[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8115-8116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3841]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Little East Creek Fuels Reduction Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to reduce the fire hazard and 
restore damaged components of the ecosystem within the Little East 
Creek Area. The Record of Decision will disclose how the Forest Service 
has decided to treat approximately 3,725 acres of blowdown fuels. The 
proposed action is to treat an estimated 2,122 acres by means such as 
commercial timber sales, mechanical piling and burning, prescribed 
fire, and by hand treatment and provide access to non-federally owned 
lands within the project boundaries. A range of alternatives responsive 
to significant issues will be developed, including a no-action 
alternative. The proposed project is located on the LaCroix Ranger 
District, Cook MN, Superior National Forest. In addition, the LaCroix 
Ranger District may be requesting the project be considered an 
emergency under 36 CFR 215.10(d)(1).

DATES:  Comments concerning the scope of this project should be 
received by March 17, 2000.

ADDRESSES:  Please send written comments to: LaCroix Ranger District, 
Superior National Forest, Attn: Little East Creek Fuels Reduction EIS, 
320 N HWY 53, Cook, MN 55723.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Constance Chaney, District Ranger, or 
John Galazen, Team Leader, LaCrox Ranger District, Superior National 
Forest, 320 N HWY 53 Cook, MN 55723, telephone (218) 666-002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Public participation will be an integral 
component of the study process and will be especially important at 
several point during the analysis. The first is during the scoping 
process. The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, and 
assistance from Federal, State and local agencies, individuals, and 
organizations that may be interested in, or affected by the proposed 
activities. The scoping process will include: (1) identification of 
potential issues,(2) identification of issues to be analyzed in depth, 
and (3) elimination of insignificant issues or those which have been 
covered by a previous environmental review. Written scoping

[[Page 8116]]

comments will be solicited through a scoping package that will be sent 
to the project mailing list and to the local newspaper. For the Forest 
Service to best use the scoping input. Comments should be received by 
February 23, 2000. Issues identified for analysis in the EIS include 
the potential effects of the project on and the relationship of the 
project to: fuel hazard reduction, riparian areas and Shipstead Newton 
Nolan areas, reforestation, temporary roads, inventoried candidate 
special management complexes, roadless areas, and others.
    Based on the results of scoping and the resource capabilities 
within the Project Area, alternatives, including a non-action 
alternative, will be developed for the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is 
projected to be filed within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
in July 2000. The Final EIS is anticipated in October 2000.
    The commend period on the draft EIS will be a minimum of 45 days 
from the date the EPA publishes the Notice of Availability in the 
Federal Register.
    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 EISa 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. HRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553, (1978)). Environmnental 
objections that could have been raised at the Draft EIS stage may be 
waived or dismissed by the courts (City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2nd 
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 they can be meaningfully considered and 
responded to in the Final EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in indentifying and considering issues 
and concerns of the Proposed Act, comments during scoping and on the 
Draft EIS should be a specific as possible and refer to specific pages 
or chapter. Comments may address the adequacy of the Draft EIS or the 
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed. In addressing 
these points reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act in 40 CFR 1503.3. 
Comments reviewed in response to this solicitation, including names and 
addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public 
record on the Proposed Action and will be available for public 
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered. Pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request the 
agency to withthold a submission, from the public record, by showing 
how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality. 
Requesters should be aware that under 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. If 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 seven days.
    Permits/Authorizations: The proposed action may include prescribed 
burning and harvesting on Ecological Landtype 18. An amendment to the 
Superior National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan would be 
needed for such actions. James W. Sanders, Forest Supervisor, Superior 
National Forest, would be responsible official for the plan amendment.
    Responsible Official: Constance Chaney, LaCroix District Ranger, 
Superior National Forest, is the responsible official. In making the 
decision, the responsible official will consider the comments, 
responses, disclosure of environmental consequences, and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies. The responsible official will state 
the rationale for the chosen alternative in the Record of Decision.

    Dated: January 11, 2000.
Constance Chaney,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 00-3841 Filed 2-16;-00; 8:45 am]
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