[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8566-8568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5085]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Eldorado National Forest, CA; Notice of Intent
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revision of notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement.
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SUMMARY: On November 7, 1989, the Forest Service filed a notice of
intent in the Federal Register to prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to analyze management of off-highway vehicle use in the
Rock Creek area, Eldorado National Forest, Georgetown Ranger District,
El Dorado County, California. This notice is being filed to update that
notice of intent and to notify interested parties that the Draft EIS
will soon be available for comment.
ADDRESSES: Raymond LaBoa, District Ranger, Georgetown Ranger District,
Eldorado National Forest, ATTN: Rock Creek EIS, 7600 Wentworth Springs
Road, Georgetown, California 92634.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct questions about the EIS to
Linda Earley, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Georgetown Ranger
District, 7600 Wentworth Springs Road, Georgetown, California 95634;
phone (916) 333-4312.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Work on the EIS began in 1989 with a study
of impacts to the Pacific Deer Herd. Since that time the deer study has
been completed, issues identified, alternative management plans
developed, and extensive data collection and analysis conducted. The
Draft Rock Creek Recreational Trails EIS is now nearly complete and is
expected to be released late in March 1996.
The Draft EIS analyzes alternative management plans for all types
of recreation uses on the trails: hiking, equestrians, mountain bikes,
and OHVs. The need to look at all uses of the trails arose from
concerns that other types of recreation use may have some of the same
impacts as OHVs; as well as concerns about compatibility of uses.
Another concern identified in the analysis is open road densities
which exceed limits established in the Eldorado National Forest Land
and Resource management Plan (LRMP). Because the EIS analyzes road and
trail densities, and because the EIS proposes designation of both open
and closed roads for OHV use, it was decided that proposals for road
closures to meet the LRMP management direction would be also analyzed
in this EIS.
The following issues identified during scoping for this EIS were
used to develop and compare alternative management plans.
1. Erosion: The bare soils on road and trail surfaces create a
potential for erosion. The amount of erosion may be affected by total
miles of roads and trails, soil type, trail location, design,
maintenance, grade, vegetative cover, and use in excessively wet or dry
conditions.
2. Water Quality: Erosion of soils can impact water quality by
adding sedimentation to streams. Sedimentation may be affected by trail
location and design, stream crossings, and proximity of trails to
stream. Another potential impact to water quality from use of trails is
the risk of oil or fuel spills at stream crossings.
3. Wildlife Species: Use of the trails has the potential to impact
wildlife species primarily through disturbance by human presence or
noise. Road and trail densities influence the potential disturbance by
providing increased or decreased access into the area.
4. Air Quality: Air quality may be affected by emissions from
motorized vehicles as well as dust from use of roads and trails.
5. Noise: The sound of OHVs is unacceptable to many people, and
therefore may have a negative impact on adjacent landowners and the
experience of other Forest users. The sound of OHV's may also
contribute to disturbance of wildlife.
6. Opportunity and Quality of the Recreation Experience: The
quality of the recreation experience may be affected by: the condition,
variety, and level of challenge of the trails; the availability of
staging areas and the level of development there; other uses allowed on
the trails; and the aesthetics of the trail experience. Opportunity for
recreation is determined by the trail mileage available and uses
allowed on each; the number and size of recreation
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evens allowed; and the frequency and duration of trail closures.
7. Health and Safety: Safety may be affected by a variety of
factors. Width of trails may affect speeds traveled, and therefore risk
of accidents. Intersections of roads and trails may pose increased
risks of accidents. Combination of equestrian and mountain bike use of
trails may pose a risk since bikes come up quietly and may startle
horses. Two-way traffic poses a risk for OHVs since they cannot hear
each other coming, which could result in a head-on collison.
Chipsealing of road surfaces poses a risk to equestrians due to the
slippery contact between the chipseal and the horseshoes. Trail
structures such as gabions and cinderblocks may also pose a risk to
horses. Health may be affected by availability of drinking water and
sanitation facilities for recreationists; or by impacts to air quality
and water quality.
8. Risk of Fire: Risk of fire is increased by human activity such
as campfires and smoking that may be associated with use of trails.
Internal combustion engines, such as OHVs also increase the risk,
particularly if proper spark arresters are not in place.
9. Funding: Levels of funding available affects the ability to
maintain trails properly, the number of trails that can be maintained,
ability to construct trails, ability to effectively rehabilitate closed
trails, the amount of monitoring that can be conducted, and the level
of law enforcement that can be maintained. These in turn, affect the
ability to implement the management plan and, therefore, to protect the
environment and the quality of the recreation experience.
The following alternatives are analyzed in the Draft EIS:
Alternative 1--No Action:
This alternative would continue the current management of the Rock
Creek Trails. Most trails in the area are multiple use, open to all
four use types: hiking, equestrians, mountain bikes, and OHVs. There
are approximately 140 miles of multiple use routes (roads and trails)
and 5 miles of routes restricted to non-motorized uses. The current
management plan includes clousure of the Critical Deer Winter Range to
OHVs and mountain bikes from November 1 to may 1 each year. Trails are
also closed to OHVs during wet weather conditions.
Alternative 2--No OHV Use: OHV use would be eliminated in this
alternative. There would be approximately 46 miles of non-motorized
routes available. Approximately 31 miles of roads would be closed.
Trails would be closed to equestrians and mountain bikes during wet
weather conditions, and staging areas in the Critical Deer Winter Range
would be closed from February 1 to May 1. Up to two large recreation
events, with up to 300 participants, would be allowed each year for
each non-motorized use type.
Alternative 3--Increased Multiple Use Recreation: This alternative
reduces trail closures and allows the maximum trail density.
Approximately 141 miles of multiple use routes would be available, and
15 miles of non-motorized routes. Approximately 28 miles of roads would
be closed. There would be no closure of the Critical Deer Winter Range.
Wet weather closures would apply to OHVs, equestrians, and mountain
bikes, but an all-season route would be provided that could be used
during those closures. Up to two large recreation events per year, with
up to 500 participants each, would be allowed for each use type.
Alternative 4--Separated Multiple Use Recreation: This alternative
addresses concerns about shared use of trails by different types of
uses. The system would include approximately 84 miles of multiple use
routes, 17 miles of non-motorized routes, 5 miles of hiking only
routes, and 11 miles of hiking and equestrian routes. Approximately 26
miles of roads would be closed. Staging areas in the Critical Deer
Winter Range would be closed from February 1 to May 1. Trails would be
closed to OHVs, equestrians, and mountain bikes during wet weather
conditions. One large recreation event would be allowed per year for
each use type, with up to 300 participants in each.
Alternative 5--Reduced Multiple Use Recreation: This alternative
includes approximately 69 miles of multiple use routes and 29 miles of
non-motorized routes. Approximately 32 miles of roads would be closed.
Routes in the Critical Dear Winter Range would be closed to all uses
from November 10 to May 1 of each year. Roads and trails would be
closed to OHVs, equestrians, and mountain bikes during the Forest
seasonal road closures (generally November through March). Trails would
be closed to OHVs during Forest fire restrictions (generally August and
September). Large recreation events with over 75 people involved would
be prohibited.
Alternative 6--``Carrying Capacity'' Alternative: This alternative
was developed based on a review of effects of other alternatives. The
goal of the alternative is to maximize recreation opportunity while
providing protection of the natural resources. The system would include
approximately 108 miles of multiple use routes, and 13 miles of non-
motorized routes. Approximately 32 miles of roads would be closed.
Routes in the Critical Dear Winter Range would be closed to all uses
from December 1 to May 1 each year, with the exception of an all-season
route which traverses the area. Routes would be closed to OHVs,
equestrians, and mountain bikes during wet weather conditions with the
exception of the all season routes. Up to two recreation events, with
up to 300 participants, would be allowed each year for each type of
use.
Raymond LaBoa, District Ranger, Georgetown Ranger District,
Eldorado National Forest, is the responsible official.
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review in late
March 1996. At that time the EPA will publish a notice of availability
of the draft EIS in the Federal Register.
The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date
EPA's notice of availability appears in the Federal Register. It is
very important that reviewers participate at that time. To be the most
helpful, comments on the draft EIS 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 EIS's 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), and that environmental objections that could have been
raised at the draft stage may be waived if not raised until after
completion of the final EIS. 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 EIS.
After the comment period ends on the draft EIS, the comments will
be analyzed and considered by the Forest Service in preparing the final
EIS. The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by September 1996. The
Forest Service is required to respond in the final EIS to the comments
received (40 CFR 1503.4). The responsible official will consider the
comments, responses, disclosure of environmental
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consequences, and applicable laws, regulations, and policies in making
a decision regarding this proposal. The responsible official will
document the decision and rationale in the Record of Decision. That
decision will be subject to appeal.
Dated: February 23, 1996.
Raymond E. LaBoa,
District Ranger, Georgetown Ranger District, Eldorado National Forest.
[FR Doc. 96-5085 Filed 3-4-96; 8:45 am]
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