[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] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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] BILLING CODE 3410-11-M