[Federal Register: November 5, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 213)]
[Notices]
[Page 62428-62429]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05no07-15]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Black Hills National Forest, Bearlodge Ranger District, WY and
Northern Hills Ranger District, SD, North Zone Range 08 Analysis
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service proposes to revise Rangeland Allotment
Management Plans (RAMP) for ten allotments comprising approximately
92,800 acres within two Ranger Districts of the Black Hills National
Forest and analyze continuation of grazing within the constraints of
the Revised Black Hills National Forest Land and Resource Management
Plan, as amended (BHNF LRMP).
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by December 3, 2007. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected April 2008 and the final environmental impact statement is
expected August 2008.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Rhonda O'Byrne, Northern Hills
Ranger District, 2014 N. Main, Spearfish, SD 57783. Comment may also be
submitted by e-mail to:
comments-rocky-mountain-black-hills-northern-hills@fs.fed.us with ``North Zone Range 08'' as subject.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Smith at Northern Hills Ranger
District, 2014 N. Main, Spearfish, SD 57783, phone (605) 642-4622; or
Julie Wheeler at Bearlodge Ranger District, P.O. Box 680, Sundance, WY
82729, phone (307) 283-1361.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the project is to authorize livestock grazing in an
environmentally acceptable manner. The EIS will determine current
conditions, analyze environmental consequences of grazing management
actions on those conditions, and assist the decision maker in selecting
management/monitoring strategies consistent with meeting desired
conditions in the BHNF LRMP, including Goals 1, 2 and 3. The need for
the action is to revise allotment management plans, reverse any
existing undesirable conditions, and ensure that authorized uses and
associated management activities move them towards desired BHNF LRMP
conditions. There is also a need to respond to requests for grazing
permits on lands not currently being grazed.
Proposed Action
The Northern Hills and Bearlodge Ranger Districts propose to
implement best management practices and activities with adaptive
management and monitoring strategies to allow livestock grazing
consistent with Forest Plan desired conditions, standards and
guidelines.
Possible Alternatives
The Current Management Alternative would not change current
permitted livestock grazing. The No Grazing Alternative would eliminate
any livestock grazing on the project area.
Responsible Official
The Responsible Official for the allotments on the Bearlodge Ranger
District is Steve Kozel, District Ranger, Black Hills National Forest,
Bearlodge Ranger District, 121 S. 21st Street, Sundance, Wyoming 82729.
The Responsible Official for the allotments on the Northern Hills
Ranger District is Rhonda O'Byrne, District Ranger, Black Hills
National Forest, Northern Hills Ranger District, 2014 N. Main St.,
Spearfish, South Dakota 57783.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made is whether to continue to permit livestock
grazing on all, part, or none of these allotments and, if so, under
what terms and
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conditions to ensure that desired condition objectives are met, or that
movement occurs toward those objectives. Whether or not to allow
livestock grazing on three recently acquired parcels and one vacant
grazing unit will also be decided, and if so, under what conditions.
Scoping Process
Comments and input regarding the proposal are currently being
requested from the public, other groups and agencies via direct
mailing. Comments are due by December 3, 2007. Response to the draft
EIS will be sought from the interested public in May and June 2008.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. It is the
District's desire to involve interested parties in identifying the
issues related to grazing management. Comments will help the planning
team identify key issues used to develop adaptive management tools,
monitoring strategies, and alternatives. Persons who submitted comments
previously need not resubmit those same comments in response to this
request. Comments submitted previously will continue to be considered.
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: October 30, 2007.
Craig Bobzien,
Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest.
[FR Doc. 07-5467 Filed 11-2-07; 8:45 am]
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