[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52-53]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-32140]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Trout-West Fuels Reduction Project, Pike and San Isabel National 
Forests, Teller, Douglas and El Paso Counties, Colorado

AGENCY: Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-
FS).

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA-FS will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) to analyze and disclose the potential impacts of a site-specific 
proposal to reduce hazardous fuels on National Forest Lands in the 
Trout-West area. Management direction guiding the proposed project is 
contained within the 1984 Pike and San Isabel National Forests; 
Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands Land and Resource Management 
Plan, and the 2000 National Fire Plan. The National Fire Plan 
identified Woodland Park, Colorado as an urban interface community at 
risk from catastrophic wildfire. The proposed project is intended to 
decrease the threat of

[[Page 53]]

wildfire to Woodland Park and surrounding communities by reducing 
hazardous fuels within the urban interface and municipal watershed. 
Approximately 32,000 acres are proposed for treatment. This proposal is 
scheduled for implementation for ten years following the issuance of a 
Record of Decision (ROD), approximately 2003 to 2013.

DATES: Issues and comments concerning the Proposed Action must be 
received in writing before February 8, 2002. Correspondence should be 
addressed to Rochelle Desser, Trout West Team Leader, 201 Caves 
Highway, Cave Junction, OR 97523.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rochelle Desser in Oregon at 541-592-
4075 ([email protected]) or Bob Post at Fairplay, Colorado, 719-836-
2031, ([email protected]). Information about the project will be posted 
on the Pike-San Isabel National Forest Web site: (http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/pp/).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Trout and West Creek Watersheds contain 
approximately 137,990 acres, located within all or parts of T.9S, 
R.68W; T.9S, R69W; T.9S, R70W; / T.10S, R.68W; T.10S, R69W; T.10S, 
R70W; / T.11S, R.68W; T.11S, R69W; T.11S, R.70W; T.11S, R.71W; / T.12S, 
R.68W; T.12S, R69W; T.12S, R.70W; T.12S, R.71W; / T.13S, R.69W; T.13S, 
R.70W. The analysis area boundary is bordered to the north by Devils 
Head Peak and a ridge between Ruby and Bridge Gulch, the eastern 
boundary is the Rampart Range Road, the southern boundary is bordered 
by Raspberry Mountain, and the western boundary is just west along 
County Road 51 to County Road 3 and following north to the west side of 
Sheepnose Mountain and Thunder Butte connecting at the confluence of 
Trout and West creek.
    The Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action is to decrease the 
threat of wildfire to Woodland Park and neighboring communities by 
reducing hazardous fuels within the urban interface and adjacent 
National Forest lands. Project goals include promoting sustainable 
forest conditions; encouraging aspen regeneration; reducing risk of 
erosion and sediment to streams; maintaining municipal water quality; 
maintaining quality of life; and meeting Forest Plan Standards and 
Guidelines.
    A mix of fuel treatments is proposed across seven project areas 
within the Trout and West Creek Watersheds including thinning, machine 
and hand slash piling, and prescribed burning. Private land including 
developed subdivisions occurs within the seven project areas, however 
only National Forest within these project areas is considered for 
treatment. These treatments are intended to reduce the canopy closure, 
continuity and overall biomass to create more moderate fire behavior if 
a wildfire were to start in the area.
    Some of the trees that need to be cut may be sold as fuel wood, 
Christmas trees, post and poles, and/or saw logs; however, many areas 
are not expected to yield a commercial byproduct.
    The EIS will analyze the potential effects of the Proposed Action 
on physical, biological, and social issues including ecosystem health, 
fuel loading and fire risk, soil and water, air quality, species 
viability, noxious weeds, cultural resources, and economics. Additional 
issues may be identified through the scoping process. The Forest 
Service will develop alternatives to respond to significant issues with 
the Proposed Action. A no action alternative will be considered.
    Public participation is important throughout the analysis. The 
first time is during the scoping period, when the Forest Service 
invites input from Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, 
and other individuals who may be interested in or affected by the 
Proposed Action. Please refer to the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National 
Environment Policy Act at 40 CFR 1501.7 for more information about 
scoping.
    The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and be available for review June 2002. A 
comment period for the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the date that the 
EPA published the Notice of Availability for appears in the Federal 
Register.
    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, a reviewer of 
a Draft EIS must structure their participation in the environmental 
review process of the proposal so that it is specific, 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 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, 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 60-day comment period so that 
substantive comments and objectives are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider and respond to them 
in the final EIS. Please refer to the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 for more information about 
how to comment on the upcoming EIS.
    After the 60-day comment period ends on the draft EIS, comments 
will be considered and analyzed by the Agency in preparing the final 
EIS. The final EIS is scheduled for completion by September 2002. In 
the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive 
comments and responses during the comment period.
    The Responsible Official for this project is the Pike and San 
Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands 
National Forest Supervisor. The Responsible Official will document the 
decision and rationale in a Record of Decision (scheduled for November 
2002). The Forest Service decision will be subject to appeal under 
regulations at 36 CFR 215.

    Dated: December 10, 2001.
William A. Wood,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-32140 Filed 12-31-01; 8:45 am]
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