[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62005-62007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25112]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Klamath National Forest, California, Noxious and Invasive Plant 
Control Project EIS

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) on a proposal to conduct noxious and invasive plant 
control on the Klamath National Forest (KNF) in Siskiyou County, 
California. The purpose of the proposal is to help in the control of 
noxious weeds and invasive exotic plants. These plants are an 
increasing threat to the function, composition, and structure of native 
ecosystems. This EIS will analyze the treatment of prioritized noxious 
weeds spread geographically over 27,000 acres on known and suspected 
infestation sites Forest-wide by a variety of treatment methods. Actual 
treatment would be on 2,700 acres per year or less. The KNF still has 
an opportunity to prevent extensive weed infestation and spread, if 
aggressive, consistent treatment is employed.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by 45 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. 
The draft environmental impact statement is expected in summer 2003 and 
the final environmental impact statement is expected in fall 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Margaret J. Boland, Forest 
Supervisor, KNF, 1312 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097. Electronic mail 
may be sent to [email protected]. Please reference the 
Noxious and Invasive Plant Control Project on the subject line. Also, 
include your name and mailing address with your comments so documents 
pertaining to this project may be mailed to you.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Yost, EIS Team Leader, (530) 468-
1226.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    Noxious weeds and invasive exotic plants are a serious biodiversity 
issue of great significance to human and natural resource conditions on 
the KNF. Increasing human population and activity contributes to the 
rapid spread of weeds. There are about 2,000 exotic and noxious weed 
species already established in the United States, with more entering 
the country every year as trade and travel between continents 
increases. Millions of acres of public lands in the West are rapidly 
undergoing the greatest degradation due to the spread of invasive non-
native plants. Estimates indicate invasive plants are increasing at 
about 4,600 acres per day on Federal lands alone, and spreading at a 
rate of 14% per year (Asher and Mullahey, Weed Science Society of 
America Congressional Briefing, 1997). Within the last 20 years in 
California, studies show that yellow starthistle alone has increased 
from 1 million acres to more than 20 million-about 22 percent of the 
State's land base (Joe DiTomasso, Department of Weed Science, 
University of California, Davis, personal communication). Current 
inventories indicate that weeds are spreading at an increasing rate on 
Forest Service lands within the Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5 
Strategy).
    According to statistics compiled by the Integrated Pest Control 
Branch of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Plant 
Health and Pest Prevention Services (1998 Annual Report), 93 percent of 
the acres infested with A-rated noxious weeds in the State are located 
in the northeastern part of the State, including Siskiyou County. B- 
and C-rated pests occur in greater numbers and their density and 
frequency varies according to individual site locations. These species 
are generally widespread in the State of California and in Siskiyou 
County, and eradication is not an achievable goal on a broad scale. On 
the KNF, the numbers of exotic invasive plant species and areas 
infested are relatively small compared to other parts of the west. The 
KNF still has an opportunity to prevent extensive weed infestation and 
spread if aggressive, consistent treatment is employed.

Project Objective

    The objectives of the KNF Noxious and Invasive Plant Control 
Project are to:
    [sbull] Protect the ecosystem function and biodiversity of the KNF 
by preventing the continued spread of aggressive, non-native plant 
species.
    [sbull] Prevent the spread of established non-native noxious and 
invasive plants into uninfested or lightly infested area. This is a 
strategy of containing the leading edge.
    [sbull] Eradicate new invaders (non-native noxious and invasive 
plant species not previously reported in the area) before they become 
established.
    [sbull] Eradicate or control known and potential non-native noxious 
and invasive plant infestations in the following areas that are 
considered infestation pathways (roads, trails, streams, intensively 
burned areas) for the establishment and movement of these plants on the 
KNF.

Proposed Action

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, KNF, 
proposes to treat/control prioritized noxious weeds that are spread 
geographically over 27,000 acres on known and suspected infestation 
sites Forest-wide by a variety of treatment methods. Actual treatment 
would be on 2,700 acres per year or less. The word ``control'' refers 
to eradication (elimination) or reduction for some weed populations, 
and slowing the rate of spread for others. An Integrated Pest 
Management approach will be used, which employs a combination of 
control methods including: physical control (e.g. hand-pulling, 
digging, clipping, mowing, tilling, and burning); cultural control 
(e.g., seeding and cultivation); biological control (e.g., use of 
parasites and pathogens); and chemical control (e.g., use of 
herbicides). No aerial spraying of herbicides will occur.

Responsible Official

    Margaret Boland, Forest Supervisor, KNF, 1312 Fairlane Road, Yreka, 
California 96097 is the Responsible Official.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision is what actions, if any, should be taken to control 
non-native noxious and invasive plants on the KNF; where treatments 
should be applied, what type of treatments should be used, and what 
resource protection measures and operating procedures will be applied.

Scoping Process

    In April 2002, this project was included in the KNF's Spring 2002 
Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA), which was posted on the KNF's 
internet website and mailed to the SOPA mailing list. In October 2002, 
a scoping letter of the proposed project will be sent to potentially 
affected individuals and anyone who expresses an interest in this 
proposal. This notice will invite public comment. Comments received 
will be included in the documentation for the EIS. The public is 
encouraged to take part in the process and to with the Forest Service 
officials at any time during the analysis and prior to the decision. 
The Forest Service will be 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 
administrative study.
    While public participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, 
comments received within 45 days of the publication of this notice will 
be especially useful in the preparation of the Draft EIS. Information 
will be used in preparation of the draft and final EIS.

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The scoping will include identifying: potential issues, significant 
issues to be analyzed in depth, alternatives to the proposed action, 
and potential environmental effects of the proposed and alternatives.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiatives the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement.

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 EISs must structure their participation in the environmental 
review of the proposed 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, 533, (1978). Also, environmental objections 
that could be raised at the Draft EIS stage but that 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 statement. 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.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of these who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 191.15, 
Section 21)

    Dated: September 27, 2002.
Michael P. Lee,
Deputy Forest Supervisor, Klamath National Forest.
[FR Doc. 02-25112 Filed 10-2-02; 8:45 am]
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