[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 183 (Thursday, September 22, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23439]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 22, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

 

Thunder Mountain Fire Recovery and Salvage, Okanogan National 
Forest, Okanogan County, Washington, Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the USDA, Forest Service, will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposal to 
implement connected projects for the purpose of speeding recovery of 
the Thunder Mountain Fire burned area. Forest Service proposed projects 
includes: Timber sale of dead and fire damaged trees within the fire 
perimeter; rehabilitation of riparian areas and channels damaged by 
fire; and control of livestock to maintain pre-fire pristine character 
of streams and meadows. The EIS will develop and evaluate a range of 
alternatives for management of the resources within the fire perimeter. 
The alternatives will include a no action alternative, involving no 
timber harvest or road construction, and additional alternatives in 
response to issues identified during the scoping process. The proposed 
projects are consistent with the direction in the 1989 Okanogan 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) which 
provides the overall guidance for management of the area. The entire 
burned area and proposed project are within the Long Swamp Roadless 
Area. Implementation of proposed projects is scheduled for Fiscal Year 
1995. The Long Swamp Roadless Area is located approximately 25 miles 
west of Tonasket, Washington. The agency invites written comments on 
the scope of this project. In addition, the agency gives notice of this 
analysis so that interested and affected people are aware of how they 
may participate and contribute to the decision making process.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must be received by October 11, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope 
of the analysis to Don Rose, Project Coordinator, Tonasket Ranger 
District, P.O. Box 466, Tonasket, Washington 98855.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Direct questions about the proposed action and environmental analyses 
to Don Rose, Project Coordinator, Tonasket Ranger District, P.O. Box 
466, Tonasket, Washington 98855, telephone: (509) 486-5110.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Thunder Mountain Fire was started by 
lightning on July 23, 1994 and was not declared controlled until August 
30. During that time, the fire burned through 8,950 acres of lodgepole 
pine, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir forest. Within the fire 
perimeter, it is estimated that approximately 4,500 acres of trees were 
killed by the flames and heat of the fire. The remainder of the area 
within the fire perimeter either burned to a lesser degree (and may 
experience further dying of trees) or did not burn at all. Fire control 
was hampered by the roadless nature of the area which limited access.

    The proposed action is to salvage dead and fire damaged trees on 
approximately 25 percent of the area within the fire perimeter. 
Approximately half of the area to be salvaged will be logged using 
helicopter yarding and the other half will be logged using cable and 
tractor systems. Approximately 3 miles of road will be constructed to 
improve access to the center of the area. The roads would be on three 
or four ridgetops running west from the main road in the area.
    This area has recently been analyzed in both the Meadows Integrated 
Resource Analysis, which concentrated on issues associated with 
management of North American lynx, and the Chewuch Watershed Analysis, 
which analyzed historical disturbance patterns and how existing 
resource conditions differ from historical conditions. To date, the 
major issues identified are: Management of the roadless area; effects 
on lynx habitat; effects on anadromous fish habitat within the Chewuch 
River; future fire risk; and long term health of the soils and water 
within the burned area. Public meetings will be held in Tonasket and 
the Methow Valley (Washington) to review existing information and 
facilitate public scoping.
    This EIS will tier to the Forest Plan, as amended by the Eastside 
Screening Environmental Assessment. The Forest Plan provides forest-
wide standards and guidelines, management area standards and 
guidelines, and desired future conditions for the various lands on the 
Forest. This direction is provided for management practices that will 
be utilized during the implementation of the Forest Plan.
    The Thunder Analysis Area contains about 8,950 acres. All of this 
is in the Long Swamp Roadless Area, which is 70,200 acres in size. The 
Analysis Area is allocated to the following Management Areas (MA):

--Approximately 90 percent is in MA 12 which is designed to provide 
habitat to support a stable lynx population over the long term while 
accessing the area for the purpose of growing and producing 
merchantable wood fiber.
--Approximately 9 percent is in MA 5 which is designed to provide 
opportunities for recreation and viewing scenery in a roaded natural 
setting.
--Approximately 1 percent is in MA 8 which is designed to preserve 
naturally occurring physical and biological units as Research Natural 
Areas.

    The analysis will develop a range of alternatives--from no-action, 
(with no timber harvest or road construction) to an alternative that 
proposes harvest (no road construction), to an alternative that 
considers timber harvest with road construction and a lesser amount of 
helicopter yarding.
    Public participation will be especially important at several points 
during the analysis. The Forest Service will be seeking information, 
comments, and assistance from other Federal, State, local agencies, and 
tribes, and other individuals or organizations who may be interested in 
or affected by the proposed project. This input will be used in 
preparation of the draft EIS. the scoping process includes:

--Identifying potential issues.
--Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.
--Identifying issues which have been covered by a relevant previous 
environmental analysis.
--Exploring additional alternatives based on themes which will be 
derived from issues recognized during scoping activities.
--Identifying potential environmental effects of this project and 
alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and 
connected actions).
--Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.
--Notifying interested members of the public of opportunities to 
participate through meetings, personal contacts, or written comment. 
Keeping the public informed through the media and/or written material 
(e.g. newsletters, correspondence, etc.).

    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by 
December, 1994. Your comments and suggestions are encouraged and should 
be in writing. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from 
the date the EPA publishes the notice of availability in the Federal 
Register.
    The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers 
notice of this early stage of public participation and of several court 
rulings related to public participation in the environmental review 
process. First, reviewers of draft EIS 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. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft stage but that are not raised until after the completion of the 
final EIS 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 be meaningfully considered and 
responded to in the final EIS.
    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.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by March, 1995. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments and 
responses received during the comment period that pertain to the 
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies considered in making a decision 
regarding the proposal. Sam Gehr, Forest Supervisor, is the responsible 
official. The responsible official will document the decision and 
rationale for the decision in the Record of Decision, which will be 
subject to Forest Service appeal regulations 36 CFR Part 215.

    Dated: September 15, 1994.
Sam Gehr,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 94-23439 Filed 9-21-94; 8:45 am]
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