[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-4600]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 1, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Trails End Integrated Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement to disclose the environmental consequences of the proposed
Trails End integrated project. The Forest Service is proposing to
harvest timber on approximately 2000 acres of National Forest land in
the northern portion of the Ridgway Ranger District. Forest health is
the driving concern in this project proposal. Sugar maple decline and
beech-scale necteria are causing growth loss and mortality. Treatments
will consist of clearcuts, overstory removals, salvage, improvement
cuts and thinnings. In addition to harvesting timber, the proposed
action will consider approximately 120 acres of wildlife habitat
improvement. These treatments will consist of vegetative planting to
increase food availability, maintaining existing apple trees, improving
turkey winter habitat, establishing beaver preferred food species,
releasing thermal cover and shrubs plus protecting native trout
streams.
DATES: Public scoping has been completed. A scoping letter was sent to
all interested parties and land owners in or adjacent to the proposed
project area. A notice was also published in the Ridgway Record on
August 18, 1993. Additional comments will be accepted during the
planning process and should reach us by March 31, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope
of the analysis to Leon F. Blashock, District Ranger, Ridgway Ranger
District, RD #1 Box 28A Ridgway, Pa 15853.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Direct questions about the proposed
action and Environmental Impact Statement to Carl Leland,
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Ridgway Ranger District, Ridgway, Pa.,
phone 814-776-6172.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Allegheny National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan was approved in March 1986. Of the total of
5427 acres in the project area, the plan allocated 400 acres of
Management Area (MA) 6.1 and 5027 acres of MA 3.0. MA 6.1 emphasizes
mature and overmature hardwood forests with the following primary
purposes; (1) maintain or enhance scenic quality, (2) emphasize a
variety of dispersed recreation activities in a semi-primitive
motorized setting, and (3) emphasize wildlife species which require
mature or overmature hardwood forests, such as turkey, bear and cavity
nesting birds and mammals. MA 3.0 has the following primary purposes;
(1) to provide a sustained yield of high-quality Allegheny hardwood
sawtimber though even-aged management, (2) to provide age class or size
class habitat diversity from seedlings through mature timber in a
variety of different types, (3) emphasize deer and turkey in all timber
types and (4) provide a roaded natural setting for all types of
developed and dispersed recreation opportunities with an emphasis on
motorized recreation activities.
A range of alternatives will be considered. One of these will be no
planned activity for the proposed project area. Other alternatives to
the proposed action will consider regeneration areas larger than the
40-acre maximum called for in the National Forest Management Act due to
the health of some of the stands. Landscape corridor designations will
be determined for the project area.
Leon F. Blashock, District Ranger, Ridgway Ranger District,
Allegheny National Forest is the responsible official.
The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency and to be available for public review by June 1994.
At that time the Environmental Protection Agency will publish a notice
of availability of the document in the Federal Register. The comment
period on the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the date of 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
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. versus NRDC, 435 U.S.
519 553 (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 versus Hodel, 803
F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. versus
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 meaningfully 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.
After the comment period ends on the draft environmental impact
statement, the comments will be analyzed and considered by the Forest
Service in preparing the final environmental impact statement. The
final environmental impact statement is scheduled to be completed by
September 1994. The decision will be subject to appeal under 36 CFR
part 215.
Dated: February 14, 1994.
Leon F. Blashock,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 94-4600 Filed 2-28-94; 8:45 am]
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