[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 204 (Monday, October 21, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54607-54608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26924]


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 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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 204 / Monday, October 21, 1996 / 
Notices  

[[Page 54607]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Modoc National Forest; Damon Fire Salvage Sales

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement to disclose the environmental effects of the proposed salvage 
of fire killed or damaged timber on the Doublehead, Devil's Garden, and 
Big Valley Ranger Districts of the Modoc National Forest. The proposed 
activity will treat acres burnt in the Damon/Long Fire in late August 
of 1996. The fire burned approximately 23,000 acres. The proposal 
includes salvage of fire killed or damaged timber on approximately 
9,500 acres; all yarding will be ground based with approximately 12 
miles of temporary road that will be constructed and then closed after 
use; place all-weather surface gravel on Roads 44N77 and 43N08; 
reforest timber sites understocked by the fire on approximately 6,000 
acres; remove approximately 8 miles of destroyed rangeland fence; 
revegetate non-timber sites suitable cover/forage species on 
approximately 2,000 acres; install 7 watering sites for wildlife; 
increase snag longevity by removing the tops on 50% of retained snags 
in order to offset projected snag deficiencies in fire replaced stands; 
redistribute top soil and deep till in old windrowed plantations; and 
treat slash adjacent to Highway 139.
    Possible Alternatives to this proposal are No Action and Salvage 
Outside the Released Roadless Area Only. Preliminary issues identified 
with this project are impacts on big game habitat, impacts on soil 
productivity, and visual impacts.
    The project is located in T42N,R5E&R6E, T43N,R5E,R6E,&R7E, Mount 
Diablo Meridian.
    The purpose of the proposal is to meet the intent of the Modoc 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The management 
emphasis for this area is growth and yield of timber and big game 
habitat.

DATES: Comments concerning the proposal should be received in writing 
by December 4, 1996 to receive timely consideration in the preparation 
of the draft EIS. The draft EIS will be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency in February 1997. The final EIS and Record of 
Decision is expected to be issued in April 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments concerning this proposal to James 
Kaderabek, District Ranger, Devil's Garden Ranger District, 800 W. 12th 
Street, Alturas, Calif. 96101. Direct questions about the proposed 
action and environmental impact statement to Paul Bailey, District 
Timber Mgt. Officer, Devil's Garden Ranger District, 800 W. 12th St., 
Alturas, Calif. 96101, phone 916-233-5811.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: The Forest Service is the Lead Agency and the 
responsible official for decisions regarding this analysis is Diane K. 
Henderson-Bramlette, Modoc National Forest Supervisor. She will select 
the preferred alternative based upon the analysis. Her address is 800 
W. 12th St., Alturas, Calif. 96101.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposal includes harvesting only those 
trees that are dead or expected to die as a result of the Damon/Long 
Fire since most of the burned area is classified as marginal or low 
timber site. Only 9,500 of the 23,000 acres burned are deemed 
economical to harvest. The topography of the project area is flat with 
scattered lava reefs. There are no streams in the area, the only 
permanent water is two small ponds. The project area is not within an 
identifiable watershed, all water percolates through the soil.
    A portion of the project area is within the Released Damon Butte 
Roadless Area, #05149. Approximately 9,900 acres of this released 
roadless area burned in the Damon/Long Fire with about 2,750 acres 
considered suitable for timber harvest. The Released Damon Butte 
Roadless Area is composed of mostly Juniper/Shrub woodlands with 
scattered aggregations of ponderosa pine. The main resource value 
assigned to this area is as a transitory and winter range for deer. The 
released roadless area is substantially roaded with around 17.5 miles 
of existing road located in the timbered areas. The portions of the 
burned area that contained timber have been harvested in the past.
    The Damon/Long Fire burned across State Highway 139, the area 
adjacent to the highway will be managed as a view area and will receive 
total slash treatment.
    The majority of the timbered areas within the fire burned with hot, 
crown fires resulting in almost total mortality. Most of these areas 
will require reforestation work to reestablish a forest stand.
    Public participation will be especially important at several points 
during the analysis. The first point is during the scoping process (40 
CFR 1501.7). The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, 
and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and other 
individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected by 
the proposed action. This input will be used in preparation of the 
draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). The scoping process 
includes:
    1. Identifying potential issues.
    2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
    3. Eliminating insignificant issues or those which have been 
covered by a relevant previous environmental analysis.
    4. Exploring additional alternatives.
    5. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed 
action and alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects 
and connected actions).
    The DEIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by February 1997. 
The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will be 
45 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

[[Page 54608]]

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), 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 environmental impact 
statement. 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.
    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.

    Dated: October 10, 1996.
Diane K. Henderson-Bramlette,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 96-26924 Filed 10-18-96; 8:45 am]
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