[Federal Register: December 6, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 235)]
[Notices]
[Page 72635-72636]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06de02-27]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Proposed Twin Creek Timber Sale; Caribou-Targhee National Forest,
Bear Lake County, ID
AGENCY: USDA Forest Service.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement to document the analysis and disclose the environmental
impacts of proposed actions to harvest timber, build roads, and
regenerate new stands of trees in upper Georgetown Canyon of the
Caribou National Forest in Bear Lake County, Idaho. The proposed
project is located in T. 10 S., R. 44, Sections 1, 12, 13, 24 and T. 10
S., R. 44 E. sections 6 and 7, Boise Meridian. Implementing a
regeneration cut to lodgepole pine stands will provide an Allowable
Sale Q of sawlogs to industry and help meet the desired future
condition for function, structure, and composition to lodgepole pine
stands on suitable timberlands in the Georgetown Watershed.
The Montpelier Ranger District of the Caribou National Forest
proposes to harvest an estimated 2,500,000 million board feet of
commercial timber on approximately 329 acres. All 329 acres would
receive group seed tree cut. All units considered for cutting are
mature lodgepole pine. An estimated 7.0 miles of road would need to be
reconstructed, 1.9 miles would need to be constructed, 1.0 mile of
existing road would be opened and 1.0 mile would be closed. Some road
construction would occur on private ground. Approximately 54 acres
would be harvested in the Dry Ridge Inventoried Roadless Area,
04164. All merchantable timber would be yarded using tractors.
Natural regeneration is planned for in all the proposed cutting units.
Logging slash will be available for firewood to the public. The
remaining logging slash will then be burned. Ten to fifteen tons per
acres of large woody debris will be left in each cutting unit for
nutrient recycling.
The issues identified during scoping and the analysis process will
determine alternatives to the proposed action. The no action
alternative will be analyzed.
DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described
in this Notice should be received within 30 days of the date of
publication of this Notice in the Federal Register. No scoping meetings
are planned at this time. Information received will be used in
preparation of the draft EIS and final EIS.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Caribou-Targhee National Forest,
Montpelier Ranger District, 322 North 4th Street, Montpelier, Idaho
83254.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed
action and EIS should be directed to Eric Mattson, Caribou-Targhee
National Forest, Montpelier Ranger District, 322 N. 4th Street,
Montpelier, Idaho 83254 (Telephone: (208) 847-0375).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service is seeking information
and comments from Federal, State and local agencies, as well as
individuals and organizations that may be interested in, or affected by
the proposed action. The Forest Service invites written comments and
suggestions on the issues related to the proposal and the area being
analyzed.
The responsible official is Jerry B. Reese, Forest Supervisor,
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 1405 Hollipark Dr., Idaho Falls, Idaho
83401.
The decision to be made is: The Forest Service needs to decide
whether
[[Page 72636]]
to continue the present course of action (the no action alternative) or
to implement the proposed action with applicable mitigation measures,
or to implement an alternative to the proposed action with its
applicable mitigation measures.
The tentative date for filing the Draft EIS is 15 February 2003.
The tentative date for filing the final EIS is 15 April 2003. The
comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will be open
for 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 viewers notice of several court ruling 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 alert an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519
(1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft impact statement stage but 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 F2d 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 of the Draft Environmental Impact
statement 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 the in the Final Environmental Impact
Statement. Agency representatives and other interested people are
invited to visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the
EIS process.
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. 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 in response
to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposed
action and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those who submit
anonymous comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent
decision under 36 CFR 215 or 217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR
1.27(d), any person may request the agency to withhold a submission
from the public record by showing how the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) permits such confidentiality. Persons requesting such
confidentially should be aware that, under the FOIA, confidentially may
be granted in only limited circumstances, such as to protect trade
secrets. The Forest Service will inform the requester of the agency's
decision regarding the request for confidentially, and where the
request is denied, the agency will return the submission and notify the
requester that the comments may be resubmitted with or without name and
address within 10 days.
Dated: November 20, 2002.
Jerry B. Reese,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Intermountain
Region, USDA Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 02-30912 Filed 12-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M