[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4145-4147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1374]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service


Southwestern Region, New Mexico, La Cueva Proposed Projects

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Carson National Forest is planning to prepare an 
environmental impact statement on a proposal to allocate old growth, 
apply vegetation treatments and use prescribed fire in certain forested 
stands, construct new roads and reconstruct roads to access these 
stands, redesignate an existing motorized trail and construct a new 
trail for motorized use and close roads on the La Cueva analysis area 
in the Rio Pueblo Canyon, Camino Real Ranger District. The need for 
this proposal is based upon the comparison of existing conditions and 
desired conditions for the La Cueva analysis area.

DATES: Comments in response to this Notice of Intent concerning the 
scope of the analysis should be received in writing by February 1, 
1995.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to USDA Forest Service, Carson 
National Forest, PO Box 558, Taos, New Mexico 87571, ATTN: Forest 
Planner.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: Leonard Lucero, the Forest Supervisor for the 
Carson National Forest, will be the responsible official and will 
decide whether or not to:
     Allocate old growth, if so, how much, where.
     Harvest sawtimber and other wood products, if so, where, 
what treatments will be used, what associated road construction, what 
post sale treatments (pre-commercial thinning, prescribed burning, 
etc.) will occur.
     Allow prescribed fire, if so, where and under what 
conditions.
     Redesignate the La Cueva Canyon trail to non-motorized use 
only.
     Construct a new trail for motorized use.
     Physically close roads within the analysis area, if so how 
many miles, and where.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Forest Planner (505) 758-6210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the difference 
between existing and desired conditions. This proposal is designed to 
move closer to the desired condition.
    Twenty percent of forested acres would be allocated to old growth 
to meet the objectives of the Carson Forest Plan.
    Some trees would be harvested for timber, made available for 
fuelwood and/or thinned for the purpose of:
     Moving towards a desired VSS class distribution that 
reduces the amount of VSS class 3 and 4 and increases the amount of 
Class 1, 2 and 5 to create [[Page 4146]] more biodiversity in the La 
Cueva analysis area.
     Supplying more forage producing understories for wildlife 
in summer and winter range and livestock where early seral conditions 
have been inhibited by tree density and/or dense canopy cover.
     Providing foraging areas for both wildlife and livestock 
away from springs and riparian areas in order to improve the condition 
of these special features.
     Regenerating pure aspen stands which would create more 
habitat diversity and perpetuate a major vegetative component within 
the analysis area.
     Regenerating ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir trees in their 
natural range. These forest types provide quality habitat to the hairy 
woodpecker, turkey, elk and Abert's squirrel.
     Selectively removing some trees infested with mistletoe or 
damaged by spruce budworm to keep insect and disease populations at a 
level which does not predispose stands to potential catastrophic 
damage. Providing a supply of firewood, vigas, aspen products and saw 
timber to help meet the demand for wood products on the Camino Real 
Ranger District for a period of five to seven years.
    Prescribed fire would be introduced in selected areas fro the 
purpose of:
     Introducing low intensity fires back into the ecosystem to 
move the VSS Class distribution towards the desired condition and to 
perpetuate plant species adapted to periodic episodes of fire.
     Stimulating mature oak to produce palatable, tender shoots 
for wildlife browse species.
     Creating a mosaic of tree sizes and densities, where 
clumps of even-aged trees with interlocking branches are dispersed 
throughout some stands.
     Reducing fuel loading in areas inaccessible to fuelwood 
gathering to reduce the potential for a catastrophic fire.
    Road reconstruction and new construction, including a road down the 
ridge between La Cueva and Flechado Canyons, would provide access to 
areas where the VSS class distribution can be moved towards the desired 
condition, where forage is needed, where various types of wood products 
could be extracted and where fuel loading is high. These roads would be 
closed to highway vehicles once proposed activities have ceased.
    The redesignation of the La Cueva Canyon Trail as a non-motorized 
trail would improve the quality of life for residents who have houses 
at or near the La Cueva trailhead and reduce conflicts between these 
homeowners and the motorized recreationists who use the area.
    The construction of a motorized trial connecting with the new road 
along the ridge between La Cueva and Flechado would serve as a 
replacement for the La Cueva Canyon trail which would be removed from 
the motorized trail system (See previous paragraph), maintaining the 
same opportunities for motorized use in the analysis area.
    All existing and newly constructed roads would be effectively 
closed after management activities have been completed within the 
analysis area. This is in keeping with the Carson Forest Plan which has 
a guideline which specifies that road management/wildlife integration 
should be managed to provide 60 percent big game habitat effectiveness 
by leaving approximately 1.0 mile/square mile of roads open to public 
use in big game summer range.
    Preliminary issues include effects on habitat effectiveness along 
the ridge separating La Cueva and Flechado canyons where a new road is 
proposed; the long-term effects on wildlife along the ridge where the 
new road will be designated as a motorized trail; the effects on the 
function of existing old growth proposed for timber harvesting; and the 
effects on soil productivity and water quality where a motorized trail 
is proposed. These issues will be refined and developed in detail as 
scoping proceeds. Comments on this issues and suggestions for 
additional issues are welcome in response to this Notice of Intent.
    A preliminary scoping meeting was held prior to the development of 
the desired condition statement and proposal. Several months later, 
approximately 150 letters were send out to the public and other federal 
and state agencies for their comments on the proposal and a field trip 
was held. An interdisciplinary team has been selected to do the 
environmental analysis, prepare and accomplish scoping and public 
involvement activities. Comments on the nature and timing of scoping 
and public participation activities would be beneficial to the team in 
preparation of the scoping plan. Additional public notice will be given 
of specific planned activities when the scoping and public involvement 
plan is developed.
    Preliminary alternatives may include continuation of present 
management in the area (no action); redesignating the La Cueva trail as 
non-motorized without building a new trail; relocating part of the La 
Cueva trail; confining harvesting and road building to the northern 
most part of the analysis area; creating the desired diversity on the 
ridge top(s) without harvesting or road building; and not treating any 
existing old growth stands. The interdisciplinary team will be 
developing the range of alternatives to be considered and comments on 
the range of alternatives to be considered will be beneficial. 
Additional opportunities to comment on alternatives will be provided as 
the process proceeds.
    It is anticipated that the environmental analysis and preparation 
of draft and final environmental impact statement will take about one 
year. The draft environmental impact statement can be expanded in the 
summer of 1995 and the final environmental impact statement can be 
expected in the winter 1995.
    A ninety day comment period pursuant to 36 CFR 219.10(b) will be 
provided for the public to make comments on the draft environmental 
impact statement. The comment period will begin when the Environmental 
Protection Agency's Notice of Availability appears in the Federal 
Register. This comment period will be in addition to scoping and other 
public participation opportunities that will be provided throughout the 
process. A record of decision will be prepared and filed with the final 
environmental impact statement. A ninety day appeal period pursuant to 
36 CFR 217.8(a) will be applicable.
    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. To be the most 
helpful, comments on the draft environmental impact statement should be 
specific as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or 
the merits of the alternatives discussed (see 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 reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC 435 US 519, 553 
(1978). Environmental objections 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). [[Page 4147]] 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.

    Dated: January 4, 1995.
Leonard L. Lucero,
Forest Supervisor, Carson National Forest.
[FR Doc. 95-1374 Filed 1-19-95; 8:45 am]
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