[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48130-48131]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18513]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 141 / Tuesday, July 23, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 48130]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Trout Slope West Timber Project, Ashley National Forest, Uintah 
County, UT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Ashley National Forest has proposed to harvest live and 
dead timber within the Trout Slope West area of the Vernal Ranger 
District. The objectives of the proposal are to: reduce potential fuel 
loadings within treatment areas, prevent a likely future forest 
condition of blown down and jack-strawed timber, reduce stand density 
and thereby increase the growth of individual residual trees, begin the 
development of greater tree species diversity within treatment areas, 
and to recover the economic value of wood products associated with 
these objectives.

DATES: To be most useful, comments concerning the scope of the analysis 
should be received in writing by August 14, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Brad Exton, District Ranger, 
Vernal Ranger District, Ashley National Forest, 255 N. Vernal Avenue, 
Vernal, Utah 84078, or e-mail at bexton/[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Specific questions about the proposed 
project and analysis should be directed to Ralph Rau, ID Team Leader, 
Vernal Ranger District, 355 N. Vernal Ave., Vernal, Utah, (435) 789-
1181

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposal arises out of the Vernal 
Ranger District's Trout Slope Landscape Assessment (TSLA), (1996) that 
describes the existing condition of an 80,000-acre area between East 
Park and Leidy Peak. The assessment suggests a desired future condition 
for the area and recommends resource management strategies to move the 
area towards the desired condition as a more specific complement to the 
broad direction of the Ashley National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (FLRMP), (1986).
    The Trout Slope West analysis area is approximately 18,500 acres 
and lies between Oak Park Reservoir to the east and Leidy Peak to the 
west. The project area is approximately 24 miles to the northwest of 
Vernal, Utah and can be accessed via Taylor Mountain Road and Forest 
Service Road 018. There are approximately 33 miles of open system roads 
that provide public access to the area. The proposed action was 
selected from the TSLA by using existing stand level data, areas with 
existing roads, and areas that included either high proportions of dead 
and dying trees or were in need of thinning. Environmental conditions 
that were considered in developing the proposal were sensitive soils, 
riparian areas, a timber stand patch size and arrangement in relation 
to wildlife use, slopes suitable for tractor harvesting, forest type, 
landtype associations, level and types of recreation use, 
archaeological resources, and vegetative structual stages.
    Proposed Action: The proposed action includes the following 
activities:
    1. Individual tree selection and salvage on approximately 1700 
acres.
    2. Intermediate harvest (thinning) on approximately 470 acres.
    3. Placement of a temporary bridge on the North Fork of Ashley 
Creek, located about one-quarter mile to the east of Long Park 
Reservoir. The bridge would be removed when harvest activities are 
completed.
    4. Reconstruction of approximately one-half mile of existing road 
to allow for correct placement of the bridge noted above.
    5. Approximately 12 miles of existing roads would be opened to 
access proposed harvest areas. A minimal amount of work including 
cleaning of ditches, and turnouts, spot blading as required, and 
removal of down timber would be necessary to make the roads suitable 
for hauling. All of these roads would be closed at the end of harvest 
operations and seeded with grasses as needed.
    Responsible Official: The responsible official for the 
environmental impact statement is Bert Kulesza, Forest Supervisor, 
Ashley National Forest. The Forest Supervisor's address is 355 North 
Vernal Ave., Vernal, Utah 84078.
    Nature of Decision To Be Made: The decision to be made is: Should 
the proposed action for the Trout Slope West Area be implemented or a 
different alternative that arises out of issues identified through 
public scoping and internal agency concerns.
    Scoping Process: Formal scoping begins upon publication of this 
notice and will include mailing of information to known and interested 
parties.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping proces which guides the 
development of the environmental impact statement. To be most helpful 
please submit your comments by August 30, 2002. All comments become 
part of the public record and can be made available upon request.
    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

[[Page 48131]]

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 
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.


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


    Dated: July 17, 2002.
Bert Kulesza,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-18513 Filed 7-22-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M