[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 235 (Friday, December 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72636-72637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30380]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Bonner County, Idaho and Pend 
Oreille County, Washington; Chips Ahoy Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Priest Lake Ranger District on the Idaho Panhandle 
National Forests will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) 
on a proposal to treat forest vegetation over approximately 980 acres. 
The treatments are being proposed to restore forest communities to a 
more historical composition and structure and re-introduce fire into 
these ecosystems. Treatments include 780 acres of regeneration harvest 
and 200 acres of commercial thinning.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
within 30 days from the date of this notice in the Federal Register and 
during the draft EIS period. The draft environmental impact statement 
is expected in March 2003 and the final environmental impact statement 
is expected June 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Chips Ahoy Project, Attn: Steve 
Johnson, Forest Supervisor's Office, 3815 Shreiber Way, Coeur d'Alene, 
ID 83815.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Johnson, Project Leader, Idaho 
Panhandle Supervisor's Office at the above address, by calling (208) 
765-7224, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project area is located within Bonner 
County, Idaho, and Pend Oreille County, Washington. The project area is 
located approximately twenty miles north of the community of Priest 
River, Idaho. A past bark beetle outbreak, in combination with root 
diseases, other insects and diseases and winter storm damage has left 
many of these stands poorly stocked.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for this action is to restore dry forest 
communities to a more natural composition and structure and re-
introduce fire into these ecosystems and increase the amount of wet 
forest communities that are dominated by western white pine and western 
larch trees.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is separated into three categories, vegetative 
treatments, fuel treatments and road treatments. The proposal is to 
treat forest vegetation over approximately 980 acres within the project 
area. Different types of treatments would be used depending upon the 
existing condition of the forest stands. These treatments include 
regeneration treatments on 780 acres and commercial thinning on the 
remaining 200 acres. After the tree cutting operations are complete, 
approximately 930 acres, or 95 percent of the vegetative treatment 
areas would be underburned to reduce the fuels, prepare the sites for 
reforestation, and to re-introduce fire onto these sites as a natural 
process. The remaining 5 percent of the vegetative treatment would not 
be burned. In order to access some of the proposed vegetative treatment 
areas, approximately 2.5 miles of temporary road would be constructed. 
These temporary roads would be recontoured following their use. 
Resource protection measures will be included to protect resources such 
as

[[Page 72637]]

snags, soils, heritage resources, water quality and wildlife.

Responsible Official

    Ranotta K. McNair, Forest Supervisor, Idaho Panhandle National 
Forests, 3815 Schreiber Way, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests will 
decide whether or not to implement this project, and if so, in what 
manner.

Scoping Process

    The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of 
the analysis. In addition to this notice, a proposed action letter will 
be sent to interested government officials, agencies, groups, and 
individuals on the Chips Ahoy mailing list. No public meetings are 
currently planned.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Specific written 
comments on the proposed action will be most helpful.

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 state, 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, 338 (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.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those 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 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: November 25, 2002.
Ranotta K. McNair,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-30380 Filed 12-05-02; 8:45 am]
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