[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55194-55195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21882]
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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. 67, No. 167 / Wednesday, August 28, 2002 /
Notices
[[Page 55194]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Region Invasive Plant Project; Colville,
Okanogan, Wenatchee, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Olympic and Gifford Pinchot
National Forests in Washington, and Columbia River Gorge National
Scenic Area, Malheur, Fremont, Deschutes, Ochoco, Rogue River,
Siskiyou, Mt. Hood, Siuslaw, Umpqua, Umatilla, Willamette, Wallowa-
Whitman, and Winema National Forests in Oregon
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to amend Forest Plan direction to enhance our ability
to protect native ecosystems from invasive, non-native plants. This
action will build on the Region's existing program by improving our
ability to prevent the introduction of invasive plant species, improve
detection and rapid response to new infestations, and control of
existing populations.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this analysis should be
received no later than September 30, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Natural Resource Staff; Invasive
Plant Team, Forest Health Protection Group; Pacific Northwest Regional
Office, P.O. Box 3623, Portland, OR 97208-3623.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eugene Skrine, Team Leader, Invasive
Plant Project, Pacific Northwest Regional Office, PO Box 3623,
Portland, OR 97208-3623 or by calling (503) 326-4310.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Need for the Proposal
Approximately 400,000 acres of National Forests and Grasslands are
reported to be degraded in the Pacific Northwest Region by infestations
of invasive, non-native plants. This infestation has a high potential
to expand and further degrade forest and grasslands. Invasive plants
spread across landscapes, unimpeded by ownership boundaries. Infested
areas represent potential seed sources for continuation of the invasion
on neighboring lands. Infestations can be eliminated, controlled or
exacerbated through utilization of specific management practices.
Invasive species create a host of environmental and other effects, most
of which are harmful to native ecosystem biodiversity and processes,
including:
Displacement of native plants.
Reduction in functionality of habitat and forage for
wildlife and livestock.
Threats to populations of threatened, endangered and
sensitive species.
Alteration of physical and biological properties of soil,
including productivity.
Changes to the intensity and frequency of fires.
High monetary cost of controlling/managing invasive
plants.
Loss of recreational opportunities.
Current regional management direction addressing invasive plant
prevention, early detection, treatment, inventory and monitoring, and
subsequent site restoration needs to be expanded and clarified. There
is a critical need for the development of clear, and comprehensive
Forest Plan standards and guidelines that allow more timely and more
effective management and prevention practices for projects and programs
in the Pacific Northwest Region.
Executive Order 13112 Invasive Species (Feb. 1999) provides
direction that Federal agencies shall: (1) Prevent the introduction of
invasive species; (2) detect and respond rapidly to and control
populations of such species in a cost-effective and environmentally
sound manner; (3) monitor invasive species populations accurately and
reliably; (4) provide for restoration of native species and habitat
conditions in ecosystems that have been invaded. This EIS and
subsequent site-specific NEPA analysis will implement this Executive
Order.
The 1988 Vegetation Management EIS and Record of Decision (ROD),
and the 1989 Mediated Agreement focused on competing vegetation in
forest plantations. The ROD identifies prevention as the preferred
strategy for vegetation management, and provides direction for
analyzing prevention strategies for projects. However, neither the ROD,
nor the Mediated Agreement, thoroughly addressed the numerous issues
specific to preventing and treating invasive plants, nor do they
identify standards or practices that could be applied to prevent
invasive plants from becoming established.
The 1988 Record of Decision (ROD) specified and specifically
limited the type and range of tools available for the treatment of
competing and unwanted vegetation. Neither the ROD nor the Mediated
Agreement provides a mechanism for adapting its requirements and
adopting new technologies. The use of biological agents and prescribed
fire as control mechanisms were not fully examined. Herbicides approved
for use in the ROD were developed before 1980. Today, new herbicides
are available that appear to be more effective on target plants, and
potentially less hazardous to humans and wildlife.
Given the seriousness of the current invasive species situation,
National Forest managers need more operational flexibility with reduced
process, greater cost-effectiveness and timely responsiveness, without
increasing environmental risks. A new roadmap for prevention and site
restoration, as well as a new and expanded toolbox, including;
biological, fire, mechanical, manual, cultural, and chemical tools, are
critical to successfully managing our invasive plant problem. New
Forest Plan standards and guidelines will significantly enhance our
ability to deal effectively with this threat to the integrity and
productivity of the National Forests in the Pacific Northwest Region.
Proposed Action
The USDA Forrest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, proposes to
amend Forest Plan direction to enhance our ability to protect native
ecosystems from invasive, non-native plants. This action will build on
the Region's existing program by improving our ability to prevent the
introduction of invasive plant species, improved detection and rapid
response to new infestations, and
[[Page 55195]]
control of existing populations in a cost-effective and environmentally
sound manner. In addition, this action will provide for restoration of
native species and habitat in ecosystems that have been invaded. The
proposed action would result in amendments to existing National Forest
Land and Resource Management Plans, which earlier incorporated
decisions made through the 1988 Record of Decision/FEIS for Managing
Competing and Unwanted Vegetation, and the 1989 Mediated Agreement.
This action would replace the portions of the Record of Decision and
Mediated Agreement that addresses invasive species.
Proposed Scoping
Public participation is an important part of the analysis. The
Forest Service is seeking information, comments, and assistance from
Federal, State and local agencies, tribes, and other individuals or
organizations who may be interested in or affected by the proposed
action. Comments submitted during the scoping process should be in
writing. They should be specific to the action being proposed and
should describe as clearly and completely as possible any issues the
commentor has with the proposal. This input will be used in preparation
of the draft EIS.
In addition to this scoping, the public may visit Forest Service
officials at any time during the analysis and prior to the decision. To
facilitate public participation additional scoping opportunities will
include: a scoping letter, public meetings (dates and locations yet to
be determined), newsletters, and a Web site with address (http://
www.fs.fed.us/r6/invasiveplant-eis).
Preliminary Issues Identified to Date
Preliminary issues that have been identified are:
Invasive plant infestations are expanding and threatening
the health and stability of native plant communities and ecosystems.
The application of herbicides, as one potential treatment
method, may pose risks to human health and the environment, including
soil, water, native plants, fish, and wildlife resources.
Alternatives Considered
The No Action alternative will serve as a baseline for comparison
of alternatives. This alternative will be no change from current
management of the Forests and will be fully developed and analyzed. The
proposed action, as described above will be considered as an
alternative. Additional alternatives may be developed around the
proposed action to address issues identified in the scoping and public
involvement process.
Estimated Dates for Draft and Final EIS
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public comment by July
2003. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date
the EPA publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
the draft EIS 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 objectives
that could be raised at the draft EIS stage but that are not raised
until after the completion of the final EIS may be waived or dismissed
by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir.
1986) and Wisconsin Heritage, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334 (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 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 the comments refer to
specific pages or chapters of the draft statement. 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 provision of the National Environmental Policy Act (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 may not have
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR part 215.
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 very 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.
Comments on the draft EIS will be analyzed, considered, and
responded to by the Forest Service in preparing the final EIS. The
final EIS is scheduled to be completed in December 2003. The Regional
Forester for the Pacific Northwest Region is the responsible official
and as such will consider comments, responses, environmental
consequences discussed in the final EIS, and applicable laws,
regulations, and policies in making a decision regarding this proposed
action. The responsible official will document the decision and
rationale for the decision in the Record of Decision. It will be
subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations (36 CFR part 215).
Dated: August 21, 2002.
Richard W. Sowa,
Acting Deputy Regional Forester.
[FR Doc. 02-21882 Filed 8-27-02; 8:45 am]
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