[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 87 (Friday, May 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19905-19906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11029]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Little River--Demonstration of Ecosystem Management Options
(DEMO)--Timber Sale, Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County, OR
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) for a proposal to harvest timber in the Little River
DEMO Planning Area. This proposal will implement the Demonstration of
Ecosystem Management Options Study Plan. The EIS will document the
environmental analyses and effects of a range of alternatives,
including a no-action alternative. This proposal is in accordance with
direction set forth in the 1990 Umpqua National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan, as amended, which provides for timber
management within applicable standards, guidelines, and management
prescriptions and the 1988 Final Environmental Impact Statement for
Managing Competing and Unwanted Vegetation. The agency invites written
comments on the scope of this project. In addition, the agency gives
notice of this analysis so that interested and affected parties are
aware of how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope and analysis of this proposal must
be received by June 1, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope
of the analysis to Ned Davis, District Ranger, North Umpqua Ranger
District, 18782 North Umpqua Highway, Glide, Oregon 97443.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions and comments about this EIS should be directed to Barbara
Fontaine, Resource Planning Assistant, North Umpqua Ranger District,
18782 North Umpqua Highway, Glide, Oregon 97443.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed timber sale will partial
harvest an estimated 160 acres producing 5.0 million board feet of
timber and will construct several helicopter landing sites. Logging
systems will be helicopter based. Silvicultural prescriptions will
follow those prescribed in the DEMO Study Plan and will consist of
several levels of green tree retention (15 percent, 40 percent, and 75
percent), with green trees left in aggregates or dispersed across the
landscape.
The Little River DEMO Planning Area encompasses portions of the
Emile Creek and the Upper Little River area located in the Little River
Watershed, approximately 30 air-miles East of Roseburg, Oregon. The
Emile area encompasses 8,718 acres north of Little River Road and the
main-stem Little River. The Upper Little River area encompasses 10,408
acres and includes the main-stem and headwaters of Little River.
To date, the preliminary issues identified relate to the effects on
the following: old-growth structure in terms
[[Page 19906]]
of its value to society; interior forest habitat; late-seral species;
Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive species, and survey and manage
species; water quality; aquatic habitat; current and future
recreational opportunities; archaeological sites from landing
construction and road reconstruction; and introduction and dispersal of
noxious weeds and aggressive non-native species.
The 1990 Umpqua National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan,
as amended, allocates the Little River Watershed into an Adaptive
Management Area (AMA). The Forest Plan's overall objective for AMA's is
to learn how to manage on an ecosystem basis in terms of both technical
and social challenges, and in a manner consistent with applicable laws.
For Little River specifically, the emphasis is placed on ``development
and testing of approaches to integration of intensive timber production
with restoration and maintenance of high quality riparian habitat ''.
Public participation has consisted of open houses, field trips, and
scoping conducted during the environmental assessment process. Numerous
comments have been received and have been incorporated and reflect in
the issues described above. Additional public comments will be received
until June 1, 1996. The information collected will be used in
preparation of the draft EIS. The scoping process includes the
following:
1. Identification of issues.
2. Identification of key issues.
3. Elimination of insignificant issues, issues which have been
covered by a relevant previous environmental process, and issues that
could be successfully mitigated.
4. Exploration of additional alternatives based on the key issues
identified during the scoping process.
5. Identification of potential environmental effects of the
proposed action and alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative
effects and connected actions).
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by
November, 1996. At that time, copies of the draft EIS will be
distributed to interested and affected agencies, organizations, and
members of the public for their review and comment. 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
the EPA notice appears in the Federal Register. It is very important
that those interested in the management of the Umpqua National Forest
participate at that time.
The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers
notice at this early stage of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
the draft EIS's must structure their participation in the environmental
review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency
to the reviewers 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 these court rulings, it is very important
that those interested in this proposed action participate by the close
of the 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.
The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by February, 1997. In
the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments
and responses received during the comment period that pertain to the
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS, as well as
applicable laws, regulations, and policies considered in making the
decision regarding this proposal. The lead agency is the Forest
Service. Don Ostby, Forest Supervisor, Umpqua National Forest, is the
responsible official. As the responsible official, he will document the
decision and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That
decision will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR
Part 217).
Dated: April 25, 1996.
Don Ostby,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 96-11029 Filed 5-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
