[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 8, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2584]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 8, 1994]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

 

Butch Creek Timber Sale; Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Pend 
Oreille County, Washington.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft environmental impact 
statement for proposed activities in the Butch Creek project area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DATES: The comment period on this draft environmental impact statement 
expires March 28, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to District Ranger, Priest Lake Ranger 
District, HCR 5, Box 207, Priest River ID 83856.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed action and environmental impact statement 
should be directed to Kent Dunstan, District Ranger; David Cobb, the 
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, or David Asleson, the District Planning 
Staff Officer, Priest Lake Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National 
Forests, HCR 5 Box 207, Priest Lake ID 83856. Phone: (208) 443-2512.

SUMMARY: The notice is hereby given that the Forest Service has 
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) documenting the 
environmental effects that proposed timber harvesting and watershed 
improvement activities would have in the Butch Creek project area. The 
area is located approximately 15 air miles northwest of Priest River, 
Idaho, and is approximately 7,270 acres in size.
    Public participation is important. People may visit with Forest 
Service officials at any time prior to the decision, however, it is 
very important that public comment be made available to the Forest 
Service during review of this Draft EIS. After a 45-day public comment 
period, the comments received will be analyzed and considered by the 
Forest Service in preparing the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS). The FEIS is scheduled to be completed by June, 1994. The Forest 
Service will respond to the comments received from the DEIS in the 
FEIS.
    The District Ranger is the responsible official for this EIS, and 
will make a decision regarding this proposal considering the comments 
and responses, environmental consequences discussed in the FEIS, and 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The decision and reasons 
for the decision will be documented in a Record of Decision.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A very specific proposed action was 
developed for the area that includes timber harvest, reforestation and 
watershed rehabilitation activities. The proposed action and 
alternatives to the proposed action were developed within the framework 
of Ecosystem Management. This approach considers the management of all 
resources on large land areas with emphasis on sustaining the 
ecological systems present.
    Five alternatives were developed, including a No-Action 
Alternative. Alternative C is the alternative preferred by the Forest 
Service. Under Alternative C, approximately 4.5 million board feet of 
green, dead and dying timber would be harvested within 23 harvest 
units. Harvest methods include commercial thinning, overstory removal, 
group selection, individual tree selection, sanitation/salvage, 
shelterwood with reserves and seed tree with reserves. Skyline and 
tractor yarding methods would be utilized to harvest trees within these 
areas. In addition to these timber management activities, approximately 
69 acres would be precommercially thinned.
    Access to these proposed harvest areas would require 0.9 mile of 
new road construction, 8.7 miles of road reconstruction and 0.8 mile of 
road reconditioning. All of these roads would be closed, either 
immediately following the timber harvesting or after the post sale 
activities (such as slash burning and planting) have been completed. 
The majority of the newly constructed roads would be obliterated 
immediately after the timber is harvested while the majority of the 
reconstructed roads would be closed following the post sale activities.
    In addition to these road activities, improvements to the existing 
Forest Service Road 305 would be made over an 8-mile stretch within the 
project area to reduce the amount of sediment reaching the adjacent 
stream. To further improve the watershed conditions, structures would 
be placed into some headwater streams.
    Management activities would be administered by the Priest Lake 
Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests in Bonner 
County, Idaho. This DEIS will tier to the Forest Plan (September 1987) 
which provides the overall guidance (Goals, Objectives, Standards and 
Guidelines, and Management Area direction) in achieving the desired 
future condition for this area.

HOW TO RESPOND: The agency invites written comments and suggestions on 
the issues and management opportunities in the area being analyzed. To 
ensure that these comments are considered in the final decision, 
comments must be postmarked or received within 45 days from the date 
that this notice is published in the Federal Register. Commenters 
should include: (1) Name, address, telephone number, organization 
represented, if any; (2) title of the document on which the comment is 
being submitted (Butch Creek DEIS); and (3) specific concerns and 
supporting reasons for the District Ranger to consider. Copies of the 
Record of Decision will be mailed to those people who have submitted 
comments either before or during the comment period and to those who 
request a copy.

    Dated: January 25, 1994.
Kent L. Dunstan,
District Ranger, Priest Lake Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National 
Forests.
[FR Doc. 94-2584 Filed 2-7-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M