[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 52 (Thursday, March 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13396-13397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6613]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Environmental Impact Statement Preparation for the Goose Pond
Project, Allegheny National Forest, McKean County, PA
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act,
notice is hereby given that the Forest Service, Allegheny National
Forest will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to disclose the
environmental consequences of the proposed Goose Pond Project.
The purpose of this project is to salvage mortality and to move
from the Existing Condition towards the Desired Future Condition (DFC)
as detailed in the Allegheny National Forest Land and Resource
Management Plan (Forest Plan). The Forest Plan allocate land to
management for both wood production (Management Area 3.0); and scenic
quality (Management Area 6.1). The Goose Pond project is located within
management areas, 3.0 and 6.1.
In order to move towards the DFC, the early successional age class
(0-20 year age) needs to increase; healthy forested stands capable of
producing high quality, high value sawtimber need to be maintained; and
understories dominated by ferm, grass or undesirable woody vegetation
need to develop seedling vegetation. Project proposals include timber
harvesting as a means for making desired changes to forest vegetation
and satisfying the demonstrated public need for wood products. Our
proposed action to meet the purpose and need includes 194 acres of
regeneration harvests to bring the onset of a new forest; herbicide,
fertilizer, fencing, mechanical site preparation, and planting to
ensure seedling establishment and growth in understories, 549 acres of
thinning in immature stands to reduce the competition for light and
nutrients, thereby improving the health and vigor of residual trees;
and 232 acres of salvage thinning to salvage dead and dying trees.
Associated with these silvicultural activities includes approximately
3.4 miles of new road construction (1.8 miles are existing non-system
roads), 5.9 miles of road restoration, 2.6 miles of road betterment,
expansion of 4 stone pits, and development of 3 additional stone pits
to provide an adequate long-term transportation system. Wildlife
habitat improvement measures in the form of planting 20 acres of trees
and shrubs, 3 acres of grasses, underplanting 60 acres of conifer
cover, constructing a 1 acre permanent wildlife opening, pruning of 5
acres of apple trees, 1.0 mile of fish habitat improvements, and
placement of 8 next boxes to supplement the existing conditions.
After completion of the analysis, the responsible official will
select an alternative that maximizes net public benefits for the Goose
Pond Project area.
DATES: The public is asked to provide comments, suggestions, and
recommendations for achieving the purpose and need for the Goose Pond
Project. The public comment period will be for 30 days from the date
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes this notice of
availability in the Federal Register. Comments and suggestions should
be submitted in writing and postmarked by April 20, 1999 to ensure
timely consideration. To assist in commenting, a scoping letter
providing more detailed information on the project proposal has been
prepared and is available to interested parties.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Submit written comments and
suggestions concerning the proposed action to: ``Goose Pond Project''.
attention Edward L. Hale--ID Team Leader, Marienville Ranger District,
HC2 Box 130, Marienville, PA 16239. For further information, contact
Edward L. Hale at (814) 927-6628.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The issue of uneven-aged management often
arises during the scoping process for projects such as this. We will
therefore include at least one alternative to the Proposed Action which
will evaluate the effects of applying uneven-aged management
techniques. Issues which are generated through the scoping process may
generate additional alternatives.
Comments considered beyond the scope of this project and which will
not be evaluated include whether or not commercial timber harvest
should occur on National Forest System lands; the validity of the
science of silviculture and forest management; and whether or not to
allow the use of herbicides on the Allegheny National Forest on a
programmatic level.
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 available for public
inspection. In a recent legal opinion, the Forest Service's Office of
General Council (OGC) has determined that names and addresses of people
who respond to a Forest Service solicitation are not protected by the
Privacy Act and can be released to the public. The Forest Service
routinely gives notice of and requests comments on proposed land and
resource management actions accompanied by environmental documents, as
well as on proposed rules and policies. Comments received in response
to such solicitations, including names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record and will be
available for such inspection, upon request. Any person may request the
agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing how
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIC) permits such confidentiality. The
opinion states that such confidentiality may be granted in only very
limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets.
The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency and to be available for public review during June of
1999. At that time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will
publish in the Federal Register a notice of availability of the draft
environmental impact statement. The comment period on the draft will be
45 days from the date the EPA notice appears in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers
notice at this early stage 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 proposals so that it
is meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewers 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 may be waived if not raised
until after completion of the final
[[Page 13397]]
environmental impact statement, City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016,
1022 (9th Cir. 1988), 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 45-day 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.
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 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 CEQ Regulations for implementing the procedural
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in
addressing these points). After the comment period ends on the draft
environmental impact statement, the comments received will be analyzed
and considered by the Forest Service in preparing the final
environmental impact statement.
The final environmental impact statement is scheduled to be
completed in October, 1999. In the final EIS, the Forest Service is
required to respond to the comments received (40 CFR 1503.4). The
responsible official will consider the comments, responses,
environmental consequences discussed in the environmental impact
statement, and applicable laws, regulations and policies in making a
decision regarding this proposal. The responsible official will
document the decision and reasons for the decision in a Record of
Decision. That decision will be subject to appeal under 36 CFR part
215.
The responsible official is Leon Blashock, District Ranger,
Allegheny National Forest, HC2 Box 130, Marienville, PA 16239.
Dated: March 5, 1999.
Leon Blashock,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 99-6613 Filed 3-17-99; 8:45 am]
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