[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22049-22050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10831]



[[Page 22049]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Bear Knoll Timber Management Project, Mt. Hood National Forest, 
Wasco County, Oregon

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) on a proposal to improve forest health on approximately 
821 acres of land. The proposal includes using six specific 
silvicultural treatments, construction 4.3 miles of temporary roads, 
reconstructing approximately 3.2 miles of roads, and closing 
approximately 7.2 miles of roads within the planning area. The Proposed 
Action would be in compliance with the 1990 Mt. Hood National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended by the 
Northwest Forest Plan, which provides the overall guidance for 
management of this area. The Proposed Action is within the White River 
watershed on the Hood River Ranger District and is scheduled for 
implementation in fiscal years 2003 and 2004. The Mt. Hood National 
Forest invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of the 
analysis. The agency will give notice of the full environmental 
analysis and decision-making process so interested and affected people 
may be able to participate and contribute in the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be 
postmarked by June 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the 
proposed action in this area to Art Guertin, 6780 Highway 35, Mt. Hood/
Parkdale, OR, 97041 (phone: 541-352-6002). Comments may also be sent by 
FAX (541-352-7365). Include your name and mailing address with your 
comments so documents pertaining to this project may be mailed to you.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Question about the Proposed Action and 
EIS should be directed to Art Guertin (address and phone number listed 
above), or to Mike Redmond, Environmental Coordinator, 16400 Champion 
Way, Sandy, OR, 97055-7248 (phone: 503-668-1776).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action would promote density 
management on approximately 564 acres by removing trees from stands 
currently declining in growth and health because the stands are 
overstocked with too many trees and are dominated by western hemlock, 
which is susceptible to the Indian Paint Fungus (Echinodontium 
tinctorium). Treatment of these stands would help reach the goal of 
providing healthy, vigorous stands, which contain a diversity of tree 
species and visually appealing forest scenery, as defined by the Mt. 
Hood Forest Plan. The proposal also regenerates approximately 217 acres 
where the stands have reached/surpassed the culmination of mean annual 
increment and are infected with Indian Paint Fungus. Treating these 
stands would help meet the goal of re-establishing healthy, disease 
resistant timber stands. The proposal also removes the overstory trees 
and thins the understory trees on approximately 21 acres where the 
overstory pine trees, believed to have come from Idaho, were planted 
over 30 years ago and are now showing signs of environmental stress and 
damage. Treating this stand would help meet the goal of promoting 
ecosystem health by ensuring plants are not weakened by mal-adaptation 
and overcome by environmental stress. Commercial thinning and 
restoration projects on approximately 19 acres, within riparian 
reserves, are also proposed. Treating these stands would help restore 
and maintain the ecological health of the watershed and aquatic 
ecosystems.
    Approximately 4.3 miles of temporary roads would be constructed 
where access is needed to implement the proposed action. In addition, 
approximately 3.2 miles would be reconstructed for log haul. 
Approximately 7.2 miles of roads not needed for future management and 
currently causing wildlife harassment, would be closed as would the 4.3 
miles of temporary roads.
    The planning area is located in portions of Sections 2, 3, & 4 of 
T.5 S., R.9 E., and portions of Sections 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 
33, 34, 35, & 36, of T.4S., R. 9 E., Willamette Meridian, Wasco County, 
Oregon. This analysis will evaluate a range of alternatives for 
implementation of the project activities included a non-action 
alternative. The planning area does not include any wilderness, RARE 
II, or other inventoried roadless land. The planning area is identified 
as a Tier 2 Key Watershed in the Northwest Forest Plan.
    The Bear Knoll Planning Area is included in the C-1, Timber 
Emphasis, area of the Mt. Hood National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan. The B-2, Scenic Viewshed land allocation also occurs 
in the planning area along the corridor of State Highway 26.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor, 
Gary Larsen. The responsible official will decide which, if any, of the 
alternatives will be implemented. His decision and rationale for the 
decision will be documented in a Record of Decision, which will be 
subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations (36 CFR part 215).

Preliminary Issues

    Three preliminary issues have been identified; impacts from 
conversion of a portion of the existing old growth forest to a younger, 
non-old growth condition, impacts from constructing new temporary roads 
to implement the proposed action, and impacts from entering/cutting in 
riparian reserves.

Public Involvement, Rationale, and Public Meetings

    Since the Fall issue of 1998, the Bear Knoll Planning Area has been 
identified in Sprouts, the Mt. Hood National Forest quarterly 
publication that lists upcoming actions. An initial scoping letter was 
sent out in 1999 to approximately 165 individuals, agencies, and 
organizations that might have an interest in the proposed activities 
within the Bear Knoll Planning Area. There has also been a field trip 
with interested public groups in 2001. Future scoping will include 
continued inclusion in Sprouts, and continued identification and 
clarification of issues, identification of key issues to be analyzed in 
depth, and identification of potential environmental effects of the 
Proposed Action.
    The Forest Service is seeking information, comments, and assistance 
from other agencies, organizations, Indian Tribes, and individuals who 
may be interested in or affected by the Proposed Action. This input 
will be used in preparation of the draft EIS. Your comments are 
appreciated throughout the analysis process.

Estimated Dates for Filing

    The draft EIS is planned to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review by July 15, 
2002. At that time, copies of the draft EIS will be distributed to 
interested and affected agencies, organizations, Indian Tribes, and 
members of the public for their review and comment. The EPA will 
publish a Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal 
Register. The comment period on the draft EIS will be

[[Page 22050]]

45 days from the date the EPA notice appears in the Federal Register. 
It is important that those interested in this proposal on the Mt. Hood 
National Forest participate at that time.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be available by September 1, 2002. In 
the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive 
comments received during the comment period for the draft EIS.

The Reviewers Obligation to Comment

    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. First, reviewers of 
draft EIS 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 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, 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 EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on 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 at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

    Dated: May 22, 2002.
Gary L. Larsen,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-10831 Filed 5-1-02; 8:45 am]
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