[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 23, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33459-33460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15885]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Swan Flat Proposed Timber Sale; Cache National Forest
(Administered by the Caribou National Forest), Bear Lake County, Idaho
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement to document the analysis and disclose the environmental
impacts of proposed actions to harvest timber, build roads, and
regenerate new stands of trees in the Swan Flat area of the Cache
National Forest in Bear Lake County, Idaho. The proposed project is
located in T.16S., R.42E., Section 23, 24, 25, and T.116S., R. 43E.,
Section 30, Boise Meridian. Implementing the silvicultural
prescriptions under the proposed action will bring these timber stands
to a healthy and productive condition. This would result in reduction
of insect and disease activity, increased growth on regenerated stands,
and provide a more uniform age and size distribution of timber stands.
On July 7, 1997, the Montpelier Ranger District released to the
public, the Swan Flat Environmental Assessment for a 30 day
predecisional review. After reviewing the responses of the
predecisional review, the Montpelier Ranger District determined that an
Environmental Impact Statement would be needed to address entering the
Swan Creek Mountain Roadless Area.
The Montpelier Ranger District of the Caribou National Forest
proposes to harvest an estimated 1.5 million board feet of commercial
timber in 13 stands on 291 acres. A total of 5 acres would be clear
cut. The remaining stands would be partially cut using thinning,
sanitation /salvage, group seed tree, shelterwood and improvement cut.
All stands would be tractor logged. Approximately 1.3 miles of the Swan
Flat Road from the junction of U.S. Highway 89 in Logan Canyon would be
graveled. Approximately 1.5 miles of the Swan Flat Road from the
junction of the Red Sinks Road would be realigned to enhance log
hauling. Four hundred feet of the Swan Flat Road from the Red Sinks
Road junction would be spot graveled. Approximately 0.5 miles of road
construction would be needed within the area designated as located by
the Caribou National Forest Lane and Resource Management Plan. All
newly constructed roads within the goaded area would be obligated at
the completion of the logging operation. Eight of the proposed cutting
units are located in the Swan Creek Mountain Roadless Area. These
cutting units are located on the fringe of the roadless area and
adjacent to the existing Swan Flat Road and Red Sinks Road. Timber
would be skidded to these existing roads. There would be no road
construction in the Swan Creek Mountain Inventoried Road less Area.
The following preliminary issues have been identified:
Regeneration cutting in deer and elk travel routes would
compromise security cover.
Eight of the proposed cutting units are located in the
Swan Creek Mountain Roadless Area. Harvest activities would affect
roadless characteristics.
Regenerations cutting could effect the quality of winter
recreational activities for cross-country skiers now and in the future.
The following alternatives have been developed:
Alternative 1 is the no action alternative.
Alternative 2 is the proposal. Under this alternative an estimated
1.5 million board feet of sawtimber would be removed from 265 acres.
Alternative 3 would address the winter recreation concerns. Under
this alternative 1.1 million board feet of sawtimber would be removed
from 307 areas.
Alternative 4 would address the concerns about wildlife corridors.
Under this proposal 1.5 million board feet of sawtimber would be
removed from 291 acres.
This proposed sale is scheduled to be offered in 2001. For maps of
the proposed project area, please contact the Montpelier Range
District, 322 North 4th Street, Montpelier, Idaho 83254.
DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described
in this Notice should be received on or before July 23, 1999. No
scoping meetings are planned at this time. Information received will be
used in preparation of the draft EIS and final EIS.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Caribou National Forest, Montpelier
Ranger District, 322 North 4th Street, Montpelier, Idaho 83254.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions concerning the proposed action and
EIS should be directed to Eric Mattson, Caribou National Forest,
Montpelier Ranger District, 322 N. 4th Street, Montpelier, Idaho 83254
(Telephone: (208) 847-0375).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service is seeking information
and comments from Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as
individuals and organizations who may be interested in, or affected by
the proposed action. The Forest Service invites written comments and
suggestions on the issues related to the proposal and the area being
analyzed.
The responsible official is Jerry B. Reese, Supervisor, Caribou
National Forest, 250 South Fourth Avenue, Pocatello, Idaho 83254.
The decision to be made is: Whether the proposed stands shall be
brought under management (i.e. change from the management of natural
succession to management activities that would achieve multiple-use
goals) by cutting the sawtimber in each stand? If so, what cutting
methods should be applied to each stand and what mitigation may be
necessary?
The tentative date for filing the Draft EIS is October 1, 1999. The
tentative date for filing the final EIS is January 5, 2000. The comment
period on the draft environmental impact statement will be open for 45
days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the
notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give viewers 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
[[Page 33460]]
meaningful and alert an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
(1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but are not raised until
after completion of the final environmental impact statement may be
waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F2d
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 of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement 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
Environmental Impact Statement. Agency representatives and other
interested people are invited to visit with Forest Service officials at
any time during the EIS process.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
Draft. Comments may also address the adequacy of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement 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. Comments received in response
to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposed
action and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those who submit
anonymous comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent
decision under 36 CFR 215 or 217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR
1.27(d), any person may request the agency to withhold a submission
from the public record by showing how the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) permits such confidentiality.
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that, under
the FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only limited circumstances,
such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest Service will inform the
requester of the agency's decision regarding the request for
confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the agency will
return the submission and notify the requester that the comments may be
resubmitted with or without name and address within 10 days.
Dated: June 14, 1999.
Jerry B. Reese,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou National Forest, Intermountain Region, USDA
Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 99-15885 Filed 6-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
