[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11655-11656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5149]



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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 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 41 / Thursday, March 2, 1995 / 
Notices  
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[[Page 11655]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service
[4310-84]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Interim Strategy for Managing Anadromous Fish-Producing 
Watersheds on Federal Lands in Eastern Oregon and Washington, Idaho, 
and Portions of California

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA; Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of decision and availability of environmental assessment 
and finding of no significant impact.

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SUMMARY: On February 24, 1995, the Chief of the Forest Service and the 
Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management signed a decision 
adopting an interim strategy for managing anadromous fish-producing 
watersheds on lands administered by the Forest Service and Bureau of 
Land Management in Eastern Oregon and Washington, Idaho, and portions 
of California. The decision amends Regional Guides and Forest land and 
resource management plans that guide the management of National Forest 
System lands and where compatible, provides management direction 
consistent with Bureau of Land Management land use plans and, thereby, 
establishes interim goals, objectives, and standards and guidelines for 
these anadromous fish-producing watersheds. The intended effect of this 
decision is to provide additional protective management to the 
watersheds in the affected areas so as to avoid limiting the choice of 
reasonable alternatives that may be developed in the geographically 
specific environmental analyses of long-term management strategies are 
being conducted.

EFFECTIVE DATE: For the Forest Service, this decision is effective on 
March 9, 1995. For the Bureau of Land Management, this decision is 
effective on April 3, 1995.

ADDRESSES: The decision documents, Finding of No Significant Impact, 
and Environmental Assessment may be reviewed at the Office of the 
Wildlife, Fish, and Rare Plants Staff, Forest Service, USDA, Auditors 
Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC. Single 
copies of these documents are available by request from this office as 
well as from Forest Service regional offices and national forests or 
Bureau of Land Management state offices in the affected areas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Harv Forsgren (Forest Service) at (202) 205-1791, or Richard Hardt 
(BLM) at (202) 452-5074. To request a copy of the decision document, 
Finding of No Significant Impact, and Environmental Assessment by 
phone, call (202) 205-1791.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service and Bureau of Land 
Management have developed an ecosystem-based interim management 
strategy for Pacific anadromous fish (i.e., salmon, steelhead, and sea-
run cutthroat trout) in response to large declines in anadromous fish 
populations and widespread degradation of habitat conditions. For the 
Forest Service the decision amends the Regional Guides for the Forest 
Service's Northern, Intermountain, Pacific Southwest, and Pacific 
Northwest Regions and 15 National Forest land and resource management 
plans (forest plans) to incorporate explicit goals and riparian 
objectives, and identify those areas where the new interim standards 
and guidelines will apply. For the Bureau of Land Management, the 
decision incorporates management direction consistent with seven Bureau 
of Land Management land use plans to arrest the degradation and begin 
restoration of anadromous fish-producing watersheds.
    Alternative 4 was selected as the interim management direction from 
five alternatives analyzed in the March 1994 environmental assessment. 
Notice of the availability of the environmental assessment was 
published in the Federal Register on March 25, 1994 [58 FR 14356]. 
Comments received from the general public as well as other Federal 
agencies and state and local government were considered in arriving at 
a final decision to adopt Alternative 4, which applies additional 
protective measures to all new activities and ongoing activities that 
are likely to adversely affect listed salmon or contribute to the need 
to list additional anadromous fish species under provisions of the 
Endangered Species Act. The direction is to be in place for an 18-month 
period while geographically-specific environmental analyses of long 
term management strategies are being conducted.
    Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management biologists have 
prepared a biological evaluation and assessment, analyzing the 
potential effects of the alternatives on species listed under the 
Endangered Species Act and those species identified as sensitive by the 
agencies. The biologists determined the selected alternative ``may 
effect'' listed species and designated critical habitat within the 
anadromous fish-producing watersheds covered by the decision. Pursuant 
to that finding, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management 
have consulted with the Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries 
Service. The Fish and Wildlife Service, through a letter of 
concurrence, has indicated that the proposed decision would have a 
neutral or beneficial effect on listed species under their 
jurisdiction. The National Marine Fisheries Service, through a 
biological opinion, has determined that the proposed decision is not 
likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species under 
their jurisdiction or result in destruction or adverse modification of 
critical habitat.
    Pursuant to section 102(2)(2) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality Guidelines (40 CFR 
1508.27), the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management hereby give 
notice that the actions allowed under Alternative 4 (as adopted) are 
not a major Federal action and will not significantly affect, either 
individually or cumulatively, the quality of the human environment. 
Therefore, an environmental impact statement is not being 
prepared. [[Page 11656]] 
    For the Forest Service, this decision may be appealed in accordance 
with the provisions of 36 CFR 217.7(a) by filing a written notice of 
appeal with the Secretary of Agriculture, in duplicate, within 45 days 
of the date of publication of this notice of availability. Review by 
the Secretary is discretionary. For the Bureau of Land Management, this 
decision may be appealed to the Department of the Interior, Board of 
Land Appeals, in accordance with the provisions of 43 CFR 4.20 to 4.31 
and 43 CFR 4.400 to 4.415, by filing a written notice of appeal. The 
notice must be filed with the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 
within 30 days of the date of publication of this legal notice of 
availability.

    Dated: February 24, 1995.

    For the Forest Service:
Jack Ward Thomas,
Chief, USDA Forest Service.

    Dated: February 24, 1995.

    For the Bureau of Land Management:

Mike Dombeck,
Acting Director, USDI Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 95-5149 Filed 3-1-95; 8:45 am]
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