[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 29 (Friday, February 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6979-6981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3265]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Baylor Park Timber Blowdown Analysis, White River National 
Forest; Garfield County, CO

AGENCY:  Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION:  Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY:  The Baylor Park Area was affected by a windthrow event that 
blew down Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and aspen trees on about 
2,000-3,000 acres, on August 18th, 1999. The affected area is located 
on the Sopris and Rifle Range Districts of the White River National 
Forest. The area contains mature and overmature Engelmann spruce and 
with an endemic population of spruce beetle. The purpose of and need 
for this project is to treat the blowdown and damaged area to prevent 
and control insect infestations. The spruce beetle is the most serious 
pest of Engelmann spruce. It is restricted largely to mature and 
overmature spruce, and epidemics have occurred throughout history. One 
of the most damaging outbreaks was in Colorado from 1939 to 1951, when 
beetles killed nearly 6 billion board feet of standing spruce. Damaging 
attacks have been largely associated with extensive windthrow, where 
downed trees provided an ample food supply for a rapid buildup of 
beetle populations. The beetle progeny then emerge to attack living 
trees, but if downed material is

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not available, then standing trees may be attacked. Large, overmature 
trees are attacked first, but if an infestation persists, beetles will 
attack and kill smaller trees after the large trees in the stand are 
killed.
    Proposed Action is to remove and/or treat damaged or windthrown 
trees, by use of salvage sales and other treatment methods. Other 
treatment methods include but are not limited to: bark peeling, pile 
and burning and prescribed fire, to reduce the risk of insect 
infestation outbreaks. In addition, the proposal would salvage or treat 
Engelmann spruce trees affected by spruce beetles in the analysis area. 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement to determine to what extent, if any, 
that timber sale salvage operations or other methods of treatment, of 
Engelmann spruce, sub alpine fir and aspen are to occur.

DATE:  Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
in writing on or before March 13, 2000.

ADDRESSES:  Send written comments to Richard L. Doak, Acting District 
Ranger, Sopris Ranger District, White River National Forest, PO Box 
309, Carbondale, CO 81623. The Forest Supervisor Martha J. Ketelle, 
P.O. Box 948, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 is the Responsible Official 
for the Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Janice Spencer, Project Coordinator, 
White River National Forest, P.O. Box 948, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Due to the difficulty in performing cultural 
surveys, the close proximity of wetlands, and potential of a roadless 
area entry to treat the down and damaged timber, An Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) is required as per Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 20.6. The intent of the EIS is to determine to what 
extent, if any, that timber sale salvage operations or other methods of 
treatment, of Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir and aspen are to occur. 
These trees were damaged during a wind event that occurred on August 
18, 1999 in the Baylor Park area. The blowdown occurred over an area of 
approximately 2,000-3,000 acres on the Sopris and Rifle Ranger 
Districts of the White River National Forest. The proposed action will 
be consistent with programmatic management direction contained in the 
Rocky Mountain Regional Guide for Standards and Guidelines (1983) and 
in the Land and Resource Management Plan for the White River National 
Forest (LMP, 1984). The LMP allocated the proposed timber sale area to 
wood fiber production and utilization of sawtimber products, with a 
small portion of the sale area being allocated to be managed for 
rangeland improvement and livestock grazing. All of the allocations 
allow for timber harvest to occur.
    Based on internal Forest Service scoping, the preliminary issues 
include the effects of the proposed action on: area wildlife and 
wildlife habitat, recreation use and visual quality, watershed quality, 
wetland management, cultural resources, risk of insect infestation 
outbreaks, wildfire risk, and the transportation system--including 
possible entry into a roadless area.
    Preliminary alternatives include, but are not limited to:
    1. No Action, existing management activities under the current 
Forest Plan will continue.
    2. The proposed action is to remove and/or treat damaged or 
windthrown trees, by use of salvage sales and other treatment methods, 
such as bark peeling, pile and burning and prescribed fire, in order to 
reduce the risk of insect infestation outbreaks. In addition, the 
proposal would salvage or treat Englemann spruce trees affected by 
spruce beetles in the analysis area.
    3. Live timber will be harvested above that which was damaged, to 
treat all of the stands within the affected blowndown and damaged area 
for both silvicultural and economic reasons.
    Alternatives will be carefully examined for their potential impacts 
on the physical, biological, and social environments so that tradeoffs 
are apparent to the decision maker. The decisions to be made by the 
Forest Supervisor, based on the pending analysis to be documented in 
this EIS are: Should the blowdown and damaged trees in the Baylor Park 
area be treated to reduce possible spruce beetle infestation? And, if 
so: Should road construction be allowed for timber harvest in this 
area? How will cultural resources be best protected?
    Permits and licenses required to implement the proposed action 
will, or may, include the following: Consultation with U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service for compliance with Section 7 of the Threatened & 
Endangered Species Act; review from the Colorado Division of Wildlife, 
consultation with the Army Corps of Engineers, and clearance from the 
Colorado State Historic Preservation Office. Public participation will 
be fully incorporated into preparation of the EIS. The first step is 
the scoping process, during which the Forest Service will be seeking 
information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and local 
agencies, and other individuals or groups who may be interested or 
affected by the proposed action. Public comments received during 
initial scoping for this project will be incorporated into this EIS. 
The Forest Service predicts the draft environmental impact statement 
will be filed during the summer of 2000 and the final environmental 
impact statement and record of decision during the winter of 2000. The 
comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will be 
forty-five days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
    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 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 impact 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. To assist the Forest 
Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on 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 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.)


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    Dated: February 2, 2000.
Martha J. Ketelle,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 00-3265 Filed 2-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-BW-M