[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 77 (Monday, April 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19543-19544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9723]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Payette National Forest, ID, Gaylord North Timber Sale

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare the Gaylord North Timber 
Sale. The proposed action in the EIS is to manage timber stands to 
improve their productivity, reduce fire risk to timber and facilities 
in the Weiser River Canyon, reduce severity of current and future 
insect and disease activity, improve some compacted soils, decrease 
existing road levels, and provide wood fiber for society. The selected 
alternative from the decision notice (1996) for the Filly Creek and 
Rubicon timber sales will be the basis for the proposed action for the 
Gaylord North Timber Sale EIS. The EIS will analyze the effects of the 
proposed action and alternatives. The Payette National Forest invites 
written comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis and the 
issues to address. The agency gives notice of the full National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and decision making process on 
the proposal so interested and affected members of the public may 
participate and contribute in the final decision.

DATES: Comments need to be received in writing by May 28, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Faye L. Krueger, District Ranger, 
Council Ranger District, Payette National Forest, P.O. Box 567, 
Council, Idaho, 83612.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed project 
and scope of analysis should be directed to Michael Hutchins, NEPA 
Coordinator, at the above address, or by phone at (208) 253-0100.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The analysis area is about 12 air miles 
northeast to Council, Idaho. The proposed project is on the Council 
Ranger District within the 8,700-acre Beaver Creek subwatershed and the 
7,700-acre Gaylord/Woodland subwatershed, two of six subwatersheds 
within the larger Upper Weiser River Watershed. The selected 
alternative from the decision notice (1996) for the Filly Creek and 
Rubicon timber sales will be the basis for the proposed action for the 
Gaylord North Timber Sale EIS. The proposed action will be in 
compliance with the Payette National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (Forest Plan. 1988), as amended, which provides overall 
guidance for management of this area.
    The purpose and need for activities are: (1) Provide wood fiber for 
society and contribute to the economic and social well-being of many 
people in the surrounding area and other areas; (2) generate revenue to 
finance activities to meet objectives in the Forest Plan; (3) manage 
timber stands to improve their productivity and move toward the desired 
conditions in the Forest Plan; (4) reduce fire risk to timber and 
facilities within the Weiser River Canyon; (5) reduce the severity of 
current and future insect and disease activity affecting timber stands 
in the area; (6) improve compacted soils on skid trails and landings; 
(7) improve fish and wildlife habitat, and water quality; and (8) 
contribute to meeting the Council Ranger District's portion of the 
Payette National Forest allowable sale quantity as established by the 
Forest Plan.
    The proposal includes a variety of activities to meet the above 
eight purpose and need statements. (1) Harvest about 17 million board 
feet of timber from about 2,800 acres (about 15% of the project area). 
Harvest prescription would consist of 735 acres of commercial thinning, 
450 acres of shelterwood harvesting, 920 acres of reserve tree 
harvesting, and 695 acres of sanitation and salvage harvesting. Yarding 
systems would consist of 1,490 acres of tractor logging, 990 acres of 
skyline logging, and 320 acres of helicopter logging. (2) Plant about 
945 acres with conifer seedlings. (3) Finalize construction of 17.5 
miles of road, of which 11.6 miles have been substantially completed 
(some blading, clearing and burning of slash, seeding, and gate 
installation, etc. remain to be completed), 2.1 miles have been 
``pioneered'' (right-of-way logs cut and skidded), and 3.8 miles have 
not been started. (4) Following activities, keep open the Beaver Creek 
Road (#50169), Beaver Creek Contour Road (#50167), Vick Road (#50176), 
Joker Creek Road (#50486), Joker Creek Cutoff Road (#50149), Marlin 
Road (#51495), Rubicon Road (#50587), Gaylord Creek Road (#50171), 
Trestle Pin Road (#51648), Gay Pin Road (#51694), Railroad Creek Road 
(#50629), Filly Creek Road (#50168), and the Filly Creek Contour Road 
(#50179). (5) Continue closure of the Beaver State Road (#51588), 
Beaver Pin Road (#51535), and the Beaver Gulch Road (#51696) following 
activities. (6) Decommission about 20 miles of existing road about 11 
miles of classified roads and 9 miles of non-classified roads), of 
which 13.2 miles are in riparian areas, through timber sale generated 
funds. (7) Improve about 21 miles of existing roads by repairing road 
surfaces, ditches, and stream crossing and placing gravel on about 12 
miles or unsurfaced roads. (8) Reduce the open road density in the area 
from 2.8 miles of open road per square mile to 2.0 miles (a square mile 
is generally a section in size). (9) Extend Road #50474 by 0.7 miles 
down the ridgeline on the south side of Gaylord Creek to allow 85 acres 
to be skyline logged with the requirement that long butts and tops with 
attached limbs will be yarded to the landings. Logging slash will be 
burned at these landings. (10) Pile and burn about 690 acres (of which 
about 170 acres are within the Weiser River canyon) and broadcast burn 
about 345 acres (of which about 90 acres are

[[Page 19544]]

within the Weiser River canyon). (11) Rip about 70 acres of skid trails 
and 55 acres of log landings following timber sale activities. (12) 
Monitor to ensure accomplishment of project objectives and validate 
assumptions. If timber sale generated funds are available, the 
following additional activities would be implemented: (a) fence about 
625 acres of regeneration treatments on slopes less than 35 percent to 
exclude cattle grazing following reforestation, (b) rip about 80 acres 
of existing skid trails and 65 acres of existing log landings, and (c) 
implement additional watershed restoration by using gully plugs, 
channel rerouting, vegetation planting, and adding large woody debris 
and fish habitat structures to streams.
    The Forest Service will identify issues the analysis should 
address. The following resource areas will likely need to be analyzed 
in the EIS: (1) Water Quality--The proposal may increase erosion and 
sedimentation within the analysis area, impair beneficial uses of 
water, and affect a 303(d) listed stream (Weiser River). (2) Fisheries 
Resource--The proposal may adversely affect aquatic habitats for native 
fishes. (3) Forest Vegetation--Some timbered stands in the project area 
are susceptible to insects and disease, and by fire. Timber stand 
structure, species composition, and density have moved away from 
historic conditions. The proposal will alter vegetation structure, 
composition, and density. (4) Fire and Fuels--Risk of fire to private 
lands, homes, powerlines, and Highway 95 is concentrated in the Weiser 
River Canyon. (5) Wildlife Resource--The proposal may affect abundance, 
distribution, and structure of terrestrial species (endangered and 
threatened, Payette National Forest sensitive, and management indicator 
species) and the continued capability of the watershed to support 
viable populations. (6) Roads and Access Management--The level of road 
reconstruction and decommissioning needed to improve aquatic and 
terrestrial species may affect some Forest users' ability to access the 
area by motorized vehicle. (7) Economics/Socio-Economics--The proposal 
has potential to influence income and jobs.
    A range of reasonable alternatives will be considered. The no-
action alternative will serve as a baseline for comparison of 
alternatives. The proposed action will be considered along with 
additional alternatives developed that meet the purpose and need and 
address significant issues identified during scoping. Alternatives may 
have different amounts, locations, and types of project activities.
    Comments received in response to this notice, including the names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the project record 
and available for public review.
    A public meeting is anticipated to occur following issuance of the 
draft EIS. The public meeting will be announced in the Payette National 
Forest's newspaper of record, the Idaho Statesman, Boise, Idaho.
    The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from other 
Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribal governments; organizations; 
and individuals who may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
action. This input will be used in the preparation of the draft EIS.
    Comments will be appreciated throughout the analysis process. The 
draft EIS will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
and is anticipated to be available for public review by Fall 2002. The 
comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days. It is important that 
those interested in the management of the Payette National Forest 
participate at that time.
    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 EISs 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 EIS stage, but that are 
not raised until completion of the final EIS, may be waived or 
dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F .2d 1016, 1002 
(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 
important that those interested in this proposed action participate by 
the close of the 45-day comment period so 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 
raised by 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 40 CFR 
1503.3 in addressing these points.)
    After the 45-day comment period ends on the draft EIS, the Forest 
Service will analyze comments received and address them in the final 
EIS. The final EIS is scheduled to be released in spring 2003. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service will respond to substantive comments 
received during the 45-day comment period. The Responsible Official 
(Forest Supervisor, Payette National Forest) will document the Gaylord 
North Timber Sale EIS decision and rationale in a Record of Decision 
(ROD). The decision will be subject to review under Forest Service 
appeal regulations 36 CFR part 215.

    Dated: April 16, 2002.
Robert S. Giles,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-9723 Filed 4-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M