[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 47 (Friday, March 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 14122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5782]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Kachina Village EIS; Southwestern Region, Arizona, Coconino 
County, Coconino National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Coconino National Forest is planning to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement on a proposal to improve the resiliency 
of the forest ecosystem by reducing the threat of catastrophic fire, 
and overall improving forest health. This project will be planned in 
cooperation with the Grand Canyon Forests Partnership and all 
interested publics.

DATES: Comments in response to this Notice of Intent concerning the 
scope of the analysis should be received in writing on or before April 
9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to USDA Forest Service, Coconino 
National Forest, Flagstaff, AZ 86004. Electronic mail may be sent to 
[email protected].us
    Responsible Official: The Forest Supervisor of the Coconino 
National Forest, Supervisor's Office 2323 E. Greenlaw Lane, Flagstaff, 
AZ 86004, will decide what actions are most appropriate for the Kachina 
Village Project Area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tammy Randall-Parker, Peaks Ranger 
District, 5075 North Highway 89, Flagstaff, AZ 86004. (520) 527-8254 or 
[email protected].us

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposal will focus on improving forest 
health and improving forest resiliency. The project will include the 
following:
    1. Removal of ponderosa pine trees to reduce hazardous fuel loads 
in the Flagstaff Urban Interface. Simultaneously this action will 
improve forest health by thinning dense stands of trees, which will 
improve tree growth, improve the herbaceous understory, protect 
cultural resources from wildfire, improve and protect wildlife habitat, 
and watershed functions. Thinning of ponderosa pine will include 
thinning of smaller diameter ponderosa pine. We estimate ninety-percent 
of the tree thinned will be small than 12" dbh. Large old trees, mature 
ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir will not be removed from the area. These 
trees are important to wildlife, aesthetic values, and the overall 
health of the ecosystem. The mature trees are very important and the 
thinning conducted will help to improve the longevity of these old 
trees by reducing competition and will also help to protect them in the 
event of a wildfire event.
    2. Prescribed burning and removal of slash created by thinning will 
be conducted. Prescribed burning will be used to reduce fuel loads and 
will simultaneously benefit forest health by stimulating understory 
vegetation. Wildlife, soils, and watershed function will benefit from 
prescribed fire. Slash created by thinning will be managed and 
mitigated so that only short-term impacts will occur from thinning 
slash.
    3. Roads will be needed to access areas during thinning. Many roads 
exist in this area currently and there will be reconstruction needs due 
to the poor condition of some roads. Very few new roads are 
anticipated, other than development of temporary roads. A road 
management plan will focus on the desired future condition that will 
best manage for wildfire access, recreation access, water quality 
improvement, and wildlife protection.
    4. Recreation management including dispersed camping, trails, 
recreational opportunities and developments will be woven into our 
efforts to reduce fire risk (human caused fires), improve forest 
health, improve watershed and soil function, and improve wildlife 
habitat, and most importantly better serve the needs of our publics. 
Caring for the land and serving the people must be balanced and will be 
integrated into a proposal to improve forest health and resiliency.
    Alternatives for this project will be based on public comment to 
this notice and scoping which will occur during March and April of 
2001. A scoping document to include a more detailed proposed action is 
expected to be available to the public in April. We encourage all 
interested parties to provide input and suggestions during the month of 
March. Meetings will be held at the Peaks Ranger District Office on 
March 1, 15, 22, and 23 to provide comment into the development of a 
proposed action.
    The month of April will include a 30-day comment period on a 
proposed action for the project area. Based on public comment and 
issues that come forth from scoping, alternatives will be developed by 
the USFS Interdisciplinary team assigned to this project. A draft EIS 
will be developed and available for public comment July or August 2001. 
A final EIS would be anticipated in September/October of 2001.
    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. To be the most 
helpful, comments on the draft environmental impact statement should be 
as specific as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement 
or the merits of the alternatives discussed (see Council of 
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3).
    In addition, Federal court decisions have established that 
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 reviewers' positions and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC 435 US 519, 553 
(1978). Environmental objections that could have been raised at the 
draft stage may be waived if not raised until after completion of the 
final environmental impact statement. City of Angoon v. Hodel 9th 
Circuit, 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc v. Harris, 490 F.Supp. 
1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this is to ensure that 
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider 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.

    Dated: February 28, 2001.
Karyl Georgio,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-5782 Filed 3-8-01; 8:45 am]
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