[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 143 (Monday, July 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40094-40095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19726]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Saveno DeBorgiac Timber Sales and Road Rehabilitation; Superior
Ranger District, Lolo National Forest; Mineral County, Montana
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of timber
harvesting, prescribed burning, road access changes, and watershed
rehabilitation in a 38,000 acre area near St. Regis, Montana.
DATES: Initial comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be
received in writing no later than August 26, 1998. Comments received
during the initial scoping will be considered in the analysis and do
not need to be resubmitted during this comment time period.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Cindy Chapman Enstrom, District
Ranger, Superior Ranger District, Box 460, Superior, MT 59872.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ron Mason, Saveno DeBorgiac Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Superior
Ranger District, as above, or phone: (406) 822-4233.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The responsible official who will make
decisions based on this EIS is Charles C. Wildes, Forest Supervisor,
Lolo National Forest, Building 24 Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT 59804. He
will decide on this proposal after considering comments and responses,
environmental consequences discussed in the Final EIS, and applicable
laws, regulations, and policies. The decision and reasons for the
decision will be documented in a Record of Decision.
The Forest Service proposed to harvest about 33,000 hundred cubic
feet of timber from about 1700 acres (about 1030 of those acres to be
burned after harvest), to reconstruct or recondition about 7.5 miles of
road and stabilize and/or obliterate about 10.3 miles of existing road
(primarily to mitigate existing water quality and fish habitat
impacts), and to add new yearlong road closures to about 7.3 miles of
currently open roads. New road construction would be limited to about
2.5 miles of permanent road and about 3.4 miles of temporary road.
Lands affected are within the Twin Creek, Savenac Creek, Timber
Creek, McManus Creek and Packer Creek drainages, tributary to the St.
Regis River, between Saltese and DeBorgia, Montana. The project area is
bounded by Interstate 90 to the south and the divide between Plains/
Thompson Falls and superior Ranger Districts to the north.
The purpose of this proposal is to carry out the goals and
direction given in the Lolo National Forest Land and Resource
Management Plan with ecosystem management principles. Key elements of
the purpose and need are:
(1) Maintain existing elk security habitat;
(2) Modify stand structures in lodgepole pine to reduce
susceptibility to mountain pine beetle;
(3) Accelerate succession in mid seral, moist mixed conifer stands
where potential exists to develop late seral, multi-storied structures
with old growth characteristics;
(4) Replace the ponderosa pine communities which developed from
poorly adapted seed from other states. The trees were planted in the
early 1900's. These stands are experiencing extensive mortality from
diseases, and are also increasingly susceptible to bark beetle attacks.
These communities are also naturally reproducing, and degrading the
locally adapted gene pool;
(5) Develop stand structures that are equivalent to single story,
moisture limited conditions resembling structures developed from very
frequent, low intensity ground fires. The resulting stand structures
will enhance growth and development of ponderosa pine, western larch
and Douglas-fir stands;
(6) The St. Regis River is a priority watershed for bull trout
recovery; we will protect the species and seek opportunities to enhance
and restore habitat;
(7) The St. Regis River is a Water Quality Limited Segment (WQLS).
Increased sediment has resulted in the ``cold water fishery'' to be
only partially supported. The proposal seeks opportunities to eliminate
erosion and control sediment sources to improve water quality in the
streams entering the St. Regis River; and
(8) Provide forest products in support of forest plan goals.
The decision to be made is to what extent, if at all, the Forest
Service should conduct timber harvest, prescribed burning, road
construction or reconstruction, road reclamation, and road closure in
the Twin Creek, Savenac Creek, Timber Creek, McManus Creek and Packer
Creek drainages, given the above purpose and need. This is a site
specific project decision, not a general management plan nor a
programmatic analysis.
Public scoping has been conducted on this proposal and the
alternatives developed for this proposal.
While quite a number of issues have been identified for
environmental effects analysis, the following issues are the one which
so far have been found significant enough to guide alternative
development and provide focus for the EIS.
(1) Water quality and fisheries habitat effects resulting from
timber harvest and road construction and rehabilitation activities;
(2) Forest health issues pertaining to even-aged management and
restoration; and
(3) Economic effects on local communities resulting from different
access methods and resulting timber values.
The proposed action could have both beneficial and adverse effects
on these resources. In addition to the proposed action, a range of
alternatives have been developed in response to issues identified
during scoping. Alternatives planned for detailed study are:
(1) No action; none of the proposed activities would be
implemented.
(2) Restoration of offsite ponderosa pine stands. Mid-seral stands
will be treated to develop multi-storied stands with large trees, and
dry sites with a history of high fire frequency will be thinned to
develop open stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch.
Approximately 77 percent of the volume will be helicopter yarded, 12
percent will be tractor yarded and 11 percent will skyline yarded.
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Approximate
Road work miles
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Construction, new roads.................................... 0.0
[[Page 40095]]
Reconstruction, existing roads............................. 2.7
Reclamation, existing roads................................ 12.9
Construct and obliterate temporary roads................... 0.0
Reconstruct and reclaim, existing road..................... 0.0
Change travel management................................... 7.3
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(3) Then lodgepole pine stands to make them resistant to mountain
pine beetle attacks. Harvest from existing roads and from short-term
and temporary roads on gentle ridgetops and upper sidelopes, harvest
with no evenaged management cuts. Approximately 1 percent of the volume
will be helicopter yarded, 64 percent will be tractor yarded and 35
percent will skyline yarded.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Approximate
Road work miles
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Construction, new roads.................................... 0.0
Reconstruction, existing roads............................. 2.7
Reclamation, existing roads................................ 8.6
Construct and obliterate temporary roads................... 3.4
Reconstruct and reclaim, existing road..................... 4.3
Change travel management................................... 7.3
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(4) Restoration of offsite ponderosa pine stands. Mid-seral stands
will be treated to develop multi-storied stands with large trees, and
dry sites with a history of high fire frequency will be thinned to
develop open stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch. Thin
lodgepole pine stands to make them more resistant to mountain pine
beetle attacks. Approximately 43 percent of the volume will be
helicopter yarded, 33 percent will be tractor yarded and 24 percent
will skyline yarded.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Approximate
Road work miles
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Construction, new roads.................................... 2.5
Reconstruction, existing roads............................. 2.7
Reclamation, existing roads................................ 6.7
Construct and obliterate temporary roads................... 3.4
Reconstruct and reclaim, existing road..................... 0.4
Change travel management................................... 0.0
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(5) Restoration of offsite ponderosa pine stands. Mid-seral stands
will be treated to develop multi-storied stands with large trees, and
dry sites with a history of high fire frequency will be thinned to
develop open stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch. Thin
lodgepole pine stands to make them more resistant to mountain pine
beetle attacks. Approximately 20 percent of the volume will be
helicopter yarded, 45 percent will be tractor yarded and 35 percent
will skyline yarded.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Approximate
Road work miles
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Construction, new roads.................................... 2.5
Reconstruction, existing roads............................. 3.2
Reclamation, existing roads................................ 2.6
Construct and obliterate temporary roads................... 3.4
Reconstruct and reclaim, existing road..................... 4.3
Change travel management................................... 0.0
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Public participation is important to the analysis. People may visit
with Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior
to the decision. No formal scoping meetings are planned. However, two
periods are specifically designated for comments on the analysis:
(1) During this scoping process; and
(2) During the draft EIS comment period.
During the scoping process, the Forest Service is seeking
information and comments from Federal, State, and local agencies and
other individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected
by the proposed action. A scoping document will be mailed to parties
known to be interested in the proposed action. The agency invites
written comments and suggestions on this action, particularly in terms
of issues and alternatives.
The Forest Service will continue to involve the public and will
inform interested and affected parties as to how they may participate
and contribute to the final decision. Another formal opportunity for
response will be provided following completion of a draft EIS.
The draft EIS should be available for review in March, 1999. The
final EIS is scheduled for completion in June, 1999.
The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of
availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes it is important, at this early stage,
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 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,
533 (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 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritage v. Harris, 490 F.
Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it
is very important 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
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.
I am the responsible official for this environmental impact
statement. My address is Lolo National Forest, Building 24, Fort
Missoula, Missoula MT 59804.
Authority: 40 CFR 1508.220.
Dated: July 10, 1998.
Charles C. Wildes,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 98-19726 Filed 7-24-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
