[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44805-44807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16816]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Glady Fork Environmental Impact Statement, Monongahela National 
Forest, Randolph and Tucker Counties, WV

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 an environmental impact 
statement for timber harvest, stream restoration, wildlife enhancement, 
and

[[Page 44806]]

road management activities in the Glady Fork watershed of the 
Monongahela National Forest. This notice provides a description of the 
proposed action, displays the estimated dates for filing the EIS, 
provides information concerning public participation, and provides the 
names and addresses of the responsible agency official and individuals 
who can provide additional information.

DATES: We need to receive your comments on this Notice of Intent in 
writing 45 days after this notice is published in the Federal Register. 
The draft environmental impact statement is expected February 2003 and 
the final environmental impact statement is expected May 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Michele Jones, Forest NEPA Team 
Leader, Monongahela National Forest, 200 Sycamore Street, Elkins, West 
Virginia 26241. Faxes should be sent to (304) 636-1875. For further 
information, mail correspondence to the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Jones, Forest NEPA Team 
Leader, Monongahela National Forest, 200 Sycamore Street, Elkins, West 
Virginia 26241, or by calling (304) 636-1800.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for action in the Glady Fork project area is 
to increase forest health, to improve water quality and fish habitat, 
to enhance wildlife habitat, and to provide forest products to the 
local community.

Proposed Action

    The proposed activities all fall within Management Prescription 6.1 
under the Monongahela National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan. The primary purpose of Management Prescription 6.1 is to manage 
for remote habitat species intolerant of disturbance. Secondary 
purposes are to manage for a semi-primitive non-motorized type of 
recreational environment, a mix of forest products, and manage sites 
reverting from hardwood to conifer and the intermingled high site 
hardwood types.
    The proposed action includes an estimated 797 acres of thinning, 
689 acres of crop tree release, 51 acres of clearcuts, 96 acres of 
shelterwood, 345 acres of two-age harvest, and 20 acres of overstory 
removal. In total, approximately 1,998 acres of commercial timber 
harvest is proposed, which would be logged by using helicopter yarding 
on 1,205 acres and 793 acres of conventional ground-based skidding. 
Post-harvest treatments proposed include 609 acres of herbicide use, 
site preparation, and fencing, and 51 acres of planting.
    Road management proposed in the Glady Fork project includes 2.0 
miles of new road construction, 25.5 miles of road maintenance, 3.3 
miles of road to be put in storage, and 10.3 miles of road to be 
abandoned.
    Planting or seeding of willow, aspen, alder, or other native trees 
or shrubs along Daniels Creek is proposed to provide shade and future 
large woody debris. In addition, trees would be placed in Daniels 
Creek, McCray Run, and Nichols Lane Run to help channel stability and 
to provide stream structure.
    The proposed action includes one stand that would be converted to a 
savannah, approximately 10 acres in size. An estimated 56 acres of red 
spruce release would occur to improve habitat for wildlife species such 
as the endangered West Virginia northern flying squirrel. Two wildlife 
openings, approximately 3 acres each, would be developed to provide 
open, grassy habitat for species such as white-tailed deer, wild 
turkey, and black bear.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is Clyde N. Thompson, Monongahela National 
Forest Supervisor, 200 Sycamore Street, Elkins, West Virginia 26241.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will make a determination in his decision 
whether the proposed action should proceed as proposed, as modified, or 
not at all. The decision will also include mitigation measures to be 
implemented with the project and associated monitoring requirements. 
The decision maker will also determine whether or not an amendment to 
the Monongahela National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan is 
needed.

Scoping Process

    The scoping period last for 45 days from the date this notice is 
published in the Federal Register. Written and oral comments from the 
public will be received through the postal service, via fax, or over 
the telephone. No public meetings, open houses, or field trips are 
planned at this time.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Comments will be 
used to identify significant issues, which will be used to develop 
alternatives to the proposed action. Comments should be as specific as 
possible. In order for the Forest Service to consider research 
identified in comments, the commentor must identify why the research is 
pertinent to the Glady Fork project and must provide a copy of the 
research papers.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be 
prepared for comment. 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, 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 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 impact 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 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 on 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 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.


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(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7. and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: June 28, 2002.
Clyde N. Thompson,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-16816 Filed 7-3-02; 8:45 am]
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