98-16199. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area Comprehensive Management Plan, Wallowa-Whitman, Nez Perce, and Payette National Forests, Baker and Wallowa Counties in Oregon and Nez Perce, Idaho, and Adams Counties in Idaho  

  • [Federal Register Volume 63, Number 117 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 33318-33319]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 98-16199]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
    
    Forest Service
    
    
    Hells Canyon National Recreation Area Comprehensive Management 
    Plan, Wallowa-Whitman, Nez Perce, and Payette National Forests, Baker 
    and Wallowa Counties in Oregon and Nez Perce, Idaho, and Adams Counties 
    in Idaho
    
    AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
    
    ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Revised Environmental Impact 
    Statement.
    
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    SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the USDA, Forest Service will 
    prepare a revised draft environmental impact statement for the Hells 
    Canyon National Recreation Area Comprehensive Management Plan. The 
    decision to revise the draft environmental impact statement is based on 
    two factors: (1) Over two years have passed since the release of the 
    draft environmental impact statement and new information has been 
    released from the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project 
    that may affect the project area, thus warranting a review. This new 
    information will be evaluated in the context of the affected 
    environment to determine if proposed management direction should be 
    modified; and (2) an additional alternative should be analyzed in 
    detail that was submitted by interest groups in 1995 and was never 
    fully analyzed in the February 1996 draft environmental impact 
    statement. This alternative proposes management direction to manage the 
    Hells Canyon National Recreation Area to thrive as a healthy native 
    ecosystem that is an integral component of a larger bioregion. The 
    proposed action is unchanged from that described in the November 16, 
    1994 issue of Federal Register (59 FR 59203).
    
    DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
    in writing, no later than June 30, 1998.
    
    ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, 
    P.O. Box 907, Baker City, Oregon 97814.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    Direct questions regarding this notice of intent and its modification 
    to Kurt Wiedenmann, Ecosystem Planning Staff Officer at 541-523-1296 or 
    e-mail at: r6pnw__wallowawhitman@fs.fed.us.
    
    
    [[Page 33319]]
    
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest proposes 
    to amend the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) to 
    modify management direction for the Hells Canyon National Recreation 
    Area (HCNRA) and affirm continuation of other existing management 
    direction. The planning process will be guided by the National 
    Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with implementation scheduled for 
    January 2000.
        This modified or affirmed direction will provide programmatic 
    management direction for the next 10 to 15 years. The changes will 
    reflect the intent of the HCNRA Act (Pub. L. 94-199), public and 
    private land use regulations (36 CFR Part 292), Forest Service 
    directives, changing social values, agency emphasis on ecosystem 
    sustainability, new information and research findings, and results from 
    the monitoring and evaluation process.
        The proposed action would integrate management direction from the 
    HCNRA within the framework of Forest Plan decisions and would 
    establish: management goals; management objectives; standards and 
    guidelines; management area direction; and monitoring and evaluation. 
    Management goals, objectives, standards, and guidelines will be 
    developed for the following resource areas: recreation; access and 
    facilities; wild and scenic rivers; wilderness; heritage resources; 
    scientific; vegetation; biologically unique habitat; soil; air; fire; 
    fish habitat; wildlife habitat; heritage resources/pre-historic sites; 
    heritage resources/historic sites; minerals; landownership; and tribal 
    trust responsibilities.
        The HCNRA consists of an estimated 652,488 acres. The HCNRA is 
    comprised of the following management areas: wilderness, wild and 
    scenic rivers, dispersed recreation/native vegetation, forage, 
    dispersed recreation/timber management, research natural areas, and 
    developed recreation and administrative facilities.
        The analysis will consider a range of alternatives, including no-
    action.
        Public participation will be especially important at several points 
    during the analysis, beginning with the scoping process (40 CFR 
    1501.7). The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, and 
    assistance from Federal, State, local agencies and other individuals, 
    organizations, or governments 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. Identifying potential issues.
        2. Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.
        3. Identifying issues which have been covered by a relevant 
    previous environmental analysis.
        4. Exploring additional alternatives based on themes which will be 
    derived from issues recognized during scoping activities.
        5. Identifying potential environmental effects of this project and 
    alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and 
    connected actions).
        6. Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.
        7. Notifying interested publics of opportunities to participate 
    through meetings, personal contacts, or written comment. Keeping the 
    public informed through the media and/or written material (i.e., 
    newsletters, correspondence, etc.).
        The draft EIS will be filed with the Environmental Protection 
    Agency (EPA) and is expected to be available for public review by 
    January 1999. 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 final EIS is expected to be available for public review 
    by June 1999.
        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 have been raised at the draft stage may be waived or dismissed by 
    the court if not raised until after completion of the final EIS. 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 the proposed action participate by the close of the 30-
    day comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made 
    available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully be 
    considered and responded to in the final EIS.
        To be most helpful, comments on the draft EIS should be as specific 
    as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merit 
    of the alternatives discussed. 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.
        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 and 
    applicable laws, regulations, and policies considered in making the 
    decision regarding the proposal. Karyn L. Wood, Forest Supervisor, is 
    the Responsible Official. As the Responsible Official, she will decide 
    whether to implement the proposal or a different alternative. The 
    Responsible Official 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 217).
    
        Dated: June 18, 1998.
    William R. Gast, Jr.,
    Deputy Forest Supervisor.
    [FR Doc. 98-16199 Filed 6-17-98; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
06/18/1998
Department:
Forest Service
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of Intent to prepare a Revised Environmental Impact Statement.
Document Number:
98-16199
Dates:
Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received in writing, no later than June 30, 1998.
Pages:
33318-33319 (2 pages)
PDF File:
98-16199.pdf