[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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