[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18399-18400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9275]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Lemolo Watershed Projects, Diamond Lake Ranger District, Umpqua 
National Forest, Douglas County, Oregon

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for a variety of connected resource projects within the 
Lemolo watershed planning area of the Diamond Lake Ranger District. 
These projects were developed according to direction in the Umpqua 
National Forest Plan, as amended, and in response to recommendations in 
the Diamond Lake/Lemolo Lake Watershed Analysis. They are intended to 
restore, to the extent possible, the desired vegetation patterns in the 
planning area by approximating natural disturbance processes while 
providing economic benefits to the local economy. The projects being 
proposed include several timber sales, the construction of temporary 
and system roads, site preparation, planting, the burning of natural 
fuels, road decommissioning, and soil restoration. These projects are 
proposed for implementation in the year 2000 and 2001. The planning 
area is located approximately 80 miles east of Roseburg, Oregon. The 
agency gives notice of the full environmental analysis and decision-
making process that will occur on the proposal so that interested and 
affected people may become aware of how they can participate in the 
process and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
in writing by May 21, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning this 
proposal to J. Dan Schindler, District Ranger, Diamond Lake Ranger 
District, 2020 Toketee Ranger Station RD, Roseburg, Oregon 97447-9704.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct questions about the proposed 
action, or EIS to Pat Williams, ID Team Leader/Timber Sale Planner, 
Diamond Lake Ranger District, 2020 Toketee Ranger Station RD, Idleyld 
Park, Oregon 97447-9704, or (541) 498-2531.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The area being analyzed in the Lemolo 
Watershed Projects EIS encompasses approximately 71,800 acres of 
National Forest land on the Diamond Lake Ranger District. The planning 
area include all or portions of sections 24 through 28 and 33 through 
36, T25S, R5\1/2\E; sections 30, 31 and 32, T25S, R6E; sections 32 
through 36, T25\1/2\S, R6E; sections 31, 32 and 33, T25\1/2\S, R6\1/
2\E; sections 10 through 15, 22 through 25 and 36, T26S, R5E; sections 
1 through 36, T26S, R6E; sections 4 through 9, 15 through 21 and 27 
through 35, T26S, R6\1/2\E;

[[Page 18400]]

sections 1, 12 and 13, T27S, R5E; sections 1 through 28 and 33 through 
36, T27S, R6E; sections 3 through 10, 17, 18, 19 and 30, T27S, R6\1/
2\E; and sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11 and 12, T28S, R6E, Willamette 
Meridian, Douglas County, Oregon.
    This proposal is based on the need to achieve several objectives 
for matrix lands within Management Areas 5 and 10 of the planning area. 
These objectives are described in the 1990 Umpqua National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) and page B-1 of the Record of 
Decision (ROD) for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land 
Management Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern Spotted 
Owl. The focus for Management Area 5 is managing the Oregon Cascades 
Recreation Area (OCRA) consistent with the intent of the Oregon 
Wilderness Act. Toward this end, the proposed action includes the 
decommissioning of approximately two miles of roads in the OCRA. The 
focus of Management Area 10 is the supply of timber to local and 
regional economies on a cost efficient, sustainable basis. The ROD 
states that the production of timber and other commodities is an 
important objective for the Matrix. The ROD states further that one of 
the objectives of matrix is to provide ecological diversity at the 
landscape scale in the form of early-successional habitat through 
commercial timber harvest.
    The Diamond Lake/Lemolo Lake Watershed Analysis recommends that 
harvest prescriptions in the analysis area should create a high level 
of vegetative diversity in both structure and pattern by replicating 
natural disturbance processes. Towards this end, the priority in the 
Lodgepole Pine Type is to conduct regeneration harvests in overstocked 
lodgepole pine stands older than 70 years to reduce the potential for 
mountain pine beetle epidemics. There is also an opportunity to reduce 
stand densities to a more desired condition around Lemolo Lake by 
commercially thining some of those stands.
    From a total planning area of 71,800 acres, the proposed action 
identifies a need to harvest approximately 1,670 acres under several 
different silvicultural treatments that include approximately 940 acres 
of commercial thinning, approximately 490 acres of regeneration 
harvests, and approximately 240 acres of partial cutting. As proposed, 
this harvest may be accomplished via three to six timber sales. In 
conjunction with the sales, implementation of the proposed action will 
necessitate the construction of 5.4 miles of system roads, the 
reconstruction of 33.2 miles of existing roads, the construction of 3.5 
miles of temporary roads with subsequent obliteration, the 
decommissioning of 10 miles of road, the construction of two permanent 
helicopter landings, the expansion of an existing rock pit by two 
acres, and the burning of natural fuels on approximately 530 acres. 
Some of the areas prescribed for harvest will require a helicopter 
yarding system, others will require a skyline yarding system, and 
others can be harvested with ground-based equipment. The 1,670 acres 
proposed for harvest are estimated to yield 31.0 million board feet of 
timber. To put this estimated yield in a perspective that is easier to 
visualize, the lumber derived from this proposal could build 
approximately 3,100 low-income family dwellings and provide other wood 
products, such as chips and fiber, for the regional economy.
    As part of the analysis process under the National Environmental 
Policy Act, the Umpqua National Forest has begun the scoping process 
for this project. Preliminary issues identified to date include the 
following:
     Potential effects on the Northern Spotted Owl and it's 
habitat.
     Potential effects on Wolverine habitat.
     The harvest of timber in a visually sensitive area.
     Potential effects on Lynx habitat.
    One of the purposes of this notice of intent is to solicit input 
from the public. At this very early stage of the analysis process, 
there are no alternatives to the proposed action other than the No 
Action Alternative. The scoping is intended to identify issues which 
may lead to the development of alternatives to the proposed action.
    In addition to this notice, the public has been notified of the 
environmental impact statement through the Umpqua National Forest's 
April, 1999, Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA). Scoping for this 
project will also include an open house in Roseburg, Oregon, on April 
21, 1999. Based on the preliminary issues, the Responsible Official has 
determined that it is appropriate to proceed with an environmental 
impact statement.
    Public comments are appreciated throughout the analysis process. 
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and be available for public review by October, 1999. The 
comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA 
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register. The final 
EIS is scheduled to be available in December, 1999.
    The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers 
notice of this early stage of public participation and of several court 
rulings related to public participation in the environmental review 
process. First, reviewers of a draft EIS 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 Corps. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could have been raised 
at the draft stage may be waived or dismissed by the court if not 
raised until after completion of the final EIS. 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 that 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 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 chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also 
address the adequacy of the draft EIS 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 of 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.)
    In the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to 
substantive comments and responses received during the comment period 
that pertain to the environmental consequence discussed in the draft 
EIS and applicable laws, regulations, and policies considered in making 
a decision regarding the proposal. The Responsible Official is Don 
Ostby, Forest Supervisor for the Umpqua National Forest. The 
Responsible Official will document the decision and rationale for the 
decision in a Record of Decision. The decision will be subject to 
appeal under 36 CFR part 215.

    Dated: April 5, 1999.
Marty Santiago,
Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 99-9275 Filed 4-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M