[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 2, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-4684]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 2, 1994]
VOL. 59, NO. 41
Wednesday, March 2, 1994
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Eldorado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan;
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) for resource management activities, including biomass
removal, timber harvest, fuelbreak construction and wildlife habitat
improvement work on the Whale Rock Forest Health Multi-resource
Project, involving a total planning area size of about 4,500 acres on
the Pacific Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest. The agency
invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis.
The agency also gives notice of the full environmental analysis and
decisionmaking process that will occur on the proposal so that
interested and affected people are aware of how they may participate
and contribute to the final decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by April 4, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope
of the analysis to Marie Kennedy, Assistant Silviculturist, Pacific
Ranger Station, Pollock Pines, California, 95726.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Quesitons about the proposed action and EIS should be directed to Marie
Kennedy, Assistant Silviculturist, Pacific Ranger Station, Pollock
Pines, California, 95726, phone 916-644-2349.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Eldorado National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan was completed in January 1989. The Whale Rock
Forest Health Multi-resource Project EIS will tier to the approved
Eldorado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Most of the
land in the analysis area is identified in the approved Plan as having
a general management direction of timber management.
There are no known permits or licenses required to implement the
proposed action.
In preparing the EIS, the Forest Service will identify and consider
a range of alternatives for this project. The proposed alternatives
will include the following tentative alternative themes:
1. No Action
2. Forest Health--timber product, including biomass, management
emphasis
3. Forest Health--wildlife management emphasis
4. Forest Health--fuels management emphasis
5. Forest Health--multiple use management emphasis.
These alternatives will consider varying levels and distribution of
vegetation manipulation, timber harvest and fuels management. No new
specified road construction is anticipated. Road reconstruction needs
will include drainage work, clearing and minor realignment. The amount
of road reconstruction necessary for this project will vary between
alternatives. Harvest prescriptions will include understory removal of
both merchantable and sub-merchantable trees, commercial thinning, and
fuelbreak construction guidelines. All harvest prescriptions will
conform with the California Spotted Owl Sierran Province Interim
Guidelines Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice. Adaptive
management strategies for the Spotted Owl may be included under certain
alternatives where benefits to the spotted owl can be shown, that is,
wildlife habitat activities or fuel management activities that are
designed to better maintain future management options of the spotted
owl by improving or retaining stand components most at risk.
Volume estimates of timber to be harvested range from 0 to 10 mmbf
of commercial sawtimber. Biomass estimates range from 0 to 30,000 tons.
These estimates will be dependent on which alternative is chosen.
Preliminary issues that have been identified during the internal
scoping process include:
1. The potential for cumulative watershed effects within the project
area.
2. The selection and application of adaptive management strategies to
best achieve the habitat needs of the spotted owl.
Public participation will be especially important at several points
during the analysis. The first point is during the scoping process (40
CFR 1501.7).
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 project. This input will be used in preparation of the
draft EIS. The scoping process includes:
1. Defining the scope of the analysis and nature of the decision to be
made.
2. Identifying the issues and determining the significant issues for
consideration and analysis within the EIS.
3. Defining the proper interdisciplinary team make-up.
4. Determining the effective use of time and money in conducting the
analysis.
5. Identifying potential environmental, technical, and social impacts
of the EIS and alternatives.
6. Determining potential cooperating agencies.
7. Identifying groups or individuals interested or affected by the
decision.
Robert Harris, Acting Forest Supervisor, Eldorado National Forest,
is the responsible official.
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by June
1994. At that time EPA will publish a notice of availability of the
draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment period on the draft EIS
will be 45 days from the date that EPA's notice of availability appears
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 reviewers's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage, but that are not raised
until after 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. 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 it can meaningfully
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.
After the comment period ends on the draft EIS, the comments will
be analyzed and considered by the Forest Service in prearing the final
EIS. The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by October 1994. In the
final EIS the Forest Service is required to respond to the comments and
responses received (40 CFR 1503.4). The responsible official will
considered the comments, responses, and enviornmental consequences
discussed in the draft EIS; and applicable laws, regulations, and
policies in making a decision regarding this project. The responsible
official will document the decision and reasons for the decision in the
Record of Decision. That decision will be subject to appeal pursuant to
36 CFR part 215.
Dated: February 23, 1994.
Robert Harris,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Eldorado National Forest.
[FR Doc. 94-4684 Filed 3-1-94; 8:45 am]
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