[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 105 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27044-27045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13517]
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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. 61, No. 105 / Thursday, May 30, 1996 /
Notices
[[Page 27044]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Pest Management Program at the R5 Genetic Resource Center, Chico
in the Pacific Southwest Region, California, in Butte County
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare a
draft and final environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposed
action to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) program at the R5
Genetic Resource Center, Chico which is administered by the Mendocino
National Forest. The Forest Service began an analysis for the nursery
portion of the site in 1989; however, the project was canceled in the
May 1, 1995 Federal Register Notice. The scope of the current proposed
action includes the nursery and seed orchard operations, arboretums,
and research areas. The administrative site is approximately 209 acres
in size, and the analysis area is approximately 121 acres. Areas on the
administrative site which are excluded from this analysis are the
office buildings and work areas, residential buildings, boundary fence
lines, Comanche Creek wildlife and recreation area, intermittent stream
area in the northern portion of the site, the diversion channel, and
other small wildlife habitat areas. The excluded area is estimated to
be approximately 88 acres in size. The Forest Service invites written
comments on the scope of the analysis. In addition, the Forest Service
gives notice of the environmental analysis and decisionmaking process
that will occur on the proposed action 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 should be received
in writing by July 1, 1996, to ensure timely consideration.
ADDRESS: Send written comments to: Lynne Hartman, Director, USDA Forest
Service, R5 Genetic Resource Center, Chico, 2741 Cramer Lane, Chico, CA
95928.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Hank Switzer, Horticulturist, R5 Genetic Resource Center, Chico, CA
95928, (916) 895-1176.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The scope of the analysis will consist of a
container nursery, approximately one acre in size, which has the
capacity to grow 1.2 million seedlings a year, and 120 acres that are
in production as seed orchards for restoration of forest ecosystems or
arboretums that are active in growing plant material for a variety of
biological, chemical and clinical research programs. Other areas on the
site such as the administrative buildings, residential buildings, and
the recreational and wildlife areas are not within the scope of this
analysis.
The Forest Service will conduct an environmental analysis to
determine what type of pest management program will be used at the
center. The pest management practices that will be analyzed include,
but are not limited to, control of unwanted vegetation by mechanical
and chemical methods; control of diseases using sanitation, biological
control organisms, and fungicides; control of insect pests with
biological and chemical insecticides, and use of sanitation; and
control of animal pests through mechanical, chemical, and preventative
measures.
In preparing the environmental impact statement, the Forest Service
will identify and consider a range of alternative pest management
programs including an alternative that will be based on the principles
of integrated pest management as required by the Forest Service Manual.
The ``no action'' alternative will be described as the continuation of
current pest management practices.
Public participation will be especially important at several points
during the analysis. The first point is during the scoping process (40
CFR 1501.7), which 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 environmental impact
statement.
3. Defining the proper make-up of the interdisciplinary team.
4. Exploring possible alternatives.
5. Identifying potential environmental effects.
6. Determining potential cooperating agencies.
7. Identifying groups or individuals interested or affected by the
decision.
The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, and
assistance from Federal, State and local agencies and other individuals
or organizations interested in or affected by the proposed action.
Public participation will be solicited by personal notification of
known interested and affected publics. In addition, news releases will
be used to keep the public informed. Input from interested people and
organizations will be used in preparation of the draft environmental
impact statement.
The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be filed
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for
public review by September 1996. At that time, EPA will publish a
notice of availability of the draft environmental impact statement in
the Federal Register.
The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will
be 45 days from the date the EPA's notice of availability appears in
the Federal Register. It is very important that those interested in the
proposed action participate at that time. To be most helpful, comments
on the draft environmental impact statement should be as specific as
possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merits of
the alternatives discussed (see Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act 40 CFR 1503.3)
In addition, Federal court decisions have established that
reviewers of draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningfull and alerts an agency to the reviewers' position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Environmental objections that
[[Page 27045]]
could have been raised at the draft stage may be waived if not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement.
City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Circuit, 1986) and
Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis.
1980). The reason for this is to ensure 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.
Following the comment period on the draft environmental impact
statement, comments will be analyzed, considered, and responded to by
the Forest Service in preparing the final environmental impact
statement. The final environmental impact statement is scheduled to be
completed by July 1997.
The responsible official will consider the comments and responses;
environmental consequences discussed in the environmental impact
statement; and applicable laws, regulations and policies in making a
decision regarding this proposal. The decision and reasons for the
decision will be documented in the Record of Decision.
Daniel K. Chisholm, Forest Supervisor, Mendocino National Forest,
is the responsible official.
Dated May 22, 1996.
Daniel K. Chisholm,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 96-13517 Filed 5-29-96; 8:45 am]
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