[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2874-2875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1003]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District Small Sales Final EIS 
Revision, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Kootenai and Shoshone 
Counties, Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare a revised final environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a revised final environmental 
impact statement (FEIS) to further analyze and disclose the cumulative 
environmental effects of utilizing timber harvest in numerous small, 
specific areas of the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District. The intent 
of the project is to salvage merchantable timber in stands damaged by 
ice storms, insect infestation and disease, and to reduce the level of 
fire risk to the National Forest and to private lands adjacent to 
National Forest lands.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the revision should be received 
in writing by February 12, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Coeur d'Alene River Ranger 
District, 2502 East Sherman Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 83814-5899.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Rehnborg (Project Team Leader) or 
Kerry Arneson (NEPA Coordinator) at (208) 769-3000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A final environmental impact statement and 
record of decision were issued in July 2000. The decision was appealed. 
Upon review, the Appeal Deciding Officer reversed the decision, citing 
inadequate documentation of cumulative effects analysis. The intent of 
the revised FEIS is to provide the necessary documentation of 
cumulative effects in relation to the Small Sales project.

[[Page 2875]]

    While public participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, 
comments received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will 
be especially useful in the preparation of the revision, which is 
expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency and 
available for public review in February 2001. The comment period on the 
revised FEIS will end 45 days from the date the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability of the revised 
FEIS in the Federal Register. In addition, the public is encouraged to 
visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and 
prior to the decision.
    A new decision is anticipated in April 2001. The decision will 
identify if, when, how and where to schedule activities to meet these 
goals. The USDA Forest Service is the lead agency for this proposal. 
Acting District Ranger Jose Castro is the responsible official.
    The Forest Service believes it is important at this early stage to 
give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers 
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. NRDS, 435 U.S. 519, 533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that 
are not raised until after completion of the final environmental impact 
statement may be waived or dismissed by the courts. 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 it can meaningfully 
consider them and respond to them.
    Comments on the revised FEIS should be as specific as possible. It 
is also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters. 
Comments may also address the adequacy of the revised FEIS or the 
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the revised 
FEIS. 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.

    Dated: January 2, 2001.
Jose Castro,
Acting District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 01-1003 Filed 1-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M