[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 55570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28384]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, Canal Hoya 
Timber Sale, Tongass National Forest, Stikine Area, Wrangell, Alaska

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent; revision.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Canal Hoya Timber Sale 
located on the Stikine Area of the Tongass National Forest. This Notice 
of Intent revises the Notice of Intent published December 23, 1996 
(page 67530) by describing changes to the purpose and need and the 
schedule for decision. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement is being 
prepared to respond to the new management direction and standards and 
guidelines of the Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan (Forest Plan) released in May 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, suggestions or questions concerning the 
analysis and Environmental Impact Statement should be sent to Scott 
Posner, Canal Hoya Team Leader, Wrangell Ranger District, Stikine Area, 
Tongass National Forest, P.O. Box 51, Wrangell, Alaska, 99929, phone 
(907) 874-2323.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Canal Hoya Study Area includes Value 
Comparison Unit 520 and 521 on the mainland in Southeast Alaska, 
approximately 30 miles southeast of Wrangell, Alaska.
    The Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan of 
May 1997 provides the overall guidance (land use designations, goals, 
objectives, management prescriptions, standards and guidelines) to 
achieve the desired future condition for the area in which this project 
is proposed. This revised Forest Plan allocates portions of the study 
area to two management prescriptions; Timber Production and Modified 
Landscape. The new standards and guidelines in the revised Forest Plan 
provide increased protection for riparian areas, beach fringe, brown 
bear foraging areas and wetland soils, which affect the assumptions on 
which the purpose and need in the original Notice of Intent were based.
    The purpose and need for the project is to respond to the goals and 
objectives identified by the Forest Plan for the timber resource and to 
move the Canal Hoya Study Area towards the desired future condition. 
The Forest Plan identified the following goals and objectives: (1) 
manage the timber resource for production of saw timber and other wood 
products from suitable timber lands made available for timber harvest, 
on an even-flow, long-term sustained yield basis and in an economically 
efficient manner (Revised Forest Plan page 2-4; (2) seek to provide a 
timber supply sufficient to meet the annual market demand for Tongass 
National Forest timber, and the demand for the planning cycle (page 2-
4); and 3) maintain and promote industrial wood production from 
suitable timber lands, providing a continuous supply of wood to meet 
society's needs (page 3-144). The Canal Hoya Timber Sale will be 
designed to produce desired resource values, products, and conditions 
in ways that also sustain the diversity and productivity of ecosystems 
(page 2-1).
    The Canal Hoya Timber Sale is now expected to provide a range of 
volume to the timber industry from 10 to 17 million board feet. The 
range of alternatives to be considered in the Environmental Impact 
Statement will be determined during analysis and reflect issues raised 
during scoping.
    The Proposed Action provides for: (1) construction of approximately 
10 miles of specified road and additional temporary road; (2) harvest 
of approximately 750 acres of timber; and, (3) construction of a log 
transfer facility east of the Canal Creek estuary and another log 
transfer facility east of the Hoya Creek estuary. The log transfer 
facilities could use a floating, removable structure. This level of 
development would result in the harvest of approximately 14 million 
board feet of sawlog and utility timber volume.
    A number of public comments have been received on this project. 
Based on comments from the public and other agencies during the scoping 
effort, the following significant issues have been identified. How will 
the design of the sale affect:
    (1) Harvest economics?
    (2) Scenic and tourism values?
    (3) Bears that also use the Anan Wildlife Viewing Area?
    (4) Wildlife habitat and species conservation?
    (5) Freshwater and marine resources?
    (6) Forest soils?
    These issues were used to design alternatives to the proposed 
action and to identify the potential environmental effects of the 
proposed action and alternatives. The draft Environmental Impact 
Statement is scheduled for publication in January 1998 and the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision is scheduled for 
publication in May 1998.
    The Forest Service believes, at this stage, it is important to 
alert reviewers about 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 important that those interested in this proposed action 
participate by the close of the draft Environmental Impact Statement 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.
    No other revisions are made to the original Notice of Intent 
published December 23, 1996.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Stikine Area.
[FR Doc. 97-28384 Filed 10-24-97; 8:45 am]
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