[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 217 (Tuesday, November 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63023-63024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30062]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Northern Sierra Forest Plan Amendment EIS; Humboldt-Toiyabe
National Forest; Carson City, Douglas, and Washoe Counties, Nevada;
Alpine, Eldorado, Nevada, Sierra, Lassen, and Toulumne Counties,
California
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) to consider amending the Toiyabe
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The
amendment will be comprehensive, covering a wide variety of issues
needed to update the Forest Plan for the Northern Sierra area.
Decision to be made: The Forest Service will decide whether or not to
amend the Forest Plan for the Northern Sierra area, which coincides
with the Carson Ranger District. The amendment will consider improving
the management direction of portions of the Forest Plan and affirm
continuation of other aspects of the Forest Plan's management direction
for the next 10-15 years. No irreversible or irretrievable commitment
of resources (site specific actions) will be taken as a result of this
decision.
DATES: The public is asked to provide any information they believe the
Forest Service should consider and to submit any issues regarding
alternatives or potential impacts by January 23, 1999. The agency
expects to file the draft EIS with the Environmental Protection Agency
and make it available for public comment in November, 1999. The agency
expects to file the final EIS in June, 2000.
Meetings: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will hold four public
meetings to present information gained from the implementation of the
current Forest Plan and discuss the proposed Forest Plan amendment.
Comments from the public, other agencies and tribal councils are
welcomed. Tentative dates and locations for these meetings are:
December 11, 1998, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm at the Sierra Room, Carson City
Community Center, Carson City, NV; December 15, 1998, 4:00 pm-7:00 pm
at the Old Schoolhouse, Bartley Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch
Drive, Reno, NV; Dec. 17, 1998, 4:00 pm-7:00 pm at Turtle Rock Park,
Markleeville, CA; and January 12, 1999 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the
Douglas County Administration Building Courtroom, 1616 8th St., Minden,
NV.
COMMENTS: Written comments on the information presented here should be
submitted to the Northern Sierra Planning Team, Attn. Dave Loomis, USDA
Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 1536 South Carson
St., Carson City, NV 89701. Comments should be received by January 23,
1999.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For additional information contact Dave Loomis,
Forest Planner, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 1536 South Carson
St., Carson City, NV 89701, (702) 884-8132.
RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: The Regional Forester for the Intermountain
Region located at 324 25th Street, Odgen Utah 84401 is the responsible
official for this action.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed amendment will address
management of National Forest System lands in the Northern Sierra area,
which includes portions of Lassen, Sierra, Nevada, Eldorado, and Alpine
Counties in California and portions of Washoe, Carson City, and Douglas
Counties in Nevada. This area is part of the Sierra Nevada mountain
range. A framework for conservation and collaboration for National
Forest System lands in the Sierra Nevada is currently under
development. The EIS for the Northern Sierra Plan Amendment will be
developed in coordination with the EIS for the Sierra Framework.
The substantive changes that will be addressed in the amendment of
the Forest Plan are described in the regulations implementing the
National Forest Management Act (NFMA). The amendment process begins
with monitoring and evaluation of Forest Plan implementation (36 CFR
219.12(k)). It includes public involvement in monitoring and
identification of opportunities for improvements to improve management.
This NOI signals the development of an EIS for the amendment of the
Forest Plan. Based upon monitoring and evaluation results and the
information obtained in the Analysis of the Management Situation (AMS),
the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is proposing to make several
improvements to the long-term management direction for the Northern
Sierra area. The public is invited to comment on the preliminary
alternatives which have been identified.
Proposed Action
The proposed action is to amend the Toiyabe Land and Resource
Management Plan to improve management direction. The purpose of the
proposed action is to provide long
[[Page 63024]]
term management direction for the Northern Sierra area. The proposed
action is needed because existing guidance is more than a decade old.
That guidance does not reflect the substantial additions to the
National Forest System in the area, the rapidly growing and
diversifying population, or the advances in science that have occurred
over the last decade. Four alternatives have been prepared to address
the topics outlined below. A preferred alternative will be selected
during the preparation of the drafts EIS based on public comments from
this scoping process and the analysis of environmental impacts of the
alternatives.
Amendment Topics
Based on the analysis of the existing direction, monitoring and
evaluation of resource conditions, and public comments, the following
topics have been identified as having a need for change in management
direction. Heritage Resources, American Indian Religious and Cultural
Use, Watershed Protection, Species and Ecosystem Viability, Roadless/
Wilderness Area Management, Wild and Scenic River Suitability, Access,
Transportation, Recreation, Visual Resources, Fire and Smoke
Management, Forest Products Management, Livestock Grazing Management,
Mining, and Land Adjustment.
Potential Alternatives
These alternatives are preliminary only and will be refined through
the public scoping process. While alternatives may vary in emphases,
management activities would occur within the framework of the Forest
Service Natural Resources Agenda. The agenda emphasizes watershed
protection, ecosystem management, recreation and road management.
Alternative A emphasizes public recreational access to Forest
System lands. It protects scenic quality as a backdrop that enhances
the quality of life for residents and visitors. Alternative B
emphasizes public access, commercial services, and high diversity of
multiple uses. It provides for local economic diversity through forest
product development, forage utilization, outfitter guides, recreational
facilities, and motorized recreational opportunities. Alternative C
emphasizes ecological restoration including the protection,
maintenance, and restoration of watershed, riparian areas, and
ecosystem viability. Alternative D emphasizes sustainable multiple use
to meet current and future needs and expectations of local communities
and the American public. It encourages cooperative partnerships and
collaborative stewardship of the National Forest.
Public Comments on the Draft EIS
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be
available for public review and comment in November, 1999. The comment
period on the draft environmental impact statement will be at least 90
days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the
notice of availability in the Federal Register.
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. 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.
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. 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).
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, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the comment period so that substantive
comments are made available to the Forest Service 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 specific and refer to specific
pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also address the
adequacy of the draft statement or the merits of the alternatives
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.
Dated: November 4, 1998.
Gloria E. Flora,
Forest Supervisor, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
[FR Doc. 98-30062 Filed 11-9-98; 8:45 am]
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