[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 74 (Thursday, April 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18945-18946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9420]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Fremont County, ID, Big Bend 
Vegetation Management Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Revision of the Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Big Bend Ridge Vegetation Management Project, as 
published in the Federal Register page 40876 to 40877 on July 31, 1998 
(Vol. 63, No. 147). This revision includes a change of project schedule 
and treatment acres.
SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service is preparing an Environmental Impact 
Statement of document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of the proposed Big Bend Vegetation Management Project, a 
timber sale and vegetation treatment. This revised Notice of Intent is 
to document some minor changes in the process.
    In the original NOI, the tentative date for filing the Draft EIS 
was December of 1998 and the Final EIS was scheduled for March, 1999. 
Due to scheduling changes, the Draft EIS is now expected to be 
available for review in April, 2003. The final EIS is scheduled to be 
completed about July 2003.
    The original NOI proposed approximately 1800 acres of prescribed 
burning to rejuvenate maple and aspen, reduce fuels in the wildland 
urban interface, improve big game winter range and test methods of 
Douglas-fir regeneration. The proposed action now proposes a total of 
123 acres of prescribed burning. The objective of the 123 acres of 
burning is to promote aspen and shrubs in a high use big game wintering 
area. The rejuvenation of maple and the majority of big game winter 
range improvement were determined to be unnecessary. Timber harvest is 
now being proposed to accomplish aspen regeneration, big game browse 
improvement and fuels reduction. A nearby 2001 wildfire is being used 
to evaluate Douglas-fir regeneration from fire.
    The original NOI proposed approximately 2500 acres of commercial 
thinning with 70 percent of it helicopter or cable harvest and 30 
percent done with crawler tractor. The proposed action now includes 
3023 acres of commercial thinning, improvement cutting and sanitation 
salvage with 40 percent helicopter harvest and 60 percent ground based 
harvest.


[[Page 18946]]


    Dated: April 10, 2003.
Jerry B. Reese,
Caribou-Targhee National Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-9420 Filed 4-16-03; 8:45 am]
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