[Federal Register: July 28, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 145)]
[Notices]
[Page 42798]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy06-20]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Hoosier National Forest, IN; German Ridge Restoration Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplement to an environmental
impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, Hoosier National Forest intends to
prepare a supplement to an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
discloses the environmental consequences of a vegetation restoration
project. In the supplement to the EIS, the USDA Forest Service will
bring the document and the project into compliance with the Forest Plan
that has come into effect since the previous documents were prepared
and will make improvements to the cumulative effects sections. The EIS
addresses potential environmental impacts of replacing pine plantations
in the German Ridge area of Perry County, Indiana with native hardwood
communities.
DATES: The Draft supplement to the environmental impact statement is
expected in September 2006, and the final supplement to the
environmental impact statement is expected in December 2006.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Kenneth Day, Forest Supervisor;
Hoosier National Forest; 811 Constitution Avenue; Bedford, IN 47421.
Send electronic comments to r9_hoosier_website@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Ellis, NEPA Coordinator, Hoosier
National Forest, USDA Forest Service; telephone: 812-275-5987. See
address above. Copies of documents may be requested at the same
address. Information concerning the project can also be obtained on the
Forest Web page at http:/www.fs.fed.us/r9/hoosier/projects.htm.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 24,m 2oo6, Acting Forest
Supervisor James L. Lowe singed a record of decision (ROD) and released
the final EIS for the German Ridge Restoration Project. This EIS and
ROD were appealed to the Regional. Forester for the Eastern Region of
the Forest Service. The appellants raised numerous issues, including
the adequacy of the cumulative effects analysis in the final EIS. The
Regional Forester upheld the decision on most points but reversed the
decision because of an incomplete analysis of cumulative effects for
some resources. I have decided the public can be best served by
preparing a Supplement to the EIS.
This notice begins the public involvement processed for the
Supplement. The proposed action, the purpose and need, the issues, and
the alternatives remain unchanged from the January 2006 final, EIS.
Responsible Official
Kenneth G. Day, Forest Supervisor; Hoosier National Forest; 811
Constitution Avenue; Bedford, Indiana 47421.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made is whether or not to actively convert any
or all of the 2,180 acres of pine plantations to native hardwood
communities by harvesting and prescribed burning.
Early Notice of Public Participation in Subsequent Environmental
Review: A draft supplemental to the environmental impact statement will
be prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft 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
supplemental environmental impact statement stage but that are not
raised until after completion of the final supplement to the
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 important that those
interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the 45-
day comment period so that comments 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 proposed draft supplemental
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 (Authority 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service
Handbook 1909.15, Section 20).
Dated July 18, 2006.
Kenneth G. Day,
Forest Supervisor, Hoosier National Forest.
[FR Doc. 06-6561 Filed 7-27-06; 8:45 am]
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