[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64211-64212]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30664]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Livestock Grazing Permit Re-issuance on the Horse Butte Allotment 
Gallatin National Forest, Gallatin County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of continued 
livestock grazing of up to 263 cow/calf pairs and horses on a Gallatin 
National Forest grazing allotment located on the Horse Butte peninsula 
near West Yellowstone, Montana (hereafter referred to as the Horse 
Butte Allotment). Grazing would occur from June through mid-October 
annually under a seasonally deferred rotation schedule. Grazing permits 
establish the amount, duration, location, and circumstances (management 
constraints) under which grazing will be allowed on the National 
Forest.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received within 30 
days following publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on this proposal or 
a request to be placed on the project mailing list to Tris Hoffman, 
Hebgen Lake Ranger District, Gallatin National Forest, PO Box 520, West 
Yellowstone, Montana, 59758.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tris Hoffman, EIS Team Leader, Hebgen 
Lake Ranger District, Phone (406) 823-6966.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Horse Butte allotment covers 
approximately 2065 acres of the Horse Butte Peninsula between the 
Grayling and Madison Arms of Hebgen Lake. The allotment is located 
approximately 8 miles northwest of West Yellowstone, Montana. It is 
bordered by private land along much of its eastern boundary. The 
allotment is comprised of six pastures. Five of the six pastures are 
currently, and proposed to be, managed under a seasonally deferred 
rotation system, 58% of which is primary range and

[[Page 64212]]

about 37% is secondary range. The sixth pasture, the Grayling Unit, is 
an on-off pasture. This pasture involves 3 separate parcels of Forest 
Service property (totaling 65 acres) that are used in combination with 
adjacent private property. The on-off parcels are currently authorized 
as continuous grazing.
    Comments will be used to identify issues that should be addressed 
in environmental analysis. The analysis is being conducted in 
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and is 
designed to inform the Responsible Official of the potential 
environmental consequences of continued livestock grazing on this 
allotment. The Responsible Official for this decision is the Hebgen 
Lake District Ranger. The analysis will also advise of any changes in 
grazing practices that should be considered.
    Cattle grazing around the West Yellowstone area is recognized to be 
controversial since it influences management practice adopted to 
prevent the transmission of brucellosis to cattle from bison migrating 
out of Yellowstone Park (Interagency Bison Management Plan, 12/2000).
    The purpose of proposing re-issuance of a livestock grazing permit 
on the Horse Butte allotment is to continue to allow for this economic 
activity. Livestock grazing has been an important use of lands within 
and around the Gallatin National Forest since the 1800's. Grazing has 
been authorized since the formation of the Gallatin National Forest in 
the early 1900's and it continues to be an important part of the 
region's economy today. The Gallatin Forest Plan (1987) set goals and 
objectives for management of rangeland habitats and livestock grazing. 
The applicable management area goal for this are is to provide forage 
for livestock consistent with meeting grizzly bear mortality reduction 
goals as established by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (Forest 
Plan, MA 15, pg. III-47). The decision to be made now is whether to re-
issue the livestock grazing permit and if so, under what conditions.
    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. The EIS will analyze the 
direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects of the 
alternatives. Past, present, and projected activities on both private 
and National Forest lands will be considered.
    The Forest Service will be seeking 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. No public meetings are scheduled at this time. 
Comments from the public and other agencies will be used in preparation 
of a Draft EIS.
    The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in the fall of 
2003. 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. It is very important that those 
interested in this proposal participate at that time. The Final EIS is 
scheduled to be completed by summer of 2004.
    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 
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 statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may 
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 
1016, 1022 (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 30-day scoping 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 developing issues and alternatives. To assist the Forest 
Service is identifying and considering issues, comments should be as 
specific to this proposal 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.
    I am the responsible official for this environmental impact 
statement. My address is Gallatin National Forest, PO Box 130, Federal 
Building, Bozeman, MT 59771.

    Dated: December 6, 2001.
Rebecca Heath,
Forest Supervisor, Gallatin National Forest.
[FR Doc. 01-30664 Filed 12-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M