[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 129 (Thursday, July 5, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35409-35411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16817]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Lolo National Forest Post Burn EIS, Lolo National Forest, 
Missoula, Mineral, and Sanders Counties, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; Intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement on a proposal to implement post fire forest management and 
watershed rehabilitation activities.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
in writing by July 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Team Leader, Lolo National Forest 
Post Burn EIS, Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District, P.O. Box 429, 
Plains, MT, 59859.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Partyka, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, (406) 826-4355. E-Mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An exceptional number of wildland fires 
burned on the Lolo National Forest in the summer of 2000. The direct 
effects of the fires, along with resource conditions caused by previous 
land uses, drive the need to conduct vegetation management and 
watershed rehabilitation activities in and near some of the burned 
areas.
    The Proposed Action includes a variety of management activities on 
and near the Upper Ninemile Complex (19,900 acres), Alpine Divide 
(3,600 acres), Thompson-Flat Complex (9,500 acres), and Landowner 
(5,700 acres) fires. These activities include: (1) Salvaging 
approximately 5,000 acres of timber burned by moderate to high fire 
severities, (2) commercially thinning approximately 10,000 acres of 
unburned

[[Page 35410]]

timber and timber burned by low severity fires, (3) salvaging 
approximately 100 acres of insect killer timber adjacent to the fire 
perimeters, (4) conducting prescribed burns (following salvage and 
commercial thinning activities) on approximately 1,600 acres, (5) 
conducting ecosystem-management prescribed burns on approximately 1,300 
acres, (6) planting approximately 12,000 acres of areas burned by 
moderately-high to high fire severities where natural regeneration is 
absent or insufficient, (7) constructing approximately 3 miles of 
temporary road to access harvest areas, (8) reconstructing 
approximately 185 miles of deteriorating road, (9) decommissioning 
approximately 140 miles of unneeded roads, (10) removing or replacing 
up to 350 undersized or improperly positioned culverts (priority on 
structures that are fish passage barriers or that pose greatest 
potential for causing stream sedimentation), (11) evaluating need for 
and implementing stabilization and rehabilitation activities on 
approximately 30 miles of stream, (12) evaluating need for and 
implementing soil erosion control measures on approximately 14,000 
acres burned by moderately-high to high fire severities, (13) 
completing fire line stabilization activities on approximately 14 miles 
of fire line near streams, and (14) providing interpretive information 
for 3 historical sites.
    The purpose and need for the actions are to: (1) Provide wood fiber 
to support local communities that continue to be associated with 
commodity outputs from the National Forest, (2) provide for healthy 
stands and optimize timber growing potential in areas allocated for 
timber management within the Forest Plan, (3) improve vegetation 
structure in order to: (a) reduce future fire intensity, (b) reduce the 
potential for epidemic bark beetle infestations in ``at-risk'' stands, 
(c) improve habitat for flammulated owls, and (d) enhance the potential 
for old growth forest conditions in low elevation, drier, forest 
habitats, (4) reestablish or promote ``at risk'' ponderosa pine, 
western larch and whitebark pine tree species and other sensitive plant 
species, (5) reduce the potential for runoff, accelerated erosion, and 
sediment delivery to stream channels from roads, (6) reduce economic 
burdens associated with maintaining unneeded roads, (7) remove fish 
passage barriers at road/stream interfaces and improve fish habitat, 
(8) protect soil quality and stability, and (9) protect cultural and 
historical resources.
    Overall guidance for land management activities in the project area 
is provided by the Lolo National Forest Plan (U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1986).
    Several preliminary issues of concern have been identified 
regarding the Proposed Action. These issues include:
    (1) Black Backed Woodpecker: Burned trees provide a food source and 
nesting habitat for Black Backed woodpecker. There is a concern that 
the removal of burned trees may affect population viability for this 
sensitive species.
    (2) Lynx Habitat: The fires impacted suitable habitat for Canada 
Lynx. Course woody debris is an important component of denning habitat, 
and if a reburn does not occur, the fire areas are expected to produce 
denning and foraging habitat. There is a concern that post fire 
recovery of timber products would reduce or remove important denning 
habitat.
    (3) Aquatic Habitat: Inappropriately sized or placed culverts at 
stream crossings can prevent upstream fish passage, thus reducing the 
ability of fish populations to persist in a healthy state or to recover 
from landscape disturbances such as wildfire. There is a concern that 
delays in eliminating migration barriers may impair function and 
recovery of fish populations, as well as increase the risk of sediment 
production and delivery to instream habitat.
    (4) Water Quality: Streams in or downstream of the fire areas have 
been impacted by past management and by the wildfires of 2000. Two 
streams (Ninemile and Trout Creeks) are listed by the State of Montana 
as ``Water Quality Impaired or Threatened'' under section 303(d) of the 
Clean Water Act. Although the Proposed Action is intended to provide 
long-term benefits, there is a concern that the cumulative effects of 
past land use, the fires, and the Proposed Action may have short-term 
negative impacts to some watersheds.
    (5) Forest Access: Some Forest roads have provided public access 
for decades. There is a concern that decommissioning these roads to 
improve water quality may conflict with long established public use 
patterns.
    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 will be implemented. Additional alternatives will 
examine varying levels and locations of activities that could meet the 
purpose and need, as well as to respond to identified issues and other 
resource values.
    The DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) will analyze the 
direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects of the proposed 
action and alternatives, including ongoing and reasonably foreseeable 
activities on National Forest System Lands and adjacent land ownerships 
within the project area. The DEIS will also disclose the analysis of 
site-specific mitigation measures and their effectiveness. The DEIS is 
expected to be filed with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and 
made available for public review by October 2001.
    The public is encouraged to take part in the process and to visit 
with Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior 
to the decision. The Forest Service will be seeking information, 
comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies, 
Indian tribes, individuals, and organizations that may be interested 
in, or affected by, the Proposed Action. This input will be used to 
identify issues which will drive the analysis and determine 
alternatives to the Proposed Action.
    The comment period on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement) will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes the notice 
of availability in the Federal Register.
    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 
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 
DEIS stage but that are not raised until after completion of the FEIS 
(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 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. Comments may also address the 
adequacy of the DEIS or the merits of the alternatives formulated and

[[Page 35411]]

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 40 CFR 1503.3 in 
addressing these points.
    As the Forest Supervisor of the Lolo National Forest, Building 24, 
Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT 59804, I am the responsible official. As 
the responsible official I will decide if the proposed project will be 
implemented. I will document the decision and reasons for the decision 
in the Record of Decision.

    Dated: June 15, 2001.
Deborah L.R. Austin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-16817 Filed 7-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M