[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 237 (Wednesday, December 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65058-65060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32313]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Eagle Bird Project; Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Shoshone 
County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The St. Joe Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National 
Forest is considering vegetation, road and trail activities in the 
Eagle Bird Project. The project area is located approximately 13 miles 
east of the town of Avery on the St. Joe River.
    The interdisciplinary team has reviewed the current conditions 
which indicated the project area could benefit from treatment. The 
purpose and need is summarized below.
    1. Restore properly functioning hydrologic conditions. 2. At the 
project level, implement the Idaho Governor's Bull Trout Plan. 3. Move 
vegetation toward historical conditions. 4. Reduce the risk of mountain 
pine beetle in the

[[Page 65059]]

lodgepole pine forest type. 5. Meet wildlife security needs. 6. Restore 
rare vegetation communities and habitat. 7. Provide a spectrum of 
recreation opportunities that are appropriate for the National Forest 
System lands within the area. 8. Provide quality dispersed camping, 
single-track trail, all terrain vehicle (ATV) route, hunting and 
fishing opportunities in a roaded natural setting. 9. Promote fire use 
and control strategies for safety, efficiency of suppression, resource 
values, and reduce risks. To create a trend toward allowing fires to 
play a role as a disturbance mechanism. Reduce the risk of stand 
replacing fires through vegetation management and promote beneficial 
fire effects. 10. Where feasible and cost effective, contribute to the 
timber supply by using timber harvest (one or more timber sales) to 
achieve this and other project objectives. Inasmuch as it is compatible 
with other objectives, harvest activities will maintain or improve the 
long term growth and production of commercially valuable wood products 
from the sites.
    The project consists of three main parts. One part is vegetation 
management, including timber harvesting and associated road 
construction and prescribed burning. Another part is restoration of 
stream channel conditions and fish habitat. The third part is 
recreational trail development.

DATES: Comments should be postmarked on or before January 9, 1998. 
Please include your name and address and the name of the project you 
are commenting on.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposed 
management activities or request to be placed on project mailing list 
to Brad Gilbert, District Ranger, St. Joe Ranger District, HC Box 1, 
Avery ID 83802. Brad Gilbert is the Responsible Official.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cameo Flood, Project Team Leader, St. Joe Ranger District, (208) 245-
4517.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the 
public record on this proposed action and will be available for public 
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR parts 215 or 
217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request 
the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing 
how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality. 
Persons requesting such confidentiality may be granted in only very 
limited circumstances, such as to project trade secrets. The Forest 
Service will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding 
the request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the 
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the 
comments may be submitted with or without name and address within 10 
days.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Vegetation Management

    Vegetation management under this proposal is designed to meet 
several needs, including providing timber projects to local markets, 
protecting and enhancing wildlife forage and cover needs, providing for 
long term growth and yield as directed in the Idaho Panhandle National 
Forests Forest Plan, increasing fire resiliency, reducing fire hazards, 
and moving the vegetation to the conditions the area historically had 
in terms of tree species composition and density. Treatments include:
    Approximately 4,900 acres of commercial timber harvesting including 
commercial thinning, shelterwood preparation and seed cuttings, group 
shelterwoods, irregular group shelterwoods, and clearcuts. The attached 
map shows proposed treatment areas by regeneration and intermediate 
harvest. Regeneration treatments (1850 acres total) would be clearcuts 
or some of the shelterwood cuts that would take most of the trees off 
the units, leaving room to regenerate the stands to other species. 
Intermediate harvests (3056 acres total) are the commercial thinning 
and irregular cuts that remove some of the undesirable trees and favor 
the size and types of trees needed to meet vegetation goals.
    Approximately 691 acres of brush field burning for maintenance of 
large, open spaced douglas-fir, ponderosa pine reestablishment and 
wildlife habitat. Although these areas are not well stocked, commercial 
harvesting is proposed prior to burning where feasible.
    Approximately 15 acres of broadcast burning for white bark pine.
    Approximately 218 acres would be treated to create a hazard 
reduction zone. This treatment would include thinning out the canopy 
for a width of 150 to 300 feet along a ridge, and removing small trees 
from the understory.
    Approximately 8.4 miles of road construction to access timber 
harvesting units.

Stream Channel and Fish Habitat Restoration

    The St. Joe District is considering elimination of either the Eagle 
Creek or Bird Creek roads, or both, and active work instream to restore 
natural channel function. In the case of both of the roads being 
eliminated, an alternative road would be provided to allow recreational 
access to portions of both streams. If one road is eliminated, 
recreational and management access would be routed over the other 
remaining road.

Eagle Creek Road

    This is the most likely road to eliminate, rehabilitate the 
riparian area and restore riparian function, because bull trout are 
currently using this stream and improvements in conditions made there 
would benefit the fish sooner. The road from the West Fork of Eagle 
Creek down stream to the St. Joe River would be eliminated and 
alternate access would be provided by improving a connecting road from 
the Bird Creek System. Vehicle and ATV access to this 3.5 mile section 
would be eliminated. Foot, horse, bicycle and most likely motorcycle 
access would be provided.

Bird Creek Road

    This stream has been more affected by the riparian road system than 
Eagle Creek. No bull trout were found here in surveys done this summer, 
but cutthroat trout are abundant. The upper reaches of the stream would 
be good bull trout spawning habitat and the lower could be good rearing 
habitat if the road was removed and instream improvements implemented. 
If the 2.8 miles of streamside road from the upper bridge to the St. 
Joe were removed, alternate access would be provided by improving a 
connecting road from the Eagle Creek system. Vehicle and ATV access to 
this section would be eliminated. Foot, horse, bicycle and most likely 
motorcycle access would be provided.

Both Roads

    If both riparian system roads were removed, alternate access into 
the area would be developed. This could be over the Turner road system 
(Road 1281) connected into the upper portion of the Bird Creek system 
and on into the Eagle Creek System, or some other appropriate access.
    There are additional roads that have caused watershed problem that 
are not in riparian areas. These include specifically, Road 1281 
(Turner Peak), Road 1286 (Bluebird) and Road 3638 (Mirror Creek). These 
roads will be reconstructed where necessary to reduce the hazard of 
future road failures that would adversely impact the stream.

[[Page 65060]]

    Part of this portion of the project will be to eliminate or close 
other roads in the area. These roads are currently closed to public 
use. Most roads that will not be needed for timber management within 
ten years or more would have hazardous fills pulled back to the 
contour, drainage structures removed and be barricaded with a permanent 
structure. Many of them have been overgrown with brush and trees.

ATV Trail Development

    The district would like to look at the possibility of designating 
or developing acceptable ATV routes to provide this recreation 
opportunity. The Eagle Bird area offers several miles of potential ATV 
opportunities along existing roads, if those roads were closed to 
general vehicle traffic and managed as ATV routes. When used in 
conjunction with open system roads, these routes could offer loop 
opportunities, as well as connections to the Coeur d'Alene River and 
Superior Ranger Districts to the north. The attached maps show 
potential ATV routes on both open and restricted system roads. 
Following management activities within the area, identified system 
roads would be closed to general vehicle traffic to provide ATV 
opportunities. Approximately one mile of single-track trail would also 
be widened to provide an additional ATV loop opportunity.

Single-Track Trail Management

    The area would continue to provide single-track trails for mixed 
use by hikers, horseback riders, mountain bicyclists and motorcyclists. 
These routes are identified on the attached map.

Float Trailhead Development

    A float trailhead would be developed on the St. Joe River Road to 
provide river access for Skookum Canyon, a popular destination for 
whitewater enthusiasts during high spring runoff. Located at an 
existing roadside parking area northeast of Tourist Creek, the 
trailhead would provide a pathway to the river and singing.

Preliminary Issues

    We expect issues and concerns with this project to include the 
impacts on wild-life, fish, water quality, and recreation, as well as 
road construction, clearcutting and economic feasibility. Issues will 
be developed and analyzed based on public comment and the 
interdisciplinary team's analysis of effects on resources. Alternatives 
will be developed to modify or eliminate the impacts from proposed 
activities and still meet the purpose for this project.
    Additionally, some of the vegetation treatment may result in 
openings of over 60 acres. While we would like comments that would 
affect alternatives early, comments on the size of openings and their 
effects will be accepted for 60 days after publication of this notice.
    The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public 
review in March 1998. The final environmental impact statement is 
expected to be completed in May 1998.
    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 
draft environmental impact statements must structure their 
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is 
meaningful and alerts and 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 statement stage but that are not raised until after 
completion of the final environmental 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 concern 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. Reviews 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 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 
discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national 
origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital 
or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, 
etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center ad (202) 720-2600 (voice and 
TDD).
    To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340 
(voice) or 202-720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity 
employer.

    Dated: December 1, 1997.
Bradley Burmark,
St. Joe Deputy District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 97-32313 Filed 12-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M