[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15122-15123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6974]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rangeland Health; Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Box Elder, 
Cache, Rich, Tooele, Weber, Morgan, Summit Counties, Utah and Uinta 
County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement on a proposal to amend the Wasatch-Cache National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan to add management direction and standards 
and guidelines for desired future condition of rangelands.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
in writing by April 20, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to William P. LeVere, Deputy Forest 
Supervisor, 8236 Federal Building, 125 South State St., Salt Lake City, 
Utah 84138.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reese Pope, Planning Staff Officer, 
(801) 524-5188.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Wasatch-Cache National Forest is 
proposing to amend the Wasatch-Cache National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan to add management direction and standards and 
guidelines for desired future condition of rangelands. The desired 
future condition of four range types will be defined: Riparian, 
uplands, alpine, and aspen. Riparian areas will be managed for mid-to-
late seral ecological conditions to maintain or restore biological, 
physical, and aesthetic values of riparian ecosystems. Uplands will be 
managed for mid-to-late seral status to maintain watershed conditions. 
Alpine areas will be managed for protective ground cover with a 
diversified vegetative cover. Management of aspen will be to maintain 
and improve aspen sites and associated vegetation. Specific utilization 
standards and stubble heights will be set to move toward desired 
rangeland conditions.
    A scoping document has been sent to 700 individuals and 
organizations and local and state government agencies. Preliminary 
issues identified by the interdisciplinary team include effects on 
threatened, endangered, and sensitive species, effects on riparian 
areas and upland watershed conditions, effects to local economies, 
effects on rangeland from livestock and wildlife, effects on 
recreational values and visual resources and effects on range condition 
on important wildlife habitat. Two preliminary alternatives have been 
identified. The proposed action which would amend the Forest Plan with 
new management direction for rangelands and the No Action which would 
continue setting direction in individual allotment management plans.
    The public is invited to submit comments or suggestions to the 
address above. The responsible official is William LeVere, Deputy 
Forest Supervisor. A draft EIS is expected to be filed in May of 1995 
and the final EIS filed in August of 1995.
    The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will 
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency's notice 
of availability appears in the Federal Register. It is very important 
that those interested in the proposed action participate at that time. 
To be the most helpful, comments on the draft environmental impact 
statement should be as specific as possible and may address the 
adequacy of the statement or the merits of the alternatives discussed 
(see The 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 reviewers' position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 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. 
[[Page 15123]] Hodel, (9th Circuit, 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. 
v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). 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: March 14, 1995.
William P. LeVere,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 95-6974 Filed 3-21-95; 8:45 am]
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