[Federal Register: January 27, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 17)]
[Notices]
[Page 3940-3941]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27ja04-109]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[OR-930-6333 PH COMP, HAG 04-0075]
Notice of Availability of the Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for Management of Port-Orford-Cedar in Southwest Oregon
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service (FS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
have prepared a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
(FSEIS) for management of Port-Orford-cedar in southwest Oregon. The
Agencies are supplementing the analyses contained in the Final EISs for
the Resource Management Plans for the Coos Bay, Medford, and Roseburg
BLM Districts (1995) and the Land and Resource Management Plan for the
Siskiyou National Forest (1988), generally federally managed
forestlands in southwest Oregon.
The FSEIS is now available to the public. Requests to receive
copies of the FSEIS should be sent to the address listed below.
Alternately, the FSEIS is available on the Internet at http://www.or.blm.gov/planning/Port-Orford-cedar_SEIS/.
Copies are also
available for inspection at FS and BLM offices in southwestern Oregon
and northwestern California, public libraries within the range of the
cedar, and in the BLM Oregon State Office reading room at 333 SW. First
Avenue, Portland, Oregon. All submissions from organizations or
businesses will be made available for public inspection in their
entirety. Individuals may request confidentiality with respect to their
name, address, and phone number. If you wish to have your name or
street withheld from public review, or from disclosure under the
Freedom of Information Act, the first line of the comment should start
with the words ``CONFIDENTIALITY REQUESTED'' in uppercase letters in
order for BLM to comply with your request. Such request will be honored
to the extent allowed by law. Comment contents will not be kept
confidential.
DATES: Publication of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Notice
of Availability and filing of the FSEIS in the Federal Register
initiates a 30-day Protest Period for the Bureau of Land Management
(see 43 CFR Sec. 1610.5-02) . The EPA Notice of Availability appeared
in the Federal Register on January 23, 2004. An appeal period for the
Forest Service will be initiated with the signing of the Record of
Decision.
ADDRESSES: To request copies of the document, or to add your name to
the mailing list, contact: Port-Orford-Cedar SEIS Team, P.O. Box 2965,
Portland, Oregon 97208; or e-mail to ORPOCEIS@or.blm.gov; or FAX to
(503) 326-2396 and specify POC SEIS Team.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Denton, SEIS Team Leader, P.O. Box
2965, Portland, Oregon 97208; telephone (503) 326-2368.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Port-Orford-cedar is killed by an exotic
root disease (Phytophthora lateralis) that is linked, at least in part,
to transport of spore-infested soil by human and other vectors.
Waterborne spores then readily spread the disease down slope and
downstream.
[[Page 3941]]
Six alternatives are considered in detail in the FSEIS. Alternative
1, no action, continues the current direction of implementing available
disease-management practices based on site-specific analysis.
Alternative 2 uses the same management practices but adds a risk key to
clarify the environmental conditions that require implementation of
additional site-specific practices, and identifies and emphasizes
protection within uninfested 7th field watersheds. Alternative 3
includes almost all elements of Alternative 2 and adds additional
protections for 32 currently uninfested 6th field watersheds.
Alternative 4 removes existing disease management practices but
accelerates the resistant breeding program to provide resistant stock
for all areas within ten years. Alternative 5 also removes existing
disease management practices and stops development of resistant seed
for remaining undeveloped breeding zones. Alternative 6 incorporates
all elements of Alternative 2 and adds additional protections for
uninfested 7th field watersheds. The preferred alternative is
Alternative 2. A decision to select one of the action alternatives
would amend the management direction in one FS Land and Resource
Management Plan and three BLM Resource Management Plans in the planning
area.
The FSEIS addresses deficiencies identified in a February 12, 2003,
U.S District Court decision, which held the Resource Management Plan
EIS for the Coos Bay District and a related project Environmental
Assessment did not adequately analyze the cumulative effects of
management activities on the health of Port-Orford-cedar outside the
project area.
The analysis considers the entire natural range of Port-Orford-
cedar, but only plans within the Oregon portion of the range are
proposed for amendment at this time. The responsible official for lands
administered by the Forest Service is the Forest Supervisor for the
Siskiyou and Rogue River National Forests. The responsible official for
public lands administered by the BLM is the State Director, Oregon
State Office.
Dated: January 15, 2004.
A. Barron Bail,
Associate State Director, Oregon and Washington, Bureau of Land
Management.
[FR Doc. 04-1795 Filed 1-26-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P