[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 240 (Thursday, December 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65374-65375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31501]


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 Notices
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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. 240 / Thursday, December 12, 1996 / 
Notices  

[[Page 65374]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Cold Springs Project, Rocky Mountain Region, Medicine Bow/Routt 
National Forest, Albany County, WY and Converse County, WY

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 (EIS) on a proposal to improve forest health by tree harvest, 
and treatment of excess fuels to manage an increasing catastrophic 
wildfire potential, and to accomplish other connected and/or related 
action(s), including wildlife habitat improvement and improved access 
development and travel management, within the Cold Springs analysis 
area on the Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest in Albany and Converse 
counties, Wyoming, which are now ripe for decision.
    The Forest Service 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, in cooperation with the State of Wyoming and other 
federal agencies, a full environmental analysis of this proposal, an 
alternative to it that will examine the effects of doing nothing, i.e., 
a ``no action'' alternative to the proposal, and other alternatives as 
may be determined to be appropriate in order to analyze significant 
issues that may surface during scoping and the initial public comment 
period. Interested or affected persons may participate in, and 
contribute to this analysis, and to the final decision. A public 
meeting will be held in January, 1997 at the new Douglas Ranger 
District Office at 2250 East Richards Avenue, Douglas, Wyoming on a 
date and time to be determined. The purpose of this meeting is to 
present, describe and discuss site-specific information about the 
proposed action and the analysis area, and to provide an opportunity 
for the public and agencies to ask questions and comment about issues 
that should be considered in the analysis. Interested persons may 
contact the District Ranger at the address or telephone number given 
below after December 5, 1996, to learn the date and time.
    The issues raised at this meeting and during the scoping phase of 
the analysis will establish the scope of the environmental analysis and 
help the responsible official develop a reasonable range of 
alternatives to be considered. The Forest Service welcomes and will 
consider all timely public or agency comments on this proposal.

DATES: Comments in response to this Notice of Intent and concerning the 
scope of the analysis may be written or oral, and should be received by 
February 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Malcolm Edwards, District Ranger, 
Douglas Ranger District, 809 S. 9th Street, Douglas, Wyoming 82633. 
Oral comments can be made by calling (307) 358-4690.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: Jerry E. Schmidt, Forest Supervisor, Medicine 
Bow/Routt National Forest, 2468 Jackson St., Laramie, Wyoming, 82070.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Steenson, Environmental 
Coordinator, at (307) 358-4690.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposal for the Cold Springs project 
includes individual tree harvest, by salvage and stand thinning, and 
stand regeneration methods, of an estimated 8 mmbf (million board 
feet), associated road construction and/or reconstruction over an 
estimated at 9.0 miles, right(s)-of-way acquisition, fuels treatment, 
wildlife habitat enhancements, and related actions. The tree harvest is 
intended to promote a healthy forest stand condition, salvage dead and 
dying trees that are accessible and useable, and provide commercial 
wood products to industry, improve tree age class distribution and 
increase the acres of young trees in the area, and benefit wildlife 
species that use forest stands and non-forest areas in all successional 
stages. The Cold Springs analysis area contains two(2) relatively large 
land areas that are minimally-roaded by historic, two-track roads, and 
have what may be described as a ``roadless character'', and are, 
therefore, suitable for analysis in an EIS.
    The decision to be made is whether, and by what means, to proceed 
with tree harvest by timber sale(s), associated access and road 
construction activities, stand regeneration and wildfire hazard 
reduction, and other connected and related actions to achieve project 
goals and objectives.
    The Medicine Bow National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
includes provisions for two(2) timber sales currently decided and/or 
now in NEPA analysis in what has more recently become known as the Cold 
Springs analysis area. These sales are the Box Elder (1997) and 
Russell's Camp (1997) sales. The cumulative effects of these planned 
sale offerings will be analyzed together with any other site-specific 
proposals for tree removal by commercial sale offerings that may be 
made a part of the pending Cold Springs environmental assessment.
    The Forest Service currently manages the NFS lands within the 
analysis area under ``Management Prescriptions 1A, 2A, 5B, 6B and 9A.'' 
The proposed action is consistent with the management standards and 
guidelines, goals and objectives for these management areas and the 
Medicine Bow National Forest Plan.
    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is expected to be 
available after August, 1997; the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
and Record of Decision after December, 1997.
    A 60-day public comment period on the DEIS 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 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 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). Also, environmental objections that 
could be raised at the draft stage, but are not

[[Page 65375]]

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 rulings, it is important 
that persons who are interested in this proposal participate by the 
close of the 60-day comment period so that the Forest Service has all 
substantive comments and objections available at a time when it can 
meaningfully consider them, and can respond to them in the Final EIS.
    To assist the responsible official in identifying and considering 
issues about the proposed action, comments on the Draft EIS should be 
specific to the analysis area and the actions considered. It is helpful 
if comments reference specific chapters, sections and page numbers. 
Comments may address the adequacy of the analysis documented in the 
draft, or the merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed. 
Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality 
(CEQ) Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 1503.3) in addressing these 
points. All comments made on a DEIS are regarded as public information.

    Dated: November 25, 1996.
Jerry E. Schmidt,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 96-31501 Filed 12-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M