[Federal Register: October 10, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 197)]
[Notices]
[Page 58702-58703]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10oc03-100]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA-330-03-1610-00]
Notice of Availability of the Headwaters Forest Reserve Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Headwaters Forest Reserve
Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and California Department
of Fish and Game have jointly prepared a Proposed RMP and associated
FEIS and EIR for the Headwaters Forest Reserve (Reserve) located in
Humboldt County, California. The Proposed RMP and FEIS/FEIR have been
prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act (FLPMA), the act establishing the Reserve (H.R.
2107), and BLM policies. The Proposed RMP was developed with broad
public participation beginning with scoping meetings in June 2000,
release of a draft RMP with public meetings in June 2002, and ongoing
dialogue with a variety of publics. Both land use planning and
implementation-level planning for the Reserve are included in the
Proposed RMP which addresses management on the approximately 7,500 acre
Reserve.
DATES: BLM Planning Regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any person
who participated in the planning process, and has an interest that may
be adversely affected, may protest. The protest must be filed within 30
days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes
this notice in the Federal Register. More specific instructions and
requirements for protests are contained in the Supplementary
Information section of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Proposed RMP may be obtained from the
following Bureau of Land Management locations: BLM Arcata Field Office,
1695 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521, telephone (707) 825-2300; BLM
California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-1834, Sacramento, CA
95825, telephone (916) 978-4600; or requested by e-mail at caweb330@ca.blm.gov. BLM will also announce the availability of the
Proposed RMP through local media outlets, the current project mailing
list, and on the BLM Arcata Field Office Web site (http://www.ca.blm.gov/arcata/index.html
).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Headwaters Forest Reserve Management
Plan Information Line, (916) 737-3010, ext. 4326; Karen Kovacs,
California Department of Fish and Game, (707) 441-5789; Lynda Roush,
Bureau of Land Management, (707) 825-2300.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Headwaters Forest Reserve was acquired
by the Secretary of Interior and State of California on March 1, 1999
as a culmination of a comprehensive agreement of 1996, the Headwaters
Agreement, between the Department of Interior, State of California, and
the Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO), for the transfer of approximately
7,500 acres of old-growth and young-growth timber stands and associated
buffers in a reserve, and among other considerations, the completion
and approval of a Sustained Yield Plan (SYP) and Habitat Conservation
Plan (HCP) for PALCO property. Cash transfer for the purchase of the
Headwaters Forest Reserve was authorized in the 1997 Interior
Appropriations bill (H.R. 2107) on the
[[Page 58703]]
Federal side and in Assembly Bill 1986 (AB 1986), Headwaters Forest,
Owl Creek, and Grizzly Creek, on the state side. The Federal
legislation authorizing acquisition, (1) established a specific
boundary and point of access, (2) called for joint federal-state
acquisition, with management by the federal government and an easement
to guarantee conservation management granted to the state, and (3)
established the requirement for the development of a management plan.
The 7,500-acre tract acquired includes 3,100 acres of unharvested
conifer forests dominated by redwood groves and surrounded by 4,400
acres of previously harvested forest. It is located in the northwestern
coast ranges of California near Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, part
of California's north coast region. The Reserve includes the headwaters
of three streams draining into Humboldt Bay; South Fork Elk River,
Little South Fork Elk River, and Salmon Creek. The Reserve contains
three federally listed threatened fish species: southern Oregon/
northern California coasts Coho salmon, northern California steelhead,
and California coastal Chinook salmon, and two federally listed
threatened animals: marbled murrelet and northern spotted owl. The
Reserve is designated critical habitat for the Coho, Chinook, and the
Murrelet. The Reserve is identified in the PALCO HCP as a site for
monitoring undisturbed baseline conditions for water quality and
wildlife habitat.
BLM has considered an array of alternatives including specific land
use allocations and prescriptions consistent with the legislative
intent for the Reserve. Species management, forest and watershed
restoration, recreation, critical resource values, and research are
addressed.
The planning process includes an opportunity for administrative
review through a plan protest to the BLM Director should a previous
commenter on the plan believe that the decision has been issued in
error. Only those persons or organizations who participated in the
planning process may protest. Protests from parties having no previous
involvement will be denied without further review. A protesting party
may raise only those issues which were submitted for the record during
the planning process. New issues raised in the protest period should be
directed to the BLM, Arcata Field Manager, 1695 Heindon Road, Arcata,
CA 95521 for consideration in plan implementation, as potential plan
amendments, or as otherwise appropriate. The period for filing protests
begins when the EPA publishes in the Federal Register its Notice of
Receipt of the FEIS containing the proposed resource management plan.
To be considered ``timely'' the protest must be postmarked no later
than the last day of the 30-day protest period. Also, although not a
requirement, it is recommended that the protest be sent by certified
mail, return receipt requested. E-mail protests will not be accepted.
Faxed protests will be considered as potential valid protests provided
(1) that the signed faxed letter is received by the Washington Office
protest coordinator by the closing date of the protest period and (2)
that the protesting party also provides the original letter by either
regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest
period. Please direct faxed protests to ``BLM Protest Coordinator'' at
202-452-5112. Please direct the follow-up letter to the appropriate
address provided below. Protest must be filed in writing to: Director
(210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC
20035; or by overnight mail to: Director (210), Attention: Brenda
Williams, 1620 L Street NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036. In order
to be considered complete, the protest must contain, at a minimum, the
following information:
1. The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the
person filing the protest.
2. A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
3. A statement of the part or parts of the plan being protested. To
the extent possible, this should be done by reference to specific
pages, paragraphs, sections, tables, maps, etc. included in the
proposed RMP.
4. A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues which
were submitted during the planning process or a reference to the date
the issue or issues were discussed by you for the record.
5. A concise statement explaining why the decision of the BLM
California State Director is believed to be incorrect. This is a
critical part of the protest. Take care to document all relevant facts.
As much as possible, reference or cite the planning documents,
environmental analysis documents, available planning records (i.e.
meeting minutes or summaries, correspondence, etc.) A protest which
merely expresses disagreement with the proposed decision, without
supporting data will not provide additional basis for the Director's
review of the decision.
Please note that comments, including names and street addresses of
respondents, are available for public review and/or release under the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Individual respondents may request
confidentiality. Respondents who wish to withhold name and/or street
address from public review or from disclosure under FOIA, must state
this prominently at the beginning of the written comment. Such requests
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their
entirety.
The Director will promptly render a decision on the protest. The
decision will be in writing and will be sent to the protesting party by
certified mail, return receipt requested. The decision of the Director
shall be the final decision of the Department of the Interior.
Dated: April 21, 2003.
Lynda J. Roush,
Arcata Field Manager.
Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the
Federal Register on September 29, 2003.
[FR Doc. 03-24980 Filed 10-9-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P