[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 87 (Friday, May 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19905-19906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11029]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service


Little River--Demonstration of Ecosystem Management Options 
(DEMO)--Timber Sale, Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County, OR

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for a proposal to harvest timber in the Little River 
DEMO Planning Area. This proposal will implement the Demonstration of 
Ecosystem Management Options Study Plan. The EIS will document the 
environmental analyses and effects of a range of alternatives, 
including a no-action alternative. This proposal is in accordance with 
direction set forth in the 1990 Umpqua National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan, as amended, which provides for timber 
management within applicable standards, guidelines, and management 
prescriptions and the 1988 Final Environmental Impact Statement for 
Managing Competing and Unwanted Vegetation. The agency invites written 
comments on the scope of this project. In addition, the agency gives 
notice of this analysis so that interested and affected parties are 
aware of how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and analysis of this proposal must 
be received by June 1, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope 
of the analysis to Ned Davis, District Ranger, North Umpqua Ranger 
District, 18782 North Umpqua Highway, Glide, Oregon 97443.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions and comments about this EIS should be directed to Barbara 
Fontaine, Resource Planning Assistant, North Umpqua Ranger District, 
18782 North Umpqua Highway, Glide, Oregon 97443.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed timber sale will partial 
harvest an estimated 160 acres producing 5.0 million board feet of 
timber and will construct several helicopter landing sites. Logging 
systems will be helicopter based. Silvicultural prescriptions will 
follow those prescribed in the DEMO Study Plan and will consist of 
several levels of green tree retention (15 percent, 40 percent, and 75 
percent), with green trees left in aggregates or dispersed across the 
landscape.
    The Little River DEMO Planning Area encompasses portions of the 
Emile Creek and the Upper Little River area located in the Little River 
Watershed, approximately 30 air-miles East of Roseburg, Oregon. The 
Emile area encompasses 8,718 acres north of Little River Road and the 
main-stem Little River. The Upper Little River area encompasses 10,408 
acres and includes the main-stem and headwaters of Little River.
    To date, the preliminary issues identified relate to the effects on 
the following: old-growth structure in terms

[[Page 19906]]

of its value to society; interior forest habitat; late-seral species; 
Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive species, and survey and manage 
species; water quality; aquatic habitat; current and future 
recreational opportunities; archaeological sites from landing 
construction and road reconstruction; and introduction and dispersal of 
noxious weeds and aggressive non-native species.
    The 1990 Umpqua National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, 
as amended, allocates the Little River Watershed into an Adaptive 
Management Area (AMA). The Forest Plan's overall objective for AMA's is 
to learn how to manage on an ecosystem basis in terms of both technical 
and social challenges, and in a manner consistent with applicable laws. 
For Little River specifically, the emphasis is placed on ``development 
and testing of approaches to integration of intensive timber production 
with restoration and maintenance of high quality riparian habitat ''.
    Public participation has consisted of open houses, field trips, and 
scoping conducted during the environmental assessment process. Numerous 
comments have been received and have been incorporated and reflect in 
the issues described above. Additional public comments will be received 
until June 1, 1996. The information collected will be used in 
preparation of the draft EIS. The scoping process includes the 
following:
    1. Identification of issues.
    2. Identification of key issues.
    3. Elimination of insignificant issues, issues which have been 
covered by a relevant previous environmental process, and issues that 
could be successfully mitigated.
    4. Exploration of additional alternatives based on the key issues 
identified during the scoping process.
    5. Identification of potential environmental effects of the 
proposed action and alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative 
effects and connected actions).
    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by 
November, 1996. At that time, copies of the draft EIS will be 
distributed to interested and affected agencies, organizations, and 
members of the public for their review and comment. 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 
the EPA notice appears in the Federal Register. It is very important 
that those interested in the management of the Umpqua National Forest 
participate at that time.
    The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers 
notice at this early stage of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
the draft EIS's must structure their participation in the environmental 
review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency 
to the reviewers 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 EIS stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final EIS may be waived or dismissed by 
the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 f. 2d 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 EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should 
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to 
specific pages or chapters of the draft EIS. Comments may also address 
the adequacy of the draft EIS or the merits of the alternatives 
formulated and discussed in the statement.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by February, 1997. In 
the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments 
and responses received during the comment period that pertain to the 
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS, as well as 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies considered in making the 
decision regarding this proposal. The lead agency is the Forest 
Service. Don Ostby, Forest Supervisor, Umpqua National Forest, is the 
responsible official. As the responsible official, he will document the 
decision and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That 
decision will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR 
Part 217).

    Dated: April 25, 1996.
Don Ostby,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 96-11029 Filed 5-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M