[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 217 (Tuesday, November 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63023-63024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30062]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Northern Sierra Forest Plan Amendment EIS; Humboldt-Toiyabe 
National Forest; Carson City, Douglas, and Washoe Counties, Nevada; 
Alpine, Eldorado, Nevada, Sierra, Lassen, and Toulumne Counties, 
California

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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

SUMMARY: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) to consider amending the Toiyabe 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The 
amendment will be comprehensive, covering a wide variety of issues 
needed to update the Forest Plan for the Northern Sierra area.

Decision to be made: The Forest Service will decide whether or not to 
amend the Forest Plan for the Northern Sierra area, which coincides 
with the Carson Ranger District. The amendment will consider improving 
the management direction of portions of the Forest Plan and affirm 
continuation of other aspects of the Forest Plan's management direction 
for the next 10-15 years. No irreversible or irretrievable commitment 
of resources (site specific actions) will be taken as a result of this 
decision.

DATES: The public is asked to provide any information they believe the 
Forest Service should consider and to submit any issues regarding 
alternatives or potential impacts by January 23, 1999. The agency 
expects to file the draft EIS with the Environmental Protection Agency 
and make it available for public comment in November, 1999. The agency 
expects to file the final EIS in June, 2000.

Meetings: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will hold four public 
meetings to present information gained from the implementation of the 
current Forest Plan and discuss the proposed Forest Plan amendment. 
Comments from the public, other agencies and tribal councils are 
welcomed. Tentative dates and locations for these meetings are: 
December 11, 1998, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm at the Sierra Room, Carson City 
Community Center, Carson City, NV; December 15, 1998, 4:00 pm-7:00 pm 
at the Old Schoolhouse, Bartley Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch 
Drive, Reno, NV; Dec. 17, 1998, 4:00 pm-7:00 pm at Turtle Rock Park, 
Markleeville, CA; and January 12, 1999 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the 
Douglas County Administration Building Courtroom, 1616 8th St., Minden, 
NV.

COMMENTS: Written comments on the information presented here should be 
submitted to the Northern Sierra Planning Team, Attn. Dave Loomis, USDA 
Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 1536 South Carson 
St., Carson City, NV 89701. Comments should be received by January 23, 
1999.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For additional information contact Dave Loomis, 
Forest Planner, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 1536 South Carson 
St., Carson City, NV 89701, (702) 884-8132.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: The Regional Forester for the Intermountain 
Region located at 324 25th Street, Odgen Utah 84401 is the responsible 
official for this action.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed amendment will address 
management of National Forest System lands in the Northern Sierra area, 
which includes portions of Lassen, Sierra, Nevada, Eldorado, and Alpine 
Counties in California and portions of Washoe, Carson City, and Douglas 
Counties in Nevada. This area is part of the Sierra Nevada mountain 
range. A framework for conservation and collaboration for National 
Forest System lands in the Sierra Nevada is currently under 
development. The EIS for the Northern Sierra Plan Amendment will be 
developed in coordination with the EIS for the Sierra Framework.
    The substantive changes that will be addressed in the amendment of 
the Forest Plan are described in the regulations implementing the 
National Forest Management Act (NFMA). The amendment process begins 
with monitoring and evaluation of Forest Plan implementation (36 CFR 
219.12(k)). It includes public involvement in monitoring and 
identification of opportunities for improvements to improve management.
    This NOI signals the development of an EIS for the amendment of the 
Forest Plan. Based upon monitoring and evaluation results and the 
information obtained in the Analysis of the Management Situation (AMS), 
the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is proposing to make several 
improvements to the long-term management direction for the Northern 
Sierra area. The public is invited to comment on the preliminary 
alternatives which have been identified.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to amend the Toiyabe Land and Resource 
Management Plan to improve management direction. The purpose of the 
proposed action is to provide long

[[Page 63024]]

term management direction for the Northern Sierra area. The proposed 
action is needed because existing guidance is more than a decade old. 
That guidance does not reflect the substantial additions to the 
National Forest System in the area, the rapidly growing and 
diversifying population, or the advances in science that have occurred 
over the last decade. Four alternatives have been prepared to address 
the topics outlined below. A preferred alternative will be selected 
during the preparation of the drafts EIS based on public comments from 
this scoping process and the analysis of environmental impacts of the 
alternatives.

Amendment Topics

    Based on the analysis of the existing direction, monitoring and 
evaluation of resource conditions, and public comments, the following 
topics have been identified as having a need for change in management 
direction. Heritage Resources, American Indian Religious and Cultural 
Use, Watershed Protection, Species and Ecosystem Viability, Roadless/
Wilderness Area Management, Wild and Scenic River Suitability, Access, 
Transportation, Recreation, Visual Resources, Fire and Smoke 
Management, Forest Products Management, Livestock Grazing Management, 
Mining, and Land Adjustment.

Potential Alternatives

    These alternatives are preliminary only and will be refined through 
the public scoping process. While alternatives may vary in emphases, 
management activities would occur within the framework of the Forest 
Service Natural Resources Agenda. The agenda emphasizes watershed 
protection, ecosystem management, recreation and road management.
    Alternative A emphasizes public recreational access to Forest 
System lands. It protects scenic quality as a backdrop that enhances 
the quality of life for residents and visitors. Alternative B 
emphasizes public access, commercial services, and high diversity of 
multiple uses. It provides for local economic diversity through forest 
product development, forage utilization, outfitter guides, recreational 
facilities, and motorized recreational opportunities. Alternative C 
emphasizes ecological restoration including the protection, 
maintenance, and restoration of watershed, riparian areas, and 
ecosystem viability. Alternative D emphasizes sustainable multiple use 
to meet current and future needs and expectations of local communities 
and the American public. It encourages cooperative partnerships and 
collaborative stewardship of the National Forest.

Public Comments on the Draft EIS

    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be 
available for public review and comment in November, 1999. The comment 
period on the draft environmental impact statement will be at least 90 
days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the 
notice of availability in the Federal Register.
    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. 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 
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the 
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address.
    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. 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). 
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 comment period so that substantive 
comments are made available to the Forest Service 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 specific and refer to specific 
pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also address the 
adequacy of the draft statement or the merits of the alternatives 
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.

    Dated: November 4, 1998.
Gloria E. Flora,
Forest Supervisor, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
[FR Doc. 98-30062 Filed 11-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M