[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 249 (Friday, December 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67172-67173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31906]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Star Fire Restoration; Eldorado National Forest, Placer County, 
CA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Star Fire burned 16,800 acres in August and September, 
2001, on the Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests. Of the total fire, 
approximately 2,416 acres burned on the Georgetown Ranger District of 
the Eldorado National Forest. The USDA, Forest Service, Eldorado 
National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on 
a proposal to treat approximately 1650 acres of fire killed and damaged 
trees in the Star Fire burned area. The fire area is identified in the 
Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment as old forest emphasis and general 
forest. The purpose of the project is to enhance the development of old 
forest conditions over the long term by reducing fuel accumulation and 
fire hazard, increasing the ability to suppress future wildfire, 
increasing ground cover to protect soil productivity and improve 
watershed condition, and recovering the value of wood products to fund 
reforestation and restoration. The proposed action is also designed to 
contribute to snag and log needs of wildlife, improve aquatic habitats 
and stream channel function, and provide for public and forest worker 
safety. It is believed that watershed condition and the probability of 
growing old forest conditions over the long term will be improved by 
this project.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and implementation of this 
proposal should be received by January 4, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Patricia Ferrell, Project Leader, 
Eldorado National Forest, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments about this EIS 
should be directed to Patricia Ferrell, at the above address, or call 
her at 530-642-5146.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The fire caused extensive tree mortality. 
Field examination indicates that 71% of the project area currently 
exhibits >75% stand mortality by basal area, 2% of the project area is 
unburned, 20% of the project area is non forest (rock and barren areas) 
and plantations, and 7% of the project area currently exhibits 75% 
mortality by basal area. Additional mortality is likely to become 
evident next spring and summer as more crowns begin to brown and bark 
beetles become established. As a result of the fire, much of the 
project area has reverted from mid to late seral forest conditions to 
early seral forest. Establishment of old forest requires survival and 
growth of individual trees and forested stands over the next 250+ years 
without the occurrence of another stand replacing fire. Preventing 
another stand replacing fire involves a combination of recurring fuel 
treatments to modify fire behavior, and effective suppression. Removal 
of dead trees will reduce future fuel accumulation, improve the ability 
to effectively suppress future wildfires, and increase the ability to 
maintain low fuel conditions through prescribed fire. The process of 
removing dead trees would maintain soil productivity for tree growth by 
immediately increasing effective ground cover (limbs, twigs, and small 
boles) to reduce soil erosion. The proposed action would remove dead 
trees using ground based, skyline, and helicopter logging methods. 
Trees posing a safety hazard to the public and forest workers would be 
removed along maintenance level 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 roads. Roads would be 
reconstructed to facilitate tree removal and improve watershed 
condition. Slash and small dead trees would be treated to provide 
ground cover and reduce long term fuel loading. Protection would be 
applied to sensitive plants, wildlife species, and cultural resources.
    The proposed action is consistent with the 1989 Eldorado National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan as amended by the Sierra 
Nevada Forest Plan Amendment Record of Decision (2001).
    The decision to be made is whether to adopt and implement the 
proposed action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no 
action to remove fire killed and damaged trees in the project area.
    Other alternatives will be developed based on significant issues 
identified during the scoping process for the environmental impact 
statement. All alternatives will need to respond to the specific 
condition of providing benefits equal to or better than the current 
condition. Alternatives being considered at this time include: (1) No 
Action and (2) the Proposed Action.
    Public participation will be especially important at several points 
during the analysis. The Forest Service will be seeking information, 
comments, and assistance from the Federal, State, and local agencies 
and other individuals or organizations who may be interested in or 
affected by the proposed action. To facilitate public participation 
information about the proposed action is being mailed to all who have 
expressed interest in the proposed action based on publication in the 
Eldorado National Forest Schedule of Proposed Action and notification 
of the public scoping period will be published in the Mountain 
Democrat, Placerville, CA.
    Comments submitted during the scoping process should be in writing 
and should be specific to the proposed action. The comments should 
describe as clearly and completely as possible any issues the commenter 
has with the proposal. The scoping process includes:

    (a) Identifying potential issues;
    (b) Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
    (c) Eliminating nonsignificant issues or those previously 
covered by a relevant previous environmental analysis;
    (d) Exploring additional alternatives;
    (e) Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed 
action and alternatives.

    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by 
January 2002. 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 notice appears in the Federal 
Register. At that time, copies of the draft EIS will be distributed to 
interested and affected agencies, organizations, and members of the 
public for their review and comment. It is very important that those 
interested in the management of the Eldorado National Forest 
participate at that time.
    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 
a draft EIS 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, 533 (1978). Also, environmental objections 
that could be raised at the draft EIS stage, but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final EIS may be waived or dismissed by 
the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel,

[[Page 67173]]

803f. 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 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 EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should 
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to 
specific pages or chapters of the draft EIS. Comments may also address 
the adequacy of the draft EIS 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).
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed in March 2002. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive 
comments received during the comment period that pertain to the 
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies considered in making the decision 
regarding this proposal.
    John Berry, Forest Supervisor, Eldorado National Forest is the 
responsible official. As the responsible official he will document the 
decision and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That 
decision will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR 
Part 215).

    Dated: December 19, 2001.
Susan A. Rodman,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-31906 Filed 12-27-01; 8:45 am]
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