[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 58 (Wednesday, March 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14575-14576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7177]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


West Fork Blacks Fork Allotment Management Plan; Wasatch-Cache 
National Forest, Summit County, UT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Wasatch-Cache National Forest will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposal to authorize 
continued livestock grazing on the West Fork Blacks Fork allotment 
encompassing approximately 15,028 acres of National Forest System lands 
in the West Fork Blacks Fork Watershed in Summit County, Utah. The 
analysis area is located in portions of the following townships: 
T2NR11E, T1NR11E, T1NR12E, Salt Lake Meridian, and T5NR7W, Uinta 
Meridian.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
on or before April 18, 2003. The draft environmental impact statement 
is expected in June 2003 and the final environmental impact statement 
is expected in September 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to District Ranger, Evanston Ranger 
District, P.O. Box 1880, Evanston, Wyoming 82930. E-mail address is 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, mail 
correspondence to or contact Stephen Ryberg, District Ranger, at the 
Evanston District, 1565 Hwy 150, Suite A, Evanston Wyoming 82930. The 
telephone number is 307-789-1394.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of this action is to authorize livestock grazing within 
the West Fork Blacks Fork Allotment to achieve the desired future 
conditions identified in the Wasatch-Cache Forest Plan. The action is 
needed because some areas (alpine benches) within the allotment do not 
meet ground cover standards. There is scientific debate about why these 
areas do not have adequate ground cover and how they should be managed. 
The allotment management plan developed from this analysis will 
emphasize management for healthy riparian, upland, and alpine 
ecosystems. Most of this allotment was incorporated into the High 
Uintas Wilderness under the Utah Wilderness Act of 1984. This Act 
incorporated Section 108 of the Colorado Wilderness Act which included 
House Committee Report Language stating: ``* * * there shall be no 
curtailment of grazing permits or privileges in an area simply because 
it is designated as wilderness''. If approved, the Wasatch-Cache 
National Forest would authorize grazing through term grazing permits 
for up to 10 years. The EIS will be designed to satisfy the 
requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and 
implementing regulations (43 CFR 2310.1). A number of laws provide 
direction for grazing on public lands, including the Multiple-Use 
Sustained Yield Act (1960), the Wilderness Act (1964), the Utah 
Wilderness Act (1984), the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act (1974), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (1976), 
and the National Forest Management Act (1976). The Wasatch-Cache 
National Forest LRMP also contains provisions to implement this 
direction.

Proposed Action

    The Forest Service proposes to authorize continued grazing on 
National Forest Systems lands on the West Fork Blacks Fork sheep 
allotment within the

[[Page 14576]]

West Fork Blacks Fork watershed. Sheep grazing would continue during 
the period of 7/6 to 9/15 each year under a four pasture deferred 
grazing system meeting the direction in the Wasatch-Cache Forest Plan. 
Following an agreement with the grazing permittee in 1999, half of the 
highest unit has been rested each year with an accompanying reduction 
in sheep months to compensate for the sheep months of forage not 
available for grazing in the rested portion. This change allows 1075 
sheep to graze 7/6-9/15 under deferred rotation system with planned 
rest for the alpine area. Half of the alpine unit is rested each year 
and each half receives rest for two consecutive years. This agreement 
resulted in a reduction of 175 sheep\*\ from what was allowed under the 
current West Fork Blacks Fork Allotment Management Plan.
    The updated direction will be incorporated into the allotment 
management plan and the term grazing permit to guide grazing management 
within the allotment during the coming decade, or until amendments are 
warranted based on changed conditions or monitoring.
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    \*\ The sheep numbers given are the number of mother sheep 
(ewes). These numbers assume that each ewe will be accompanied with 
her current year's offspring (lambs).
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Possible Alternatives

    In addition to the proposed action we have tentatively identified 
two alternatives:
    --No Grazing Alternative: Eliminate permitted grazing on the West 
Fork-Blacks Fork Allotment except for one trail herd that uses the 
allotment as an access route to the Ashley National Forest.
    --Eliminate Grazing on Unit 4 of the Grazing Allotment: Continue to 
graze sheep under a three pasture deferred grazing system meeting 
Forest Plan direction. This charge allows 900 sheep to graze 7/6-9/15, 
a reduction of 300 sheep from the numbers allowed under the current 
West Fork Blacks Fork Allotment Management Plan

Responsible Official

    Thomas L. Tidwell, Forest Supervisor, Wasatch-Cache National 
Forest, USDA Forest Service, 8236 Federal Building, 125 South State 
Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84138, is the Responsible Official for any 
decision to authorize grazing and manage rangelands on the allotment 
within the West Fork Blacks Fork watershed on National Forest system 
lands. He will document his decisions and rationale in a Record of 
Decision.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Based upon the environmental analysis in the EIS the Forest 
Supervisor will decide whether or not to authorize sheep grazing on the 
West Fork Blacks Fork Allotment, and if so under what conditions.

Scoping Process

    The public is encouraged to take part in the scoping process and is 
encouraged to visit with 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 that may be 
interested in, or affected by, the proposed action. While public 
participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, comments 
received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will be 
especially useful in the preparation of the Draft EIS. An informational 
meeting is scheduled for 1 pm on March 26, 2003 at the Unita County 
Library, 701 Main, Evanston, Wyoming. Information from the 
informational meeting will be used in the preparation of the draft and 
final EIS.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates 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 which be prepared for 
comment. The comment period on the draft environment impact statement 
will be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes the notice of a 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 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: March 19, 2003.
Thomas L. Tidwell,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-7177 Filed 3-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M