[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 24130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11239]
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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. 64, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 5, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 24130]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Proposed Brownlee Timber Sale and Other Activities Within the
Sheep Gulch Roadless Area, Payette National Forest, Washington County,
Idaho
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service is proposing these activities for the
Brownlee Subwatershed: harvest and regeneration of timber, changing the
timing of grazing and combining the West Pine/Brownlee and Limestone
Allotments, and prescribed fire to reduce fuels and enhance plant
growth and mountain quail habitat.
The agency gives notice of the environment analysis and decision-
making process so that interested and affected people know how they may
anticipate and contribute to the final decision. The agency invites
written comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis and the
issues to address.
DATES: Comments must be received by June 18, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to David Alexander, Forest Supervisor,
Payette National Forest, P.O. Box 1026, McCall, Idaho 83638.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
should be directed to Dautis Pearson, NEPA Coordinator, phone (208)
253-0134; or John Baglien, District Ranger, phone (208) 549-4201.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USDA Forest Service is proposing
projects within the 45,011 acre Brownlee Subwatershed. About 4-6 MMBF
of timber from 600-800 acres will be harvested by thinning and
regeneration methods, using tractor, skyline, and helicopter logging
systems. About 300-400 acres will be regenerated. No road construction
is planned for the timber sale, which lies partially within the Sheep
Gulch Roadless Area, Washington County, Idaho.
This proposal follows direction in the Payette National Forest Land
and Resource Management Plan.
Proposals for the range allotments include changes in timing of
grazing and combining the West Pine/Brownlee and Limestone Allotments.
The number of days for grazing and the number of AUMs would remain the
same for these allotments.
Fire management activities would focus on reduction of fuels
following timber harvest and reintroduction of fire into the ecosystem.
Piling with burning and underburning of logged areas would reduce
existing and created fuels, preparing some of these areas for planting.
Fire would be reintroduced into vegetation communities that burn
frequently (every 10 to 50 years) under natural disturbance regimes.
Prescribed fire activities would occur on a total of about 4,000 acres
of open ponderosa pine stands, aspen communities, and grass/shrublands
to enhance plant growth and diversity.
Preliminary issues identified are roadless area quality, forest
health in stringer habitat, and the economic and resource effects of
longer return intervals into the subwatershed.
Initial scoping began in October, 1997. The Forest Service is
conducting preliminary analysis and will be seeking additional
information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and local
agencies and other individuals or organizations who may be interested
or affected by the proposed projects. Additional input will help
identify key issues and develop alternatives in preparation of the
draft EIS.
The scoping process includes:
1. Identification of potential issues.
2. Identification of issues to be analyzed in depth.
3. Elimination of insignificant issues or those which have been
covered by a relevant previous environmental process.
4. Exploration of additional alternatives based on the issues
identified during scoping.
5. Identification of potential environmental effects of the
proposed action and alternatives.
The Forest Service expects to file the draft EIS with the
Environmental Protection Agency and have it available for public review
by July 1, 1999. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days
from the date the Environmental Protection Agency's notice of
availability appears 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
DEISs must structure their participation in the environmental review of
the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency to the
reviewer's positions and contentions. Vermont Yankee Power Corp. v.
NRDC 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, courts may waive or dismiss
environmental objections that could be raised at the DEIS stage but
that are not raised until after completion of the final environmental
impact statement (FEIS). 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 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 FEIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
raised by the proposed action, comments should be as specific as
possible. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Regulations for
implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental
Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
The Responsible Official is David F. Alexander, Forest Supervisor,
Payette National Forest.
Dated: April 28, 1999.
Carol Feider,
Operations Branch Chief.
[FR Doc. 99-11239 Filed 5-4-99; 8:45 am]
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