[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8037]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: April 5, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Beaver-Woods Vegetation Management Project; Bitterroot National
Forest, Ravalli County, MT
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 disclose the environmental effects of prescribed
fire, timber harvest, reforestation, and road construction in the
southern tributary drainages of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River.
A proposal to determine the effects on and response of three sensitive
plant species to prescribed fire is also proposed and will be analyzed.
The area is located approximately 50 miles southwest of Hamilton,
Montana, Bitterroot National Forest, West Fork Ranger District, Ravalli
County, Montana.
The proposal's actions to use prescribed fire, harvest timber,
construct roads, perform reforestation, and monitor the effects of fire
on listed sensitive plant species are being considered together because
they represent either connected or cumulative actions as defined by the
Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1508.25). The purposes of the
project are (1) to maintain or restore ecosystem diversity, function,
and health, (2) to provide raw materials for timber products for the
citizens of the United States, and (3) to monitor the effects of fire
on plants that are currently listed as ``sensitive'' by the Regional
Forester. This project-level EIS will tier to the Bitterroot National
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) and Final EIS
(September, 1987), which provides overall guidance of all land
management activities on the Bitterroot National Forest.
DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received May 20,
1994.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposed
management activities or a request to be placed on the project mailing
list to Nora Rasure, District Ranger, West Fork Ranger District,
Bitterroot National Forest, Darby, Montana, 59829.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stuart Lovejoy, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Sula Ranger District,
Bitterroot National Forest, Phone (406) 821-3201.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Prescribed burning and timber harvest are
proposed on approximately 3600 acres and 1600 acres, respectively.
Timber harvest is proposed on lands which have been designated as
suitable for timber management by the Bitterroot Forest Plan, with some
isolated exceptions designed to maintain ponderosa pine on some sites.
This aspect of the proposed action would require a site specific
amendment to the Forest Plan to change the standard for harvest on
unsuitable lands. The timber harvest operations and general
administration of National Forest lands would require construction of
approximately three miles of new road and less than one mile of
temporary road. The study to determine effects caused by fire on three
species of sensitive plants will delineate plant populations to be
exposed to prescribed fire and delineate plant populations of the same
species which would be protected from fire and which would act as
controls.
An analysis of the Beaver Woods area shows a marked change in how
the forest vegetation currently looks and functions compared to the
past. Natural patterns and stand structures have changed, largely due
to effective fire suppression. Forested areas once diverse in age
classes and species are trending toward larger, denser, and more
uniform blocks of climax species. The primary purpose of prescribed
fire and timber harvest in the Beaver Woods area is to respond to the
need to maintain or restore ecosystem diversity, function, and health.
Another purpose of timber harvest is to provide raw materials to the
timber industry and help satisfy the American public's need for timber
products. The purpose of road construction is to facilitate access to
some of the timber stands to be harvested. The purpose of treating some
sensitive plant populations with prescribed fire is to learn more about
these species. They are believed to have developed adaptations to
periodic fire.
The project area encompasses approximately 37,000 acres of National
Forest land located in T3S, R23W, Sec. 15, 20-29, and 33-36; T3S, R22W,
Sec. 3, 9-11, 14-17, and 19-36, T4S, R23W, Sec. 1-3, 11 and 12, and
T4S, R22W, Sec. 1-12, 14-22, 28, and 29, P.M. MT. Proposed activities
are scattered throughout the project area.
The decision to be made in what, if anything, should be done in the
Beaver Woods area to:
(a) Maintain and restore a level of vegetation diversity in the
project area that more closely approximates the historic condition,
(b) Amend the Forest Plan on a site specific basis to allow
improvement cutting on the unsuitable lands, thereby reducing tree
density and providing for the establishment of ponderosa pine,
(c) Develop and manage the road system to facilitate removal of
timber and manage Forest lands, and (d) learn more about how some
plants respond to fire.
The Bitterroot Forest Plan provides guidance for management
activities within the potentially affected area through its goals,
objectives, standards and guidelines, and management area direction.
The area of proposed timber harvest would occur within Management Areas
1, 2, and 3A. Timber harvest would occur primarily on suitable timber
land, with some isolated exceptions which are proposed in order to help
provide for the establishment of ponderosa pine. Prescribed burning is
proposed on lands within Forest Plan Management Areas 1, 2, 3a, 3b and
5. Road construction would occur in Management Area 1. A brief
description of the applicable management direction follows:
Management Area 1--These are areas where timber management, livestock
and big game forage production, and roaded dispersed recreation
activities are emphasized.
Management Area 2--These are areas where elk winter range habitat is
emphasized, timber management is allowed, and roaded dispersed
recreation opportunities are provided.
Management Area 3a--These are areas where visual quality is emphasized,
timber management is allowed, and roaded dispersed recreation
opportunities are provided.
Management Area 3b--These are areas where riparian habitats, water
quality, and water-related recreation are emphasized.
Management Area 5--These are areas where semi-primitive recreation and
elk security are emphasized.
The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of
these will be the ``no action'' alternative, in which none of the
proposed activities would be implemented. Additional alternatives will
examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to
achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues
and other resource values.
The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative
environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and scheduled
activities on both private and National Forest lands will be
considered. The EIS will disclose the analysis of site-specific
mitigation measures and their effectiveness.
Public participation is an important part of the analysis,
commencing with the initial scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7), which will
occur during March and April, 1994. In addition, the public is
encouraged to visit with Forest Service officials at any time during
the analysis and prior to the decision. The Forest Service will be
seeking information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and
local agencies and other individuals or organizations who may be
interested in or affected by the proposed action. No additional public
meetings are scheduled at this time.
Comments from the public and other agencies will be used in
preparation of the Draft EIS. The scoping process will be used to:
1. Identify potential issues.
2. Identify major issues to be analyzed in depth.
3. Eliminate minor issues or those which have been covered by a
relevant previous environmental analysis, such at the Bitterroot Forest
Plan EIS.
4. Identify alternatives to the proposed action.
5. Identify potential environmental effects of the proposed action and
alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects).
6. Determine potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.
Some public comments have already been received in conjunction with
an analysis and associated public involvement to determine existing and
desired conditions for the Beaver Woods area. The following preliminary
issues have been identified:
1. How would the proposed timber harvest change the undeveloped
character of ``defacto'' roadless lands adjacent to the Allen Mountain
Roadless Area (No. 01946)?
2. How would the proposed activities affect Forest Service Region 1
listed sensitive species known to inhabit the area, such as bull trout?
3. How would the proposed activities affect the movement through the
area and potential for habitation by species that no longer inhabit the
area, such as grizzly bears?
4. Can the vegetation diversity and ecological purposes of the project
be met without any further timber harvesting or road building?
5. To what degree would the proposed activities contribute to the
spread of noxious weeds in the area?
Other issues commonly associated with prescribed fire, timber
harvesting, and road construction include: effects on cultural
resources, water quality, soils, old growth, and scenery values. This
list may be verified, expanded, or modified based on public scoping for
this proposal.
The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in August of
1994. At that time, the EPA will publish a Notice of Availability of
the Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment period on the Draft
EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA's notice of availability
appears in the Federal Register. It is very important that those
interested in management of the Beaver Woods area participate at that
time. To be most helpful, comments on the Draft EIS should be as site-
specific as possible. The Final EIS is scheduled to be completed in
February, 1995.
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
draft environmental impact statements 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 environmental impact statement stage but that 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 Heritages 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 scoping 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 developing issues and alternatives.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
on the proposed action, comments should be as specific as possible.
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 Bitterroot National Forest, 1801 N. 1st.,
Hamilton, MT 59840.
Dated: March 21, 1994.
Stephen K. Kelly,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 94-8037 Filed 4-4-94; 8:45 am]
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