[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5802]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 14, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

 

Management of Selected Vegetation Stands in the Nebo Management 
Area: Spanish Fork Ranger District, Uinta National Forest, Utah County, 
UT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document the 
analysis of the effects of alternatives for management of white fir 
timber stands infested with fir engraver beetles (Scolytus Ventralis) 
within the Nebo Management Area of the Spanish Fork Ranger District of 
the Uinta National Forest. The proposed action is to implement 
management activities that will support the desired future condition 
for the Nebo Management Areas outlined in the Uinta National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) in accordance with the 
requirements of 36 CFR 219.17 and 219.27.
    The project area is located south of Payson, Utah, and northeast of 
Nephi, Utah, on lands accessible from the Mt. Nebo Loop Scenic Byway. 
The largest concentration of infected timber stands are in the 
Sheepherder Hill area (Sections 15, 22-24, 28, 29, T10S, R2E, Salt Lake 
Meridian). The purpose of this proposed management action is to save 
the remaining healthy trees by removing the competition that may be 
posed by dead and dying conifer trees and planting seedlings to 
accelerate the recovery time for reestablishing a healthy forest.
    Implementation of activities to restore a healthy forest condition 
may require entry into areas designated as roadless in the 1980 RARE II 
inventory.
    The agency invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the 
analysis. In addition, the agency gives notice of the full 
environmental analysis and decisionmaking process that will occur on 
the proposal so that interested and affected people are aware of how 
they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis for this Forest 
Service proposal should be received in writing by May 10, 1994. A 
scoping meeting will be held at the Spanish Fork Ranger Station, May 4, 
1994 from 3 to 7 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Tom Tidwell, District Ranger, 
Spanish Fork Ranger District, 44 West 400 North, Spanish Fork, Utah 
84660.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for further information or comments should be sent to Mark 
Sensibaugh, Resource Assistant, phone (801) 798-3571.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Because much of this project area is within 
view of a designated Scenic Byway and in the vicinity of the Mt. Nebo 
Wilderness Area, the nature and scope of the decision to be made is 
affected.
    Aerial surveys indicate more than 15,000 acres of timber stands 
were infested in the Nebo Management Area by the summer of 1993. A 
biological evaluation of current stand conditions was conducted on 350 
acres to assess the magnitude of the problem and potential management 
options. The biological evaluation indicated that management actions 
should be considered to reduce the volume of dead and dying trees in 
the more concentrated, infested timber stands in the area, specifically 
Sheepherder Hill. In the spring of 1993, an emergency timber sale, the 
Payson Canyon Salvage Sale, was approved for harvesting approximately 
141 acres of highly visible dead and dying timber within the proposed 
project area, but not within an inventoried roadless area. The 
emergency sale is adjacent to the Sheepherder Hill area. Since the 
Payson Canyon Salvage Sale was initiated, many additional fir beetle 
infestations have been identified and concern about forest health has 
increased throughout the area.
    Scoping of public issues were initiated as part of the Payson 
Canyon Salvage Sale, which is applicable to this project. The 
preliminary list of issues identified to be addressed by this project 
analysis include:

--Forest health
--Impacts on the roadless characteristics of the project area
--Cumulative impacts of alternatives to this action
--Visual impacts to the Scenic Byway
--Fuel build-up/fire and insect disease hazards
--Economic feasibility of implemented management actions
--Implications to wetlands, floodplains and riparian vegetation
--Possible impacts to threatened, endangered and/or sensitive species
--Land/slope stability
--Forest user safety
--Water quality
--Elk calving vs. the timing of management activities

    A wide range of alternatives will be considered in managing the 
insect impacted timber stands. A preliminary list of alternatives 
includes:

--No change to current management
--Harvest the dead and dying trees
--Burning of infested areas
--Stand treatment based on its visibility from the Scenic Byway
--A combination of any or all of the above
--Other considerations identified in the analysis process

    There are no known permits or licenses required to implement any of 
the proposed alternatives.
    The comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will 
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency's notice 
of availability appears in the Federal Register. It is very important 
that those interested in the proposed action participate at that time. 
To be most helpful, comments on the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement should be as specific as possible and may address the 
adequacy of the statement or the merits of the alternatives discussed 
(see The Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3).
    In addition, Federal court decisions have established that 
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 reviewers' position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC , 435 U.S. 519, 
533 (1978). Environmental objectives that could have been raised at the 
draft stage may be waived if not raised until after completion of the 
final environmental impact statement. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 9th 
Circuit, 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 
1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this is to ensure 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.
    It is estimated that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) will be released for public review in August 1994. The Final EIS 
is scheduled to be released in November 1994. Implementation of the 
project could occur by late fall of 1994 or the Spring of 1995.
    After the 45 day comment period ends on the Draft EIS, the comments 
will be analyzed and considered by the Forest Service in preparing the 
Final EIS. The Forest Service is required to respond to the comments 
received in the Final EIS. The responsible official is the District 
Ranger. The responsible official will consider the comments, responses 
and environmental consequences discussed in the EIS and applicable 
laws, regulations and policies in making a decision regarding this 
proposal. The responsible official will document the decision and 
reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That decision will 
be subject to review under 36 CFR part 215.

    Dated: March 4, 1994.
Tom L. Tidwell,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 94-5802 Filed 3-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M