[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 105 (Monday, June 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29706-29707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14231]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Giant Multi-Resource Management Project, Placer County, CA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for proposed timber 
harvest, plantation thinning, wildlife habitat improvement projects, 
creation of an interpretive trail, planting riparian vegetation, 
closing of dispersed camping sites, decommissioning of roads, creation 
of scenic overlooks, and seasonal road closures for wildlife protection 
within the North Shirttail Canyon watershed in accordance with the 
requirements of 36 CFR 219.19. It is located in all or part of section 
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, and 18, TSN, R11E and portions of 
sections 12, 13, and 24, T15N, R10E, Placer County, MDM, CA
    The agency invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the 
analysis. In addition, the agency gives notice of the full 
environmental analysis and decision-making process that will occur on 
the proposal so that interested and affected people are aware of how 
they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments should be made in writing and received by June 23, 
1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the project should be directed 
to Rich Johnson, District Ranger, Foresthill Ranger District, 22830 
Foresthill Road, Foresthill CA 95631.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John Bradford, Environmental Coordinator, Foresthill Ranger District, 
Foresthill, CA 95631, telephone (916) 478-6254.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Giant Analysis Area is located in the 
North Shirttail Canyon watershed. It lies primarily east of Sugar Pine 
Reservoir, west of Humbug Canyon, north of Big Reservoir, and south of 
the North Fork American River.
    In preparing the environmental impact statement, the Forest Service 
will identify and analyze a range of alternatives that address the 
issues developed for this area. One of the alternatives will be no 
treatment. Another alternative will implement all of the actions being 
proposed. It also means that the needs of people and environmental 
values will be considered in a such way that this area will represent a 
diverse, healthy, productive, and sustainable ecosystem.
    The proposed actions include:
    (1) Commercial timber harvesting on approximately 1100 acres of 
plantations and natural stands.
    (2) Creation of two scenic overlooks, one near Sugar Pine Reservoir 
and one near the North Fork American River.
    (3) Wildlife habitat improvement through thinning of black oak 
clumps and through burning or masticating of shrubfields.
    (4) Closing six dispersed camping sites to restore riparian habitat 
and restore potential red-legged frog habitat.
    (5) Protect deer winter range by installing gates and implementing 
a seasonal road closure.
    (6) Restore native riparian vegetation in conifer plantations 
through planting riparian species.
    (7) Establish a \1/4\ mile long interpretive trail along North 
Shirttail Canyon.
    (8) Precommercial thin in conifer plantations using chain saw and 
track-laying masticating machines on approximately 580 acres.
    (9) Prune plantation trees on approximately 350 acres. Public 
participation will be important during the analysis, especially during 
the review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Forest 
Service is 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 following list of issues has been identified through initial 
scoping:
    (1) to what extent will harvesting affect water quality?
    (2) What affect will timber harvesting have on the Off-Highway 
Vehicle (OHV) trail system in the project area.?

[[Page 29707]]

    (3) To what extent can forest health be improved within the project 
area? In addition, what level of timber commodities could result from 
forest health improvement projects?
    (4) To what extent will the view from Sugar Pine Reservoir be 
affected? What will the visual character be resulting from the proposed 
activities?
    (5) What affect will the proposed activities have on long-term soil 
productivity?
    (6) to what extent will air quality in the Sacramento Valley be 
affected by proposed activities?
    (7) What affect will including harvest of <10'' diameter trees have 
on the potential to sell harvested trees in a commercial timber sale?
    Comments from other Federal, State, and local agencies, 
organizations, and individuals who may be interested in, or affected by 
the decision, are encouraged to identify other significant issues. 
Public participation will be solicited through mailing letters to 
potentially interested or affected mining claim owners, private land 
owners, and special use permittees on the Foresthill Ranger District; 
posting information in local towns; and mailing letters to local timber 
industries, politicians, school boards, county supervisors, and 
environmental groups. Continued participation will be emphasized 
through individual contacts. Public meetings used as a method of public 
involvement during preparation and review of the draft environmental 
impact statement will be announced in newspapers of general circulation 
in the geographic area of such meetings well in advance of scheduled 
dates.
    The comment period on the draft EIS 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 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 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 the 
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 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 EIS. 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.
    The draft EIS is expected to be available for public review by the 
end of July, 1997. The final EIS is expected to be available by the end 
of September, 1997.
    The responsible official is John H. Skinner, Forest Supervisor, 
Tahoe National Forest, PO Box 6003, Nevada City, CA 95959.

    Dated: May 16, 1997.
John H. Skinner,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 97-14231 Filed 5-30-97; 8:45 am]
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