[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11413-11414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-6138]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service


San Juan Wildlife and Fuels Improvement Projects, Tahoe National 
Forest; Nevada County, California

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; Intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Forest Service will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposal to implement a 
Fuels and Wildlife improvement project on the Nevada County Ranger 
District. This project is intended to utilize vegetative manipulation, 
biomass removal, and prescribed fire to lower existing fire hazards and 
improve wildlife habitat in the project area. There will be some timber 
harvest included in the project to help accomplish desired levels of 
crown closures and spacing of standing trees. the EIS described herein 
pertains only to the treatment areas as outlined within the San Juan 
Project proposals.
    The Forest Service gives notice of the full environmental analysis 
and decision making process that will occur on the Proposed Action so 
that interested and affected people, along with local, State and other 
Federal agencies are aware of how they may participate and contribute 
to the final decision. The Tahoe National Forest invites written input 
concerning issues specific to the Proposed Action.
    The Proposed Action is to establish a series of treatment areas 
over 2,500 acres along the Graniteville Road north east of Nevada City. 
The area lies within the Nevada City Ranger District of the Tahoe 
National Forest. The proposed project includes 700 acres of prescribed 
burning, 328 acres of oak culturing, 452 acres of shrub modification, 
and 1,619 acres of commercial thinning which will generate 
approximately 5.2 MMBF. The intent of the project is to lower levels of 
existing living and dead fuels that could contribute to the spread and 
intensity of a wildlife event in the area. The design of the project 
will allow the manipulation of the existing stand structure to be done 
in such a manner that will also enhance wildlife habitat and migration 
corridors. The exclusion of fire from the area over the past 100 years 
has affected fire potential and has degraded wildlife habitat due to 
overgrowth in the area. Alternatives to the proposed action will be 
developed by March, 1997.
    Internal scoping and public comments to date have identified the 
following issues: Affect of project on California Spotted Owl, Goshawk 
and deer habitat, effects of timber harvest on soil stability, use of 
prescribed fire near existing residence, the level of forest products 
that the project may provide, visual integrity of the area, the 
stability of affected watersheds and any potential erosion.


[[Page 11414]]


DATES: Input concerning issues with the Proposed Action must be 
received by March 24, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Direct written input and questions about the Proposed Action 
and Environmental Impact Statement to the Forest Supervisor, Tahoe 
National Forest, P.O. Box 6003, Nevada City, CA. 95959-6003. Telephone 
(916)265-4531.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Howard Carlson, Project Leader, Nevada 
City Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest, P.O. Box 6003, Nevada 
City, CA. 95959-6003. Telephone (916)265-4531.

SUPPEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will tier to the Tahoe National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and Forest Plan EIS. The 
purpose of the Proposed Action is four-fold.

    1. Address public concerns about potential destruction of private 
and public lands due to uncontrolled wildfires.
    2. Improve the existing state of the forested areas in such a 
manner that wildlife within the area will have better forage, habitat, 
cover, and migration corridors.
    3. Improve the overall health of the timber stands by removing 
undesirable understory and other weakened or high-risk trees.
    4. Provide forest products for the forest products industry.
    Public Scoping Process: A letter describing the Proposed Action was 
mailed to a list of interested parties on January 9, 1997. An article 
describing the project and soliciting information/concerns from the 
public was published in the ``The Union'' newspaper in Grass Valley, 
CA. On February 18, 1997. The Tahoe National Forest plans to issue a 
scoping letter to all interested publics in March, 1997. A public 
meeting with potentially interested parties and specialists occurred on 
February 22, 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 
a draft EIS must structure their participation in the environmental 
review of the proposal so the 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, 533 (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 45-day comment period on the draft EIS 
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 statement. Comments may also 
address the adequacy of the draft EIS 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.)
    A draft EIS is expected to be available for agency and public 
review by April 1997. A final EIS is expected to be completed by June 
1997 and documented by a Record of Decision.
    The responsible official for the EIS and decision is John H. 
Skinner, Forest Supervisor, Tahoe National Forest, P.O. Box 6003, 
Nevada City, CA 95959-6003.

    Dated: March 4, 1997.
John H. Skinner,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 97-6138 Filed 3-11-97; 8:45am]
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