[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38063-38064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13643]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


P-Pine Project; Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District; Idaho 
Panhandle National Forests; Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District of the Panhandle National 
Forest is proposing vegetation rehabilitation in the Deerfoot Ridge 
watershed located east of Hayden Lake, Idaho in Kootenai County 
(identified as the Ponderosa Pine Restoration Area for the purpose of 
this assessment). Only dry-site ecosystems within the watershed are 
proposed for rehabilitation at this time. The USDA Forest Service will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to disclose the 
potential environmental effects of implementing vegetative restoration 
activities within the project area.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received no later 
than 45 days from the date of publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposal, or 
requests to be placed on the project mailing list, to the Coeur d'Alene 
River Ranger District, Attn: Ponderosa Pine Restoration Project, 2502 
E. Sherman Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Jerome, Project Team Leader, 
Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, (208) 664-2318.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose and need for this project is 
derived from the National Fire Plan, the Upper Columbia River Basin 
Ecosystem Management Project, and the Coeur d'Alene River Basin 
Geographic Assessment. Each of these provide documentation of the 
currently dense, fire-prone state of dry-site ecosystems across the 
Idaho Panhandle National Forests and in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, and 
the marked change these ecosystems have undergone over the past 
century. Site-specific information indicates that these same conditions 
are occurring on the stand level in the Deerfoot Ridge watershed. Key 
objectives are to: restore historical conditions in ponderosa pine 
stands based on the fire ecology of these forest types; trend 
vegetative species composition toward seral species more resistant to 
insects and disease; reduce the incidence of noxious weeds; reduce the 
risk of wildlife in the urban interface; reduce the overall risk of 
high-intensity, stand-replacing fires; and reduce fragmentation to 
improve wildlife habitat.
    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative, under which there would be 
no change from current management of the area. Additional alternatives 
will represent a range of strategies to manage natural resources in the 
area. The Idaho Panhandle National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan provides guidance for management objectives within the potentially 
affected area through its goals, objectives, standards and guidelines, 
and management area direction. Inland Native Fish Strategy guidelines 
(USDA Forest Service, 1995)

[[Page 38064]]

amend Forest Plan guidelines established for riparian areas.
    The public was first notified of this proposal and the intention to 
prepare an environmental impact statement in February 2002. Initially, 
two areas were under consideration. In addition to the Deerfoot Ridge 
area, similar activities were proposed in the Two-Mile watershed (north 
of Silverton, Idaho). Based on additional information gathered, it was 
determined that these areas are sufficiently different to warrant 
separate analyses. The Deerfoot Ridge area was selected as the first 
priority; opportunities to restore ponderosa pine stands in the Two-
Mile area will be evaluated under a separate assessment later in the 
year.
    Comments provided by the public and other agencies will be used to 
develop strategies for management of natural resources in the project 
area. The public is encouraged to visit with Forest Service officials 
during the analysis and prior to the decision. The Forest Service is 
also seeking information, comments, and assistance from federal, state 
and local agencies and other individuals or organizations who may be 
interested in or affected by the proposed actions.
    The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public 
review in October 2002. At that time, the EPA will publish a Notice of 
Availability of the draft environmental impact statement in the Federal 
Register. The comment period on the draft environmental impact 
statement will be 45 days from the date the EPA 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)). Also, 
environmental objections that could be raised at the draft 
environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised until 
after completion of the final environmental statement 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 scoping 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 regarding the proposed action, 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 environmental impact 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 may not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR part 215. 
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. 
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that, under the 
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 denies, the 
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the 
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within a 
specified number of days.
    I am the responsible official for this environmental impact 
statement. My address is 3815 Schreiber Way, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815. 
Comments should be sent to the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, 
Attn: Ponderosa Pine Restoration Project, 2502 E. Sherman Avenue, Coeur 
d'Alene, ID 83814.

    Dated: May 21, 2002.
Ranotta McNair,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-13643 Filed 5-30-02; 8:45 am]
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