[Federal Register: May 15, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 94)]
[Notices]
[Page 26283-26284]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15my03-31]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Idaho Panhandle National Forest, Idaho--Quartz Gold Project EIS
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement on a proposal of ecosystem management in the Quartz Gold
project area, which is approximately 44,000 acres in size.
Opportunities were developed through a comparison of existing project
area conditions with desired future conditions for all the resources in
the project area. The assessment utilized the Idaho Panhandle Forest
Plan and findings from the St. Joe Geographic Assessment, Upper
Columbia River Basin Assessment along with trends observed by
interdisciplinary specialists conducting on the ground assessments. The
proposal improves forest health, wildlife and fisheries habitat, and
watershed health. It reduces risks to wildfire, and maintains a
spectrum of access for public recreation. The project is intended to
move the landscape toward long-term ecologic, economic and social
sustainability.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be available
for public review in July 2003 and the final environmental impact
statement is expected November 2003.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to George Bain, District Ranger, St.
Joe Ranger District, PO Box 407, St. Maries, Idaho 83861 or
electronically to gbain@fs.fed.us <mailto:gbain@fs.fed.us>. For further information, mail
correspondence to Kimberly Johnson, EIS Team Leader at the address
listed above. Information on this project can be found on the Internet
by going to http://www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/ <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/> and looking under Ecosystems,
Management, Index of NEPA Project and St. Joe Ranger District.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Johnson, Quartz Gold Project
Team Leader, 208-245-6072.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of this proposal is to improve forest health by
managing vegetative conditions that in the long term encourage more
resilient and sustainable forest conditions. It also improves and
maintains winter range conditions and white bark pine habitat, which
are both declining. It will reduce the risk of resource loss through
fuel management and improve growing conditions for sapling/pole stands.
The proposal will contribute to watershed recovery processes by
correcting sediment sources from the existing road system.
Approximately 65% of stream-crossing culverts surveyed are undersized
for a 100 year event (as required by Infish). It will also improve
instream habitat conditions as several streams in the area are not
meeting Infish standards as directed in the Forest Plan and provide
fish passage on those road/stream crossing culverts. It will increase
wildlife security which is currently below Forest Plan standards and
maintain a spectrum of access for public recreation and provide
opportunities for disabled hunters,
[[Page 26284]]
which currently, one exists on the District.
Proposed Action
The proposed action to meet the purpose and need of the project
area is: commercially harvest approximately 5,300 acres of which 4,000
acres is intermediate harvest, 1,100 acres are sanitation salvage and
approximately 200 acres of regeneration harvest (clearcut with
reserve). The commercial harvest would include approximately 9 miles of
road construction and reconstruction on existing roads. The proposal
also includes the use of prescribe burning on approximately 466 acres
on big game winter range, building approximately 3 miles of fuel breaks
on the Idaho/Montana border, conducting pre-commercial stand
improvement on approximately 2,000 acres, enhancement of whitebark pine
habitat on 1,434 acres, by thinning around the remaining trees, and
decommissioning approximately 160 miles of road and putting
approximately 68 miles of road into storage. The proposal also adds
access for disabled hunters, provides loops for ATV enthusiasts,
increases wildlife security through effective road closures and
improves instream fisheries habitat by placing structures in several
streams in the area.
Responsible Official
Ranotta McNair, Forest Supervisor, Idaho Panhandle National Forest,
3815 Schreiber Way, Coeur D'Alene, Idaho 83815.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The St. Joe Ranger District will prepare the EIS. The Forest
Supervisor of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest will decide whether
to implement this project, and if so, in what manner. The decision will
be documented in a Record of Decision (ROD).
Scoping Process
Public Scoping packages describing the proposed action were sent
out to the Quartz Gold Project mailing list in January 2003. An open
house was held in February of 2003. A field trip to the project area is
planned for May or June of 2003.
Preliminary Issues
Preliminary issues from scoping have been identified. These include
effects of the proposed vegetation management and roads on water yield
and sediment delivery to streams, the effects of management activities
on riparian habitat conservation areas, the effects of proposed access
management on the full spectrum of recreation use of roads and trial in
the project area, and economic cost efficiency of proposed commercial
harvest and road construction and decommissioning.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. To assist the
Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on
the proposed action, comments should be as specific as possible. Public
participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, however;
comments received within 30 days of publication of this notice will be
especially useful in the preparation of the Draft EIS.
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.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501. 7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: May 9, 2003.
Ranotta K. McNair,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-12104 Filed 5-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
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