[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54099-54100]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20228]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
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.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 172 / Tuesday, September 7, 2004 /
Notices
[[Page 54099]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Proposed Porcupine Pass East, Nine Allotment Grazing Analysis
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Clark County, ID
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement to document the analysis and disclose the environmental
impacts of proposed actions to graze livestock on grazing allotments of
east of Porcupine Pass on the Dubois Ranger District of the Caribou-
Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho. The proposed project is
located on all Sections of Forest System lands within Townships 12, 13,
and 14 North, Ranges 37, 38, and 39 East, Boise Meridian, Clark County,
Idaho. The Dubois Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National
Forest proposes to analyze livestock grazing activities on nine
allotments. The following table shows the current permitted use on each
allotment:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allotment Permitted use Season of use \1\ Grazing system
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex Draw--Threemile C&H......... 220 cow/calves..... 6/16-9/15 4 Unit Deferred Rotation.
Corral-Crab Creek S&G............ 1000 ewe/lambs and 6/16-9/15 Deferred Rotation.
2 horses.
Pete-Stump Creek S&G............. 1000 ewe/lambs and 7/1-9/15 Deferred Rotation.
2 horses.
Table Mountain S&G............... 1000 ewe/lambs and 7/6-9/10 Deferred Rotation.
2 horses.
West Camas C&H................... 908 cow/calves..... 6/26-10/15 4 Unit Deferred Rotation.
Rattlesnake S&G.................. 761 ewe/lambs and 2 6/16-8/31 Deferred Rotation.
horses.
East Camas C&H................... 71 cow/calf........ 7/1-9/30 2 Unit Deferred Rotation.
Cottonwood-East Camas S&G........ 1000 ewe/lambs and 7/1-9/25 Deferred Rotation.
2 horses.
Ching Creek S&G.................. 750 ewe/lambs and 2 7/1-8/31 Deferred Rotation.
horses.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A deferred rotation grazing system provides deferred grazing in two or more units or pastures on a
systematic basis.
The purpose of this project is to comply with Public Law 104-19
(1995). Section 504 of the law requires that the Forest Service conduct
an analysis on all allotments where the livestock grazing that is
authorized has not been analyzed in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969.
The need of this proposed action is to continue to provide forage
for livestock of local livestock producers to meet the Desired Future
Condition for production of commodity resources as stated in the
Revised Targhee Forest Plan (RFP) II-3. ``Commodity production, such as
* * * livestock forage * * * are conducted at sustainable levels and
maintain the capability of the land to produce an even flow and variety
of goods and services for present and future generations. Forest
products are provided to sustain social and economic values and needs
of the local communities within limits which maintain ecosystem
health.''
The RFP designates each of the 9 allotments in this project area as
open to domestic livestock grazing. The Revised Forest Plan also
provides specific direction, standards and guidelines for managing
livestock grazing. These standards and guidelines are currently
included in the permits to graze livestock on the allotments and will
continue to be part of each allotments' management.
The issues identified during scoping and the analysis process will
determine alternatives to the proposed action. The no action
alternative will be analyzed.
DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described
in this Notice should be received with 30 days of the date of
publication of this Notice in the Federal Register. No scoping meetings
are planned at this time. Information received will be used in
preparation of the draft EIS and final EIS.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Caribou-Targhee National Forest,
Dubois Ranger District, P.O. Box 46, Dubois, Idaho 83423.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed
action and EIS should be directed to Shane Jacobson, Caribou-Targhee
National Forest, Dubois Ranger District, 225 West Main Street, P.O. Box
46, Dubois, Idaho 83423 (Telephone: (208) 374-5422.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service is seeking information
and comments from Federal, State and local agencies, as well as
individuals and organizations that may be interested in, or affected by
the proposed action. The Forest Service invites written comments and
suggestions on the issues related to the proposal and the area being
analyzed.
The responsible official is Robbert G. Mickelsen, District Ranger,
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, P.O. Box 46, Dubois, Idaho 83423.
The decision to be made is to decide whether to continue the
present course of action (the no action alternative) or to implement
the proposed action with applicable mitigation measures, or to
implement an alternative to the
[[Page 54100]]
proposed action with its applicable mitigation measures.
The tentative date for filing the Draft EIS is 31 December 2004.
The tentative date for filing the final EIS is 1 April 2005. The
comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will be open
for 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes
the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give viewers 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 that it is
meaningful and alert an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
(1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft 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 F2d 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 of the Draft Environmental Impact
statement 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. Agency representatives and other interested people are
invited to visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the
EIS process.
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. 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. 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 will not have standing to appeal the subsequent
decision under 36 CFR 215 or 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. Persons requesting such
confidentially should be aware that, under the FOIA, confidentially 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 confidentially, and if 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 10 days.
Dated: August 23, 2004.
Robbert G. Mickelsen,
District Ranger, Dubois Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National
Forest, Intermountain Region, USDA Forest.
[FR Doc. 04-20228 Filed 9-3-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M