[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 189 (Thursday, September 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52765-52766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25401]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Revision of the Land and Resource Management Plan for the Tonto 
National Forest Located in Gila, Maricopa, Pinal and Yavapai Counties, 
Arizona

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 36 CFR 219.10(g), the Regional Forester for the 
Southwestern Region gives notice of the agency's intent to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Revised Tonto National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). According to 36 
CFR 219.10(g), Forest Plans are ordinarily revised on a 10-year cycle 
or at least every 15 years. The existing Tonto National Forest Plan was 
approved on October 31, 1985 and has been amended 23 times. The 
proposed action is to update the amended Forest Plan, make format 
changes and edit to improve clarity, and modify based on needs 
determined through the EIS process.
    The responsible official for approving the Forest Plan revision is 
Eleanor S. Towns, Regional Forester, Southwestern Region, USDA Forest 
Service, 517 Gold Avenue SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102. The Forest 
Supervisor, Tonto National Forest, is delegated responsibility for 
preparing the environmental impact statement.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis (the need to 
revise, add or delete specific sections of the Forest Plan) should be 
received in writing by December 31, 1999. The Draft EIS should be 
available for public review in September 2002. The Final EIS and 
revised Forest Plan should be completed by March 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Charles R. Bazan, Forest 
Supervisor, Tonto National Forest, 2324 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix, 
Arizona 85006, Attn: Forest Plan Revision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eddie Alford, Planning Group Leader or 
Paul Stewart, Acting Team Leader, (602) 225-5200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The requirement and process for developing, 
adopting and revising land and resource management plans for the 
National Forest System are defined by the Forest and Rangeland 
Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended and the National 
Forest Management Act of 1976. Implementing regulations are defined at 
Title 36, Chapter II, Part 219, Subpart A of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (36 CFR 219, Subpart A).
    The Forest Supervisor has amended the Forest Plan, pursuant to 36 
CFR 219.10(f), 23 times since its adoption in 1985. The ``Five Year 
Review'' was completed and approved on November 4, 1991. This report 
identified changed conditions and demands, and identified amendment and 
revision needs. In addition, new laws and revisions to the Code of 
Federal Regulations have resulted in the need to update portions of the 
Forest Plan.
    Initiation of the Forest Plan revision process has been delayed 
since 1995 pending finalization of proposed changes to National Forest 
System planning regulations, which would significantly alter the 
current process. Amendments continued to be processed and approved to 
address immediate needs. Currently proposed or needed amendments may be 
acted upon, consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act, 
during the Forest Plan revision process. Regulations at 36 CFR 
219.10(g) require that the Tonto National Forest proceed with revision 
at this time using existing planning regulations, regardless of the 
status of currently proposed changes in the regulations.
    The content of the Forest Plan is prescribed in planning 
regulations (36 CFR 219.11) and includes:
    (a) A brief summary of the management situation including demand 
and supply conditions for commodities and services, production 
potentials, and use and development opportunities;
    (b) Forest multiple-use goals and objectives that include a 
description of the desired future condition of the Forest and an 
identification of the quantities of goods and services that are 
expected to be produced or provided during the planning period;
    (c) Multiple-use prescriptions and associated standards and 
guidelines for each management area including proposed and probable 
management practices; and
    (d) Monitoring and evaluation requirements that will provide a 
basis for a periodic determination and evaluation of the effects of 
management practices.
    Planning regulations (36 CFR 219.13) also require that area 
planning for specific individual resources be integrated into the 
Forest Plan. These individual resource-planning requirements include 
but are not limited to:
    (a) Timber resource land suitability (219.14);
    (b) Roadless areas, unless otherwise provided by law (219.17);
    (c) Grazing resource suitability (219.20);
    (d) Recreation resource, including the visual resource (219.21); 
and
    (e) Research natural areas (219.25).
    Alternatives required by implementing regulations of the National 
Forest Management Act and the National Environmental Policy Act will be 
considered during the planning process. An alternative addressing the 
Resource Planning Act (RPA) program tentative resource objectives, a 
``no action'' alternative that reflects the current Forest Plan 
direction, and a reasonable range of alternatives will be developed to 
respond to public issues, management concerns and resource 
opportunities identified during the planning process (36 CFR 219.12; 40 
CFR 1501.7, 1502.14). The initial proposed action is to update the 
amended Forest Plan by reformatting and editing to improve clarity, and 
to ensure direction is consistent with new laws and regulations.
    The Forest Service hereby gives notice that it is beginning a full 
environmental analysis and decision making process for this proposal so 
that interested or potentially affected people may know how they may 
contribute to the final decision. The Forest Service invites comments 
and suggestions from Federal, State, and local governments and 
agencies, Native American tribes, individuals, organizations and 
businesses on the scope of the analysis to be included in the draft 
environmental impact statement (DEIS). The scope of the analysis is 
limited to

[[Page 52766]]

those actions for which the Forest Supervisor has the legal authority 
to approve in a forest plan decision. Written comments are encouraged 
during the initial comment period, which ends December 31, 1999.
    Specific information, which is needed at this stage of the process, 
includes:
    (a) Names and addresses of interested parties, including specific 
agency or organization contacts, in order to update the Forest Plan 
mailing list;
    (b) Suggestions for effective public involvement;
    (c) Identification of areas or topics of interest; and
    (d) New information or changed conditions which may indicate a need 
to change direction from the current Forest Plan.
    Comments, as well as names and addresses on the Forest Plan mailing 
list, will be considered part of the public record on this proposed 
action and will be available to the public. Comments submitted 
anonymously will be accepted and considered. Any person may request the 
agency withhold their name, address or comment from the public record 
by showing how the Freedom of Information Act permits such 
confidentiality. The Forest Service will inform the requester of the 
agency's decision regarding a 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.
    Following this initial scoping, public meetings will be scheduled 
and/or informational newsletters will be produced consistent with 
public interest and involvement needs; and additional meetings with 
individuals or groups may also be arranged. It is anticipated that at 
least one additional comment period will be provided prior to issuance 
of the DEIS. The DEIS and proposed revised Forest Plan should be 
available for public review in September 2002. After a minimum comment 
period of 90 days, the final environmental impact statement and revised 
Forest Plan should be completed by March 2004.
    The following information applies to review of the DEIS when it is 
issued. The 90-day public comment period on the DEIS will commence on 
the day the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a ``Notice of 
Availability'' in the Federal Register. It is very important that those 
interested in this proposed action have established their interest by 
that time. Written comments on the DEIS should be as specific as 
possible and may also address the adequacy of the statement or the 
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement 
(see The Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3). Please note that comments you make on the DEIS will be 
regarded as public information.
    In addition, Federal court decisions have established that 
reviewers of a DEIS must structure their participation in the 
environmental review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and 
alerts an agency to the reviewers' position and contentions (Vermont 
Yankee Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978)). Environmental 
objections that could have been raised at the draft stage may be waived 
or dismissed by the courts if not raised until after completion of the 
final environmental impact statement (City of Angoon v. Hodel, 9th 
Circuit, 803 F.2d 1018, (1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 
490 F. Supp. 1334 (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 90 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.

    Dated: September 24, 1999.
James T. Gladen,
Deputy Regional Forester.
[FR Doc. 99-25401 Filed 9-29-99; 8:45 am]
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