[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 74 (Wednesday, April 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18856-18857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9268]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Amendment to the Coconino Forest Plan for the Flagstaff/Lake Mary 
Ecosystem Analysis Area--EIS; Southwestern Region, Arizona, Coconino 
County, Coconino National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Coconino National Forest is planning to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement on a proposal to amend the Coconino 
Forest Plan. This amendment provides clarification to current Forest 
Plan language and adds additional direction for management of lands 
surrounding the City of Flagstaff, the Flagstaff Area National 
Monuments and the Lake Mary Watershed. A Proposed Action is located on 
the Coconino National Forest website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/nepa.shtml.

DATES: Comments in response to this Notice of Intent concerning the 
scope of the analysis should be received in writing on or before 30 
days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to USDA Forest Service, Coconino 
National Forest, 2323 E Greenlaw Lane, Flagstaff, AZ 86004. Electronic 
mail may be sent to [email protected].

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: The Forest Supervisor of the Coconino National 
Forest, Supervisor's Office, 2323 E. Greenlaw Lane, Flagstaff AZ 86004, 
will decide what actions are most appropriate for the Amendment to the 
Coconino Forest Plan for the Flagstaff/Lake Mary Ecosystem Analysis 
Area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debbie Kill or Alvin Brown, 928-526-
0866, 5075 Highway 89, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, [email protected] or 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action adds an emphasis on fire 
risk reduction and recreation management for lands in close proximity 
to residential areas. There are proposed objectives for recreation 
settings (including recommendations for motorized versus nonmotorizied 
settings) based on landscape analysis and design. Recreation settings 
provide a framework for future site-specific planning and decision 
making for outfitter/guide and group uses, road management, and 
camping. There is new rock climbing direction proposed. There are 
proposed adjustments to wildlife cover and a redistribution of Mexican 
spotted owl habitat near residential areas. Items such as scenery, 
noxious weeds, land exchange, watershed, mountain meadows and riparian 
areas have added language for clarification and emphasis. There is 
proposed language that references continued cooperation and 
coordination with local, State, and Federal agencies. New Management 
Areas are delineated with additional emphasis items and direction. 
Management Areas were

[[Page 18857]]

created based on unique land features, biophysical characteristics, 
and/or the lands relationship to adjacent communities. All proposed 
amendment language is in addition to all the current Forest Plan 
direction.
    The past and proposed scoping process for this project is as 
follows. In May of 1999 the Ideas for change was published that 
described the need for considering changes and a variety of ideas and 
as a formal scoping document. The public responded by attending open 
houses, writing letters, and e-mails or attending topic-oriented 
meetings. Further analysis refined the scope of the FLEA analysis and 
the Proposed Action was published in September of 2001. The Proposed 
Action contains the actual replacement page language proposed for the 
Forest Plan. The replacement language consists of clarification, new 
language on topics where the Forest Plan was previously silent and 
management direction changes. One open house was held in September 2001 
for the Proposed Action. For the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) there is one public presentation planned in late May or June, 
for a joint meeting of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and the 
Flagstaff City Council. Date and location will be arranged later. No 
additional public meetings are scheduled at this time, however, the 
public is welcome to request presentations of information, obtain a 
copy of the DEIS and write or e-mail in their comments.
    Issues include disagreement with the Proposed Action related to 
Recreation Opportunity Settings at certain sites, and requirements for 
big game hiding/thermal cover in areas of fire risk concern.
    Four alternatives have been developed that include a different mix 
of forest settings and wildlife cover requirements.
    No permits or licenses are required.
    This Forest Plan amendment will be referenced during project-level 
analysis and decision-making. Implementation of the desired condition 
described in the Forest Plan, including this amendment, will occur over 
a period of years.
    The estimated date for availability of the DEIS is May 2002. The 
estimated date for filing the Final Environmental Impact Statement is 
September 2002.
    Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to [email protected] 
Please reference the FLEA EIS on the subject line. Please include your 
name and physical mailing address with your comments so documents 
pertaining to this project may be mailed to you.
    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. To be the most 
helpful, comments on the draft environmental impact statement should be 
as specific as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement 
or the merits of the alternatives discussed (see Council of 
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3).
    In addition, Federal court decisions have established that 
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 reviewers' position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC 435 US 519, 553 
(1978). Environmental objections that could have been raised at the 
draft stage may be waived if not raised until after completion of the 
final environmental impact statement. City of Angoon v. Hodel 9th 
Circuit, 1986 and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490F. Supp.1334, 
1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this is to ensure that 
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them in the final 
environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as 
specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific 
pages or chapters of the draft 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 Regulations 
for implementing the procedural provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

    Dated: April 11, 2002.
Rodger Zanotto,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-9268 Filed 4-16-02; 8:45 am]
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