[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 52 (Friday, March 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15214-15215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6511]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 52 / Friday, March 16, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 15214]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Viveash Fire Timber Salvage EIS--Santa Fe National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Santa Fe National Forest will prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) on a proposal to harvest trees killed by the 
Viveash Fire. The Viveash Fire burned approximately 29,000 acres on the 
Pecos Ranger District in late May through early June of 2000. The 
purpose of the proposal is to harvest some of the fire killed timber 
and provide a variety of wood products through both commercial timber 
sales and non-commercial personal use permits. The EIS will be designed 
to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321-4370a, and the National Forest Management Act, 
16 U.S.C. 1600-1614, and their respective implementing regulations.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
on or before April 14, 2001. The draft EIS is expected to be available 
for public review in June 2001. The final EIS is expected to be 
published in September 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposal, or 
requests to be placed on the project mailing list, to Daniel A. 
Crittenden, District Ranger, Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District, Santa Fe 
National Forest, P.O. Drawer 429, Pecos, NM, 87552.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Napp, Viveash Project 
Coordinator (505) 757-6121; or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to recover forest 
products--sawtimber, firewood, specialty products (vigas and 
latillas)--from trees killed by the Viveash Fire. Specifically this 
includes removing up to 25 million board feet over 5,000 acres of the 
29,000 acre fire, concentrating in areas with high volume per acre; 
removing trees in areas with high and moderate intensity burns only 
(trees 100% scorched or totally devoid of any green needles) except 
incidental removal of green trees where necessary; no new road 
construction (specified or temporary); concentrating harvest from areas 
with low susceptibility to soil erosion, compaction and water runoff. 
Resource protection measures will be included to protect resources such 
as snags, soils, heritage resources, water quality and wildlife.
    Public scoping packages are expected to be sent out to those on the 
Viveash project mailing list in February or early March, 2001. A public 
scoping meeting will be held in the town of Pecos soon thereafter. A 
second public meeting in Pecos is planned shortly after issuance of the 
draft EIS.

Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Service will prepare an EIS. The District Ranger of the 
Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest will decide 
whether or not to implement this project, and if so, in what manner.

Responsible Official

    Daniel A. Crittenden, District Ranger Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger 
District, Santa Fe National Forest, P.O. Drawer 429, Pecos, New Mexico 
87552, is the Responsible Official for this decision. He will document 
his decision in a Record of Decision.

Estimated Dates for Filing

    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by July 
15, 2001. 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 the EPA publishes the Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. It is very important that those 
interested in the management of this area participate at that time.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by October 2001. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments and 
responses received during the comment period that pertain to the 
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable 
laws, regulations and policies considered in making a decision 
regarding the proposal.

The Reviewers Obligation To Comment

    The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers 
notice at this early stage 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). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement may be waived or dismissed by the 
courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) 
and 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 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: March 7, 2001.
Leonard Atencio,
Forest Supervisor, Santa Fe National Forest.
[FR Doc. 01-6511 Filed 3-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-1

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