[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23951-23952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11099]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho; Baker Creek and North Fork-
Boulder Creek Allotment Management Plans Analysis

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for the Baker Creek and North Fork-Boulder Creek 
livestock grazing allotments. The proposed action in the EIS is to 
authorize grazing through revised allotment management plans (AMPs). 
The EIS will analyze the effects of the proposed action and 
alternatives. The agency gives notice of the full National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and decision making process on 
the proposal so interested and affected members of the public may 
participate and contribute to the final decision. The Sawtooth National 
Forest invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of the 
analysis and the issues to address.

DATES: Written comments concerning the proposed project should be 
postmarked within 30 days from the day after publication of this 
announcement in the Federal Register. Comments received in response to 
this solicitation, including the names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available to public inspection. The draft environmental 
impact statement is expected to be available for public review and 
comment in November, 2003 and the final environmental impact statement 
is expected to be available May, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Kurt Nelson, District Ranger at 
Ketchum Ranger Station; P.O. Box 2356; Ketchum, Idaho, 83340. Faxes 
should be sent to 208-622-3923 and e-mails to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed project 
and scope of analysis should be directed to Mike O'Farrell, Team 
Leader, at the above address, [email protected], or phone at (208) 
622-5371.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The analysis area is located in the Pioneer, 
Smoky Mountain and Boulder Mountain ranges in Blaine County, north of 
Ketchum, ID and is administered by the Ketchum Ranger District and 
Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) of the Sawtooth National 
Forest. The allotments are located in portions of Townships 4-6 North 
and Ranges 15-18 East, Boise Meridian. The proposed action will be in 
compliance with the Sawtooth National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (FLRMP), as amended, which provides overall guidance 
for management of this area and Public Law 92-400, the Organic Act for 
the SNRA.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the proposed action is to update the allotment 
management plans to allow for permitted livestock grazing that meets or 
moves toward desired resource conditions. The need for the proposed 
action is to comply with desired resource conditions as described in 
Sawtooth FLRMP Standards.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action of this EIS is to bring management of the 
allotments into compliance with FLRMP and PL 92-400 by authorizing 
permitted grazing that meets or moves toward desired resource 
conditions. AMPs would be revised to reflect these changes. An adaptive 
management strategy, which would allow for flexibility during the 
implementation of the grazing strategy, would allow permittees to 
respond to changing conditions and unexpected results. Permitted 
numbers and seasons would be modified as necessary to meet standards, 
based on monitoring results of the previous season.

Possible Alternatives

    Possible alternatives include: Alt. 1--continued grazing as 
currently permitted (No change); Alt. 2--revised stocking rate and 
permitted area; Alt. 3--No grazing (grazing phased out).

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for the Baker Creek allotment is the 
District Ranger of the Ketchum District and the responsible official 
for the North Fork-Boulder allotment is the Area Ranger of the Sawtooth 
National Recreation Area, Sawtooth National Forest.

Nature of the Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide if domestic livestock grazing 
can occur within the analysis area, and if so, where within the 
analysis area and under what conditions (timing and duration). In 
accordance with 36 CFR 292.17(b)(10), it defines substantial impairment 
as ``that level of disturbance of the values of the SNRA which is 
incompatible with the standards of the General Management Plan.'' 
Therefore, within the SNRA, the Area Ranger must also decide if the 
primary SNRA values will be substantially impaired by livestock grazing 
on the allotments.

Scoping Process

    Public notices will be placed in local newspapers.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement for the Baker 
Creek and North Fork-Boulder Creek allotment management plans.

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

[[Page 23952]]

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 comment period for 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 them in the final 
environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
raised by 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.

    Dated: April 29, 2003.
Ruth Monahan,
Sawtooth Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-11099 Filed 5-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M