[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35884-35885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14065]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Douglas Project Area 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 provide a supply of timber for 
the Tongass National Forest timber sale program, to identify recreation 
opportunities and to develop a road management plan for the forest 
roads connected to the City of Kake. The Record of Decision will 
disclose where, if any, the Forest Service has decided to provide 
timber harvest units, associated timber harvesting facilities, identify 
dispersed recreation opportunities and propose any changes to the 
existing forest road system. The proposed action is to harvest timber 
on an estimated 1,600 acres and to provide multiple timber sale 
opportunities for a total of approximately 35 million board feet (mmbf) 
of timber. Timber harvest will be accomplished using a variety of 
silvicultural prescriptions and harvest methods to meet the standards 
and guidelines of the Tongass Forest Plan. This project would include 
the construction of up to 30 miles of road and may include one new log 
transfer facility (LTF) within the project area. This project may also 
include an analysis and decision for a nonsignificant amendment to the 
Forest Plan to revise the location of small Old Growth Reserve(s) 
within the project area. Recreational opportunities for enhancement may 
include dispersed sites for camping, and improved access for hunting 
and subsistence users. A road management plan will be developed to 
safely accommodate public traffic. A range of alternatives responsive 
to significant issues will be developed and will include a no-action 
alternative. The Douglas project area is approximately 95,500 acres in 
size and is located in Value Comparison Units 430, 431, 432, 433 and a 
portion of 429 on Kupreanof Island, Alaska, on the Petersburg Ranger 
District of the Tongass National Forest. The project area is within an 
Inventoried Roadless Area (South Kupreanof #214 as identified by the 
Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this project should be received 
by July 7, 2000 (30 days from expected publication).

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to the Petersburg Ranger 
District, Tongass National Forest; Attn: Dan McMahon; Douglas Project 
Area EIS; PO Box 1328; Petersburg, AK 99833. The FAX number is (907) 
772-5995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposal and EIS 
should be directed to Patricia Grantham, District Ranger, Petersburg 
Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, PO Box 1328, Petersburg, AK 
99833; telephone (907) 772-3871 or Dan McMahon, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, Petersburg Ranger District, PO Box 1328, Petersburg, AK 99833; 
telephone (907) 772-3871.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public participation has been an integral 
component of the study process and will be especially important at 
several points during the analysis. During the last year, the Forest 
Service has been seeking information, comments, and assistance from 
Federal, State, and local agencies Federally-recognized Indian tribes, 
and individuals and organizations that may be interested in, or 
affected by, the proposed activities. Written scoping comments have 
been solicited through an informal scoping

[[Page 35885]]

package that was sent to the project mailing list and available at open 
houses in Petersburg and Kake, Alaska. The scoping process includes: 
(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. For 
the Forest Service to best use the scoping input, comments should be 
received by July 7, 2000 (30 days from expected publication).
    Based on results of scoping and the resource capabilities within 
the project area, alternatives including a ``no action'' alternative 
will be developed for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement is projected to be filed with the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the summer of 2000. 
Subsistence hearings as provided for in Title VIII, Section 810 of the 
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), will occur, 
if necessary, during the comment period on the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement. The Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record 
of Decision are anticipated to be published in March, 2001.
    The comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will 
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 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 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). Environmental objections that could have been raised at 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 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 (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 of the proposed action, comments during scoping and 
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. 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 will not have standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 
36 CFR Parts 215 or 217. 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. 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, 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 7 days.


    Permits required for implementation include the following:
    1. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

--Approval of discharge of dredged or fill material into the waters 
of the United States under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act;
--Approval of the construction of structures or work in navigable 
waters of the United States under Section 10 of the Rivers and 
Harbors Act of 1899;

    2. Environmental Protection Agency

--National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (402) Permit;
--Review Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan;

    3. State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources

--Tideland Permit and Lease or Easement;
    4. State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation
--Solid Waste Disposal Permit;
--Certification of Compliance with Alaska Water Quality Standards 
(401 Certification)

    Responsible Official: Carol Jorgensen, Assistant Forest Supervisor, 
Tongass National Forest, PO Box 309, Petersburg, Alaska 99833, is the 
responsible official. The responsible official will consider the 
comments, response, disclosure of environmental consequences, and 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies in making the decision and 
stating the rationale in the Record of Decision.

    Dated: May 22, 2000.
Carol J. Jorgensen,
Assistant Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 00-14065 Filed 6-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M