[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 185 (Monday, September 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 49394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-23730]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Environmental Impact Statement for the Illinois Creek Timber 
Sale, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, Gunnison 
County, CO

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to supplement a final environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a supplement to the final 
environmental impact statement for the Illinois Creek Timber Sale 
located on the Gunnison National Forest, Cebolla/Taylor River Ranger 
District.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and issues of the analysis should 
be received by October 6, 1995; Publication of Supplement to Final EIS: 
November, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to James Dawson, District Ranger, 
Cebolla/Taylor River Ranger District, 216 North Colorado, Gunnison, CO 
81230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arthur Haines, Forester, Cebolla/
Taylor River Ranger District, 216 North Colorado, Gunnison, CO 81230, 
(303) 641-0471.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service is proposing to prepare a 
supplement to the Final environmental impact statement for the Illinois 
Creek Timber Sale. The biological assessment and evaluation will be 
revised to meet current standards and issues raised during appeal of 
the Final environmental impact statement will be reviewed. A new 
decision will be made on whether to proceed with the project.
    The original Notice of Intent for this project was published in the 
Federal Register Vol. 57, No. 76, Monday April 20, 1992, Pages 14383-
14384. A Record of Decision and Final environmental impact statement 
were approved June 9, 1995. This decision was appealed and the decision 
voluntarily withdrawn on September 8, 1995. The deficiencies identified 
in the appeal will be corrected in the Supplement to the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement.
    The comment period on the final environmental impact statement will 
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency's notice 
of availability appears in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early state, 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. NRDG, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, 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). Because of these court rulings, it 
is very important that those interested in this proposed action 
participate by the close of the comment period (October 6, 1995) 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 supplement to the final environmental impact 
statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the final 
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is 
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the 
final 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 this supplement to the final 
environmental impact statement is Robert L. Storch, Forest Supervisor, 
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, 2250 Highway 50, 
Delta, Colorado 81416.

    Dated: September 15, 1995.
Robert L. Storch,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 95-23730 Filed 9-22-95; 8:45 am]
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