[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39594-39596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16171]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Eldorado National Forest, CA; Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA Forest Service.

[[Page 39595]]


ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for resource management activities, including road 
construction, road reconstruction, biomass removal, understory 
thinning, prescribed burning and wildlife habitat improvement work on 
the Airport Forest Health Project involving a total planning area size 
of about 11,000 acres on the Pacific Ranger District of the Eldorado 
National Forest. The agency invites written comments and suggestions on 
the analysis. The agency also gives notice of the full environmental 
analysis and decision-making process that will occur on the proposal so 
that interested and affected people are aware of how they may 
participate and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Scoping and subsequent environmental analysis began on the 
Airport Forest Health Project in January 1998. Scoping was completed 
and an environmental assessment (EA) was published and made available 
to the public in March 2000. Based upon environmental analysis and 
public comments to the environmental assessment, the Forest Supervisor 
of the Eldorado National Forest has determined that an environmental 
impact statement is the appropriate environmental document for this 
project.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the 
analysis to Don Errington, Pacific Ranger Station, Pollock Pines, 
California, 95726.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and EIS should be directed to Don Errington, Pacific Ranger Station, 
Pollock Pines, California, 95726, Phone (530) 644-2349.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Eldorado National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan was completed in January 1989. The Airport 
Forest Health Project EIS will tier to the approved Eldorado National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. There are no known permits or 
licenses required to implement the proposed action.
    Public comments previously received during scoping and in response 
to the completed environmental assessment will be considered in 
preparing the Final EIS. The Forest Service will identify and consider 
a range of alternatives for this project. The proposed alternatives 
will include the following:
    1. No Action;
    2. Understory thinning on approximately 180 acres and follow-up 
fuels reduction immediately around public use developments and public 
use areas using ground based equipment;
    3. Understory thinning on approximately 2,200 acres and follow-up 
fuels reduction around public use developments and public use areas and 
other selected areas using ground based equipment; and
    4. Understory thinning on approximately 2,900 acres and fuels 
reduction around public use developments and public use areas and on 
other selected areas using ground based and helicopter equipment.
    These alternatives will consider varying levels and distribution of 
vegetative manipulation, timber harvest and fuels management. Specified 
new road construction will vary by alternative (0.1 miles in 
Alternative 2 and 2.2 miles in Alternatives 3 and 4). Road 
reconstruction will vary by alternative (0.3 miles in Alternative 2 and 
18.2 miles in Alternatives 3 and 4. Road reconstruction will include 
road rocking, surface drainage work, clearing and minor realignment. 
Harvest prescriptions will include understory removal of both 
merchantable and sub-merchantable trees and commercial thinning of 
merchantable trees. All harvest prescriptions will conform with the 
California Spotted Owl Sierran Province Interim Guidelines 
Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice. Volume estimates of 
timber to be harvested range from 0 to 11 million boardfeet of 
commercial sawtimber. Biomass removal estimates range from 0 to 40,000 
tons. Post-harvest herbicide use is proposed on 180 acres to help 
achieve reforestation of understocked areas. All estimates will be 
dependent on which alternative is chosen.
    Preliminary issues that have been identified during the 
environmental analysis process include:
    1. The concern that valuable developments may be destroyed by 
wildfire.
    2. The concern that public recreational experiences may be affected 
by catastrophic fire or project activities.
    3. The concern that healthy, functioning watersheds may be impacted 
by wildfire or selected treatments.
    4. The concern that the socioeconomic well-being of local 
communities may be affected by wildfire.
    5. The concern that the project may not be economically viable.
    6. The concern that late seral habitat may be affected by project 
activities or wildfire.
    7. The concern that air quality may be adversely affected by 
project activities or wildfire.
    8. The concern that cultural resources may be adversely affected by 
project activities or wildfire.
    9. The concern that herbicide use may adversely affect the 
environment.
    10. The concern that road reconstruction, construction or 
decommissioning may cause undesirable environmental effects.
    11. The concern that meadows are being invaded by conifer species 
and could be damaged by wildfire.
    Public participation is especially important at several points 
during the analysis. The first point is during the scoping process (40 
CFR 1501.7). The Forest Service has sought 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 
project.
    John Berry, Forest Supervisor, Eldorado National Forest, is the 
responsible official. The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public 
review by August, 2000. At that time, EPA will publish a notice of 
availability of the draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment 
period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date that EPA's notice 
of availability appears 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 proposals 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 F2.d 
1016, 1022 9th Cir. 1986)) and (Wisconsin Heritiges 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

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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.
    After the comment period ends on the draft EIS, the comments will 
be analyzed and considered by the Forest Service in preparing the final 
EIS. Comments previously received in response to the Airport Forest 
Health Project environmental assessment will be considered in the Final 
EIS. In the Final EIS the Forest Service is required to respond to the 
comments and responses received (40 CFR 1503.4). The Final EIS is 
scheduled to be completed by September, 2000. The responsible official 
will consider the comments, responses, and environmental consequences 
discussed in the Final EIS; and applicable laws, regulations, and 
policies in making a decision regarding this project. The responsible 
official will document the decision and reasons for the decision in the 
Record of Decision. That decision will be subject to appeal pursuant to 
36 CFR 215.

    Dated: June 20, 2000.
John Berry,
Forest Supervisor, Eldorado National Forest.
[FR Doc. 00-16171 Filed 6-26-00; 8:45 am]
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