[Federal Register: December 30, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 250)]
[Notices]
[Page 79559-79560]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Payette National Forest, Idaho, Upper West Fork Weiser Vegetation Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revised notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service published a Notice of Intent to
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the West Fork
Weiser Watershed Projects in the Federal Register on March 11, 1999
(Vol. 64, No 47, pages 12150-12151). A revised Notice of Intent is
being issued due to two major changes (Forest Service Handbook 1909.15
part 21.2):
1. It has been more than six months since filing the original
Notice of Intent; and
2. There has been a change in the proposed action and project area.
The USDA Forest Service will prepare the Upper West Fork Weiser
Vegetation Management Project EIS. The proposed action in the EIS is to
manage timber stands to improve their health, species diversity and
productivity. Additionally, the proposed action is to obliterate roads
and landings to meet the 1988 Payette National Forest Land and Resource
management Plan standard for Total Soil Resource Commitment (TSRC). The
Payette National Forest invites written comments and suggestions on the
scope of the analysis and the issues to address. The agency gives
notice of the full National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis
and decision-making process so that interested and affected people know
how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.
DATES: Comments need to be received by February 7, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Kimberly A. Brandel, District
Ranger, New Meadows Ranger District, Payette National Forest, P.O. Box
J, New Meadows, Idaho, 83654.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
should be directed to Sylvia Clark, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, at
the above address, phone (208) 347-0300.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Upper West Fork Weiser project area is
located in the Upper Lost Creek, East fork Lost Creek, West Branch of
the Weiser River, and East Branch of the Weiser River sub-watersheds on
the New Meadows Ranger District. It is about ten miles north and west
of New Meadows, and approximately 22,434 acres in size. The purpose and
need for this activity is to (1) Maintain and restore a diverse and
sustainable landscape structure, (2) Restore species composition, stand
structure, and stand density to more closely mimic historic conditions,
and (3) Maintain and restore stand health, growth, and yield.
The proposed action includes a variety of activities to meet the
purpose and need. (1) Harvest timber on approximately 845 acres,
producing approximately 5.7 million board feet (MMBF), using tractor
and skyline logging systems. The silvicultural methods used would be
overstory removal, reserve shelterwood/seed tree and some commercial
thin. (2) Salvage dead and dying timber killed by fir engraver beetle
and other pests, or weakened due to light, water, or nutrient
competition. (3) Restore approximately 216 acres of unproductive soil
by obliterating roads, skid trails, and/or landings to meet the 1988
Forest Plan Standard for Total Soil Resource Commitment (TSCR). (4)
Improve approximately 56 miles of road to provide access for timber
activities. (5) Ensure desired species composition by planting and/or
natural regeneration of fire-tolerant Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and
western larch seedlings on 457 acres following timber harvest
activities. (6) Treat harvest-generated fuels on approximately 809
acres. Treatments would include machine piling and burning (excavator
piling would be used where slopes exceed 35 percent), broadcast
burning, and/or yarding tops. (7) Fence regeneration units on slopes
less than 35% in cattle allotment. (8) Monitor and treat noxious weeds.
Preliminary issues for this project include effects on water
quality, soil productivity, wildlife habitat, recreation, access
management, visual quality, and fish habitat.
A range of reasonable alternatives will be considered. The non-
action alternative will serve as a baseline for comparison of
alternatives. The proposed action will be considered along with
additional alternatives developed that meet the purpose and need and
address major issues identified during scoping. Alternatives may have
different amounts, locations, and types of project activities.
Comments received in response to this notice, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will be part of the project record and
available for public review.
The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from other
Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribal governments; organizations;
and individuals who may be interested in or affected by the proposed
action. This input will be used in preparation of the draft EIS.
A draft EIS will be prepared for comment. The draft EIS will be
filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is anticipated
to be available for public review by fall 2003. The comment period on
the draft EIS will be 45 days. It is important that those interested in
the management of the Payette National forest participate during this
initial scoping period and during the 45-day draft EIS comment period.
The Forest Service believes, at this early state, it is important
to five reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft EISs 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, 1002 (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 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
[[Page 79560]]
raised by the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS 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.
After the 45-day comment period ends, the Forest Service will
analyze comments received and address them in the final EIS. The final
EIS is scheduled to be completed in 2004. The Responsible Official is
the Payette National Forest Supervisor. The decision will be
documented, including the rationale for the decision, in a Record of
Decision (ROD). The decision will be subject to review under the Forest
Service Appeal Regulations at 36 CFR 215.
Dated: December 20, 2002.
Mark Madrid,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-32862 Filed 12-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
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