[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 58 (Friday, March 26, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14686-14687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6795]


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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 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 58 / Friday, March 26, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 14686]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Warm Springs Ridge Vegetation Management Project, Boise National 
Forest, Boise County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Boise National Forest will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of a proposed vegetation management project on Warm Springs 
Ridge, located within the Lower Grimes Creek, Upper and Middle Mores 
Creeks Watersheds.
    The Idaho City Ranger District of the Boise National Forest 
proposes to treat approximately 14,500 acres of forested lands and 
shrublands using timber harvest, silvicultural thinning, and prescribed 
fire. Approximately 350 acres of forested lands is under Bureau of Land 
Management jurisdiction. Timber harvest would occur on approximately 
6,000 acres of overstocked Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine stands 
utilizing a combination of silvicultural treatments such as commercial 
thinning, shelterwood, seed tree, and sanitation activities. 
Noncommercial silviculture thinning treatments would also occur within 
portions of the above acres. Yarding systems to implement the harvest 
would include tractor/jammer, skyline, and helicopter. In addition, 
approximately 2,600 acres of overstocked, noncommercial stands (trees 
less than 8 inches in diameter) would be thinned. Cable yarding systems 
to remove the material from these stands to existing roads would occur 
on approximately 1,300 acres. Prescribed fire activities would occur on 
approximately 13,500 acres to reduce fuel loads from timber management 
activities, reduce national fuels and the threat of uncharacteristic 
fire to the urban interface, and to improve wildlife forage and 
habitat. Included in this proposed action are road construction, 
reconstruction, and stabilization activities to facilitate timber 
harvest and reduce current and long-term sediment delivery from 
existing and proposed roads. Approximately 5 miles of new road segments 
would be constructed to facilitate timber harvest. Approximately 13 
miles of existing roads would be reconstructed to facilitate timber 
harvest, and reduce sediment delivery. Approximately 12 miles of 
existing roads would be stabilized and/or closed to reduce sediment 
delivery.
    Comments: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis 
described in this Notice should be received by April 26, 1999 to ensure 
timely consideration. No scoping meetings are planned at this time. 
Send written comments to Kathy Ramirez, Project Coordinator, Idaho City 
Ranger District, P.O. Box 129, Idaho City, ID 83631.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions concerning the proposed action and EIS should be directed to 
Kathy Ramirez at 208-392-6681.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service is seeking information 
and comments from Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as 
individuals and organizations who may be interested in, or affected by, 
the proposed action. The Forest Serivce invites written comments and 
suggestions on the issues related to the proposal and the area being 
analyzed.
    Information received will be used in preparation of the draft and 
final EIS. For the most effective use, comments should be submitted to 
the Forest Service within 30 days from the date of publication of this 
Notice in the Federal Register. The Responsible Official is David D. 
Rittenhouse, Forest Supervisor, Boise National Forest. The lead agency 
is USDA, Forest Service. The cooperating agency is USDI, Bureau of Land 
Management. The decisions to be made are whether timber harvest, 
noncommercial thinning, road system management, and prescribed fire 
should be implemented on National Forest System and Bureau of Land 
Management lands. The preliminary issue identified is increased 
sediment levels from the proposal could affect water quality and fish 
habitat in Grimes and Mores Creeks which are currently listed under the 
State of Idaho Section 303(d) of the Clear Water Act as being water 
quality impaired. The pollutant of concern is sediment. The draft EIS 
is expected to be available for public review in June 1999, with a 
final EIS estimated to be completed in August 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 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). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at 
the draft EIS stage but not raised until after completion of the final 
EIS may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 
803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (Ninth Circuit 1986), and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. 
v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these 
court rulings, it is important for 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 EIS. To assist the Forest Service in identifying and 
considering issues and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the 
draft EIS should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if 
comments refer to specific pages or chapter of the draft EIS. Comments 
may also address the adequacy of the draft EIS or the merits of the 
alternatives formulated and discussed in the draft EIS. 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. Comments 
received in response to this solicitation, including names and 
addressee 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

[[Page 14687]]

anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those who submit 
anonymous comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent 
decision under 36 CFR 215 or 217. 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 
confidentially should be aware that, under the FOIA, confidentiality 
may be granted in only 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 within 10 days.

    Dated: March 12, 1999.
David D. Rittenhouse,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 99-6795 Filed 3-25-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M