[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 18 (Friday, January 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5347-5348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2027]



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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 18 / Friday, January 27, 1995 / 
Notices  
[[Page 5347]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Environmental Impact Statement for the South Lindenberg Timber 
Sale(s), Tongass National Forest, Alaska

AGENCY: USDA, Forest Service.

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement (revises previous NOI, page 38557 in the 7/19/93 Federal 
Register).

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SUMMARY: The proposed action is to harvest approximately 40 million 
board feet of timber and build the associated road system. The existing 
Tonka log transfer facility would be used. The study area is located 
southwest of Petersburg, Alaska, on Kupreanof Island. It encompasses 
approximately 65,000 acres at elevations ranging from sea level to 
3,000 feet. The area includes VCUs 437 and 439 and portions of 447 and 
448. This includes townships 58, 59, 60, and 61 south, and ranges 77, 
78, and 79 east, Copper River Meridian.

DATES: Additional comments concerning the proposal to harvest timber in 
the South Lindenberg study area should be received in writing by March 
15, 1995. Send requests for further information or written comments to 
Jim Thompson, Planning Team Leader, USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 1328, 
Petersburg, AK, 99833 (907) 772-3871.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Purpose and Scope of the Decision

    The purpose of the project is to provide approximately 40 million 
board feet of timber for harvest according to direction described in 
the Tongass Land Management Plan, to meet the Federal obligation to 
make timber volume available for harvest by timber operators, and to 
improve the timber productivity of the project area by harvesting 
mature stands of timber and replacing them with faster growing stands 
of second-growth timber.
    The decision to be made is whether to make timber available for 
harvest and improve timber productivity in the South Lindenberg Study 
Area while also providing a combination of recreation, fish, water, and 
wildlife for the resource uses of society now and into the future. This 
decision will be made by Abigail R. Kimbell, Forest Supervisor of the 
Stikine Area.
    If timber is made available for harvest, the Forest Supervisor will 
also decide (a) the volume of timber to make available, (b) the 
location and design of the timber harvest units and log transfer 
facilities, (c) the location and design of associated mainline and 
local road corridors, and (d) appropriate mitigation measures for all 
alternatives in the project area.

1a. Public Involvement Process

    A public scoping letter was sent to all persons who indicated an 
interest in the project by responding to the Stikine Area Project 
Schedule, or who otherwise notified the Stikine Area that they were 
interested in the South Lindenberg Timber Harvest project. Public 
meetings were held to gather additional information from interested 
persons.

1b. Alternatives

    Alternatives will include the no action alternative, and are likely 
to include three to five action alternatives, all of which will harvest 
approximately 40 million board feet of timber. The alternatives will 
vary according to the location of units, for example one alternative 
may spread harvest units evenly through the study area while another 
may concentrate the harvest in a portion of the study area. The road 
systems will vary with each alternative accordingly.

1c. Significant Issues

    1. Timber Management. How will long-term forest health and 
productivity be affected by harvesting and the specific harvest 
treatments proposed for the South Lindenberg area?
    2. Harvest Economics. Will action alternatives within the study 
area include timber harvest that is profitable and meet economic 
criteria on the Tongass National Forest?
    3. Soils. To what degree will soil erosion and sedimentation 
increase as a result of harvest activities and the construction of 
roads in the South Lindenberg area?
    4. Watersheds. To what degree will timber harvesting affect the 
hydrologic balance and water quality of streams in the South Lindenberg 
study area?
    5. Fisheries. What effects will timber harvest and road 
construction have on habitats used by trout and salmon?
    6. Wildlife. What effects will timber harvest and related 
activities have on wildlife habitat?
    7. Threatened and Endangered Species. To what extent will 
harvesting and road construction result in impacts to any populations 
of threatened or endangered species?
    8. Biodiversity. To what extent will timber harvesting associated 
with the South Lindenberg Sale affect the biodiversity and old growth 
structure of Kupreanof Island?
    9. Subsistence. To what extent will each alternative affect 
subsistence resources and use within the study area?
    10. Recreation. What effect will each alternative have on 
recreational opportunities?
    11. Visual Appearance. To what extent will each alternative 
influence the landscape character of the study area, and to what extent 
will harvest designs be mitigated to protect visual guality?

2. Expected Time for Completion

    A draft Environmental Impact Statement is projected for issuance 
approximately March 1995. Issuance of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement is projected for August 1995.

3. Comments

    Interested publics are invited to comment.
    The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will 
be 45 days from the date of the Environmental Protection Agency's 
notice of availability appears 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 [[Page 5348]] contentions. Vermont Yankee 
Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553, (1978).
    Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the draft 
environmental impact statement stage but are not raised until after 
completion of the final environmental impact statement 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 
Draft EIS 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 actions, 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 responsible official for the decision is Abigail R. Kimbell, 
Stikine Area Forest Supervisor, Petersburg, Alaska.
    Written comments and suggestions concerning the analysis and 
Environmental Impact Statement should be sent to Jim Thompson, ID Team 
Leader, P.O. Box 1328, Petersburg, AK, 99833, (907) 772-3871.

    Dated: January 12, 1995.
Abigail R. Kimbell,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 95-2027 Filed 1-26-95; 8:45 am]
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