[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20625-20627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10059]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Sunken Moose Project; Chequamegon/Nicolet National Forest, 
Bayfield County, Wisconsin

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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 
effects of proposed land management activities, and corresponding 
alternatives, within the Sunken Moose Project Area.
    The purpose of the Sunken Moose project is to implement land 
management activities that are consistent with direction in the 
Chequamegon Nation Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest 
Plan) and to respond to specific needs, identified during Watershed 
Analysis, within the project area. The project specific needs include 
addressing: forest vegetation composition, age, ecological structure 
and processes; stand tending; transportation management; erosion 
control; access to lakes; and wildfire prevention.
    The project area is located on National Forest System lands within 
the Bayfield Peninsula Southeast, Bayfield Peninsula Northwest, Iron 
River, and Fish Creek Watersheds west of Washburn, Wisconsin. A general 
legal description of the area follows: Land lying within the National 
Forest Boundary within Township 47 North, Range 6 West, Sections 2-8, 
17, 18; Township 47 North, Range 7 West, Sections 1-18, 21,22; Township 
47 North, Range 8 West, Section 1; Township 48 North, Range 5 West, 
Section 6; Township 48 North, Range 6 West; Township 48 North, Range 7 
West; Township 48 North, Range 8 West, Sections 12, 13, 24, 25, 36; 
Township 49 North, Range 5 West, Sections 6-7,18-19,30-31; Township 49 
North, Range 6 West; Township 49 North, Range 7 West, Sections 1, 11-
17, 20-29, 32-36.

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DATES: Comments concerning the proposed land management activities 
should be received by June 8, 2001 of this notice to receive timely 
consideration in the preparation of the draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS).

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions on the proposed 
action, or Requests to be placed on the project mailing list, to: Keith 
W. Fletcher, Acting District Ranger, Washburn Ranger District, P.O. Box 
578, 113 East Bayfield St., Washburn, WI 54891. E-mail comments should 
have a subject line that reads ``NEPA Washburn Sunken Moose'' and be 
sent to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Kiewit, Project Leader/NEPA 
Coordinator, Washburn Ranger District, P.O. Box 578, 113 East Bayfield 
St., Washburn, WI 54891, phone (715) 373-2667,or email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information presented in this notice is 
included to help the reviewer determine if they are interested in or 
potentially affected by proposed management activities. The information 
presented 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 values:
    (1) Forest vegetation composition, age, ecological structure--Do 
partial tree removal on 12,800 acres of red pine plantations in a 
manner that encourages introduction of within-stand vegetative 
diversity (including white pine), introduces understory species, and 
leads to fewer, larger overstory red pine trees on sites (This includes 
some row thinning, some individual tree removal, and some creation of 
canopy gaps). Do partial tree removal on 8,000 acres of oak forest 
types. About one-fourth of the acres would consist of modified 
shelterwood activity--with no overstory removal--to remove aspen and 
reintroduce white pine where feasible. Trees on the remaining acres 
would be thinned to increase tree vigor. Do shelterwood treatment on 
900 acres of paper birch. About two thirds of the acres would be 
treated to regenerate new stands of paper birch, while one third would 
convert to red oak or white pine species. Do partial tree removal 
within 250 acres of aspen stands to encourage longer lived species such 
as red oak or white pine. Clearcut 100 acres of aspen in small (5-15 
acre) patches to increase aspen age-class diversity. Underplant white 
pine seedlings on 10 acres near riparian areas. Plant red pine 
seedlings in the vicinity of Horseshoe Lake Campground.
    (2) Ecological processes--Use prescribed burning on 2000 acres to 
promote Barrens and Pine Savannah vegetation communities.
    (3) Stand tending--Do hand release (remove over-topping vegetation 
near young tree seedlings) within 3500 acres of pine plantations.
    (4) Transportation management--Complete roads analysis (Forest 
Service Manual 7712.1) for the project area. Resulting proposed 
activities may include road construction, decommissioning and 
reclassification (mileage, locations, and purpose of each will be part 
of the Draft EIS).
    (5) Erosion control--Rehabilitate approximately 30 sites, including 
the hillside near Long Lake, areas near lakeshores, pipeline corridors, 
and portions of trail corridors, where recreational use has caused soil 
erosion. Restrict use of dispersed site on east side of Horseshoe Lake 
to daytime only (no overnight camping). Repair Forest Road 697 where it 
crosses Four mile Creek and relocate Forest Road 847 near Bladder Lake 
so that erosion and sedimentation is greatly reduced or halted.
    (6) Access to lakes--Restrict motorized access to Sawdust, Moose, 
Little Bladder, Mirror, Summit, Crystal, East Twin, and Cabin Lakes. 
Stabilize soil on lake access points after effective traffic control 
devices have been installed.
    (7) Wildfire prevention--Install dry hydrants and/or improve access 
for fire equipment to draft water at Pine, Lenawee, Rib, Moose, Cabin, 
Long, Mirror, Bladder, Sawdust, and Summit Lakes plus one un-named lake 
in the central portion of Township 48 North, Range 8 West, Section 36.
    Responsible Official--The Acting District Ranger of the Washburn 
Ranger District, Keith W. Fletcher, is the responsible official for 
making project-level decisions, within the project area.
    Decision Space--Decision-making will be limited to if, when, how, 
and where to schedule 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--Other projects in the same vicinity have been 
presented to the public in the past for review and comment. Fourteen 
environmental assessments, including Pipeline (1992) and Lenawee 
(1993), were completed, and approved through Decision Notices/Findings 
of No Significant Impact between 1988 and 2000. They included projects 
to manage vegetation within the Moquah Barrens Wildlife area, to 
salvage jack pine trees following ice storm, to thin plantations, and 
to accomplish recreation projects. In 1991, the Sunken Camp EIS was 
approved through a Record of Decision for vegetative management 
activities in the area, as well.
    Preliminary Issues--Comments from the public, American Indian 
tribes, and other agencies were considered in identifying the following 
preliminary issue: potential effects on Threatened, Endangered, and 
Sensitive (TES) species and Management Indicator Species (MIS); concern 
over new road construction and road closures; concern over motorized 
recreational access; concern over forest health, in relation to the 
current vegetative patterns, structures, and species composition; and, 
potential effects of restoration activities on the overall watershed.
    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 action. 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 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,

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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 is in progress because a programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement--the existing Forest Plan Final EIS--already covers the 
actions. The relationship of the project to the proposed Forest Plan 
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 January, 2002. A 45-day comment period will follow 
publication of a Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal 
Register. Comments received on the draft EIS will be used in 
preparation of a final EIS, expected in May 2002. A Record of Decision 
(ROD) will be issued at that time along with the publication of a 
Notice of Availability of the final EIS and ROD in the Federal 
Register.
    The 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 state 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 
Ubc, 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 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: April 18, 2001.
Lynn Roberts,
Forest Supervisor, Chequamegon/Nicolet National Forest.
[FR Doc. 01-10059 Filed 4-23-01; 8:45 am]
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