[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 117 (Monday, June 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32789-32790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15207]


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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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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 117 / Monday, June 18, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 32789]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Canyon Lake Dam and Wyant Lake Dam Project, Darby Ranger 
District, Bitterroot National Forest, Ravalli County, Montana

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 to disclose the effects of a proposal by Canyon Creek 
Irrigation District to rehabilitate Canyon and Wyant Dams. The 
proponents request helicopter use to airlift equipment and materials to 
the dam sites. The proposed rehabilitation would utilize ``on site'' 
material sources. The Canyon Lake Dam and Wyant Lake Dam are located 
approximately eight miles due west of Hamilton, Montana within the 
Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Bitterroot National Forest. The dams are 
located in T.6 N., R. 22 W., Sec. 27.
    The purpose and need for the project stems from the Canyon Creek 
Irrigation District's existing rights and obligations to operate and 
maintain Canyon and Wyant Dams to meet current State and Federal Dam 
Safety Standards and pertinent laws and regulations governing the 
proponent's use and the protection of National Forest System lands.
    Construction may start in August of 2002 for the Canyon Lake Dam 
and August 2003 for the Wyant Lake Dam. The construction period would 
be late summer and fall.
    This project level EIS will tier to the Bitterroot National Forest 
Plan and Final EIS (September 1987) which provides overall guidance of 
all land management activities on the Bitterroot National Forest, the 
Region One Wilderness Dam Policy (June 1992), and the Selway-Bitterroot 
Wilderness General Management Direction (1992 Update).

DATES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the scope of the 
analysis should be received on or before July 18, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Frank V. Guzman, Rangeland 
Management Specialist, Sula Ranger District, Bitterroot National 
Forest, 7338 Hwy. 93 S., Sula, Montana 59871.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Ballard, EIS Team Leader, 
Phone: (406) 777-5461.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service objective is to 
reasonably regulate the proponent's easement in order to achieve the 
purposes for which the National Forests were reserved and the Selway-
Bitterroot Wilderness was designated.
    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative, in which none of the 
proposed activities would be implemented. Additional alternatives will 
examine varying levels of the proposed activities to achieve the 
proposal's purposes as well as to respond to any public issues and 
other resource values.
    The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and 
reasonably foreseeable activities on both private and National Forest 
system lands will be considered. The EIS will disclose the analysis of 
site specific mitigation measures and their effectiveness.
    Public participation is an important part of the analysis, 
commencing with the initial scoping process.
    The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments and 
assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and other 
individuals or organizations that may be interested in or affected by 
the proposed action. A 30-day comment period will be provided 
immediately following publication of this notice. In addition, the 
public is encouraged to visit with Forest Service Officials at any time 
during the analysis and prior to the decision. The Forest Service has 
not scheduled public meetings at this time.
    Comments from the public and other agencies will be used in 
preparation of the Draft EIS. The scoping process will be used to:
    1. Identify potential issues.
    2. Identify major issues to be analyzed in depth.
    3. Eliminate minor issues or those that have been covered by a 
relevant previous environmental analysis, such as the Bitterroot Forest 
Plan EIS.
    4. Identify alternatives to the proposed action.
    5. Identify potential environmental effects of the proposed action 
and alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect and cumulative effects).
    6. Determine potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.
    Preliminary issues that have been identified include:
    1. Public safety and protection of property.
    2. Wilderness resource and recreation.
    3. Water storage.
    4. Social and economic costs and benefits.
    5. General environmental concerns.
    Any required permits or licenses will be obtained prior to 
implementation of the project.
    The United States Forest Service, Bitterroot National Forest is the 
lead agency.
    The responsible official for this environmental impact statement is 
Rodd Richardson, Forest Supervisor, Bitterroot National Forest. Address 
for Forest Supervisor is Bitterroot National Forest, 1801 N. First St., 
Hamilton, MT 59840.
    The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in march 2002. 
At that time the 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's notice of availability appears in 
the Federal Register. The Final EIS is scheduled to be completed by 
June 2002. 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

[[Page 32790]]

statement stage but that are not raised until after completion of the 
final environmental impact statement may be waived or dismissed by the 
courts. 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 
40CFr 1503.3 in addressing these points.).

    Dated: June 11, 2001.
Rodd Richardson,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-15207 Filed 6-15-01; 8:45 am]
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