[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8539-8540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4223]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 34 / Monday, February 22, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 8539]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Tobacco Root Vegetation Management Plan, Madison Ranger District, 
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Madison County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of a proposed action to designate wildlife security blocks and 
treat 18,167 acres of vegetation. The project area is located in the 
southern Tobacco Root Mountains northwest of Ennis, Montana.
    Designation of the wildlife security blocks would require an 
amendment to the Beaverhead National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (Forest Plan). This amendment would identify 29 
wildlife security blocks ranging in size from 220 to over 10,000 acres. 
These areas lie at least a quarter mile from a road or trail open to 
motorized use during the general hunting season. Guidelines limiting 
timber harvest and road construction in these security blocks would 
replace existing Forest Plan wildlife standards.
    Over the next 10 years, the proposal would maintain open, park-like 
stands of Douglas-fir on 3,613 acres by thinning these stands using 
Stewardship Contracts, paying contractors or Forest Service employees 
to complete the work, or through commercial timber harvest and 
underburning. Primarily, posts and poles would be harvested on another 
671 acres of stagnated lodgepole pine stands. An additional 1,423 acres 
of old harvest units would be thinned. These activities would require 
the construction of about 25 miles of temporary roads which would be 
obliterated after project completion. Aspen stands would be invigorated 
by cutting competing trees and burning to stimulate new growth from the 
aspen roots. To reestablish grasslands, an additional 12,460 acres 
would be treated using prescribed fire.

DATE: Initial comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be 
received in writing no later than March 5, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The responsible official is Deborah L.R. Austin, Forest 
Supervisor, 420 Barrett St., Dillon, MT 59725. Send written comments to 
Deborah L.R. Austin, Forest Supervisor, c/o Mark Petroni, District 
Ranger, 5 Forest Service Road, Ennis, Montana 59729.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jan Bowey, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Madison Ranger District, P.O. 
Box 428, Sheridan, MT 59749, or phone: (406) 842-5432.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public participation is important to this 
analysis. Part of the goal of public involvement is to identify 
additional issues and to refine the general, tentative issues. A 
scoping notice describing the project was mailed to those who requested 
information on activities on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. 
Three public field trips have been held to review the proposed 
activities. Additional public meetings are not planned. Montana Fish, 
Wildlife and Parks has been involved in the development of this 
proposal and will be consulted through the analysis and decision making 
process. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service will be consulted 
concerning effects to threatened and endangered species. Montana 
Department of Environmental Quality will be consulted concerning 
effects to Water Quality Limited Stream Segments.
    Preliminary issues identified by Forest Service specialists include 
effects to vegetation, wildlife habitat, and the undeveloped character 
of inventoried roadless areas. No timber harvest or road construction 
is proposed in an inventoried roadless area. While proposed management 
activities affect over 18,000 acres, the proposal analyzes all 
reasonably foreseeable activities in the next ten years over the entire 
114,000 acre southern Tobacco Root Mountains. Potential alternatives 
include management activities without temporary road construction and 
management activities that focus on commodity production, rather than 
ecosystem restoration.
    People may visit with Forest Service officials at any time during 
the analysis and prior to the decision. Two periods are specifically 
designated for comments on the analysis: (1) During the scoping process 
and (2) during the draft EIS period.
    During the scoping process, the Forest Service is seeking 
additional information and comments from Federal, State and local 
agencies and other individuals or organization who may be interested in 
or affected by the proposed action. The agency invites written comments 
and suggestions on this action, particularly in terms of identification 
of issues and alternative development.
    The draft EIS should be available for review in March, 1999. The 
final EIS is scheduled for completion in June, 1999.
    The comment period on the draft EIS 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 it is 
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. 3NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement stage but 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 those interested in this proposed action 
participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so 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 on the proposed action, comments on the draft 
environmental

[[Page 8540]]

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. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council 
on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at CFR 1503.3 in 
addressing these points.
    The Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Supervisor is the responsible 
official who will make the decision. She will decide on this proposal 
after considering comments and responses, environmental consequences 
discussed in the final EIS, and applicable laws, regulations, and 
policies. The decision and reasons for the decision will be documented 
in a Record of Decision.

    Dated: February 11, 1999.
Deborah L.R. Austin,
Forest Supervisor, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
[FR Doc. 99-4223 Filed 2-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M