[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 101 (Thursday, May 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25842-25843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12980]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service


Williams Mountain Project Area, Medicine Bow/Routt National 
Forest, Grand County, CO

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement on a proposal to manage forest vegetation within the Williams 
Mountain Project Area on the Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest within 
Grand County, Colorado.
    The Forest Serve invites comments and suggestions on the scope of 
the analysis to be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS). In addition, the Forest Service gives notice that it is 
beginning a full environmental analysis of this proposal and that 
interested or affected people may participate and contribute to the 
final decision. Issues raised will help establish the scope of the 
environmental analysis and develop the range of alternatives to be 
considered. The Forest Service welcomes any public or agency comments 
on this proposal.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
by June 24, 1996. Comments may be either written or oral.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Larry W. Ross, District Ranger, 
Parks District, P.O. Box 158, Walden, Colorado 80480-0158. Oral 
comments will be considered as well and can be made by calling (970) 
723-8204.


[[Page 25843]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John Natvig, Williams Mountain Project Area Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, (970) 723-8204.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Routt National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (Forest Plan) provides a blueprint for a Desired Future 
Condition (DFC) on public lands administered by the Medicine Bow/Routt 
National Forest. In addition the Forest Plan establishes resource goals 
and outputs needed to manage the resources while achieving the DFC. The 
nature and scope of the proposed action includes a combination of 
prescribed fire and silvicultural treatments to create vegetation 
patterns consistent with those created through natural process and 
cycles in order to optimize habitat capability for a range of wildlife 
management indicator species (Forest Plan, III-125). Treatments and 
associated activities being considered include timber harvest, road 
construction, and prescribed fire. Management activities would also be 
implemented to maintain structural diversity (Forest Plan, III-12), 
manage aspen for retention (Forest Plan, III-13), prevent or suppress 
epidemic insect and disease populations (Forest Plan, III-79), and 
decrease fuel conditions to permit fire suppression forces to meet fire 
protection objectives for the area (Forest Plan, III-78).
    The decision to be made is whether or not to proceed with the 
vegetation treatments and associated road construction activities. A 
range of alternative actions will be developed based on public and 
agency issues raised during the scoping process.
    The Forest Service manages the land within the analysis area under 
``Management Prescriptions 2B, 4B, and 5B.'' The proposed action is 
consistent with the Routt National Forest Plan.
    The following are preliminary issues and concerns which have been 
identified: (1) Prescribed fire and/or prescribed natural fire should 
be considered as a tool to meet management needs. (2) Management 
activities need to be analyzed in regard to effects on wildlife 
management indicator species. (3) Management activities should emulate 
natural processes, their function, and result in a landscape pattern 
similar to natural disturbance. (4) Management activities may have 
negative effects on adjacent private lands. (5) Management activities 
may have a negative effect on visual quality. (6) The unroaded 
character of the area should be maintained.
    The Responsible Official will be Larry W. Ross, Parks District 
Ranger, Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National 
Grasslands, 612 5th Street, PO Box 158, Walden, Colorado, 80480.
    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be 
available in October 1996 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
available in January 1997.
    A 45-day public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement will commence on the day the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes a ``Notice of Availability'' in the Federal Register.
    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 
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 
contents. 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 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 45-day comment period so that 
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningful 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 this 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.) Please note that comments 
you make on this Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be regarded 
as public information.

    Dated: May 14, 1996.
Larry W. Ross,
Parks District Ranger, Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest.
[FR Doc. 96-12980 Filed 5-22-96; 8:45 am]
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