[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11206-11207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5785]



[[Page 11206]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Iron Honey Resource Area, Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, 
Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, ID

AGENCY: Forest Services, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to disclose the potential environmental effects of 
implementing aquatic, vegetative, and wildlife habitat improvement 
activities in the Iron Honey Resource Area on the Coeur d'Alene River 
Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before 
April 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposal, or 
requests to be placed on the project mailing list, to Glenn Truscott, 
Project Team Leader, Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, 2502 E. 
Sherman Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glenn Truscott, Project Team Leader, 
Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, (208) 769-3000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The objectives of the proposal are to 
improve water quality, fish habitat, and riparian habitat by reducing 
sediment and increasing large woody debris in streams; to trend 
vegetative species composition toward historical levels, which included 
species more resistant to insects and disease; and to improve old-
growth habitat.
    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative, under which there would be 
no change from current management of the area. Additional alternatives 
will represent a range of strategies to manage natural resources in the 
Iron Honey Resource Area. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests Land and 
Resource Management Plan provides guidance for management objectives 
within the potentially affected area through its goals, objectives, 
standards and guidelines, and management area direction. Approximately 
88% of National Forest System lands in the area have been allocated to 
Management Area 1, to provide for long-term growth and production of 
commercially valuable wood products on those lands that are suitable 
for timber production. Approximately 6% of the area is allocated to 
Management Area 6, to provide high quality elk summer habitat and wood 
products, through road management and scheduling of harvest activities. 
Approximately 4% is allocated to Management Area 9 to maintain and 
protect existing improvements and resource productive potential. 
Another 4% is allocated to Management Area 19, to manage for a semi-
primitive recreation setting while providing low levels of timber 
harvest with minimum standard roads. Management Area 16 addresses 
streamside (riparian) areas, with primary goals of managing those areas 
to feature riparian-dependent resources (fish, water quality, certain 
vegetation and wildlife communities) while producing other resource 
outputs at levels compatible with the objectives for dependent 
resources. Inland Native Fish Strategy guidelines (USDA Forest Service, 
1995) supersede Forest Plan guidelines established for riparian areas.
    The public was first notified of this proposal and the intention to 
prepare an environmental assessment in October, 1996. Comments provided 
by the public and other agencies have been used to develop strategies 
for management of natural resources in the Iron Honey Resource Area. 
Based on information gathered during the environmental assessment 
process, it has been determined that an environmental impact statement 
will be prepared instead. Comments provided to date by the public will 
be used in preparation of the environmental impact statement. The 
public is encouraged to visit with Forest Service officials during the 
analysis and prior to the decision. The Forest Service is also 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 actions.
    The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public 
review in May 1998. At that time, the EPA will publish a Notice of 
Availability of the draft environmental impact statement in the Federal 
Register. The comment period on the draft environmental impact 
statement will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes the Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes 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 
environmental impact 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 Wisconisn 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 scoping 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 regarding 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 environmental impact 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.
    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 may not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR Part 215. 
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 should be aware that, under the 
FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very limited 
circumstances, such as to protect 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

[[Page 11207]]

agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the 
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within a 
specified number of days.
    I am the responsible official for this environmental impact 
statement. My address is Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, 2502 E. 
Sherman Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.

    Dated; February 19, 1998.
Susan Jeheber-Matthews,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 98-5785 Filed 3-5-98; 8:45 am]
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