[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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