[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 135 (Thursday, July 15, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38176-38177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18019]
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Notices
Federal Register
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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. 64, No. 135 / Thursday, July 15, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 38176]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Southeast Galena Restoration, Malheur National Forest, Grant
County, Oregon
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice intent to prepare environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) on a proposal to improve the ecosystem health within a
portion of the 127,000 acre Galena Watershed. The proposed restoration
activities will be in compliance with the 1990 Malheur National Forest
Land and Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended, which provides
overall guidance for management of this area. Proposed restoration
activities are located on the Long Creek Ranger District within the
Galena Watershed. The watershed is located about 20 air miles northeast
of John Day, Oregon. Implementation of proposed restoration activities
are scheduled to begin in late fiscal year 2001. The Malheur National
Forest invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of the
analysis. The agency will give notice of the full environmental
analysis and decision making process on the proposal so interested and
affected members of the public may participate and contribute in the
final decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received
in writing by August 16, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the
management of this area to Douglas V. Robin, District Ranger, PO Box
849, John Day, Oregon 97845.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed project
and scope of analysis should be directed to: Michael Hutchins, Resource
Planner, PO Box 849, John Day, Oregon 97845, phone 541-575-3000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose and need for activities are,
one, improve the health, vigor, and resiliency of forest vegetation to
insects, disease, and wildfire. Two, reduce road related impacts,
specifically impacts to water quality, fish habitat, and wildlife
habitat. Three, improve riparian conditions in reaches of streams that
do not presently meet riparian management objectives (RMOs).
The proposed action includes a variety of activities to meet the
three purpose and need statements. One, improve stand conditions so
they are more resilient to insects, disease, and wildfire. Restoration
activities include prescribed fire to reduce excess fuel accumulations
and reducing stocking levels through thinning to reduce severity of
future wildfires. Another component of improving watershed health is
reducing existing noxious weed sites through manual, mechanical, and
chemical methods and reducing the potential for additional sites
becoming established. Two, reduce road related impacts to water
quality, fish habitat, and wildlife habitat. Specific actions include
closing or decommissioning roads excess to resource needs, especially
existing roads within sensitive areas such as riparian habitat
conservation areas (RHCAs). An access and travel management (ATM) plan
would be prepared to meet this action. Some roads may only need
seasonal closures during wet months if they are needed for resource
needs and do not cause adverse impacts to resources when they are open.
Three, improve riparian conditions in streams not meeting RMOs by
planting riparian vegetation and protecting plantings from browsing;
increasing large wood to deficient reaches (possibly with helicopters
and other equipment); performing instream activities such as installing
baffles, log weirs, culverts capable of passing fish; rehabilitating
key channels where flow regime has been modified by past activities;
and reintroducing fire to key RHCAs.
The Galena Watershed is comprised of about 127,000 acres, of which
about 10,200 acres are privately owned and about 4,000 acres are
administered by other Federal agencies. Of the 113,000 acres
administered by the Malheur National Forest, about 56,800 acres are
proposed to be analyzed for possible restoration activities by this
EIS. About 29,475 acres (52%) are in management area 1--general forest,
about 10,580 acres (19%) are in management area 4--big game winter
range maintenance, about 1,125 acres (2%) are in management area 7--
scenic area, about 1,900 acres (3%) are in management area 13--old
growth, about 1,730 acres (3%) are in management area 14--visual
corridors, about 2,900 acres (5%) are in management area 21--wildlife
emphasis with non-scheduled timber harvest, and about 9,090 acres (16%)
are within RHCAs. The Southeast Galena Restoration EIS will focus
restoration activities within the following subwatersheds: Davis/
Placer, Vinegar, Vincent, Little Boulder/Deerhorn, Tincup/Little Butte,
Butte, Granite Boulder, Beaver/Ruby (portion unburned by the Reed or
Summit Fires), Dry/Sunshine (portion on south side of Middle Fork John
Day River), and Coyote/Balance (portion on south side of MFJD River).
Preliminary issues identified will include effects on threatened,
endangered, and proposed species; riparian habitat conservation areas
(RHCAs); water quality; stand conditions (especially as they relate to
increased insect populations and fuel levels); roadless areas; road
densities; and forest wood products.
The scoping process will include: (1) Identifying potential issues;
(2) identifying issues to be analyzed in depth; (3) eliminating non-
significant issues or those which have been covered by a previous
environmental analysis; (4) exploring additional alternatives; and (5)
identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed action and
alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and
connected actions).
A full range of alternatives will be considered, including a no-
action alternative. The no-action alternative will serve as a baseline
for comparison of alternatives. This alternative will be no change from
the current management of the Forest and will be fully analyzed. The
proposed action will be considered and additional alternatives
developed around the proposed action to address significant issues
identified during the scoping and public involvement process. Issues
gathered may vary action alternatives in the number, location, and type
of project activities.
[[Page 38177]]
Comments received in response to this notice, including the names
and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the
public record on this proposal and will be available to 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 part 215 and
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
should be aware that, under 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 a specified number of days.
Public meetings are anticipated to occur following issuance of the
draft EIS. Public meetings will be announced in the Malheur National
Forest's newspaper of record, the Blue Mountain Eagle.
The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from other
Federal, State, and Local agencies; Tribes; organizations; and
individuals who may be interested in or affected by the proposed
action. This input will be used in the preparation of the draft EIS.
Comments will be appreciated throughout the analysis process. The
draft EIS will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and is anticipated to be available for public review by June 2000. The
comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date of EPA's
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. It is important that
those interested in the management of the Malheur National Forest
participate at that time.
The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers
notice of several court rulings related to public participation in the
environmental review process. First, reviewers of draft EISs 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 EIS stage, but that are not raised until
completion of the final EIS, may be waived or dismissed by the courts.
City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1002 (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 important that those
interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the 45-
day comment period so 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 EIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to
specific pages or chapters of the draft EIS. Comments may also address
the adequacy of the draft EIS 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).
After the 45 day comment period ends on the draft EIS, the comments
will be analyzed and considered by the Forest Service in preparing the
final EIS. The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by March 30,
2001. In the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to
substantive comments received during the public comment period. The
responsible official, Acting Forest Supervisor, Bonnie Wood, will
consider in the comments, responses, environmental consequences
discussed in the EIS and applicable laws, regulations, and policies in
making a decision regarding this project. The responsible official will
document the Galena Watershed EIS decision and rational for the
decision in the Record of Decision (ROD). That decision will be subject
to review under Forest Service Appeal Regulations 36 CFR part 215.
Dated: July 8, 1999.
Bonnie Wood,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 99-18019 Filed 7-14-99; 8:45 am]
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