[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 150 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42639-42640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20115]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Quartzite Watershed Management Project, Colville National Forest, 
Stevens County, Washington

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, as lead agency, will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposal to conduct 
vegetation and road management, and implement riparian and wetland 
management. The Proposed Action will be in compliance with the 1988 
Colville National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest 
Plan) as amended, which provides the overall guidance for management of 
this area. The Proposed Action is within portions of the Thomason 
Creek, Sherwood Creek, and Upper Cottonwood Creek drainages on the 
Colville Ranger District and is scheduled for implementation in fiscal 
year 2001. The Forest Service invites written comments and suggestions 
on the scope of the analysis. The agency will give notice of the full 
environmental analysis and decision making process so interested and 
affected people may be able to participate and contribute in the final 
decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be 
postmarked by September 3, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the 
management of this area to Catherine H. Lay, Acting District Ranger, 
255 West 11th Kettle Falls, Washington, 99141.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the Proposed Action 
and EIS should be directed to Catherine H. Lay, Acting District Ranger, 
or to Ed Shaw, Planner, 755 S. Main Street, Colville, Washington 99114 
(phone: 509-684-7000).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As a result of ecosystem analysis, the 
Colville National Forest is proposing watershed management activities 
in the Quartzite Watershed. We recently completed the Quartzite 
Ecosystem Analysis, an analysis that considered all lands within the 
Thomason, Sherwood, and Upper Cottonwood drainages. One of the key 
findings of the analysis is that fire exclusion has changed forest 
vegetation. These changes in upland forest density, understory 
composition, and tree species have increased forest susceptibility to 
insects, disease, drought and atypical fire. The objective of 
vegetation management proposals is to improve ecosystem integrity by 
moving the vegetation toward the natural range of variation; by 
developing forest matrix, patches and corridors that are consistent 
with fire landscapes; and by improving the landscape patterns of native 
species habitats. A second ecosystem analysis finding is that 
vegetation diversity and in-stream fish habitat in low elevation 
riparian areas has deteriorated. The objective of riparian and wetland 
management is to improve ecosystem integrity by increasing the 
diversity of vegetation, and by improving in-stream fish habitat in low 
elevation riparian areas. A third ecosystem analysis finding concerns 
roads. Forest roads provide access to conduct needed management. The 
benefits of forest roads are many. However, the ecosystem analysis 
notes that road corridors create habitat for noxious weeds that 
displace native plants. They also have introduced change to a variety 
of wildlife habitats. The connectiveity of wildlife travel corridors 
has been disrupted in many places where roads cross riparian areas. In 
addition, road access has fragmented seclusion habitat for large home 
range vertebrates. Objectives for road management proposals are to 
upgrade, maintain and develop those roads which are necessary for long-
term land management and important to public access, and to eliminate 
unneeded roads.
    The Proposed Action includes vegetation management using pre-
commercial and commercial thinning and harvest on about 4,600 acres. 
Prescribed Fire would be used on up to 6,500 acres. A variety of road 
management activities are included. To increase vegetation management 
feasibility the proposed action includes 11.5 miles of new road 
construction. (The National Forest will develop alternatives to the 
proposed action that do not construct new roads.) To improve wildlife 
habitat and water quality, 1.25 miles of road will be closed in the 
Woodward Meadows area. And to improve public safety, a steep section 
(0.25 miles) of the Jay Gould Ridge Road will be closed. In addition, 
the proposed action would improve fisheries by applying gravel to roads 
and improving road drainage at seven stream crossings. The Proposed 
Action also includes 100 acres of riparian and wetland improvement 
activities in Woodward Meadows, which is located in the Upper 
Cottonwood Creek drainage. These activities include dechanneling 
previously channeled streams through the meadow (roughly 2000 feet), 
creating pot holes and planting native riparian plants to improve 
wildlife habitat.
    The projects would be located approximately 2 to 10 miles east of 
U.S. Highway 395 near Chewelah, Washington. The Quartzite Watershed 
Management Projects are proposed within the Thomason Creek, Sherwood 
Creek, and Upper Cottonwood Creek drainages on the Colville Ranger 
District. This analysis will evaluate a range of alternatives for 
implementation of the project activities. The area being analyzed is 
approximately 23,300 acres, of which 10,600 acres are National Forest 
System lands. The other ownership areas are included only for analysis 
of effects. The breakdown of management emphasis on the National Forest 
System Lands is as follows: 2% is for old growth dependent species 
habitat; 3% is for recreation; 18% is for big game winter range; 20% is 
for scenic/winter range; 20% is for wood/forage; and 37% is for scenic/
timber. The project area does not include any wilderness, RARE II, or 
inventoried roadless areas.
    Some of the preliminary issues that were identified include: 
scenery, water

[[Page 42640]]

quality, road construction, road closures, and timber commodities.
    A range of alternatives will be considered, including a no-action 
alternative. Based on issues identified to date, alternatives to date, 
alternatives to be considered include: (1) The number, sizes, and 
locations of areas considered for treatment; (2) the amount of road 
constructed for access; (3) the type of harvest and post-harvest 
treatments prescribed; and (4) the number, types, and locations of 
other integrated resource projects.
    Initial scoping began in May, 1999. The scoping process will 
include the following: identify and clarify issues; identify key issues 
to be analyzed in depth; explore alternatives based on themes which 
will be derived from issues recognized during scoping activities; and 
identify potential environmental effects of the proposed Action and 
alternatives.
    A public meeting is planned to be held at the Chewelah Municipal 
Building on July 28th 1999, at 5:00 pm. The Forest Service is seeking 
information, comments, and assistance from other agencies, 
organizations, Indian Tribes, and individuals who may be interested in 
or affected by the Proposed Action. This input will be used in 
preparation of the draft EIS. Your comments are appreciated throughout 
the analysis process.
    Comments received in response to this notice, including names and 
addresses 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 anonymously will be accepted and 
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR Parts 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 confidentiality should be aware that, under the 
FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very 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 a 
specified number of days.
    The draft EIS is to be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by March, 2000. At 
that time, copies of the draft EIS will be distributed to interested 
and affected agencies, organizations, Indian Tribes, and members of the 
public for their review and comment. The EPA will publish a Notice of 
Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment 
period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA notice 
appears in the Federal Register. It is important that those interested 
in the management of the Colville National Forest participate at that 
time.
    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 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 
Corp v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, environmental objections 
that could be raised at the draft EIS stage but that are 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 (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 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 chapters 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 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.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be available by August, 2000. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive 
comments received during the comment period for the draft EIS. The 
responsible official is Colville National Forest Supervisor, Robert L. 
Vaught. The responsible official will decide which, if any, of the 
alternatives will be implemented. His decision and rationale for the 
decision will be documented in the Record of Decision, which will be 
subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations (36 CFR Part 215).

    Dated: July 26, 1999.
Robert L. Vaught,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 99-20115 Filed 8-4-99; 8:45 am]
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