[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 73 (Friday, April 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20196-20197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9396]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Colville 
Indian Reservation Integrated Resource Management Plan, Colville 
Confederated Tribes, Colville Reservation, Washington

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for an Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) for the Colville 
Indian Reservation, Washington, with the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, and that the DEIS is now available for public review. Brief 
descriptions of the proposed action and alternatives follow as 
supplementary information. This notice also announces a public hearing 
to receive public comments on the DEIS.

DATES: Written comments must arrive by June 12, 2000. The public 
hearing on the DEIS will be held on April 27, 2000, starting at 7:00 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any 
one of several methods. You may mail or hand carry written comments to 
William Nicholson, Superintendent, Colville Agency, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, P.O. Box 111, Nespelem, Washington 99155-0111. You may also 
comment via the Internet to [email protected]. Please 
submit Internet comments as an ASCII file, avoiding the use of special 
characters and any form of encryption. Include your name and return 
address in your Internet message. If you do not receive a confirmation 
from the system that we have received your Internet message, contact us 
directly at (509) 634-2320.
    Comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the above address during regular 
business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you 
wish us to withhold your name and/or address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests 
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. We will not, however, 
consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations or 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public inspection in their entirety.
    The DEIS is available for review at the Colville Agency. To obtain 
a copy, you may contact John St. Pierre, Colville Confederated Tribes, 
P.O. Box 150, Nespelem, Washington 99155-0150, telephone (509) 634-
2200. Copies of the DEIS have been sent to all agencies and individuals 
who participated in the scoping process, or who previously requested 
copies.
    The public hearing will be held in the Conference Room at the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Colville Agency, Nespelem, Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Nicholson, (509) 634-2316.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau of Indian Affairs is proposing to 
approve an IRMP for the approximately 1,392,265 acre Colville Indian 
Reservation, for the period 2000-2014. This DEIS analyzes the impacts 
of the proposed action, four action alternatives, and no action. Under 
the no action alternative (Alternative 1), there would be no change in 
the existing management. About 1,071.2 million board feet (MMBF) of 
timber would be harvested across 157,989 acres, and the range 
management units and allotments on the reservation would continue under 
current management direction.
    The proposed action (Alternative 2) would implement the IRMP 
developed by the Colville Confederated Tribes. About 953.1 MMBF of 
timber would be harvested across 156,989 acres and there would be a 15 
percent general reduction in range use.
    Alternative 3, the IRMP with additional watershed health and 
wildlife habitat emphasis, calls for the harvesting of about 818.7 MMBF 
of timber across 119,683 acres and the withdrawal of about 269,000 
acres of range allotments.
    Alternative 4, the IRMP with stand structural/stage correction 
emphasis, emphasizes intermediate harvesting to move the structural 
stage class of stands on the reservation towards the desired future 
conditions. About 751.9 MMBF of timber would be harvested across

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157,573 acres. Allowable animal unit months (AUMs) would be doubled to 
121,800.
    Alternative 5, the IRMP with forest health emphasis, emphasizes 
regenerative harvesting to reduce the existing impacts of insects and 
disease.
    Alternative 6, the IRMP with additional forest health, watershed 
health and wildlife habitat emphasis, places an additional emphasis on 
forest and watershed health along with fish and wildlife habitat. About 
1,105.1 MMBF of timber would be harvested across 123,556 acres and 
allowable AUM's would be reduced by 50 percent.
    This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1 of the 
Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500 through 
1508), implementing the procedural requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), 
and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the 
exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian 
Affairs by 209 DM 8.

    Dated: April 11, 2000.
Kevin Gover,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 00-9396 Filed 4-13-00; 8:45 am]
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