[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 96 (Tuesday, May 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27557-27558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13287]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Timber Harvest, Reforestation, Road Construction and Road Closure 
Near Buck Creek, Taylor Creek and Eldridge Creek Drainages; Gallatin 
National Forest, Gallatin County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of timber 
harvest, reforestation, and road construction and closure in the 
vicinity of Buck Creek, Taylor Creek and Eldridge Creek drainages 
(herein referred to as the Taylor Fork Project), located in the Madison 
Mountain range, Gallatin National Forest, Hebgen Lake Ranger District, 
Gallatin County, Montana. The Taylor Fork project is one of several 
projects being proposed on the Gallatin National Forest to contribute 
timber volume to facilitate acquisition of approximately 54,000 acres 
of lands currently owned by Big Sky Lumber Company (BSL) located within 
the proclamation boundary of the Gallatin National Forest. These lands 
are checkerboard inholdings that originate as part of the construction 
grants given to the Northern Pacific Railway Company by the Federal 
Government in the late 1800's and early 1900's. In addition, this 
project will contribute toward providing a flow of wood products from 
National Forest lands.
    The Gallatin National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
(Forest Plan) provides overall guidance for land management activities, 
including timber and road management, within the area. The proposed 
actions of timber harvest, reforestation, road reconstruction, road 
construction, and road closures are being considered together because 
they represent either connected or cumulative actions as defined by the 
Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1508.25). This EIS will tier 
to the Gallatin Forest Plan Final EIS (September, 1987).

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be on or before June 18, 
1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposed 
management activities or a request to be placed on the project mailing 
list to Stan Benes, District Ranger, Hebgen Lake Ranger District, 
Gallatin National Forest, P.O. Box 520, West Yellowstone, Montana 
59758.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Julie Shea, EIS Team Leader, Forest Ecology Group, Gallatin National 
Forest, Phone (406) 585-1655.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Timber harvest and reforestation is proposed 
on approximately 560 acres of forested land in the Taylor Fork project 
area, which has been designated as suitable for timber management by 
the Gallatin Forest Plan. The timber harvest operations and general 
administration of National Forest lands will require construction up to 
3.0 miles of new roads and reconditioning up to 12.0 miles of existing 
road. The EIS will also analyze a proposal of restoring up to 50 miles 
of existing road that currently are not open to public use.
    The Gallatin Forest Plan provides the overall guidance for 
management activities in the potentially affected area through its 
goals, objectives, standards and guidelines, and management area 
direction. The primary purpose of this project is to utilize available 
timber volume within the Taylor Fork area as one of several federal 
exchange assets to be used to facilitate acquisition of approximately 
54,000 acres of lands currently owned by BSL located within the 
proclamation boundary of the Gallatin National Forest. These lands are 
checkerboard inholdings that originate as part of the construction 
grants given to the Northern Pacific Railway Company by the Federal 
Government in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
    Another purpose for the BSL/Taylor Fork Timber Sale proposal is to 
contribute toward providing a flow of wood products from National 
Forest lands identified as ``suitable'' for timber production, as 
directed in the Gallatin Forest Plan (Forest Plan, pg. II-1). The 
forested areas being considered for harvest are identified as 
productive Forest lands available for timber harvest provided grizzly 
bear habitat objectives are met. The purpose of road construction and 
reconstruction is to access stands of timber to be harvested. All new 
roads will be effectively closed to vehicle travel after completion of 
post-sale activities.
    The purpose of closing roads is to minimize future road maintenance 
costs, reduce sedimentation, and to regulate overall open road density 
to maintain or improve big game habitat security.
    The project area consists of approximately 560 acres of National 
Forest land located in T8S, R3E, Sec 22 and 26; and T9S, R3E, Sec 10, 
11, 15 and 16, P.M. MT. Road work is proposed across private land in 
T8S, R3E, Sec 27 and 35. The majority of the harvesting would occur 
within the Taylor Creek and Eldridge Creek area, and south of Buck 
Creek located in the Madison Mountain range.
    The areas of proposed timber harvest and reforestation would occur 
within Management Area 13. Timber harvest would occur only on suitable 
timber land. Road construction and reconstruction would occur in this 
management area plus Management Area 7 when crossing streams. Below is 
a brief description of the applicable management direction.
    Management Area 13--This management area consists of forested, 
occupied grizzly bear habitat. The productive Forest lands area 
available for timber harvest provided grizzly bear habitat objectives 
are met. Management goals for MA 13 include: (1) managing vegetation to 
provide habitat necessary to recover the grizzly bear; (2) meet grizzly 
bear mortality reduction goals as established by the Interagency 
Grizzly Bear Committee; (3) allow a level of timber harvest compatible 
with Goal 1; and (4) meet State water quality standards and maintain 
stream channel stability.
    Management Area 7--These are riparian zones or areas where 
vegetation

[[Page 27558]]

is present that requires either free or unbounded water or soil 
moistures in excess of what is normally found in the area. Lands within 
this management area are suitable for timber harvest as long as soil, 
water, vegetation, fish, and dependent wildlife species are protected. 
These suitable lands must also be adjacent to other management areas 
suitable for timber management.
    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative, in which none of the 
proposed activities would be implemented. Additional alternatives will 
examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities in 
response to issues and other resource values.
    The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and projected 
activities on both private and National Forest lands will be 
considered, including the effects caused by recent and past harvesting 
and road construction on private lands. The EIS will disclose the 
analysis of site-specific mitigation measures and their effectiveness.
    Public participation is an important part of the analysis, 
commencing with the initial scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7), which will 
occur during May 1998. In addition to this initial scoping, the public 
may visit Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and 
prior to the decision. The Forest Service will be 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. No public meetings are scheduled at this time.
    Comments from the public and other agencies will be used in 
preparation of the Draft EIS. The scoping process will be used to:
    1. Identify potential issues.
    2. Identify issues to be analyzed in depth.
    3. Eliminate insignificant issues or those which have been covered 
by a relevant previous environmental analysis, such as the Gallatin 
Forest Plan EIS.
    4. Identify alternatives to the proposed action.
    5. Identify potential environmental effects of the proposed action 
and alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects).
    6. Determine potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.
    The following principle issues have been identified so far:
    1. The potential effect of proposed timber harvest and associated 
road development on grizzly bear habitat (primarily security and 
cover).
    2. The potential of proposed timber harvest and associated road 
development activities to displace grizzly bears use within the sale 
area.
    3. The potential for proposed harvest and associated road 
development to affect water quality and stream conditions.
    Other issues commonly associated with timber harvesting and road 
construction include: effects on native fisheries, old growth habitat, 
big game species, sensitive wildlife and plant species, cultural 
resources, soils, and scenery in the area. This list will be verified, 
expanded, or modified based on public scoping for this proposal.
    The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in August of 
1998. At that time, the EPA will publish a Notice of Availability of 
the Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment period on the Draft 
EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA's notice of availability 
appears in the Federal Register. It is every important that those 
interested in management of the Taylor Fork project area participate at 
that time. The Final EIS is scheduled to be completed by mid-November, 
1998.
    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, 
533 (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 30-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 developing issues and alternatives. To assist the Forest 
Service in identifying and considering issues, comments should be as 
specific to this proposal as possible. 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.
    I am the responsible official for this environmental impact 
statement. My address is Gallatin National Forest, P.O. Box 130, 
Federal Building, Bozeman, MT 59771.

    Dated: May 6, 1998.
David P. Garber,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 98-13287 Filed 5-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M