[Federal Register: November 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 219)]
[Notices]
[Page 65578-65579]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15no04-55]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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[[Page 65578]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Bridger-Teton National Forest-Wyoming--Kemmerer and Greys River
Ranger Districts; Lincoln County, WY Salt Pass Grazing Allotments
Environmental Impact Statement.
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare An
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the effects of domestic
livestock grazing in the Salt Pass area. The Salt Pass Grazing
Allotments (composed of Giraffe, Lower Salt, Porcupine, Smiths Fork,
Buckskin Knoll, Lake Alice, North Salt River, South Salt River domestic
sheep allotments and Trespass domestic cattle allotment) are located in
Township 28, 29, 30 North, and Range 116, 117, 118, 119 West; Sixth
Principal Meridian. The allotments are located entirely within Lincoln
County. The allotments are located on two ranger districts, Kemmerer
and Greys River. The Kemmerer Ranger District administers all the
allotments except North Salt River and South Salt River, which are
administered by the Greys River Ranger District.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by December 17, 2005. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected in April 2005 and the final environmental impact statement is
expected by July 2005.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Russ Bacon, District Ranger,
Kemmerer Ranger District, P.O. Box 31, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101. For
further information, mail correspondence to
mailroom_r4_bridger_teton@fs.fed.us and on the subject line put only ``Salt Pass
Allotments''.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Russ Bacon, Kemmerer District Ranger,
Kemmerer Ranger District, P.O. Box 31, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101 or phone
(307) 877-4415.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
This proposal, in part, is to comply with Public Law 104-19,
section 504(a): establish and adhere to a schedule for the completion
of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) analysis and decision on all grazing allotments within the
National Forest System unit for which NEPA is needed (Pub. L. 104-19,
General Provision 1995). Upon completion of the NEPA analysis and
decisions for the allotments, the terms and conditions of the existing
grazing permits will be modified, as necessary, to conform to such NEPA
analysis. In addition, the purpose of the proposed action is to improve
range condition and trend and achieve desired conditions within the
project area through livestock grazing.
Proposed Action
The proposed action is to authorize continued livestock grazing,
provide analysis and data to update allotment management plans (AMPs),
and allow livestock grazing that meets or moves existing resources
conditions toward desired conditions on National Forest grazing
allotments while complying with applicable statutes. Adaptive
management, which allows flexibility during the implementation of the
grazing strategy, would allow managers to make adjustments and
corrections to management based on monitoring.
Possible Alternatives
Grazing as Currently Permitted: Although allotment management plans
(AMP's) would be prepared for each of the nine allotments, the grazing
management practices specified for the allotments with existing AMP's
would not be changed. In addition, no new utilization standards would
be initiated to move existing resource conditions in the project area
toward the desired future conditions (DFC's) specified in the Forest
Plan.
No Grazing by Domestic Livestock (No grazing alternative): This
would eliminate livestock grazing in the project area. This alternative
was developed to demonstrate the effects that eliminating livestock
grazing would have on the environment and to more clearly illustrate
the potential effects of implementing other alternatives. Under this
alternative, domestic livestock grazing on all nine allotments within
the project area would be phased out over several years as existing
Term Grazing Permits expire.
Responsible Official
Russell Bacon, District Forest Ranger, Kemmerer Ranger District,
P.O. Box 31, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101 and Charlene Bucha-Gentry,
District Forest Ranger, Greys River Ranger District, P.O. Box 339,
Afton, Wyoming 83110.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision, which is based on this analysis, will be to decide if
livestock will be allowed to graze on the allotment complex, either
through the implementation of the proposed action, or an alternative to
the proposed action. The decision would include any mitigation measures
needed in addition to those prescribed in the Forest Plan.
Scoping Process
Forest Service is seeking information, comments, and assistance
from individuals, organizations, tribal governments, and federal,
state, and local agencies interested in or affected by this project.
This analysis is for nine grazing allotments. The decision will have
limited environmental effects outside the allotment boundaries, and the
economic impacts are localized. Public participation will be solicited
by notifying in person and/or by mail known interested affected
publics. News releases will be used to give the public general notice.
Public participation activities would include requests for written
comments. The first formal opportunity to comment is to respond to this
notice of intent, which initiates the scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7).
Scoping includes: (1) Identifying potential issues, (2) narrowing the
potential issues and identifying significant issues of those that have
been covered by prior environmental review, (3) exploring alternatives
in addition to No Action, and (4) identifying potential environmental
effects of the proposed action and alternatives.
[[Page 65579]]
Preliminary Issues
The Forest Service has identified the following potential issues.
Your input is especially valuable here. It will help us determine which
of these merit detailed analysis. It will also help identify additional
issues related to the proposed action that may not be listed here.
Effects of grazing on soil erosion and productivity.
Effects of grazing on watershed condition and function.
Effects of grazing on the life cycle of the Bonneville and
Snake River cutthroat trout.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement.
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
contention. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
533 (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 meaningully 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: November 4, 2004.
Fred Fouse,
Acting District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 04-25249 Filed 11-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M