[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 82 (Tuesday, April 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23214-23215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10955]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Payen, English, and Pass Creek Range Allotments, Tahoe National
Forest, Nevada and Sierra Counties, CA
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Tahoe
National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to
evaluate three grazing allotments. The analysis will lay the groundwork
for amending the Allotment Management Plans (AMPs) by determining what
levels of livestock will be allowed on the land, the allowable amount
of vegetation that can be grazed, the timing of grazing, and the
methods to control the distribution of livestock on the allotments. The
allotments are located on the Sierraville Ranger District, Sierraville,
California, in portions of T19N, R12E-R17E, MDB&M.
The primary objectives of the proposals are to: (1) Manage grazing
to ensure that affected vegetation, including the woody and shrub
components are maintaining sustainable, diverse, and healthy plant
communities; (2) where areas are degraded, manage grazing to restore
trend towards, and subsequently maintaining, the ecological health of
these areas such that they attain desired conditions within then years;
(3) manage grazing to provide for and maintain necessary habitats for
diverse populations of plant and animal species, including those that
are sensitive, threatened, or endangered; (4) manage grazing so that
precipitation is able to
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enter the soil surface at appropriate rates, the soil is adequately
protected against accelerated erosion, and fertility is maintained at
appropriate levels; (5) manage grazing to maintain the integrity of
streambanks and ensure that where streambank conditions have been
degraded, the level of use will allow for increased stability and an
upward trend; and (6) develop a set of grazing strategies in
conjunction with the above objectives that would maintain economical
and sustainable operations.
The agency invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the
analysis. In addition, the agency gives notice of the full
environmental analysis and decision-making 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 should be made in writing and received by May 23, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the project should be directed
to Sam Wilbanks, District Ranger, Sierraville Ranger District, PO Box
95, Sierraville, CA 96126.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sam Wilbanks, District Ranger, Sierraville Ranger District,
Sierraville, CA 96126, telephone (916) 994-3401, or Jerry Sirski,
Project Team Leader, at (916) 994-3401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Review of the three permits is important in
order to conserve riparian habitats, meadow systems, fish and wildlife
habitats, and other resources. In addition, Congress has mandated,
under Public Law 104-19, to conduct this review using procedures
specified in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This
analysis will lay the groundwork for amending the Allotment Management
Plan (AWPs) of these three areas. All three plans are out of date. The
Payen AMP is 20 years old; the Pass Creek and English AMP's were
originally part of a larger plan that is 40 years old. In the time
since these plans were approved, new scientific information on the
management of rangeland and aquatic ecosystems has been developed.
Although permits have been adjusted over the years to adapt to new
information, revision of the current AMPs is in order.
In preparing the environmental impact statement, the Forest Service
will identify and analyze a range of alternatives that address the
issues developed for the respective allotments. One of the alternatives
will be no grazing. Other alternatives will consider differing levels
of grazing. An ecological approach will be used as part of this
analysis. This means that the needs of people and environmental values
will be blended in such a way that this area's desired condition would
represent a diverse, healthy, productive, and sustainable ecosystem.
Public participation will be important during the analysis,
especially during the review of the draft environmental impact
statement. The Forest Service is 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 action. This input will be used in preparation of the
draft environmental impact statement. The scoping process includes:
1. Identifying potential issues.
2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
3. Eliminating insignificant issues or those which have been
covered by a relevant previous environmental analysis.
4. Exploring additional alternatives.
5. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed
action and alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects
and connected actions).
6. Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.
The following list of issues has been identified through initial
scoping:
(1) What should be the permitted capacity for each allotment?
(2) Should the inactive unit of the Pass Creek Allotment be stocked
with livestock?
(3) What is the appropriate class of livestock for each allotment?
(4) How will livestock be managed on each allotment?
(5) What is the proper season of use?
(6) What improvements are needed?
(7) What variables should be monitored in the monitoring plan?
Comments from other Federal, State and local agencies,
organizations, and individuals who may be interested in, or affected by
the decision, are encouraged to identify other significant issues.
Public participation will be solicited through mailing letters to
potentially interested or affected mining claim owners, private land
owners, and special use permittees on the Sierraville Ranger District;
posting information in local towns; and mailing letters to local
permittees, politicians, school boards, county supervisors, and
environmental groups. Continued participation will be emphasized
through individual contacts. Public meetings, depending on interest,
will be used as a method public involvement during preparation and
review of the draft environmental impact statement and will be
announced in newspapers of general circulation in the geographic area
well in advance of scheduled dates.
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by July,
1997. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 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 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,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft EIS stage but that are not raised until after completion of the
final EIS 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 the
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 EIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to
specific pages or chapters of the draft EIS. Comments may also address
the adequacy of the draft EIS 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 is expected to be available by October, 1997. The
responsible official is Sam J. Wilbanks, District Ranger, Sierraville
Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest.
Dated: April 18, 1997.
John H. Skinner,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 97-10955 Filed 4-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
