[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 66 (Thursday, April 5, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18070-18072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8385]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


McCaslin Project; Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Oconto and 
Forest Counties, WI

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; Intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of proposed land management activities, and corresponding 
alternatives, within the McCaslin project area.
    The purpose of the McCaslin project is to implement land management 
activities that are consistent with direction in the Nicolet National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) and respond to 
specific needs identified in the project area. The project-specific 
needs include addressing: forest age and composition, stand tending and 
reforestation, road closures, erosion control, fish and wildlife 
habitat maintenance and improvement, and archaeological evaluation and 
interpretation.
    The McCaslin project area is located primarily on National Forest 
System lands, administered by the Lakewood/Laona Ranger District, north 
of Lakewood, Wisconsin. The legal description for the project area is: 
Township 33 North, Range 15 East, sections 1-3, 11-14, and 24-25; 
Township 33 North, Range 16 East, sections 1-11, 14-23, and 27-30; 
Township 33 North, Range 17 East, sections 5 and 6; and Township 34 
North, Range 16 East, Sections 16, 17, 20-29, and 32-36; Fourth 
Principal Meridian.

DATES: Comments concerning the proposed land management activities 
should be received on or before May 7, 2001 to receive timely 
consideration in the preparation of the draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments concerning the proposed land 
management activities or requests to be placed on the project mailing 
list to: Edward C. Wenger, District Ranger, Lakewood/Laona Ranger 
District, 15085 State Rd. 32, Lakewood, Wisconsin 54138.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Lampereur, Project Leader/NEPA 
Coordinator, Lakewood/Laona Ranger District, 15085 State Rd. 32, 
Lakewood, Wisconsin 54138, phone (715) 276-6333.

[[Page 18071]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information presented in this notice is 
included to help the reviewer determine if they are interested in or 
potentially affected by the proposed land management activities. The 
information presented in this notice is summarized. Those who wish to 
provide comments, or are otherwise interested in or affected by the 
project, are encouraged to obtain additional information from the 
contact identified in the For Further Information Contact section.

Proposed Actions

    The proposed land management activities (proposed actions) include 
the following, with approximate acreage and mileage values: (1) Forest 
Age and Composition--selection harvest 4,758 acres, thin 2,672 acres, 
clearcut harvest 1,113 acres, overstory removal harvest 231 acres, 
shelterwood harvest 28 acres, and seed tree harvest 2 acres (other 
actions needed include 2.9 miles of road construction, 23.4 miles of 
road reconstruction, and 6.0 miles of temporary road reopening); (2) 
Stand Tending and Reforestation--hand release 314 acres of young 
plantations, prescribe burn 222 acres, plant 277 acres of white pine, 
white spruce, and eastern hemlock in the understories of existing 
stands, thin the overstory of 160 acres, and temporary fence the 
thinned area; (3) Road Closures--close and reclassify 1.2 miles of 
roads as Class 2 System Roads, and close and remove from the Forest's 
classified road system 21.9 miles of roads; (4) Erosion Control--
reconstruct 50 feet of trail in the area of the dispersed campsite at 
Lincoln Lake, reconstruct 100 feet of trail in the area of the 
dispersed campsite at Knowles Dam, and stabilize 100 feet of bank on 
the North Branch Oconto River; (5) Fish and Wildlife Habitat 
Maintenance and Improvement--fell approximately 25 trees along the 
shorelines of Lincoln Lake and the North Branch Oconto River, remove 
in-stream debris (\1/2\ mile) and place brush bundles (500 feet) in 
portions of the North Branch Oconto River, construct an osprey nesting 
platform in an existing snag adjacent to Bluegill Creek Impoundment, 
hand release 141 acres in 97 wildlife openings using brush cutters, mow 
31 acres in 26 wildlife openings, prescribe burn 16 acres in 2 wildlife 
openings (these acres are included in #2), and plant fruit-bearing 
shrubs in 7 acres of wildlife openings; (6) Archaeological Evaluation 
and Interpretation--evaluate 26 sites, protect the sites from project 
activities until evaluation is complete, nominate sites that appear 
eligible for listing in the National Register of Historical Places, and 
develop public interpretive opportunities at 4 identified sites by 
constructing interpretive signs, benches, and 50 feet of trail.

Responsible Official

    The District Ranger of the Lakewood/Laona Ranger District, Ed 
Wenger, is the Responsible Official for making project-level decisions 
from the project.

Decision Space

    Decision-making will be limited to specific activities relating to 
the proposed actions. The primary decision to be made will be whether 
or not to implement the proposed actions or another action alternative 
that responds to the project's purpose and needs.

Project History

    In April of 2000, the Deer Island Project was presented to the 
public for comment (scoping) prior to undertaking preparation of an 
Environmental Assessment. During the summer of 2000, the Forest Service 
was developing a proposal for the adjacent McCaslin Opportunity Area. 
These two efforts have since been combined into one planning effort, 
the McCaslin Project, for which an EIS will be prepared. Years of 
experience have shown that the effects of implementing similar 
activities in the area are not significant. We therefore do not feel 
that an EIS is required. However, due to the increase in appeals and 
litigation and for wise fiscal efficiency, an EIS will be prepared for 
the McCaslin Project. Comments previously received for the Deer Island 
Project will be brought forward into the McCaslin Project.

Preliminary Issues

    Comments from American Indian tribes, the public, and other 
agencies were considered in identifying the following preliminary 
issues: effects to Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive species; 
effects to Management Indicator Species; effects from road construction 
and road closures; effects to motorized recreational access.

Public Participation

    The Forest Service is seeking comments from Federal, State, and 
local agencies, as well as local Native American tribes and other 
individuals or organizations that may be interested in or affected by 
the proposed actions. Comments received in response to this notice will 
become a matter of public record. While public participation is welcome 
at any time, comments on the proposed actions received within 30 days 
of this notice will be especially useful in the preparation of the 
draft EIS. Timely comments will be used to identify: potential issues 
with the proposed actions, alternatives to the proposed actions that 
respond to the identified needs and significant issues, and potential 
environmental effects of the proposed actions and alternatives 
considered in detail. In addition, the public is encouraged to contact 
and/or visit Forest Service officials at any time during the planning 
process.

Relation to Forest Plan Revision

    The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is in the process of 
revising and combining the existing Land and Resource Management Plans 
(Forest Plans) for the Chequamegon National Forest and the Nicolet 
National Forest, which were administratively separate at the time the 
Forest Plans were developed. A Notice of Intent to revise and combine 
the Forest Plans was issued in 1996. As part of this process, various 
inventories and evaluations are occurring. Additionally, the Forest is 
in the process of developing alternative land management scenarios that 
could change the desired future conditions and management direction for 
the Forest. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be 
published in the near future that will disclose the consequences of the 
different land management direction scenarios considered in detail. As 
a result of the Forest Plan revision effort, the Forest has new and 
additional information beyond that used to develop the existing Forest 
Plans. This information will be used where appropriate in the analysis 
of this project to disclose the effects of the proposed activities and 
any alternatives developed in detail.
    The decisions associated with the analysis of this project will be 
consistent with the existing Forest Plan, unless amended, for the 
Nicolet. Under regulations of the National Environmental Policy Act (40 
CFR 1506.1), the Forest Service can take actions while work on a Forest 
Plan revision is in progress because a programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement--the existing Forest Plan Final EIS, already covers 
the actions. The relationship of this project to the proposed FP 
revision will be considered as appropriate as part of this planning 
effort.

Estimated Dates for Filing

    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency and available for public review in August 2001. A 45-
day comment period will follow publication of a Notice of Availability 
of the draft EIS in the Federal Register. Comments

[[Page 18072]]

received on the draft EIS will be used in preparation of the final EIS, 
expected in January 2002. A Record of Decision (ROD) will also be 
issued at that time along with the publication of a Notice of 
Availability of the final EIS and ROD in the Federal Register.

Reviewer's Obligation To Comment

    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 of 
the draft EIS must structure their participation in the environmental 
review of the proposal in such a way 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, 513 (1978). Also, 
environmental objections that could be raised at the draft EIS stage 
but that are not raised until after completion of the final EIS 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 of the draft EIS 
in order that substantive comments and objections are available to the 
Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and 
respond to them in the final EIS. To assist the Forest Service in 
identifying and considering issues and concerns on the proposed action, 
comments should be as specific as possible. 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 29, 2001.
Lynn Roberts,
Forest Supervisor, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 68 S. Stevens 
St., Rhinelander, WI 54501.
[FR Doc. 01-8385 Filed 4-4-01; 8:45 am]
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