[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 222 (Thursday, November 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63006-63007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-30160]


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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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 222 / Thursday, November 18, 1999 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Myrtle-Cascade Timber Sales

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) to disclose the potential environmental effects of 
timber harvest, prescribed burning, mechanical treatments, 
precommercial thinning, road reconstruction, and watershed improvement 
projects on National Forest lands in the Myrtle and Cascade drainages 
of the Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before 
December 29, 1999. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and 
available for public review in late January 2000. A Final Environmental 
Impact Statement will be published no sooner than May 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposal or 
requests to be placed on the project mailing list to Elaine Zieroth, 
Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Route 4, Box 4860, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 
83805-9764, e-mail address: ezieroth/[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Behrens, project leader, Bonners 
Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Route 4, Box 
4860, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805-9764, e-mail address: pbehrens/
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The existing condition of the forested 
vegetation in the project area will be compared to conditions that 
occurred historically in the area to determine potential treatment 
opportunities (timber harvest, prescribed burning, mechanical 
treatments, precommercial thinning, etc.). Many ecological factors have 
combined to develop our forests as we see them today. Fire is the 
primary ecological factor that influences forest development. Over 
seventh years of fire suppression by Federal and State agencies has led 
to changes in structure and composition of these forests. Specifically, 
the forests are more densely stocked with trees today since fires have 
not thinned out the smaller trees. This creates more competition for 
water and nutrients and stresses the trees. Consequently, the risk of 
severe fire, and insect and disease outbreaks, is greater than it was 
historically.
    One of the primary objectives of the timber sales will be to 
restore composition and structure of the forested ecosystem. In the dry 
forest types ponderosa pine and western larch are being overcrowded by 
Douglas-fir and grand fir. Treatments would be designed to favor the 
development of large, open-grown stands of ponderosa pine and western 
larch. In the mixed conifer and subalpine forests there is very little 
size and age class diversity. In addition, western white pine, once a 
significant component of the mixed confer forests in north Idaho, is 
gradually dying out because of white pine blister rust. Some of the 
subalpine forests also contain a high percentage of lodgepole pine at 
high risk to maintain pine beetle infestation. Treating these stands 
prior to a beetle epidemic would significantly reduce fuel loadings and 
therefore reduce the risk of severe fire in these forest types.
    Preliminary issues include water quality, forest health, timber 
supply and demand, Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive wildlife, fish 
and plant species.
    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative, under which thee would be 
no change from current management of the Forest. Additional 
alternatives will represent a range of strategies to accomplish the 
goals of this project. The Idaho Panhandle National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan provides the guidance for management 
objectives within the potentially affected area through its goals, 
objectives, standards and guidelines, and management area direction. 
Inland Native Fish Strategy guidelines (USDA Forest Service, 1995) 
supercede Forest Plan guidelines established for riparian areas. The 
public is encouraged to visit with Forest Service officials during the 
analysis and prior to the decision. The Forest Service is also seeking 
information, comments, and assistance from federal, state and local 
agencies and other individuals or organizations that may be interested 
in or affected by the proposed actions.
    The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and available public 
review in late January 2000. At that time, the EPA will publish a 
Notice of Availability of the draft environmental impact statement in 
the Federal Register. The comment period on the draft environmental 
impact statement will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes the 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. A final environmental 
impact statement will be published after all comments are reviewed and 
responded to. A Record of Decision will be published at that time.
    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 process. First, reviewers of 
draft environmental impact statements 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 environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental statement 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 environmental impact statement.

[[Page 63007]]

    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns regarding the proposed action, comments on the draft 
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is 
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the 
draft environmental impact statement. Comments may also address the 
adequacy of the draft environmental impact statement 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.
    Public scoping for this project was initiated in April 1997 with a 
proposed action to treat roughly 6,600 acres. At this time the project 
was titled the Myrtle-Ball Environmental Assessment (EA) and the 
assessment area encompassed nearly 49,000 acres. In October 1997 the 
assessment area was reduced to 31,000 acres, the proposed treatment 
area reduced to 3,700 acres, and the project renamed the Myrtle-Cascade 
EA. Based on scoping and changes in Agency direction the Forest Service 
believes an EIS is now the appropriate level of documentation. Any 
comments received in response to previous solicitations regarding this 
project will be considered during the environmental analysis and will 
be part of the public record. Anyone on the previous mailing list will 
be added to the EIS mailing list.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, 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 may not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR part 215. 
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.
    I am the responsible official for this environmental analysis. My 
address is Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Route 4 Box 4860, Bonners 
Ferry, ID 83805-9764.

    Dated: November 10, 1999.
Elaine J. Zieroth,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 99-30160 Filed 11-17-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M