[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 91 (Monday, May 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25319-25320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11731]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho; Aspen Range Timber Sale/
Vegetation Treatment

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Soda Springs Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National 
Forest will be preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to 
analyze the effects of commercial harvest of conifer trees, prescribed 
fire, realignment or surface improvement of old roads, and construction 
of fuel breaks in the Aspen Range analysis area. The legal description 
for this proposal is T. 8 S., R. 43 E., sections 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 
32, 33 and 34. T. 9 S., R. 43 E., sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 
11, 17 and 18 of the Boise Meridian, Caribou County.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be 
received within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected October 2003 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected February 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Soda Springs Ranger District, Attn: 
David Whittekiend, 421 W. 2nd S., Soda Springs, ID 83276.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed 
action and EIS should be directed to Doug Heyrend, Forester, (208) 547-
4356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    The primary purpose of the project is to:
    [sbull] Provide sawtimber on a sustained-yield basis.
    [sbull] Release aspen from competing conifer and convert back to 
early seral species.
    [sbull] Reduce conifer stand densities to improve vigor.
    [sbull] Reduce fuel loads in the project area and stands bordering 
residential homes/cabins along the northwest forest boundary of the 
Trail Canyon area.
    [sbull] Reduce sediment and maintenance on roads in project area.

Proposed Action

    The proposal is to tractor harvest 881 acres of Douglas-fir, aspen/
Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine stands using a variety of silviculture 
prescriptions. The harvest would be followed by 1,350 acres of 
prescribed fire to increase aspen cover types and reduce fuel loads in 
the 12,000 acre analysis area. The harvest volume is anticipated to be 
about 4.5 million board feet from two timber sales.
    Irregular shelterwood/aspen regeneration silvicultural treatments 
proposed for 590 acres would be the dominant harvest prescription. The 
prescription would provide flexibility for aspen regeneration, snag 
preservation, remnant old growth retention and old growth replacement 
in situations of Douglas-fir bark beetle mortality. The objective for 
aspen regeneration is to incorporate the majority of the aspen clone 
for treatment. All aspen treatment areas would use prescribed fire for 
fuels treatment and site preparation to simulate the natural 
disturbance for aspen vegetative reproduction by suckers. Larger units 
that utilize coarse woody debris as barriers increase the success of 
aspen regeneration by having better dispersion of wild and domestic 
browsing/grazing animals across treated areas. Temporarily fencing 
portions of treated areas may be required to ensure regeneration.
    Stand improving commercial thinnings and shelterwoods are planned 
for 196 acres. The focus of harvest activity would be on removing 
suppressed and intermediate trees to provide crown spacing and growing 
room (15-30 foot spacing) for residual dominant trees. Natural 
regeneration will occur over time but would not be immediately 
necessary to meet stocking standards. Machine fuels treatment (piling) 
would take place in the 55 acres of shelterwood prescription stands 
closest to the archery range and a 39 acre stand in North Sulfur 
Canyon. Prescribed broadcast fire would be used for site preparation of 
early seral vegetation and fuel treatment on the remaining 102 acres.
    The only lodgepole stand planned for harvest is behind the archery 
range (this area is under special use permit to the Caribou Archers).
    A seedtree/improvement cut is proposed for the 39 acre stand.

[[Page 25320]]

Seedtrees would provide natural regeneration in areas of stand decline 
and the improvement cut to ensure visual protection along the archery 
range corridor. Site preparation and fuels treatment (piling) for the 
stand would be mechanical.
    Prescribed broadcast fire would be used in most mechanical 
treatments as well as some naturally occurring stands to reduce fuels 
and convert vegetation to early seral species. Standing dead and cull 
green material is expected to replace down dead woody debris consumed 
by broadcast burning. Generally the window for burning in this area is 
late spring and early fall depending on weather patterns. Firelines 
would be mechanically constructed using as many natural openings, ridge 
tops, roads and terrain barriers as possible. The stands adjacent to 
the archery range and residential area would be mechanically treated 
without a broadcast fire.
    A constructed quarter mile fuelbreak along the northwest forest 
boundary of the analysis area would meander across the north edge of 
the 56 acre stand using as many natural openings and barriers as 
possible. The proposal is to remove standing dead, down dead, small 
diameter trees, dense brush and provide crown spacing between mature 
trees. Pockets of small-diameter conifer encountered within the 
fuelbreak would be thinned to 14 to 20 foot spacing, and pruned to 
remove ladder fuels.
    Heavy equipment will only be used on ground less than 40 percent 
slope. Merchantable logs within the fuelbreak on feasible tractor 
ground would be skidded up hill to a landing. All unmerchantable 
material would be hand or machine piled and burned in the fall 
following substantial snow accumulation. Work in the riparian area 
would be completed by hand with chainsaws. The stand is not proposed 
for broadcast burning.
    Two miles of existing old system roads (20574, 20126 & 20297) are 
proposed for realignment to decrease ongoing erosion damage, 
maintenance costs and to facilitate harvest equipment. Up to 6.2 miles 
of existing and constructed temporary road would be required for 
harvest activities. All constructed temporary roads and old road 
segments that have been replaced with new alignment would be fully 
obliterated. Road segments that are currently managed as a multiple use 
trails will be retained. A thumb bucket excavator will be used to 
obliterate unnecessary roads. Road obliteration would consist of 
recontouring slopes, channels and incorporating debris across the prism 
followed by seeding with the appropriate native mix.
    Short sections of gravel surface replacement would be needed 
throughout the sale area.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for this decision is Jerry Reese, Caribou-
Targhee National Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Should timber harvest, road construction, road obliteration, fuel 
treatments, vegetation treatments and road management activities be 
implemented in the project area at this time, and if so, under what 
conditions?
    From a variety of site-specific alternatives, based on the 
silvicultural needs for portions of stands or entire stands, one 
alternative will be selected.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest 
Service invites written comments and suggestions on the issues related 
to the proposal and the area being analyzed. Information received will 
be used in preparation of the draft EIS and Final EIS. For most 
effective use, comments should be submitted to the Forest Service 
within 30 days from the date of publication of this Notice in the 
Federal Register.
    Agency Representatives and other interested people are invited to 
visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the EIS process. 
Two specific time periods are identified for the receipt of formal 
comments on the analysis. The two comments periods are, (1) during the 
scoping process, the next 30 days following publication of this Notice 
in the Federal Register, and (2) during the formal review of the Draft 
EIS.

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 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 11, 2003.
Jerry B. Reese,
Caribou-Targhee Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-11731 Filed 5-9-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M