[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 40 (Thursday, February 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9248-9250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-4770]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Lost Granite Squirrel, Colville National Forest, Pend Oreille and 
Stevens Counties, WA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) on a proposal to implement vegetation, riparian and 
road management projects. The Proposed Action will be in compliance 
with the 1988 Colville National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan (Forest Plan) as amended, which provides the overall guidance for 
management of this area. The Proposed Action is within portions of the 
Lost Creek and Ruby Creek drainages on the Sullivan Lake and Newport 
Ranger Districts. The project will be located approximately 45 miles 
north of Newport, Washington. Project implementation is scheduled for 
fiscal year 2004. The Colville National Forest invites written comments 
and suggestions on the scope of the analysis.

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The agency will give notice of the full environmental analysis and 
decision-making process so interested and affected people may be able 
to participate and contribute in the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
by April 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the 
management of this area to Dan Dallas, District Ranger, 315 North 
Warren, Newport, Washington 99156. Comments may also be sent by FAX 
(509-447-7301). Include your name and mailing address with your 
comments so documents pertaining to this project may be mailed to you.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the Proposed Action 
and EIS should be directed to Dan Dallas, District Ranger, 315 North 
Warren, Newport, Washington 99156 (phone 509-447-7300), or to Amy 
Dillon, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, 12641 Sullivan Lake Road, 
Metaline Falls, Washington 99153 (phone 509-446-7500).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Lost Granite Squirrel Planning Area is 
within the Lost Creek and Ruby Creek drainages on the Newport and 
Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts. The project would be located 
approximately 45 miles north of Newport, Washington, in the area south 
and west of State Route 20. The Proposed Action includes vegetation 
management on approximately 6,500 acres. This includes commercial 
treatments on approximately 4,600 acres and precommercial thinning on 
approximately 1,900 acres. Prescribed fire may be applied on up to 
12,000 acres. The road management projects will include local 
governments and adjacent landowners in a transportation analysis for 
these drainages. Part of that analysis will consider both building and 
closing roads. The riparian and wetland management proposals include 
active stream corridor improvement along Lost Creek and Ruby Creek and 
using native riparian plants for soil stabilization. The following will 
also be included as part of this project: review of current dispersed 
recreation condition and future opportunities (including dispersed 
camping at Nile and Browns Lakes and winter recreation uses); review of 
the Ruby and Lost Creek grazing allotments; and analysis of noxious 
weed populations along Ruby Creek road and all Forest Service system 
roads within the analysis area.
    This analysis will evaluate a range of alternatives for 
implementation of the project activities. The area being analyzed is 
approximately 47,500 acres, of which 37,335 acres are National Forest 
System lands. The other ownership areas are included only for analysis 
of effects. The project area does not include any wilderness, RARE II, 
or other inventoried roadless land.
    The preliminary issues identified include: water quality and 
watershed restoration; forest stand density; forest road management and 
maintenance; lynx habitat management; deer winter range management, 
grazing allotment management, noxious weed treatments, and 
reintroduction of prescribed fire. Initial scoping began in February 
2001. The scoping process will include the following: Identify and 
clarify issues; identify key issues to be analyzed in depth; explore 
alternatives based on themes which will be derived from issues 
recognized during scoping activities; and identify potential 
environmental effects of the Proposed Action and alternatives. A range 
of alternatives will be considered, including a No-Action alternative. 
The Forest Service is seeking information, comments, and assistance 
from other agencies, organizations, Indian Tribes, and individuals who 
may be interested in or affected by the Proposed Action. This input 
will be used in preparation of the draft EIS. Your comments are 
appreciated throughout the analysis process.
    Comments received in response to this notice, including names and 
addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public 
record on this Proposed Action and will be available for public 
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR part 215. 
Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request the 
agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing how 
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality. 
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that under the 
FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very limited 
circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest Service 
will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding the 
request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the 
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the 
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within a 
specified number of days.
    The draft EIS is to be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by November 2002. 
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 notice appears in the Federal Register. Copies of 
the draft EIS will be distributed to interested and affected agencies, 
organizations, Indian Tribes, and members of the public for their 
review and comment. It is important that those interested in the 
management of the Colville National Forest participate at that time.
    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 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 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 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 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 available by March 2003. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive 
comments received during the comment period for the draft EIS. The 
Responsible Official is Nora Rasure, Colville National Forest 
Supervisor. She will decide which, if

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any, of the alternatives will be implemented. Her decision and 
rationale for the decision will be documented in the record of 
decision, which will be subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations 
(36 CFR part 215).

    Dated: February 12, 2002.
Nora Rasure,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-4770 Filed 2-27-02; 8:45 am]
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