[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 179 (Friday, September 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 47928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22938]



 ========================================================================
 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. 179 / Friday, September 15, 1995 / 
Notices  


[[Page 47928]]


DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Revised Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National 
Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) Arapaho and 
Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National Grassland; Boulder, Clear 
Creek, Gilpin, Grand, Jefferson, Larimer, Park, and Weld Counties, 
Colorado

agency: Forest Service, USDA.

action: Revised Notice; intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement.

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summary: The Forest Supervisor of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National 
Forest and the Pawnee National Grassland gives notice of the agency's 
intent to prepare an environmental impact statement on the revision of 
the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National 
Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan).
    The original Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement for this Forest Plan Revision was published July 10, 1990. 
Due to the delay in publishing a Draft EIS, this Notice serves to 
revise the Notice of July 1990.

for further information contact: Howard Sargent, Forest Planner, (970) 
498-1201, 240 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO 80526.

supplementary information: A Forest Plan shall ordinarily be revised on 
a 10-year cycle or at least every 15 years. A plan may also be revised 
whenever the Forest Supervisor determines that conditions or demands in 
the area covered by the plan have changed significantly. The current 
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
was approved on May 4, 1984. The Forest is scheduled to complete its 
revision of the Forest Plan and FEIS in Fall, 1996.
    Through evaluation of the Forest Plan, documented in the ``Five 
Year Evaluation: Forest Plan Monitoring and Evaluation Report'' (1990) 
and further refined in 1993 in the ``Analysis of the Management 
Situation,'' the Forest Supervisor of the Arapaho and Roosevelt 
National Forest and the Pawnee National Grassland has determined that 
the following topics should be the primary focus of the Forest Plan 
Revision:
    1. Biological diversity including old growth;
    2. National Forest-residential intermix areas;
    3. Oil and gas leasing;
    4. Recreation-related items such as recreation settings, scenic 
resources and wild and scenic rivers;
    5. Roadless areas and additions to the Wilderness Preservation 
System;
    6. Timber management, including suitable lands, allowable sale 
quantity, silvicultural practices;
    7. Travel management; and
    8. Water yield and management.
    Public involvement in the Plan Revision process has been extensive 
since the original Notice of Intent was published, utilizing a variety 
of scoping techniques. These included mailings to individuals and 
organizations known to be interested in the Plan Revision, newspaper 
articles, newsletters, public meetings, and open houses. After release 
of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, more open houses will be 
held and will be announced in local news media and in newsletters.
    Revision of the Forest Plan began in 1990; the draft environmental 
impact statement and Proposed Revised Forest Plan should be available 
for public review in November, 1995. The final environmental impact 
statement, Record of Decision, and Revised Forest Plan are scheduled to 
be completed by Fall, 1996.
    The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will 
be a minimum of 90 days from the date the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes the notice of availability 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 
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 that 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 F2d 
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 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 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 official responsible for approving the revised Forest Plan is 
the Regional Forester, Rocky Mountain Region, USDA Forest Service, 
11177 West 8th Avenue, P.O. Box 25127, Lakewood, Colorado 80225. The 
Forest Supervisor, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee 
National Grassland, is delegated responsibility for preparing the 
revision.

    Dated: August 29, 1995.
William P. Lisowsky,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 95-22938 Filed 9-14-95; 8:45 am]
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