[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 147 (Monday, August 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 41910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19645]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Mining Activities on Piru Creek, Los Padres National Forest,
Ventura County, CA; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is preparing an
environmental impact statement (EIS) for approval of proposed Plans of
Operation for mining activities along Piru Creek from Lockwood Flat to
Pyramid Lake on the Mount Pinos Ranger District. Management emphases in
the Los Padres National Forest Land Resources Management Plan (1988)
are to improve water quality, vegetative diversity, and to protect
property and cultural resources. Management emphasis for the project
area is to manage as a potential Wild and Scenic River candidate.
Potential resource issues which may affect alternative development
include the presence of riparian-dependent sensitive amphibians and
reptiles; the presence of an amphibian species which is listed as
endangered; sensitive heritage resources; water quality; conflicts in
recreational uses of Piru Creek; inclusion of Piru Creek into the Wild
and Scenic River System; maintaining biodiversity; and protecting the
sensitive riparian ecosystem.
The California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service are invited to participate as cooperative agencies to
evaluate potential impacts on threatened and endangered species
habitat. Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers and the
Regional Water Quality Control Board are invited to participate in
resolving issues that deal with water quality. Federal, State, and
local agencies, as well as industry; and other individual and
organizations who may be interested in or affected by the decision,
were invited to participate in the scoping process that was initiated
during the fall of 1993 and completed in the spring of 1994. This
process included:
1. Identification of potential issues and/or concerns.
2. Identification of issues to be identified in depth.
3. Identification of issues which may be eliminated from further
analysis.
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review and comment by
October of 1999. EPA will publish a notice of availability for the
draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment period will be 45 days
from the date of the EPA's published notice of availability. All
persons interested in the proposed project are urged to participate at
that time. Comments on the draft EIS should be as specific as possible
and may address the adequacy of the EIS or the merits of the
alternatives considered. In addition, Federal court decisions have
established that reviewers of a draft EIS must structure their
participation in the environmental review so that it is meaningful and
alerts an agency to the reviewer's positions and contentions.
Environmental objections that could have been raised at the draft EIS
review stage may be waived if not raised until after completion of the
final EIS. The reason for this is to ensure that substantive comments
and objections are made available to the Forest Service in a timely
manner so that the agency can respond to them in the final EIS.
The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by April, 2000. In the
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments
received from the public and consulted agencies. The responsible
official will consider the comments, responses, laws, regulations and
policies in making a decision regarding these project proposals. The
responsible official will document the decision and reasons for the
decision in the Record of Decision. The decision will be subject to
appeal.
Jeanine Derby, Forest Supervisor, Los Padres National Forest,
Goleta, CA, is the responsible official. Written comments, questions,
and suggestions concerning the analysis should be sent to Mark Bethke,
District Ranger, Mount Pinos Ranger District, 34580 Lockwood Valley
road, Frazier Park, California 93225, (phone 661-245-3731).
Dated: June 25, 1999.
Jeanine A. Derby,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 99-19645 Filed 7-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
