[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11089-11090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5840]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


P-Pine Project, Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho 
Panhandle National Forests, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District of the Panhandle 
National Forest is proposing vegetation rehabilitation in the Deerfoot 
Ridge and Two Mile watersheds, identified as the Ponderosa Pine 
Restoration Area. The Deerfoot Ridge watershed area is located east of 
Hayden Lake, Idaho in Kootenai County, and Two-Mile watershed area is 
located north of Silverton, Idaho in Shoshone County. Only dry-site 
ecosystems within the watersheds are proposed for rehabilitation at 
this time. The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to disclose the potential environmental effects of 
implementing vegetative restoration activities under the project area.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before 
April 26, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposal, or 
requests to be placed on the project mailing list, to Sarah Jerome, 
Project Team Leader, Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, 2502 E. 
Sherman Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Jerome, Project Team Leader, 
Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, (208) 664-2318.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose and need for this project is 
derived from the National Fire Plan, the Upper Columbia River Basin 
Ecosystem Management Project, and the Coeur d'Alene River Basin 
Geographic Assessment. Each of these provide documentation of the 
currently dense, fire-prone state of dry-site ecosystems across the 
Idaho Panhandle National Forests and in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, and 
the marked change these ecosystems have undergone over the past 
century. Site-specific information indicates that these same conditions 
are occurring on the stand level in the Deerfoot Ridge and Two Mile 
Watersheds. Objectives are to: (1) Restore historical conditions in 
ponderosa pine stands based on the fire ecology of these forest types; 
(2) trend vegetative species composition toward seral species more 
resistant to insects and disease; reduce the incidence of noxious 
weeds; (3) reduce the risk of wildfire in the urban interface, 
coordinate with state and local entities for urban/interface fuels 
management; maintain visual quality over the long-term; (4) reduce the 
overall risk of high-intensity, stand-replacing fires; and (5) reduce 
fragmentation and improve wildlife habitat.
    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will

[[Page 11090]]

be the ``no action'' alternative, under which there would be no change 
from current management of the area. Additional alternatives will 
represent a range of strategies to manage natural resources in the 
area. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests Land and Resource Management 
Plan provides guidance for management objectives within the potentially 
affected area through its goals, objectives, standards and guidelines, 
and management area direction. Inland Native Fish Strategy guidelines 
(USDA Forest Service, 1995) supersede Forest Plan guidelines 
established for riparian areas.
    The public was first notified of this proposal and the intention to 
prepare an environmental impact statement in February 2002. Comments 
provided by the public and other agencies will be used to develop 
strategies for management of natural resources in the project area. The 
public is encouraged to visit with Forest Service officials during the 
analysis and prior to the decision. The Forest Service is also 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 actions.
    The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public 
review in October 2002. At that time, the EPA will publish a Notice of 
Availability of the draft environmental impact statement in the Federal 
Register. The comment period on the draft environmental impact 
statement will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes the Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes 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 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 45-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 the final environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns regarding 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 environmental impact 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 Regulation 
for implementing the procedural provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, 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 may 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.
    I am the responsible official for this environmental impact 
statement. My address is Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, 2502 E. 
Sherman Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.

    Dated: March 4, 2002.
Joseph P. Stringer,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 02-5840 Filed 3-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M