97-18129. Ramshorn Forest Vegetation Management, Shoshone National Forest, Fremont County, Wyoming  

  • [Federal Register Volume 62, Number 133 (Friday, July 11, 1997)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 37188-37189]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 97-18129]
    
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
    
    Forest Service
    [3410-11]
    
    
    Ramshorn Forest Vegetation Management, Shoshone National Forest, 
    Fremont County, Wyoming
    
    AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
    
    ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    SUMMARY: The Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement on a 
    proposal to manage forest vegetation in the upper Brent Creek and 
    Tappen Creek drainages located on the Wind River District of the 
    Shoshone National Forest within Fremont County, Wyoming. The area 
    adopted for analysis in the EIS corresponds to the Ramshorn Analysis 
    Area delineated in the 1986 Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.
        The proposal includes the use of prescribed fire, timber harvest, 
    fuelwood sales, aspen stand enhancement measures, and other practices 
    designed to improve the long term health and diversity of forest 
    vegetation throughout the analysis area. Optimum use would be made of 
    small timber sales for the benefit of local businesses and operators. 
    About 700 acres would be treated in the forest's suited timber base to 
    partially meet the forest health and diversity objective. About 300 
    acres would be treated in the forested area outside the suited base to 
    assist in meeting the vegetation health and diversity goal. High 
    priority for treatment would include areas where aspen stands are in 
    danger of being lost, where there is a high degree of wildfire risk, 
    where there is increased mortality due to insect and disease 
    infestation and in large stands lacking in species and structural 
    diversity.
        Approximately two miles of new road construction and three miles of 
    road reconstruction would be necessary to access the suited base 
    portion of the analysis area. The proposal includes closing all new 
    roads and existing closed roads opened for the purpose of this project 
    following completion of the project.
        The scope of this analysis offers the possibility of a number of 
    alternatives that vary the mix of treatment measures for improving 
    forest vegetation health and diversity within a discrete area.
        The primary underlying purpose for this proposal is to improve the 
    health and diversity of forest vegetation within the Ramshorn analysis 
    area. The need for doing this is indicated by the imbalance of current 
    forest conditions and trends with respect to diversity standards in the 
    forest plan, and by the risks associated with extensive fuel buildups 
    and insect and disease infestations. THe purpose and need focuses on 
    the forest plan goal of: Improving tree age class and species diversity 
    to benefit forest health, recreation experiences, visual quality, and 
    wildlife habitat (Forest Plan page III-8). Forest vegetation diversity 
    standards to be exercised in meeting this goal are found in Forest Plan 
    direction on pages III-19 through 21.
        In meeting the primary goal, a number of secondary goals are 
    addressed. These include: (1) Managing vegetation types to provide 
    multiple benefits commensurate with land capability and resource demand 
    (Forest Plan page III-6); (2) Improve the health and vigor of 
    vegetation types outside wilderness and selected types in wilderness 
    where necessary (Forest Plan page III-6; (3) Integrate vegetation 
    management with resource management in functional areas (Plan page III-
    7); (4) Adopt visual quality objectives that will maintain or enhance 
    the characteristic landscapes of the Forest (Plan page III-7); (5) 
    Improve habitats where vegetation conditions are significantly below 
    biological potential (Plan page III-8); (6) Maintain or improve habitat 
    for threatened or endangered species (Plan page III-8); (7) 
    Rehabilitate lands in declining and unsatisfactory watershed condition 
    (Plan page III-9); (8) Reduce the accumulation of natural fuels (Plan 
    page III-8); (9) Reduce damages by insect, disease, and other Forest 
    pests to acceptable levels through integrated management of vegetation 
    (Plan page III-10); (10) Provide timber sales of sufficient quantity 
    and quality to attract investment by the timber industry to accomplish 
    desired vegetation management (Plan page III-8).
        In order to achieve the primary goal in the Ramshorn area, 
    identified impacts will need to be addressed through mitigation and 
    application of forest plan standards and guidelines. This includes 
    attention to cumulative impacts, including roads, and the need to meet 
    forest plan direction for ``no net increase'' in roads (Forest Plan 
    Allowable Sale Quantity Record of Decision, pages 5-6, and Amendment 
    No. 94-001). The area analysis being implemented through this action is 
    supported by direction to take an ``ecosystem'' or ``landscape'' 
    approach to management (Forest Plan Allowable Sale Quantity Record of 
    Decision, page 5).
        The decision to be made involves the selection of an appropriate 
    mix of treatment types where the primary goal is improving forest 
    health and diversity, and where consideration is made within that 
    context for meeting secondary goals through treatment type, timing, and 
    design. The decision will also include other specific mitigation 
    measures where needed to meet resource needs determined through the 
    analysis of impacts. The area analysis could surface the necessity for 
    making a nonsignificant amendment to the forest plan, and the decision 
    would address whether or not to do so. A significant forest plan 
    amendment is beyond the scope of this analysis.
        The Forest Service invites comments and suggestions on the scope of 
    the analysis to be included in the draft environmental impact statement 
    (DEIS). In addition, the Forest Service gives notice that it is 
    beginning a full environmental analysis and decision-making process for 
    this proposal so that interested or affected people may know how they 
    can participate in the environmental analysis and contribute to the 
    final decision.
    
    DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
    in writing by August 8, 1997.
    
    ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Bob Rossman, ID Team Leader, Wind
    
    [[Page 37189]]
    
    River Ranger District, P.O. Box 186, Dubois, Wyoming 82513.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Rossman, Project Interdisciplinary 
    Team Leader, (307) 455-2466.
        Field trip: In response to requests received during earlier 
    scoping, a field trip to the proposed project area was conducted for 
    the public on June 24, 1997. Materials developed for participants are 
    available upon request. Informal public meetings will be scheduled as 
    needed throughout the analysis process.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Over the last ten years there has been a 
    significant amount of effort devoted to developing a consensus on 
    conducting timber harvest in the Brent Creek area. Public comments were 
    solicited in 1987 and 1991. Many comments were received from concerned 
    citizens, environmental groups, and other governmental agencies as a 
    result of these scoping efforts. Comments received in 1991 were refined 
    into issues by a Forest Service Interdisciplinary Team, representatives 
    of other agencies, and several individuals. An alternative formulation 
    process was begun at this time, but was discontinued due to concern 
    about violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
        Scoping of a timber sale proposal was reinitiated in 1997. The 
    period ended on May 5, 1997. An Interdisciplinary Team of Forest 
    Service resource specialists reviewed comments raised during this 
    period.
        Based in part on these comments, on the history of difficult issues 
    in the Brent Creek area, and on the controversiality of proposed timber 
    sales, the district ranger reevaluated the purpose and need for action 
    and concluded that an environmental impact statement should be 
    prepared. Although scoping is reinitiated through this Notice of 
    Intent, most comments received during earlier scoping efforts are 
    considered applicable and will be retained. People who wish to update 
    their earlier comments, based on the revised purpose and need, are 
    encouraged to do so. The Forest Service particularly welcomes any 
    assistance from commenters in identifying sources of impact on and off 
    the Forest to include in its cumulative effects analysis.
        The Deciding Official will be Bob Lee, Wind River District Ranger, 
    1403 West Ramshorn, PO Box 186, Dubois, Wyoming, 82513, unless the need 
    for a nonsignificant forest plan amendment is indicated. In that event, 
    the Forest Supervisor will be the Deciding Official.
        The expected publication date of a draft environmental impact 
    statement is during February of 1998. Following this, a 45 day period 
    will be allowed for public comment on the draft. This comment period 
    will commence on the day the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
    a ``Notice of Availability'' in the Federal Register. A completed final 
    environmental impact statement is anticipated in July of 1998.
        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 
    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 be raised at the 
    draft environmental impact statement stage but that 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 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 it can meaningfully consider them and respond to 
    them in the final environmental impact statement.
        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 statement. 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.) Please note that comments 
    you make on the draft environmental impact statement will be regarded 
    as public information.
        Note further that comments will be available for public inspection 
    during the analysis process, and that in most cases the name of the 
    commenter will not remain confidential. Those who submit anonymous 
    comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 
    36 CFR Parts 215 or 217. Persons requesting such confidentiality should 
    be aware that under the FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only 
    very limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets.
    
        Dated: July 1, 1997.
    Rebecca Aus,
    Forest Supervisor.
    [FR Doc. 97-18129 Filed 7-10-97; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
07/11/1997
Department:
Forest Service
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.
Document Number:
97-18129
Dates:
Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received in writing by August 8, 1997.
Pages:
37188-37189 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
3410-11
PDF File:
97-18129.pdf