[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 242 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78465-78466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31982]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Griffin Springs Resource Management Project, Dixie National 
Forest, Garfield County, Utah

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement. (The original Notice of Intent was published on 
November 16, 1998 and a revised NOI changing the project name from 
Aquarius Ecosystem Restoration Project (AERP) to Griffin Springs 
Resource Management Project (GSRMP) was published on July 26, 1999.) 
Comments originally collected under the NOI for the Aquarius Ecosystem 
Restoration Project will be used for the Griffin Springs Resource 
Management Project.

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SUMMARY: The Dixie National Forest, Garfield County, Utah, announced 
November 16, 1998, its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) that would analyze management proposals within the 
Aquarius Ecosystem Restoration Project. Because a portion of the area 
was affected by 36 CFR part 212, Administration of the Forest 
Development Transportation System: Temporary Suspension of Road 
Construction and Reconstruction in Unroaded Areas, and there are 
existing roadless areas within the project area, the project area was 
divided into smaller decision blocks. A Revised NOI for the Griffin 
Springs Resource Management Project was published in the Federal 
Register on July 26, 1999. Comments received during the AERP scoping 
period or in response to the original or revised NOI will be addressed 
in the GSRMP analysis. Since the revised NOI was published the GSRMP 
proposed actions and analysis area have been changed. The southern 
portion of the analysis area located on Barney Top has also been made a 
separate decision block, and the analysis area has been expanded to 
include an adjacent area located in section 8, T33S; R1E; SLBM that is 
experiencing tree mortality from bark beetles. The Proposed Action now 
includes sanitation and salvage harvesting that would remove spruce 
beetle infested trees and recently killed trees on 714 acres. 
Implementation of the GSRMP would not require new road construction.
    The proposed action no longer includes construction of a trailhead 
for the Powell Point trail (#6.0) at the junction of the Powell Point 
non-motorized trail and the end of FS road (#1516), construction of a 
trailhead for the Gap trail (#1.51) at the end of Forest road (#1370), 
construction of a trailhead at Clayton Guard Station to serve Grass 
Lakes (#1.61), Pacer Lake (#4.0), Poison Creek (#3.0) and Antimony Lake 
(#2.0) motorized trails, or construction of a trailhead for the North 
Creek lakes non-motorized trail (#1.5). The previously proposed 
trailhead construction at the above locations included, parking areas, 
signs and an information kiosk. The proposed parking area at the end of 
the road #0176 at Row Lakes has also been dropped.
    Travel management proposals have also been eliminated. Previously, 
travel management proposals within the AERP project area included: the 
closing of 16.3 miles of existing roads with physical barriers and 
obliteration; and the re-vegetation of 54.6 miles of existing roads.
    A portion of the prescribed burning located in sections 10 and 15; 
T34S; R1W; SLBM has also been dropped. This proposal would have 
regenerated approximately 200 acres of aspen within the spruce/fir 
type, with a stand replacing prescribed fire.
    An updated scoping notice is available at the office listed below. 
the DEIS is expected to be available for review by March 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Calbaum, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, (435) 826-5400, Escalante Ranger District, PO Box 246, 
Escalante, Utah 84726.


[[Page 78466]]


    Dated: December 6, 2000.
Mary Wagner,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 00-31982 Filed 12-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M