[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 133 (Friday, July 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37188-37189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18129]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service
[3410-11]


Ramshorn Forest Vegetation Management, Shoshone National Forest, 
Fremont County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement on a 
proposal to manage forest vegetation in the upper Brent Creek and 
Tappen Creek drainages located on the Wind River District of the 
Shoshone National Forest within Fremont County, Wyoming. The area 
adopted for analysis in the EIS corresponds to the Ramshorn Analysis 
Area delineated in the 1986 Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.
    The proposal includes the use of prescribed fire, timber harvest, 
fuelwood sales, aspen stand enhancement measures, and other practices 
designed to improve the long term health and diversity of forest 
vegetation throughout the analysis area. Optimum use would be made of 
small timber sales for the benefit of local businesses and operators. 
About 700 acres would be treated in the forest's suited timber base to 
partially meet the forest health and diversity objective. About 300 
acres would be treated in the forested area outside the suited base to 
assist in meeting the vegetation health and diversity goal. High 
priority for treatment would include areas where aspen stands are in 
danger of being lost, where there is a high degree of wildfire risk, 
where there is increased mortality due to insect and disease 
infestation and in large stands lacking in species and structural 
diversity.
    Approximately two miles of new road construction and three miles of 
road reconstruction would be necessary to access the suited base 
portion of the analysis area. The proposal includes closing all new 
roads and existing closed roads opened for the purpose of this project 
following completion of the project.
    The scope of this analysis offers the possibility of a number of 
alternatives that vary the mix of treatment measures for improving 
forest vegetation health and diversity within a discrete area.
    The primary underlying purpose for this proposal is to improve the 
health and diversity of forest vegetation within the Ramshorn analysis 
area. The need for doing this is indicated by the imbalance of current 
forest conditions and trends with respect to diversity standards in the 
forest plan, and by the risks associated with extensive fuel buildups 
and insect and disease infestations. THe purpose and need focuses on 
the forest plan goal of: Improving tree age class and species diversity 
to benefit forest health, recreation experiences, visual quality, and 
wildlife habitat (Forest Plan page III-8). Forest vegetation diversity 
standards to be exercised in meeting this goal are found in Forest Plan 
direction on pages III-19 through 21.
    In meeting the primary goal, a number of secondary goals are 
addressed. These include: (1) Managing vegetation types to provide 
multiple benefits commensurate with land capability and resource demand 
(Forest Plan page III-6); (2) Improve the health and vigor of 
vegetation types outside wilderness and selected types in wilderness 
where necessary (Forest Plan page III-6; (3) Integrate vegetation 
management with resource management in functional areas (Plan page III-
7); (4) Adopt visual quality objectives that will maintain or enhance 
the characteristic landscapes of the Forest (Plan page III-7); (5) 
Improve habitats where vegetation conditions are significantly below 
biological potential (Plan page III-8); (6) Maintain or improve habitat 
for threatened or endangered species (Plan page III-8); (7) 
Rehabilitate lands in declining and unsatisfactory watershed condition 
(Plan page III-9); (8) Reduce the accumulation of natural fuels (Plan 
page III-8); (9) Reduce damages by insect, disease, and other Forest 
pests to acceptable levels through integrated management of vegetation 
(Plan page III-10); (10) Provide timber sales of sufficient quantity 
and quality to attract investment by the timber industry to accomplish 
desired vegetation management (Plan page III-8).
    In order to achieve the primary goal in the Ramshorn area, 
identified impacts will need to be addressed through mitigation and 
application of forest plan standards and guidelines. This includes 
attention to cumulative impacts, including roads, and the need to meet 
forest plan direction for ``no net increase'' in roads (Forest Plan 
Allowable Sale Quantity Record of Decision, pages 5-6, and Amendment 
No. 94-001). The area analysis being implemented through this action is 
supported by direction to take an ``ecosystem'' or ``landscape'' 
approach to management (Forest Plan Allowable Sale Quantity Record of 
Decision, page 5).
    The decision to be made involves the selection of an appropriate 
mix of treatment types where the primary goal is improving forest 
health and diversity, and where consideration is made within that 
context for meeting secondary goals through treatment type, timing, and 
design. The decision will also include other specific mitigation 
measures where needed to meet resource needs determined through the 
analysis of impacts. The area analysis could surface the necessity for 
making a nonsignificant amendment to the forest plan, and the decision 
would address whether or not to do so. A significant forest plan 
amendment is beyond the scope of this analysis.
    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 a full environmental analysis and decision-making process for 
this proposal so that interested or affected people may know how they 
can participate in the environmental analysis and contribute to the 
final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
in writing by August 8, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Bob Rossman, ID Team Leader, Wind

[[Page 37189]]

River Ranger District, P.O. Box 186, Dubois, Wyoming 82513.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Rossman, Project Interdisciplinary 
Team Leader, (307) 455-2466.
    Field trip: In response to requests received during earlier 
scoping, a field trip to the proposed project area was conducted for 
the public on June 24, 1997. Materials developed for participants are 
available upon request. Informal public meetings will be scheduled as 
needed throughout the analysis process.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Over the last ten years there has been a 
significant amount of effort devoted to developing a consensus on 
conducting timber harvest in the Brent Creek area. Public comments were 
solicited in 1987 and 1991. Many comments were received from concerned 
citizens, environmental groups, and other governmental agencies as a 
result of these scoping efforts. Comments received in 1991 were refined 
into issues by a Forest Service Interdisciplinary Team, representatives 
of other agencies, and several individuals. An alternative formulation 
process was begun at this time, but was discontinued due to concern 
about violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
    Scoping of a timber sale proposal was reinitiated in 1997. The 
period ended on May 5, 1997. An Interdisciplinary Team of Forest 
Service resource specialists reviewed comments raised during this 
period.
    Based in part on these comments, on the history of difficult issues 
in the Brent Creek area, and on the controversiality of proposed timber 
sales, the district ranger reevaluated the purpose and need for action 
and concluded that an environmental impact statement should be 
prepared. Although scoping is reinitiated through this Notice of 
Intent, most comments received during earlier scoping efforts are 
considered applicable and will be retained. People who wish to update 
their earlier comments, based on the revised purpose and need, are 
encouraged to do so. The Forest Service particularly welcomes any 
assistance from commenters in identifying sources of impact on and off 
the Forest to include in its cumulative effects analysis.
    The Deciding Official will be Bob Lee, Wind River District Ranger, 
1403 West Ramshorn, PO Box 186, Dubois, Wyoming, 82513, unless the need 
for a nonsignificant forest plan amendment is indicated. In that event, 
the Forest Supervisor will be the Deciding Official.
    The expected publication date of a draft environmental impact 
statement is during February of 1998. Following this, a 45 day period 
will be allowed for public comment on the draft. This comment period 
will commence on the day the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
a ``Notice of Availability'' in the Federal Register. A completed final 
environmental impact statement is anticipated in July of 1998.
    The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers 
notice at this early stage 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 environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement 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 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 environmental impact statement.
    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.) Please note that comments 
you make on the draft environmental impact statement will be regarded 
as public information.
    Note further that comments will be available for public inspection 
during the analysis process, and that in most cases the name of the 
commenter will not remain confidential. Those who submit anonymous 
comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 
36 CFR Parts 215 or 217. Persons requesting such confidentiality should 
be aware that under the FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only 
very limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets.

    Dated: July 1, 1997.
Rebecca Aus,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 97-18129 Filed 7-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M