[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 78 (Monday, April 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20421-20423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9951]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Cayuga Project, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Ashland 
County, WI

AGENCY: USDA, Forest Service.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an 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 Cayuga project area.
    The purpose of the Cayuga project is to implement a variety of land 
management activities that addresses resource management and public 
safety concerns while moving the area towards the desired future 
condition as directed in the Chequamegon Land and Resource Management 
Plan. These activities include vegetation management, wildlife and 
fisheries habitat protection and enhancement, watershed restoration, 
and recreation facilities and trail improvement. The existing condition 
does not meet the desired future condition described in the Chequamegon 
Land and Resource Management Plan.
    A legal description for the area is as follows: Township 43 North, 
Range 2 West, Sections 6-7, 16-20, and 29; Township 43 North, Range 3 
West, Sections 1-18, and 23-24; Township 43 North, Range 4 West, 
Sections 1-3, 10-23, and 27-33; Township 43 North, Range 5 West, 
Section 24; Township 44 North, Range 3 West, Sections 19-23 and 26-35; 
and Township 44 North, Range 4 West, Sections 23-27 and 34-36, Fourth 
Principle Meridian.

DATES: Initial comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be 
received on or before May 23, 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: Barry Paulson, District Ranger, Great Divide Ranger District, 
P.O. Box 126, Hwy. 13, Glidden, Wisconsin 54527.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teresa Maday, Project Leader/
Integrated Resource Analyst, or Richard Strauss,

[[Page 20422]]

Assistant Ranger-Timber, Great Divide Ranger District, P.O. Box 126, 
Hwy. 13, Glidden, Wisconsin, or phone at (715) 264-2511.

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 2,101 acres, 
thin 1,744 acres, clearcut harvest 732 acres, shelterwood seedcut 
harvest 339 acres, overstory shelterwood removal harvest 64 acres, and 
underplant 38 acres (other needs include 14 miles of temporary road 
construction, which will be obliterated following harvest activities, 
and reconstruction of 16.8 miles); (2) Visual Quality Objectives--
underplant 53 acres with white pine in stands adjacent to Day Lake and 
Spillerberg Lake and within Day Lake Campground and shelterwood seedcut 
harvest 279 acres along County Highway GG north; (3) Recreation 
Facilities--thin 113 acres of jack and red pine within Day Lake 
Campground; (4) Fish and Wildlife Habitat Improvement--restore 75 acres 
of upland openings through a combination of hand cutting, mowing, and 
prescribed burning, remove fine debris and alder along 1.5 miles of 
McCarthy Creek, and place brush bundles along 1,000 feet of McCarthy 
Creek; (5) Watershed Improvement--replace culverts and improve road 
crossings at seven sites along unnamed tributaries to Dead Horse 
Slough, East Twin Lake, Brush Creek, Bad River, Squaw Creek and along 
County Highway GG north, and thin 52 acres and underplant within 300 
feet of McCarthy Creek; (6) Noxious Weeds--biologically treat less than 
1 acre of noxious weed infestation along County Highway GG north; (7) 
Trail Management--construct a 1 acre snowmobile trailhead and reroute 
4.8 miles and abandon 2.5 miles of Snowmobile Trail 8; and (8) Road 
Closures--close .5 miles of road in the McCarthy Lake and Cedars 
Research Natural Area.
    The scope of this analysis is limited to activities related to the 
purpose and need and measures necessary to mitigate the effects these 
activities may have on the environment. The decision will include if, 
when, how, and where to schedule: Vegetation management activities, 
recreation site and trail improvement projects, road improvement, 
construction, and management activities, watershed and fisheries 
improvement activities, planting and reforestation activities, wildlife 
habitat enhancement projects, visual quality enhancement activities, 
resource protection measures, monitoring, and other follow-up 
activities.
    Responsible Official--The District Ranger of the Great Divide 
Ranger District, Barry Paulson, 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--This project was originally presented to the 
public for review and comment in October 2000 prior to undertaking 
preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA). Many years of 
experience implementing similar types of activities in the same 
vicinity have shown us that the effects are not significant. We 
therefore do not feel that an EIS is required. However, due to the 
increase in appeals and litigation over the last few years and for wise 
fiscal efficiency, we have decided to prepare an EIS. This Notice of 
Intent serves as notice of the intent to prepare an EIS for the Cayuga 
Project. The comments received as a result of the public participation 
for the Cayuga analysis will be brought forward for this EIS.
    Preliminary Issues--Comments from American Indian tribes, the 
public, and other agencies were considered in the development of the 
tentative or preliminary issues. These are as follows: effects on 
Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive (TES) and Management Indicator 
Species (MIS); concern over new road construction and road closures; 
safety concerns on a section of a motorized trail, direct, and indirect 
and cumulative effects.
    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 
Chequamegon. 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.
    The Forest Service believes it is important at this early stage to 
give

[[Page 20423]]

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 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.
    The responsible official for this EIS is Barry Paulson, District 
Ranger, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

    Dated: April 17, 2001.
Lynn Roberts,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-9951 Filed 4-20-01; 8:45 am]
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