[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 37 (Thursday, February 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9308-9310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4646]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Five Rivers Landscape Management Project; Siuslaw National 
Forest, Lincoln and Lane Counties, Oregon

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for a proposed action in the Five Rivers Watershed, 
designed to:
     Increase late-successional habitat in late-successional 
and riparian reserves;
     Restore the health of watersheds and associated aquatic 
ecosystems;
     Maintain the function and diversity of matrix (non-
reserved) lands, while providing timber and other products and 
amenities; and
     Learn from various strategies for achieving late-
successional conditions and aquatic conservation because no single 
strategy is known to work best.
    The Five Rivers watershed is about 34 air miles southwest of 
Corvallis and 40 air miles northwest of Eugene, Oregon. Proposed 
activities include thinning plantations through commercial sales and 
service contracts, planting hardwoods and shade-tolerant conifers in 
suitable sites, decommissioning and closing roads, placing large woods 
in streams, planting conifers in riparian areas, maintaining and 
creating early-seral habitat, maintaining diverse dispersed 
recreational opportunities, and maintaining opportunities to harvest 
greenery and mushrooms. These proposed activities are linked by their 
interacting effects--through the networks of streams, roads, and 
forested stands--on this large project area. Efficiencies in planning 
are also expected.
    The Five Rivers planning area comprises about 37,000 acres; of this 
total, 4,932 acres (13%) are private land. Of the 32,038 acres of 
National Forest land, about 15,530 acres (48%) have been previously 
harvested and regenerated. About 11,781 acres (37%) remain in mature 
condition, and about 5,000 acres (15%) are in hardwood or mixed conifer 
and hardwood. The project area has an average road density of 3.1 miles 
per square mile, and an average stream density of 7.9 miles per square 
mile. The project area does not include any inventoried roadless or 
designated wilderness areas.
    The Forest Service proposal complies with the 1990 Siuslaw National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended by the 1994 
Northwest Forest Plan, which provides guidance for managing this area. 
The Lobster/Five Rivers watershed analysis (1997) identified many 
opportunities to restore terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Five 
Rivers watershed, which the proposed action is designed to address. 
Some proposed project activities are expected to begin in fiscal year 
(FY) 2000, but when activities actually begin in a function of many 
factors--such as availability of funding, market conditions, contract 
size, and award date. For example, a timber sale planned for 2004 could 
take 4 or 5 years to complete, for a variety of reasons--for example, 
because of poor market conditions. Planned post-sale activities to be 
funded by timber receipts could thus be delayed as well. We expect the 
work to begin in FY2000 and continue through FY2015.
    The Siuslaw National Forest invites written comments on this 
proposal. Site-specific comments are encouraged because they are the 
most useful for improving project design. The proposed actions are 
described in detail below to provide our current thinking in a way to 
help people understand the proposal. Considerable flexibility exists 
for developing strategies, depending on the issues raised.

DATES: Comments about the scope of the proposal should be received in 
writing by March 19, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Doris Tai, District Ranger, 
Waldport Ranger District, Siuslaw National Forest, P.O. Box 400, 
Waldport, Oregon 97394.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paul Thomas, EIS Team Leader, Waldport Ranger District, Siuslaw 
National Forest, Phone 541-563-3211. Maps, referenced below, showing 
proposed actions for the Five River Watershed Restoration Project, can 
be viewed at the Waldport District Office or on the Siuslaw National 
Forest Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/projects.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The land managed by the Siuslaw National 
Forest is public land. In the project area, the Record of Decision for 
the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP 1994) designates three land allocations 
that must be managed under specific guidelines intended to: move tree 
plantations in the late-successional reserves toward old-growth 
conditions; improve habitat for riparian-dependent species, including 
anadromous fish, in late-successional and riparian reserves; and 
harvest wood products from the remaining area (matrix) to benefit local 
economies. The Plan also provides a

[[Page 9309]]

process for evaluating management actions and identifying steps to 
modify activities to improve results (adaptive management).
    The Assessment Report: Federal Lands in and Adjacent to Oregon 
Coast Province (1995, chapters C-F), the Late-Successional Reserve 
Assessment: Oregon Coast Province, Southern Portion (1997, chapter 3), 
and the Lobster/Five Rivers Watershed Analysis (1997, chapter 5) 
describe the current terrestrial, aquatic, and social conditions in the 
Five Rivers watershed. The Lobster/Five Rivers Watershed Analysis 
(chapter 6) identifies many opportunities for restoring terrestrial and 
aquatic ecosystems in the planning area. In reviewing these documents, 
I identified the following needs and proposed actions to meet the 
current objectives:
    A need for increased late-successional habitat in late-successional 
and riparian reserves. Late-successional reserves were designed to 
protect and enhance conditions of late-successional and old-growth 
forest ecosystems, which are required habitat for many species (NWFP 
1994). Riparian reserve objectives include protecting and enhancing 
habitat for terrestrial plants and animals, as well as providing 
connectivity corridors between late-successional reserves. The 
watershed analysis showed that the amount of mature and late-
successional forest, including large patches, has decreased over the 
last 100 years, and edge habitat, fragmentation, numbers of hardwoods, 
and early-seral habitat have increased. Natural stands have more 
diversity in tree species and structure, as well more coarse woody 
debris and snags, than do these plantations. To accelerate developing 
mature and late-successional habitat characteristics, I propose to thin 
about 3,250 acres of predominately Douglas-fir-from both late-
successional and riparian reserves--through commercial timber sales 
(map 1); to support these sales, about 16 miles of existing road would 
be temporarily reopened, and about 1.5 miles of new temporary road 
would be built. After stand development and coarse wood debris 
restoration objectives are met, about 32.1 million board feet would be 
available to harvest for manufacturing wood products. About 2,000 acres 
would be thinned through service contracts. A mixture of shade-tolerant 
conifers and hardwoods would be planted on 800 acres in existing 
plantations to add diversity to their future composition and structure.
    A need to restore the health of watersheds and associated aquatic 
ecosystems. The Aquatic Conservation Strategy in the Northwest Forest 
Plan is intended to restore and maintain the health of watersheds and 
the aquatic ecosystems they contain. The watershed analysis showed 
several streams with one or more aquatic habitat components--such as 
stream temperatures, channel complexity, and stream substrate 
characteristics--as at risk of or not functioning properly. To 
facilitate restoring hydrologic processes and conditions, I propose to 
decommission about 37 miles of road and close about 86 miles of road in 
the watershed (map 2). To mitigate for the loss of access to a private 
parcel, I will issue a special-use permit to build, use, and maintain a 
road across National Forest land (map 2). I am also proposing to 
evaluate alternative routes for Roads 32 and 3505 in the Upper Five 
Rivers subwatershed. To facilitate restoring hydrologic processes, I 
propose to place large conifers and root wads along 36 miles of stream 
(map 1). To provide for a future supply of conifers and facilitate 
shade development, 200 acres of alder- or meadow-dominated riparian 
areas will be planted with conifers and various hardwoods (map 1).
    A need to maintain the function and diversity in matrix lands while 
providing timber and other products and amenities. Producing timber and 
other products is an important objective for the matrix lands, but the 
standards and guides of the Northwest Forest Plan are also designed to 
provide important ecological functions, such as the carryover of some 
species from one stand to the next and maintaining structural 
components such as logs, snags, and large green trees. The matrix is 
also managed to add ecological diversity by providing early-
successional habitat. The watershed analysis showed that the habitat 
components in the matrix lands were similar in composition and 
structure to lands in late-successional reserves. To ensure that future 
management activities are able to meet management objectives, I propose 
to thin about 650 acres in plantations on matrix lands through 
commercial timber sales (map 1). To support these sales, about 3 miles 
of existing road would be temporarily reopened, and about 0.5 miles of 
new temporary road would be built. About 6.5 million board feet would 
be sold and harvested for manufacturing wood products. To maintain a 
diversity or seral classes, about 40 acres of existing meadows and 
plantations in matrix land will be maintained in early-seral condition 
(map 1).
    A need to learn from a variety of strategies for achieving late-
successional conditions and aquatic conservation because no single 
strategy is known to work best. The Northwest Forest Plan identified 
the standards and guides for management activities. Adaptive management 
is a process of action-based planning, monitoring, researching, 
evaluating, and adjusting to improve future actions and to determine if 
the standards and guides are effective in achieving the goals of the 
Northwest Forest Plan. The high density of roads in the Siuslaw 
continues to fuel the debate over their long-term management, primarily 
related to the values associated with using and maintaining them versus 
their adverse effects on the terrestrial and aquatic environment. 
Debate also surrounds the question of whether the plantations will ever 
achieve old-growth conditions, with or without thinning and under-
planting. I propose a management study to compare effects of different 
road-management strategies and their effects on resources. Four 
strategies have been proposed so far: no road access, no intervention; 
continued road access, continuous management; 10-year road closures, 
intermittent management; and 20-year road closures, intermittent 
management. Strategies with long road closures will require thinning to 
wider spacing and different stream-restoration strategies than 
strategies that keep roads open. The strategies would be distributed 
across the landscape in a way that makes comparing the results most 
valid. Details of the management study, reflecting public input, will 
be described in the draft EIS.
    This analysis will consider a range of alternatives that will 
address the purpose and needs for the proposed project. The no-action 
alternative will be part of this range so that effects associated with 
not implementing any of the proposed activities can be evaluated. 
Preliminary issues considered significant include the effects on 
habitat of species associated with late-successional and old-growth 
forests, effects on aquatic habitats and hydro-logic processes, and 
changes in vehicle access to the watershed.
    The Forest Service will be seeking additional information, 
comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies; 
tribes; and other individuals or organizations who may be interested or 
affected by the proposed project. Field trips and public scoping 
meetings are not scheduled at this time, pending comments form the 
public. Comments from other agencies are being sought and will be used 
in preparing the draft EIS. The scoping process will:
     Identify potential issues;
     Identify key issues to analyzed in depth;

[[Page 9310]]

     Eliminate non-key issues or those that have been covered 
by relevant previous environmental analyses;
     Identify alternatives to the proposed action;
     Identify opportunities for cooperative restoration 
projects on private land; and
     Identify potential environmental effects (that is, direct, 
indirect, and cumulative effects) of the proposed action and 
alternatives.
    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to available for public review by June 
1999. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days after the EPA 
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register. The final 
EIS is scheduled to be available in September 1999.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
on the proposed project, comments on the draft EIS should be as 
specific as possible. Referring to specific pages or chapters of the 
draft statement is also helpful. Comments may address both the adequacy 
of the draft EIS and the merits of the alternative 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.)
    At this early stage, I believe that giving reviewers notice of 
several court rulings related to public participation in reviewing 
environmental processes is important. 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 the 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 the 
final environmental impact statement is completed 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 those court rulings, 
participation by those interested in this proposed project by the close 
of the 45-day comment period is essential, so that substantive comments 
and objections are made available to the Forest Service when it can 
consider and respond to them in developing issues and alternatives in 
the final EIS.
    After the 45-day public comment period, the comments received will 
be reviewed and considered in preparing the final EIS. The forest 
supervisor of the Siuslaw National Forest is the responsible official 
for this EIS. After considering public comments and responses, 
environmental consequences discussed in the final EIS, and applicable 
laws, regulations and policies; as the responsible official, I will 
reach a decision on this proposal. This decision and the evidence 
supporting it will be documented in a record of decision, which is 
subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR Part 215).

    Dated: February 9, 1999.
James R. Furnish,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 99-4646 Filed 2-24-99; 8:45 am]
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