[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 87 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24318-24319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11337]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Proposed Little Weiser Landscape Vegetation Management Project,
Payette National Forest, Idaho
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) for the proposed Little Weiser Landscape Vegetation
Management Project, Council Ranger District, Payette National Forest,
Idaho. The proposed action would harvest timber on 3,000 to 3,800
acres, construct about 8 miles of new road, reconstruct approximately
30 miles of system and non-system roads, obliterate 4.2 miles of roads,
close approximately 40 miles of existing non-system roads, treat fuels,
and plant conifer seedlings on 2,300 to 2,600 acres after harvest. The
Forest Service will develop a range of alternatives, including a no
action alternative, to address issues.
The agency invites public comments on the scope of the analysis and
issues to be addressed in the draft environmental impact statement
(DEIS). In addition, the agency gives notice of the full environmental
analysis and decision making process that is beginning on the proposal
so that interested and affected people can know how they may
participate and contribute to the final decision.
DATES: Comments must be received by June 18, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions to: Dautis Pearson,
Team Leader, Council Ranger District, Payette National Forest, P.O. Box
567, Council, Idaho 83612. Fax (208) 253-0109.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
should be directed to Dautis Pearson, phone (208) 253-4215.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Payette National Forest prepared an
environmental assessment (EA) on this Little Weiser proposal in March
1997. The Forest Supervisor signed a Decision Notice approving the
project on December 23, 1997. In 1998, a lawsuit challenged this
project, among others. In response to a settlement agreement resolving
the litigation, the Forest Supervisor in February 1999, agreed to
withdraw the decision and prepare an environmental impact statement
that would update the analysis in the EA. The Forest Supervisor will
then issue a new decision.
The Payette National Forest Plan (1988) provides Forest-wide
direction
[[Page 24319]]
for management of the land and resources of the Payette National
Forest, including this project area. The project would be consistent
with the Plan as amended by the Inland Native Fish Strategy (INFISH) of
1995.
Public participation will be important at several points during the
analysis, particularly during scoping of issues and review of the DEIS.
The first opportunity in the process is scoping. This notice begins the
30-day scoping period.
The scoping process includes:
1. Identifying potential issues.
2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in detail.
3. Eliminating insignificant issues or those covered by a relevant
previous environmental analysis.
4. Determining potential cooperating agencies and responsibilities.
The Forest Service has consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Department of Interior, on potential impacts to threatened and
endangered species.
Preliminary issues include effects on soils, water, fish, timber,
vegetation, wildlife, fire management, heritage resources, recreation,
visual quality, and socio-economics.
The next major opportunity for public input is with the DEIS. The
DEIS will analyze a range of alternatives to the proposed action,
including the no-action alternative. The Forest expects to file the
DEIS with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for public review
in July 1999. EPA will then publish a notice of availability of the
DEIS in the Federal Register. The Forest Service invites public
comments at that time.
The comment period on the DEIS 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
any DEIS must structure their participation in the environmental review
of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency to the
reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.
v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, courts may waive or dismiss
environmental objections that could be raised at the DEIS stage but
that are not raised until after completion of the final environmental
impact statement (FEIS). 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 the
agency can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the FEIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
raised by the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as
specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific
pages or chapters of the DEIS. Comments may also address the adequacy
of the DEIS or the merits of the alternatives it analyzes. 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 Forest Service will respond to comments received in the FEIS
(40 CFR 1503.4). The responsible official will consider the comments,
responses, environmental consequences disclosed in the FEIS, and
applicable laws, regulations, and policies in making the final decision
regarding this proposal. The responsible official will document the
decision and reasons for it in the Record of Decision. That decision
will be subject to appeal under 36 CFR 215.
David F. Alexander, Forest Supervisor of the Payette National
Forest, is the responsible official for this EIS.
Dated: April 30, 1999.
Miera Crawford,
External Relations Branch Chief.
[FR Doc. 99-11337 Filed 5-5-99; 8:45 am]
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