[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43274-43276]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16231]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Juncrock Timber Sale, Mt. Hood National Forest, Wasco County, OR

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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[[Page 43275]]

SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) on a proposal to improve forest health on approximately 
550 acres of land, using commercial thinning and individual tree 
selection treatments, and to reconstruct approximately 1.5 miles, and 
close approximately 22 miles of roads within the planning area. The 
proposed action will 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 establishes the overall goals and 
guidelines for management of this area. The proposed action is within 
the White River watershed on the Barlow Ranger District. It 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 July 31, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the 
proposed action in this area to Becky Nelson, NEPA Coordinator, 780 
N.E. Court Street, Dufur, Oregon (phone: 541-467-2291). Comments may 
also be sent by FAX (541-467-2271). Include your name and mailing 
address with your comments so documents pertaining to this project may 
be mailed to you.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and EIS should be directed to Becky Nelson (address and phone number 
listed above), or to Mike Redmond, Environmental Coordination, 16400 
Champion Way, Sandy, Oregon 97055-7248 (phone: 503-668-1776).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action would promote forest 
health by removing trees that are dead, or affected by insects, 
disease, overstocking, or defects on approximately 550 acres. This 
treatment would help reach the goal of creating multi-storied, disease 
resistant, stands in this area.
    Existing roads would be extended approximately 0.5 miles where 
access is needed. A total of 4 roads would be reconstructed for 
approximately 1 mile. Approximately 9 miles of wildlife closures would 
occur on 18 roads. Two segments of roads would be decommissioned for 
about 1 mile. Approximately 12 miles of roads not needed for future 
management would be closed.
    The planning area is located approximately 38 miles south of Hood 
River, Oregon in portions of Sections 1, 12, & 13, of T.5 S., R.9 E., 
and portions of Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, & 18, of T.5 S., 
R. 10 E., Willamette Meridian, Wasco County, Oregon. The planning area 
does not include any wilderness, RARE II inventoried roadless, or other 
unroaded areas. It is outside the White River Wild and Scenic River 
corridor as identified in the ``White River Wild and Scenic River 
Plan.'' The planning area is immediately adjacent to the White River 
late successional reserve (LSR). The planning area is identified as a 
Tier 2 Key Watershed in the Northwest Forest Plan. The Juncrock Timber 
Sale is included in the C-1, Timber Emphasis allocation, and the B-2, 
Scenic Viewshed allocation, of the Forest Plan.
    Two preliminary issues have been identified; the impacts from 
removing mature and over-mature trees, and the impacts from extending 
existing roads. This analysis will evaluate a range of alternatives for 
implementation of the project activities including a no-action 
alternative.
    Since the summer issue of 1998, the Juncrock Planning Area has been 
identified in ``Sprouts'', the Mt. Hood National Forest quarterly 
publication that lists upcoming proposed projects. There have been two 
field trips with interested public groups. 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 and alternatives.
    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.
    The draft EIS is planned to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in August 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 (NOA) of the draft EIS in Federal Register. The comment 
period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the NOA appears 
in the Federal Register.
    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. Your comments 
are appreciated throughout the analysis process.
    Comments received in response to this proposed action, 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 214 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. 
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 requestor of the agency's decision

[[Page 43276]]

regarding the request for confidentiality, and where the request is 
denied, the agency will return the submission and notify the requestor 
that the comments may be resubmitted with or without names and address 
within thirty days.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be available by December 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 
responsible official is Gary Larsen, Mt. Hood National Forest 
Supervisor. The responsible official will decide which, if any, of the 
alternatives will be implemented. The Juncrock Planning Area decision 
and rationale will be documented in a Record of Decision, which will be 
subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations (36 CFR part 215).

    Dated: June 20, 2002.
Kathryn J. Silverman,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-16231 Filed 6-26-02; 8:45 am]
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