[Federal Register: April 15, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 72)]
[Notices]
[Page 19921-19922]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ap05-18]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Clear Prong Project, Boise National Forest, ID
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Cascade Ranger District of the Boise National Forest will
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a resource
management project in the Clear Creek drainage. The entire project area
is located in watersheds that drain into Clear Creek, which in turn
drains into the North Fork Payette River below Cascade Reservoir. The
11,056-acre project area is located 10 miles east of Cascade, Idaho,
and about 120 miles north of Boise, Idaho.
The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of
the analysis. The agency also hereby gives notice of the environmental
analysis and decisionmaking process that will occur on the proposal so
interested and affected people are aware of how they may participate
and contribute to the final decision. At this time, no public meetings
to discuss the project are planned.
Proposed Action: Eight objectives have been identified for the
project: (1) Relative to Douglas-fir beetle, mountain pine beetle,
western pine beetle, western spruce budworm, and/or dwarf mistletoe,
manipulate the structures, densities and compositions of stands to
maintain a low or moderate susceptibility level, or to decrease
susceptibility to a low or moderate level; (2) reduce fuel loads and
ladder fuels through the use of prescribed fire where existing forest
types indicate such an action could be accomplished without substantial
mortality of the overstory trees, and where topographic features would
make the use of prescribed fire a practical management action; (3)
retain the existing size class of stands currently identified as large
tree and manipulate the structure of small and medium tree size class
stands to accelerate their movement toward the large tree size class;
(4) reduce the densities of stands currently identified as large tree
size class to maintain or
[[Page 19922]]
restore canopy closures within desired conditions; (5) consistent with
the particular habitat type, discriminate against shade-tolerant
species such as grand fir and subalpine fir and encourage retention and
recruitment of several species; (6) improve long-term stand growth to
or near levels indicative of sustainable forests; (7) provide wood
products to support local and regional economies; and (8) reduce
management-induced sediment associated with roads 409, 405B, 405B2,
405C, 405D, and 417HX1.
The Proposed Action would implement silvicultural activities,
including thinning of submerchantable trees and prescribed fire, on
2,875 acres. An estimated 9.0 MMBF would be removed using tractor, off-
road jammer, skyline, and helicopter yarding systems. The Proposed
Action would employ a variety of silvicultrual prescriptions including
commercial thin, commercial thin with prescribed fire, sanitation/
improvement, sanitation/improvement with prescribed fire, seed cut
shelterwood, clearcut with reserve trees, thinning of submerchantable
trees, thinning of submerchantable trees with prescribed fire, and
prescribed fire.
The Proposed Action would restore an estimated 0.8 mile of the 409
road through maintenance activities to reduce sedimentation.
Specifically, gravel would be applied to the surface of the 409 road
from near the 409/409D intersection to Clear Creek Summit. Roughly 1.6
miles of temporary road would be constructed to facilitate
silvicultrual activities.
An estimated 4.4 miles of existing road (405B, 405B2, 405C, 405D,
and 417HX1) not needed for the long-term management of the area would
be decommissioned to reduce future maintenance needs and to reduce
sedimentation. These five roads would be removed from the
transportation system.
Preliminary Issues: Preliminary concerns with the Proposed Action
include potential impacts on water quality and terrestrial wildlife
species.
Possible Alternatives to The Proposed Action: One alternative to
the Proposed Action that has been discussed thus far is a no action
alternative. Other alternatives will likely be developed as issues are
identified and information received.
Decisions To Be Made: The Boise National Forest Supervisor will
decide the following: (1) Should vegetation be managed within the
project area at this time, and if so, which stands should be treated
and what silvicultural systems applied? (2) Should temporary roads be
built at this time, and if so, how many miles should be built and where
should they occur within the project area? (3) Should existing
classified roads within the project area receive maintenance activities
to reduce sedimentation, and if so, where within the project area? (4)
Should portions of roads 405B, 405B2, 405C, 405D, and 417HX1 be
decommissioned at this time? (5) Based on the completed Clear Prong
Project Roads Analysis, which roads should be adopted as the minimum
transportation system? (6) What design features and/or mitigation
measures should be applied to the project?
DATES: Substantive comments concerning the proposed project and
analysis are encouraged and should be postmarked or received within 30
days following publication of this announcement in the Federal
Register.
ADDRESSES: Substantive comments should be addressed to the Cascade
Ranger District, ATTN: Keith Dimmett, PO Box 696, Cascade, ID 83611 or
sent electronically to comments-intermtn-boise-cascade@fs.fed.us.
Electronic comments must be submitted in plain text or another format
compatible with Microsoft Word. Substantive comments are those within
the scope of, are specific to, and have a direct relationship to the
proposed action and include supporting reasons that the Responsible
Official should consider in reaching a decision. Comments received in
response to this request will be available for public inspection and
will be released in their entirety if requested pursuant to the Freedom
of Information Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further information can be obtained
from Keith Dimmett at the address mentioned above or by calling 208-
382-7400.
Schedule: Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), June 2005.
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), August 2005.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An estimated 2,194 acres of the Peace Rock
Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA) and an additional 252 acres of the
Stony Meadows IRA lie within the Clear Prong Project Area. With the
exception of a small portion of the prescribed fire, none of the
activities associated with the Proposed Action would occur within
either IRA.
The entire project area drains into Clear Creek, which was listed
in 1998 as impaired under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. The
pollutant of concern was sediment. There is currently no TMDL in place.
The project area lies within Management Area 17 (North Fork Payette
River), discussed on pages III-290 through III-301 in the Forest Plan.
Several Management Prescription Categories (MPC's) apply within this
Management Area (MA). However, only MPC 4.1c and 5.2 occur within the
project area. With the exception of a small portion of the prescribed
fire, the Proposed Action includes management activities within MPC 5.2
only.
The comment period on the DEIS 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, reviews of
the DEIS 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, 533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that
could be raised at the DEIS stage but are not raised until after
completion of the FEIS may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City
of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1002 (9th Cir., 1986) and Wisconsin
Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, (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 DEIS 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 FEIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as
specific as possible. it is also helpful if comments refer to specific
pages or chapters of the draft 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.
Responsible Official: Richard A. Smith, Forest Supervisor, Boise
National Forest, 1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200, Boise, ID 83709.
Dated: March 31, 2005.
Richard A. Smith,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 05-7478 Filed 4-14-05; 8:45 am]
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