[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 235 (Friday, December 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72635-72636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30912]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Proposed Twin Creek Timber Sale; Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 
Bear Lake County, ID

AGENCY: USDA Forest Service.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement to document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of proposed actions to harvest timber, build roads, and 
regenerate new stands of trees in upper Georgetown Canyon of the 
Caribou National Forest in Bear Lake County, Idaho. The proposed 
project is located in T. 10 S., R. 44, Sections 1, 12, 13, 24 and T. 10 
S., R. 44 E. sections 6 and 7, Boise Meridian. Implementing a 
regeneration cut to lodgepole pine stands will provide an Allowable 
Sale Q of sawlogs to industry and help meet the desired future 
condition for function, structure, and composition to lodgepole pine 
stands on suitable timberlands in the Georgetown Watershed.
    The Montpelier Ranger District of the Caribou National Forest 
proposes to harvest an estimated 2,500,000 million board feet of 
commercial timber on approximately 329 acres. All 329 acres would 
receive group seed tree cut. All units considered for cutting are 
mature lodgepole pine. An estimated 7.0 miles of road would need to be 
reconstructed, 1.9 miles would need to be constructed, 1.0 mile of 
existing road would be opened and 1.0 mile would be closed. Some road 
construction would occur on private ground. Approximately 54 acres 
would be harvested in the Dry Ridge Inventoried Roadless Area, 
04164. All merchantable timber would be yarded using tractors. 
Natural regeneration is planned for in all the proposed cutting units. 
Logging slash will be available for firewood to the public. The 
remaining logging slash will then be burned. Ten to fifteen tons per 
acres of large woody debris will be left in each cutting unit for 
nutrient recycling.
    The issues identified during scoping and the analysis process will 
determine alternatives to the proposed action. The no action 
alternative will be analyzed.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described 
in this Notice should be received within 30 days of the date of 
publication of this Notice in the Federal Register. No scoping meetings 
are planned at this time. Information received will be used in 
preparation of the draft EIS and final EIS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 
Montpelier Ranger District, 322 North 4th Street, Montpelier, Idaho 
83254.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed 
action and EIS should be directed to Eric Mattson, Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest, Montpelier Ranger District, 322 N. 4th Street, 
Montpelier, Idaho 83254 (Telephone: (208) 847-0375).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service is seeking information 
and comments from Federal, State and local agencies, as well as 
individuals and organizations that may be interested in, or affected by 
the proposed action. The Forest Service invites written comments and 
suggestions on the issues related to the proposal and the area being 
analyzed.
    The responsible official is Jerry B. Reese, Forest Supervisor, 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 1405 Hollipark Dr., Idaho Falls, Idaho 
83401.
    The decision to be made is: The Forest Service needs to decide 
whether

[[Page 72636]]

to continue the present course of action (the no action alternative) or 
to implement the proposed action with applicable mitigation measures, 
or to implement an alternative to the proposed action with its 
applicable mitigation measures.
    The tentative date for filing the Draft EIS is 15 February 2003. 
The tentative date for filing the final EIS is 15 April 2003. The 
comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will be open 
for 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 viewers notice of several court ruling 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 alert an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519 
(1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft impact statement stage but 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 F2d 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 of the Draft Environmental Impact 
statement 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 the in the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement. Agency representatives and other interested people are 
invited to visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the 
EIS process.
    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. 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 in response 
to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposed 
action and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted 
anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those who submit 
anonymous comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent 
decision under 36 CFR 215 or 217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 
1.27(d), any person may request the agency to withhold a submission 
from the public record by showing how the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA) permits such confidentiality. Persons requesting such 
confidentially should be aware that, under the FOIA, confidentially may 
be granted in only limited circumstances, such as to protect trade 
secrets. The Forest Service will inform the requester of the agency's 
decision regarding the request for confidentially, and where the 
request is denied, the agency will return the submission and notify the 
requester that the comments may be resubmitted with or without name and 
address within 10 days.

    Dated: November 20, 2002.
Jerry B. Reese,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Intermountain 
Region, USDA Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 02-30912 Filed 12-5-02; 8:45 am]
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