[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 232 (Monday, December 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60182-60183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29841]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Black Ant Fire Salvage EIS--Lewis and Clark National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement on a proposal to salvage fire killed trees on approximately 
1,000 acres on the Lewis and Clark National Forest, in Meagher County, 
Montana. The Lost Fork Fire burned an estimated 2,300 acres in 
September of 2001. A preliminary assessment indicated about \1/3\ of 
the burned area contains trees of commercial value. In order to further 
the purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act and to provide 
full disclosure of effects, the analysis will be documented in an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis, issues, the 
alternatives, and evaluation of alternatives are requested. A draft 
document will be provided upon request.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Rick Prausa, Forest Supervisor, 
Lewis and Clark National Forest, 1101 15th Street North, Box 869, Great 
Falls, MT 59403. Electronic mail may be sent to rl lewisclark 
[email protected] (Note: there are spaces before and after 
lewisclark.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hill, EIS Team Leader, Judith 
Ranger District, POB 484, Stanford MT, 59479. Phone: (406) 566-2292, 
Electronic Mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service proposes to salvage fire-
killed trees of commercial value on approximately 1,000 acres in the 
North Fork of the Musselshell and the North Fork of the Smith River 
drainages on the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The entire project 
area covers about 2,300 acres in the central portion of the Little Belt 
Mountains. The purposes of the proposed action is to make use of trees 
of commercial value while the opportunity exists. No salvage or road 
construction within identified roadless areas is proposed.
    Decisions To Be Made: The Forest Supervisor will decide whether and 
where salvage activities would take place in the project area. He will 
decide the number of acres, if any, on which salvage would take place 
and the treatment methods to be used. He will decide when any 
management activities would take place, what mitigation measures would 
be implemented to address concerns, and whether the action requires 
amendment(s) to the Lewis and Clark Forest Plan
    Responsible Official: Rick Prausa, Forest Supervisor, is the 
Responsible Official for making the decision to implement any of the 
alternatives evaluated. He will document his decision and rationale in 
a Record of Decision.
    Preliminary Issues: Issues associated with salvage harvest that 
have been identified during scoping and development of proposed action 
include impacts of proposed activities on wildlife and fish species and 
their habitat and soil resources.
    Public Involvement, Rationale, and Public Meetings: Scoping for 
this project will begin in October 2001. A letter will be sent to 
individuals requesting their comment on the proposed action. A 45-day 
review period for comments on the Draft EIS will be provided. Comments 
received will be considered and included in documentation of the Final 
EIS. 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 has sought and will continue to 
seek information, comments and assistance from Federal, State and local 
agencies and other individuals or organizations who may be interested 
in, or affected by, the proposed action.
    Electronic Access and Filing Addresses: Comments may be sent by 
electronic mail (e-mail) to rl lewisclark [email protected]. Please 
reference the Black Ant Salvage EIS on the subject line. Also, include 
your name and mailing address with your comments so documents 
pertaining to this project may be mailed to you.
    Estimated Dates for Filing: The Draft EIS is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for 
public review by February, 2002. At that time 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 publishes 
the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. It is very 
important that those interested in the management of this area 
participate at that time.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by May, 2002. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service will respond to comments received during 
the comment period that pertain to the environmental consequences of 
the action, as well as those pertaining to applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies. These will be considered in making a 
decision regarding the proposal.
    The Reviewers Obligation To Comment: 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 
statement 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, environmetnal objections 
that could be

[[Page 60183]]

raised at the draft environmental impact 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). As 
shown by 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 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

    Dated: November 27, 2001.
Rick Prausa,
Lewis and Clark Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-29841 Filed 11-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M