[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 153 (Thursday, August 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51533-51534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20036]


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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. 153 / Thursday, August 8, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 51533]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Fishtrap EIS, Lolo National Forest, Sanders County, MT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) on a proposal to implement timber harvest, 
precommercial thinning, prescribed burning, herbicide treatment of 
noxious weeds, abandonment of the Fishtrap grazing allotment, temporary 
road construction, road reconstruction and road decommissioning; and to 
correct management area mapping errors in the Lolo National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) in the Fishtrap Creek 
drainage, Lolo National Forest, Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District, 
Sanders County, Montana.
    This EIS will tier to the Lolo Forest Plan Final EIS (April, 1986).

DATES: Written comments should be received within 30 days following 
publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments on the proposed management 
activities or a request to be placed on the project mailing list to: 
Lisa Krueger, District Ranger, Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District, 
Lolo National Forest, P.O. Box 429, Plains, Montana 59859.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Partyka, EIS Team Leader, (406) 
826-4314.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Fishtrap analysis area of approximately 
36,400 acres is located approximately 20 air miles north of Thompson 
Falls, Montana, Sanders County, in T23N, R28W; T23N, R29W; T24N, R27W; 
T24N, R28W; T24N, R29W; and T25N, R28W; PMM. Within this area, the Lolo 
National Forest proposes (1) Approximately 2921 acres of timber 
harvest; (2) approximately 1037 acres of precommercial thinning; (3) 
approximately 887 acres of prescribed burning; (4) approximately 2\1/2\ 
miles of temporary road construction to access some of the harvest 
units; (5) approximately 177 miles of road decommissioning; (6) 
approximately 30-35 miles of road reconstruction; (7) approximately 30 
miles of herbicide treatment of noxious weeds along roadsides; (8) 
abandonment of the Fishtrap grazing allotment; and (9) to correct 
Forest Plan mapping errors in scattered parcels throughout the analysis 
area by changing an approximate net 625 acres from timber-suitable to 
unsuitable management areas. In addition to these proposals, the Forest 
Service will consider alternate road access to the Fishtrap Lake 
campground, which may include long-term specified road construction.
    The Lolo National Forest Plan, 1986, provides overall guidance for 
land management activities in the project area. The purposes for these 
actions are to: (1) Improve water quality, fish habitat and fish 
passage; (2) Improve grizzly bear habitat within the Cabinet-Yaak 
Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone; (3) Restore, maintain or enhance native 
``at risk'' vegetative communities, as identified in the Northern 
Region Overview, USDA 1998; (4) Provide for ecological sustainability 
and community stability through the use of forest products; (5) Improve 
and maintain big game winter range; (6) Provide for a transportation 
system that better reflects current access and resource concerns and 
reduces economic burdens associated with maintaining unneeded roads.
    Issues currently identified for analysis in the EIS include 
potential effects on wildlife (particularly grizzly bear), water 
quality, fisheries and forest access.
    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. A No 
Action alternative and other alternatives, which respond to significant 
issues, will be developed, analyzed and compared in the Draft EIS.
    The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in April 2003. 
Comments on the Draft EIS will be considered and responded to in the 
Final EIS, scheduled to be completed by August 2003.
    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 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 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.
    Responsible Official: Deborah L.R. Austin, Forest Supervisor, Lolo 
National Forest, Building 24--Fort Missoula,

[[Page 51534]]

Missoula, MT 59804, is the responsible official. In making the 
decision, the responsible official will consider comments, responses, 
disclosure of environmental consequences, and applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies. The responsible official will state the 
rationale for the chosen alternative in the Record of Decision.

    Dated: August 2, 2002.
Deborah L.R. Austin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-20036 Filed 8-7-02; 8:45 am]
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