[Federal Register: July 5, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 129)]
[Notices]
[Page 44805-44807]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05jy02-30]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Glady Fork Environmental Impact Statement, Monongahela National
Forest, Randolph and Tucker Counties, WV
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 for timber harvest, stream restoration, wildlife enhancement,
and
[[Page 44806]]
road management activities in the Glady Fork watershed of the
Monongahela National Forest. This notice provides a description of the
proposed action, displays the estimated dates for filing the EIS,
provides information concerning public participation, and provides the
names and addresses of the responsible agency official and individuals
who can provide additional information.
DATES: We need to receive your comments on this Notice of Intent in
writing 45 days after this notice is published in the Federal Register.
The draft environmental impact statement is expected February 2003 and
the final environmental impact statement is expected May 2003.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Michele Jones, Forest NEPA Team
Leader, Monongahela National Forest, 200 Sycamore Street, Elkins, West
Virginia 26241. Faxes should be sent to (304) 636-1875. For further
information, mail correspondence to the same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Jones, Forest NEPA Team
Leader, Monongahela National Forest, 200 Sycamore Street, Elkins, West
Virginia 26241, or by calling (304) 636-1800.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose and need for action in the Glady Fork project area is
to increase forest health, to improve water quality and fish habitat,
to enhance wildlife habitat, and to provide forest products to the
local community.
Proposed Action
The proposed activities all fall within Management Prescription 6.1
under the Monongahela National Forest Land and Resource Management
Plan. The primary purpose of Management Prescription 6.1 is to manage
for remote habitat species intolerant of disturbance. Secondary
purposes are to manage for a semi-primitive non-motorized type of
recreational environment, a mix of forest products, and manage sites
reverting from hardwood to conifer and the intermingled high site
hardwood types.
The proposed action includes an estimated 797 acres of thinning,
689 acres of crop tree release, 51 acres of clearcuts, 96 acres of
shelterwood, 345 acres of two-age harvest, and 20 acres of overstory
removal. In total, approximately 1,998 acres of commercial timber
harvest is proposed, which would be logged by using helicopter yarding
on 1,205 acres and 793 acres of conventional ground-based skidding.
Post-harvest treatments proposed include 609 acres of herbicide use,
site preparation, and fencing, and 51 acres of planting.
Road management proposed in the Glady Fork project includes 2.0
miles of new road construction, 25.5 miles of road maintenance, 3.3
miles of road to be put in storage, and 10.3 miles of road to be
abandoned.
Planting or seeding of willow, aspen, alder, or other native trees
or shrubs along Daniels Creek is proposed to provide shade and future
large woody debris. In addition, trees would be placed in Daniels
Creek, McCray Run, and Nichols Lane Run to help channel stability and
to provide stream structure.
The proposed action includes one stand that would be converted to a
savannah, approximately 10 acres in size. An estimated 56 acres of red
spruce release would occur to improve habitat for wildlife species such
as the endangered West Virginia northern flying squirrel. Two wildlife
openings, approximately 3 acres each, would be developed to provide
open, grassy habitat for species such as white-tailed deer, wild
turkey, and black bear.
Responsible Official
The responsible official is Clyde N. Thompson, Monongahela National
Forest Supervisor, 200 Sycamore Street, Elkins, West Virginia 26241.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The responsible official will make a determination in his decision
whether the proposed action should proceed as proposed, as modified, or
not at all. The decision will also include mitigation measures to be
implemented with the project and associated monitoring requirements.
The decision maker will also determine whether or not an amendment to
the Monongahela National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan is
needed.
Scoping Process
The scoping period last for 45 days from the date this notice is
published in the Federal Register. Written and oral comments from the
public will be received through the postal service, via fax, or over
the telephone. No public meetings, open houses, or field trips are
planned at this time.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. Comments will be
used to identify significant issues, which will be used to develop
alternatives to the proposed action. Comments should be as specific as
possible. In order for the Forest Service to consider research
identified in comments, the commentor must identify why the research is
pertinent to the Glady Fork project and must provide a copy of the
research papers.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental
impact statement will be 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 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, 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 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 as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer
to specific pages or chapters of the draft statement. 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.
[[Page 44807]]
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7. and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: June 28, 2002.
Clyde N. Thompson,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-16816 Filed 7-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
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