[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18579-18580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9161]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Sunken Moose Project; Chequamegon/Nicolet National Forest, 
Bayfield County, WI

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA

ACTION: Revised notice, intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement

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

SUMMARY: The Sunken Moose Analysis was originally published in the 
Federal Register on April 24, 2001 (Vol. 66, No. 79 page 20622, 
Tuesday, April 24, 2001/Notices). The Forest Service has decided to 
revise the proposed action for several reasons. The purpose and need 
for action has been changed as a result of the emerging concerns about 
the potential spread of an exotic insect pest, the gypsy moth, and new 
information provided by watershed and roads analysis for the Sunken 
Moose Project. In addition, the Responsible Official identified a 
number of the originally proposed components as not connected to the 
primary activities, and, decided to remove these dissimilar actions 
from consideration (40 CFR 1508.25). Activities removed from the 
original proposal include, erosion control projects, access control 
projects, prescribed burning for natural fuels reduction and wildlife 
habitat improvements, and installation of dry hydrants. These potential 
projects will be undertaken in separate NEPA analyses.
    This action would occur entirely on National Forest System lands 
within the Northwest Bayfield Peninsula and Southeast Bayfield 
Peninsula watersheds approximately six miles east of Washburn, 
Wisconsin in T.48N, R.5W, Section 6; T.48N, R.6W, Sections 1-24, 26-35; 
T.48N, R.7W, Sections 1-3, 11-13, 25-26, 36; T.49N, R.5W, Sections 6-7, 
18-19, 30-31; T.49N, R6W; T.49N, R.7W, Sections 1, 11-17, 20-29, 32-36.
    The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) to analyze and disclose the potential environmental effects of 
the project.
    The purpose of the Sunken Moose project is to implement land 
management activities that are consistent with direction in the 
Chequamegon National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest 
Plan, 1986) and to respond to specific needs and/or problems, 
identified during watershed and roads analysis. The purpose and need 
for this proposal are:
    1. Restoring and maintaining red and white pine communities at 
levels that are consistent with providing the desired habitat diversity 
goals of the Forest Plan (pp. IV-52 through IV-55, IV-59 through IV-
60);
    2. Maintaining birch woodlands at levels that are consistent with 
providing habitat diversity goals consistent with the Forest Plan (IV-
43 through IV-44);
    3. Improving the vigor of oak communities to minimize mortality and 
growth loss as a result of the expanding infestations of gypsy moth, a 
non-native, introduced pest of forest stands (Forest Plan, pp. IV-23, 
IV-52); and
    4. Providing saw timber and other wood related commodities for 
local industries and communities (Forest Plan p. IV-39).
    Proposed Action: The Forest Service proposes to implement the 
following activities on 13,800 to 15,200 acres utilizing a variety of 
silvicultural systems: shelterwood (23%), commercial thinning (77%). 
The timber produced as a result of these activities would be yarded by 
conventional ground-based logging systems (e.g. tractor/jammer, 
forwarders etc.). In addition, approximately 3,100 acres of timber 
stand improvement of existing red pine plantations would be undertaken.
    Post-harvest activities would include the following: prescribed 
burning for activity fuel abatement and site preparation and mechanical 
preparation for reforestation, and tree planting.
    In order to facilitate log and/or wood product haul and minimize 
sedimentation approximately 3.5 miles of permanent road and 9.0 miles 
of temporary road would be constructed. Approximately \1/2\ mile of 
Forest Road 697 would be re-constructed to reduce run-off into Four 
Mile Creek and approximately \1/4\ mile of Forest Road 433 would be re-
located to improve the stream crossing on Lenawee Creek. Finally, about 
4 miles of classified roads and 13.5 miles of un-classified roads not 
needed for management activities would be decommissioned.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
within 30 days following publication of this notice to receive timely 
consideration in the preparation of the draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions on the proposed 
action, or requests to be placed on the project mailing list, to: Chris 
Worth, District Ranger, Washburn Ranger District, P.O. Box 578, 113 
East Bayfield St., Washburn, WI 54891. E-mail comments should have a 
subject line that reads ``NEPA Washburn--Sunken Moose'' and be sent to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Kiewit, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, Washburn Ranger District, P.O. Box 578, 113 East Bayfield St., 
Washburn, WI 54891, phone (715) 373-2667, or email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information presented in this notice is 
included to help the reviewer determine if they are interested in or 
are potentially affected by proposed management activities. Those who 
wish to provide comments, or are otherwise interested in or affected by 
the project, are encouraged to obtain additional information from the 
contact identified in the For Further Information Contact section of 
this Notice.
    Responsible Official--The District Ranger of the Washburn Ranger 
District, Chris Worth, is the Responsible Official for making project-
level decisions, within the project area.
    Preliminary Concerns-- Scoping conducted in April, 2001 resulted in 
54 responses. The Interdisciplinary Team examined letters, e-mails and 
telephone conversations that were received by the Responsible Official. 
The Team identified two significant issues: (1) Timber harvest could 
fragment the forested landscape, resulting in degradation of habitat 
for interior forest species; and (2) proposed silvicultural 
prescriptions would not change the current plant communities towards 
early succession pioneering species

[[Page 18580]]

(such as aspen and scrub oak) compared to other methods such as 
clearcutting. The interdisciplinary team will review any additional 
comments and will examine those irresolvable issues that would drive 
issues and alternative development.
    Public Participation--The Forest Service is seeking comments from 
Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as local Native American 
tribes and other individuals or organizations that may be interested in 
or affected by the proposed action. Comments received in response to 
this notice will become a matter of public record. While public 
participation is welcome at any time, comments on the proposed actions 
received within 30 days of this notice will be especially useful in the 
preparation of the draft EIS. Timely comments will be used by the 
interdisciplinary team to: (1) Identify any additional potential issues 
associated with the proposed actions; (2) develop alternatives to the 
proposed actions that respond to the identified needs and significant 
issues; 3) and frame the analysis of potential environmental effects of 
the alternatives considered in detail. In addition, the public is 
encouraged to contact and/or visit Forest Service officials at any time 
during the planning process. At this time, the Forest anticipates 
sponsoring either an open house or field tour of the project when the 
DEIS is released for public review and comment.
    Relationship to Forest Plan Revision--The Chequamegon-Nicolet 
National Forest is in the process of revising and combining the 
existing Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans) for the 
Chequamegon National Forest and the Nicolet National Forest, which were 
administratively separate at the time the Forest Plans were developed. 
A Notice of Intent to revise and combine the Forest Plans was issued in 
1996. As part of this process, various inventories and evaluations are 
occurring. Additionally, the forest is in the process of developing 
alternative land management scenarios that could change the desired 
future conditions and management direction for the Forest. A Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be published in the near 
future that will disclose the consequences of the different land 
management direction scenarios considered in detail. As a result of the 
Forest Plan revision effort, the Forest has new and additional 
information beyond that used to develop the existing Forest Plans. This 
information will be used where appropriate in the analysis of this 
project to disclose the effects of the proposed activities and any 
alternatives developed in detail.
    The decisions associated with the analysis of this project will be 
consistent with the existing Forest Plan, unless amended, for the 
Chequamegon. Under regulations of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(40 CFR 1506.1), the Forest Service can take actions while work on a 
Forest Plan revision is in progress because a programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement-the existing Forest Plan Final EIS, 
already supports the actions. The relationship of this project to the 
proposed FP revision will be considered as appropriate as part of this 
planning effort.
    Estimated Dates for Filing--It is anticipated that the Draft EIS 
will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency and available 
for public review by August 2002. A 45-day comment period will follow 
publication of a Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal 
Register. Comments received on the draft EIS will be used to prepare of 
a final EIS, expected in early 2003. A Record of Decision (ROD) will be 
issued at that time along with the publication of a Notice of 
Availability of the final EIS and ROD in the Federal Register.
    The Reviewer's Obligation to Comment--The Forest Service believes 
it is important at this early stage to give reviewers notice of several 
court rulings related to public participation in the environmental 
review process. First, reviewers of the draft EIS must structure their 
participation in the environmental review of the proposal in such a way 
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, 513 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at 
the draft EIS state 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 
Ubc, 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 45-day comment period of the draft 
EIS in order that substantive comments and objections are 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 should be as specific 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.

    Dated: April 5, 2002.
Robert Lueckel,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Chequamegon/Nicolet National Forest, 1170 4th 
Ave. S., Park Falls, WI 54552.
[FR Doc. 02-9161 Filed 4-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P