[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 74 (Wednesday, April 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18857-18859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9301]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Woronkofski Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision of the notice of intent to prepare an environmental 
impact statement.

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

SUMMARY: The previous notice published in the Federal Register (Vol. 
65, No. 183, pgs. 56864-56865, Sept. 20, 2000) is revised to update the 
estimated filing dates of the draft and final environmental impact 
statements, and include changes in the proposed action and purposes and 
need. The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to harvest timber in 
the Woronkofski Timber Sale project area, Wrangell Ranger District, 
Tongass National Forest. The proposed action is to harvest an estimated 
10 million board feet (mmbf) on approximately 1000 acres, with 2 miles 
of road construction and 2 miles of reconstruction, and development of 
two new log transfer facilities. The range of alternatives being 
developed to respond to the significant issues, besides no action, will 
likely be 5-15 million board feet of timber on an estimated 700-1500 
acres in one or more timber sales. The purpose and need of the timber 
sale is to: contribute to the production of a sustained yield of timber 
and mix of other resource activities from the Tongass National Forest, 
consistent with Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines; seek to provide a 
timber supply sufficient to meet the annual and planning cycle market 
demand for Tongass National Forest timber; provide a diversity of 
opportunities for resource uses that contribute to the economies of 
Southeast Alaska; and support a wide range of natural resource 
employment opportunities within Southeast Alaska's communities. The 
Tongass Forest Supervisor will decide on whether or not to harvest 
timber from this area, and if so, how this timber would be harvested. 
The decision will be documented in a Record of Decision based on the 
information disclosed in the EIS and the goals, objectives and desired 
future conditions as stated in the Forest Plan.

DATES: Opportunities for comment are available throughout the process. 
Individuals interested in receiving a scoping package should contact us 
within 30 days of the publication of this NOI. Comments will be most 
helpful if received by 3/31/02. Additional opportunities for comment 
will be provided after the release of the Draft EIS, projected to be in 
the summer of 2002.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Wrangell Ranger District;

[[Page 18858]]

Attn: Woronkofski EIS; PO Box 51, Wrangell, AK 99929.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chip Weber, District Ranger; Randy 
Hojem, District Planning Staff; or Dee Galla, IDT Leader; Wrangell 
Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, PO Box 51, Wrangell, AK 99929 
telephone (907) 874-2323.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This revised notice is required by the 
Forest Service handbook (FSH 1909.15, 21.2). The proposed timber 
harvest is located within Tongass Forest Plan Value Comparison Unit 461 
on Woronkofski Island, Alaska, Wrangell Ranger District of the Tongass 
National Forest. Approximately 95% of proposed sale units are located 
within the Woronkofski Inventoried Roadless Area. The Forest Service is 
reevaluating its Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule) and is 
currently enjoined from implementing all aspects of the Roadless Rule 
by the US District Court, District of Idaho. In 2001, the Secretary of 
Agriculture began a review of the roadless area rule and the Chief of 
the Forest Service undertook a review of the road management policy. 
These reviews have led the agency to initiate several Interim 
Directives with the intent that the values associated with inventoried 
roadless areas are fully considered within the context of forest 
planning. In Sierra Club v. Lyons (J00-0009 (CV)), the US District 
Court, District of Alaska enjoined the Tongass National Forest from 
taking any action to change the wilderness character of any eligible 
roadless area until a supplemental environmental impact statement 
(SEIS) has been completed. The injunction was lifted and the Forest 
Service is currently preparing the SEIS to address wilderness 
recommendations. Planning for the Woronkofski Timber Sale Project will 
continue simultaneously and in coordination with the SEIS and meet the 
requirements in the Interim Directives. The sale is currently listed on 
the Tongass 10-year action plan to be sold in 2005. The repercussions 
of delaying the project planning process regarding road building and 
timber harvest, even for a relatively short period, can have a 
significant effect on the amount of timber available for sale on the 
Tongass over the next few years. The Woronkofski Timber Sale Project is 
consistent with the 1997 Tongass Land Management Plan.
    Public participation has been and will continue to be an integral 
component of the study process and will be especially important at 
several points during the analysis. The first occurred during the 
initial scoping process conducted in the Spring of 1999. That was 
followed up with a second scoping package sent out with the original 
Notice of Intent for this project, published in the Federal Register 
(Vol. 65, No. 183, pgs. 56864-56865, Sept. 20, 2000). The Forest 
Service sought and received information, comments, and assistance from 
Federal, State, local agencies, Tribal Governments, individuals and 
organizations that expressed an interest in, or felt they may be 
affected by, the proposed activities. The Fall 2000 scoping package 
included: (1) Identification of potential issues; (2) identification of 
issues to be analyzed in depth; and (3) identification of preliminary 
alternatives. Tentative issues identified for analysis in the EIS 
include the potential effects of the project on the relationship of the 
project to: scenic quality, wildlife habitat, project economics, and 
effects on the roadless area. People interested in obtaining the 
scoping package sent out in the Fall of 2000 may contact Dee Galla, IDT 
Leader for this project at the address listed above.
    Based on results of scoping and the resource capabilities within 
the project area, alternatives including a ``no action'' alternative 
will be developed for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft 
EIS). The Draft EIS is projected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) in summer 2002. The Final EIS is anticipated in 
the spring of 2003.
    The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will 
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 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). 
Environmental objections that could have been raised at the draft 
environmental impact statement stage may be waived or dismissed by the 
courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2nd 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 
environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns of the proposed action, comments during scoping and 
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 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. 
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 will not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR parts 215 or 
217. 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. 
Requesters should be aware that, under 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 7 days.
    Permits: Permits required for implementation include the following:
    1. U.S. Army Corp of Engineers

--Approval of discharge of dredged or fill material into the waters of 
the United States under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act;
--Approval of the construction of structures of work in navigable 
waters of the United Sates under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors 
Act of 1899;

    2. Environmental Protection Agency

--National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (402) Permit;

[[Page 18859]]

--Review Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan;

    3. State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources

--Tideland Permit and Lease or Easement;

    4. State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation

--Solid Waste Disposal Permit;
--Certification of Compliance with Alaska Water Quality Standards (401 
Certification)

    Thomas Puchlerz, Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest, 
Federal Building, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901, is the responsible official. 
The responsible official will consider the comments, response, 
disclosure of environmental consequences, and applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies in making the decision and stating the 
rationale in the Record of Decision.

    Dated: February 12, 2002.
Thomas Puchlerz,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-9301 Filed 4-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M