[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 92 (Friday, May 11, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24097-24098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11611]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Upper Middle Fork Payette River Project, Boise National Forest, 
Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Cascade Ranger District of the Boise National Forest will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a resource 
management project in the Middle Fork of the Payette River. The entire 
project area is located within watersheds that drain directly into the 
Middle Fork of the Payette River or its tributaries. The project area 
is located 12 miles east of Cascade, Idaho, and about 100 miles north 
of Boise, Idaho.
    The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of 
the analysis. The agency also hereby gives notice of the environmental 
analysis and decision-making process that will occur on the proposal so 
interested and affected people are aware of how they may participate 
and contribute to the final decision. At this time, no public meetings 
to discuss the project are planned.
    Proposed Action: Two primary objectives have been identified for 
the project: (1) Reduce current and future stand susceptibility to 
western spruce budworm, Douglas-fir beetle, and mountain pine beetle by 
moving stand densities, structures, and/or species compositions towards 
their historic conditions, and; (2) improve long-term stand growth to 
or near levels indicative of healthy, sustainable forests.
    The Proposed Action would treat an estimated 881 acres in the 
15,881 acre project area. Proposed activities would occur within a 
portion of the 67,637 acre Gold Fork/Clear Creek Management Area 53. An 
estimated 4.0 MMbf of timber would be harvested using ground-based (697 
acres), skyline (24 acres), and helicopter (160 acres) yarding systems. 
The Proposed Action would employ a variety of silvicultural 
prescriptions including commercial thin (169 acres), improvement cut/
sanitation (430 acres), seed cut shelterwood (95 acres), final removal 
shelterwood (147 acres), and clearcut with reserve trees (40 acres). 
The existing transportation system would be improved to facilitate log 
haul and reduce sedimentation with individual sections of 3.3 miles of 
road being reconstructed. An estimated 0.5 miles of specified road and 
0.2 miles of temporary road would be constructed to facilitate harvest. 
In addition, 0.7 miles of the #409F road, currently closed year-round, 
would be decommissioned.
    Preliminary Issues: Preliminary concerns with the Proposed Action 
include: (1) Potential impacts on sediment delivery to area streams; 
(2) potential impacts on bull trout, and; (3) potential impacts on the 
visual quality of the area.
    Possible Alternatives to the Proposed Action: One alternative to 
the Proposed Action has been discussed thus far: (1) a no action 
alternative. Other alternatives will likely be developed as issues are 
identified and information received.
    Decisions to be Made: The Boise National Forest Supervisor will 
decide the following. Should roads be built and timber harvested within 
the project area at this time, and if so; where within the project 
area, and how many miles of road should be built; and which stands 
should be treated and what silvicultural systems should be used? What 
design features and/or mitigation measures should be applied to the 
project? Should the decommissioning of existing roads be implemented at 
this time?

DATES: Written comments concerning the proposed project and analysis 
are encouraged and should be postmarked on or before June 11, 2001.
    Schedule: Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), July 2001. 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), September 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Keith Dimmett, Cascade 
Ranger District, P.O. Box 696, Cascade, ID 83611. Comments received in 
response to this request will be available for public inspection and 
will be released in their entirety if requested pursuant to the Freedom 
of Information Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further information can be obtained 
from Keith Dimmett at the address mentioned above or by calling (208) 
382-7430.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NFMA planning for this project was 
initiated in the spring of 2001 with the Upper Middle Fork Payette 
River Ecosystem Analysis at the Watershed Scale (EAWS). A letter 
announcing plans to complete the EAWS and soliciting comments was 
mailed to interest individuals and/or groups in March of 2001.
    Roughly 70 percent of the project area occurs within one of two 
inventoried roadless areas (IRA's). A portion of the Peace Rock IRA 
occupies an estimated 8,947 acres, and a section of the Stony Meadows 
IRA another 2,357 acres of the project area. A large portion of the 
project area also occurs within Management Area 43 (Peace Rock). The 
Proposed Action does not include any management activities within 
either IRA or within Management Area 43.
    The Middle Fork Payette River originates within, and runs through 
the center of the project area. The Forest Plan discloses that that 
segment of the river from Railroad Pass to the Middle Fork Bridge on 
the #409 road is potentially eligible for inclusion in the National 
Wild and Scenic River system as a ``wild'' river. However, in June of 
1991 the Forest Plan was corrected to show that this segment of the 
river is potentially eligible as a ``recreational'' river.
    The comment period on the DEIS will be 45 days from the date of the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in 
the Federal Register.
    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. First, reviewers of 
the DEIS 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 DEIS stage but are not raised until after 
completion of the FEIS may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City 
of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1002 (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 DEIS 
45-day comment period so that substantive comments and objections are 
made available to the

[[Page 24098]]

Forest Service at a time when it can meaningful consider them and 
respond to them in the FEIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as 
specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific 
pages or chapters of the draft 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.
    Responsible Official: Anne F. Archie, Acting Forest Supervisor, 
Boise National Forest, 1249 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709.

    Dated: May 3, 2001.
Anne F. Archie,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-11611 Filed 5-10-01; 8:45 am]
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