit, the applicant must
prepare and submit to the Services for approval a Plan containing a
strategy for minimizing, monitoring, and mitigating all take associated
with the proposed activities to the maximum extent practicable. The
applicant must also ensure that adequate funding for the Plan will be
provided. If approved, the Permit and Plan would be in effect for 100
years.
Activities proposed for Permit coverage include the following: Tree
site preparation; tree planting; harvesting and yarding of timber;
construction, maintenance and use of logging roads and landings;
quarrying of stone and
[[Page 5776]]
gravel for use in those roads and landings; and cellular phone and
radio repeater tower sites.
Previous announcements relating to this project indicated that an
environmental review (EIS or Environmental Assessment) would be
conducted. The Services have now concluded that an EIS should be
prepared. The EIS will analyze the proposal and the reasonable
alternatives, as well as the associated impacts of each. Development of
initial alternatives involved internal and public scoping. Public input
into the environmental review of this proposal was obtained during a
public scoping period conducted from August 20 to September 21, 1998,
and was announced in a previous Federal Register notice (63 FR 44634,
August 20, 1998). That public scoping period will be used to fulfill
scoping requirements under 40 CFR 1501.7, consistent with 46 FR 18026
(March 23, 1981), as amended by 51 FR 15618 (April 25, 1985).
Four alternatives have been proposed thus far and will be
considered for detailed analysis in the EIS. Under Alternative A (no-
action alternative) no Permit would be issued and take would be avoided
for any and all threatened and endangered species on the property.
Alternative B (preferred alternative) involves issuing a Permit for six
threatened and endangered species on the property with provisions for
approximately 22 unlisted species (covered species). The Plan would
have minimization and mitigation measures for each of the covered
species on the property. Alternative C involves issuing a Permit for
northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet only, with provisions for
approximately 9 unlisted species (covered species). The Plan would have
minimization and mitigation measures for each covered species.
Alternative D involves a Candidate Conservation Agreement with
minimization and mitigation measures for anadromous salmonids and bull
trout and take avoidance for all threatened and endangered species.
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 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and implementing
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508), other appropriate Federal
laws and regulations, and policies and procedures of the Services for
compliance with those regulations. It is estimated that the draft EIS
will be available for public review and comment during the first
quarter of 1999.
Date: January 19, 1999.
Thomas J. Dwyer,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Fish and Wildlife Service,
Portland, Oregon.
Date: February 1, 1999.
Kevin Collins,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-2795 Filed 2-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F, 4310-55-F
