[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 118 (Thursday, June 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36765-36766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15422]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 118 / Thursday, June 19, 2003 / 
Notices  

[[Page 36765]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Rangeland Allotment Management Planning on the Pine Ridge 
Geographic Area Nebraska National Forest, Pine Ridge Ranger District

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) to update rangeland management planning on thirty-four 
(34) livestock grazing allotments, which will result in the development 
of new Allotment Management Plans (AMPs). The allotments are within the 
Pine Ridge Geographic Area as defined by the Nebraska National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan 2001 Revision (Forest Plan). Proposed 
management actions would be implemented beginning in the year 2004. The 
agency gives notice of the full environmental analysis and 
decisionmaking process that will occur on the proposal so interested 
and affected people may become aware of how they may participate in the 
process and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
within 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. The draft 
environmental impact statement is expected August 2003 and the final 
environmental impact statement is expected October 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the District Ranger, Pine Ridge 
Ranger District, Nebraska National Forest, 1240 W. 16th Street, 
Chadron, Nebraska 69337. For further information, mail correspondence 
to Jeff Abegglen, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Nebraska National 
Forest, Pine Ridge Ranger District, 1240 W. 16th Street. Chadron, 
Nebraska 69337. Phone 308-432-4475.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    Two primary influences help to shape the need for this project.
    The Rescission Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-19, section 504) directed 
the Forest Service to complete NEPA analysis on all grazing allotments. 
This analysis will comply with that direction.
    The Forest Plan (2001 revision) established goals, objectives, 
standards, and guidelines for resource management on the Nebraska 
National Forest and Associated Units. The Nebraska National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) identifies livestock grazing 
as an appropriate multiple use under certain conditions described as 
standards and guidelines. Term grazing permits currently authorize 
cattle grazing on all 34 allotments within the Pine Ridge Geographic 
Area (PRGA).
    The Forest Service will compare the existing conditions on the 34 
allotments in the project area with the desired conditions relative to 
the goals, objectives, standards and guidelines contained within the 
Forest Plan. This comparison will identify any differences between the 
existing and desired conditions, and establish the need for the 
project.
    The purpose of the project is to address the established need by 
determining whether to continue to permit livestock grazing on all, or 
part, of the 34 allotments in the project area, and under what 
conditions, if grazing is to be continued.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to continue to permit livestock grazing on 
all 34 allotments within the PRGA, while meeting Forest Plan direction 
which provides for a wide range of values and uses. The proposed action 
is designed to continue the improving trends in vegetation, watershed 
conditions, and in ecological sustainability relative to livestock 
grazing within the PRGA. The proposal generates the need to develop new 
AMPs which incorporate results from scientific research, analysis and 
documentation, and meet Forest Plan direction. Collectively these 34 
allotments contain approximately 52,878 acres of National Forest System 
(NFS) lands and private lands with the allotments. Private lands within 
the allotment are those acres that are managed in the same manner as 
the Federal acres. However, the private landowner can fence these areas 
separate from NFS lands as he chooses, and exclude them from Federal 
management. The revised AMPs will be prepared for individual allotments 
and implemented in the 2004 grazing season and beyond.
    The Forest Plan identified lands within the PRGA as containing 
lands which are capable and suitable for grazing by domestic livestock.
    The Forest Plan also provided specific management direction across 
the PRGA. Within the area encompassed by these 34 allotments, 
management areas (MA) include MA1.1--Wilderness: Soldier Creek, MA 
1.31--Backcountry Recreation Non-motorized, MA 1.31a--Backcountry 
Recreation Non-motorized (Pine Ridge NRA), MA 2.1--Special Interest 
Areas, MA 3.51 Bighorn sheep, MA 5.12--General Forest and Rangelands: 
Range Vegetation Emphasis, and MA 7.1--Residential/Forest Intermix.
    Important riparian areas occur in 19 allotments. Some allotments 
contain riparian exclosures for riparian and wildlife habitat 
protection. The term ``riparian'' refers to land bordering a stream, 
lake, spring or seep whose waters provide soil moisture in excess of 
what is locally available, and generally implies a particular type of 
habitat with physical characteristics by an over story of trees or 
other large woody plants with a complex under story of woody and/or 
herbaceous species.
    The PRGA provides habitat for many wildlife species (game and non-
game) including two management indicator species (MIS) and their 
habitats. These MIS species are the sharp-tailed grouse and the pygmy 
nuthatch.
    Consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as required 
by the Endangered Species Act (ESA), will be completed on all proposed 
activities.
    An interdisciplinary team has been selected to do the environmental 
analysis, as well as prepare and accomplish scoping and public 
involvement activities.

Preliminary issues

    Preliminary issues include:

[[Page 36766]]

    (1) Economic effects (positive or negative) to livestock grazing 
permittees and the local economy from changes in livestock management.
    (2) Effects of proposed livestock grazing strategies on natural 
ecosystems. This includes elements such as native and desirable 
nonnative plant and animal communities, riparian areas, upland 
grasslands, wooded draws, ponderosa pine forested areas, areas of 
hazardous fuels, and threatened, endangered, sensitive, management 
indicator, and local concern species.
    (3) Effects of proposed livestock grazing strategies on 
recreational activities and/or experiences.

Possible Alternatives

    Potential alternatives will include a full range of management 
options including:
    (1) No action = No grazing (this is required).
    (2) No change from permit or current situation.
    (3) Livestock grazing incorporating adaptive management to meet the 
Forest Plan goals, objectives, standards, and guidelines (Proposed 
Action). Adaptive management is defined as a process where land 
managers implement management practices that are designed to meet 
Forest Plan standards and guidelines, and would likely achieve the 
desired conditions in a timely manner. If monitoring shows that desired 
conditions, as described by Forest Plan Direction, are not being met, 
then an alternate set of management actions would be implemented to 
achieve the desired results.

Responsible Official

    District Ranger, Pine Ridge Ranger District, Nebraska National 
Forest, 1240 W. 16th Street, Chadron, Nebraska 69337.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) does not document 
a decision. The purpose of this document is to disclose the direct, 
indirect, and cumulative effects of the proposed action and other 
alternatives that are analyzed. After providing the public an 
opportunity to comment on the specific activities described in the 
alternatives, the District Ranger will review the proposed action, the 
other alternatives, and the anticipated environmental consequences of 
each in order to make the following decisions:
    1. Whether to continue to permit cattle grazing on all 34 
allotments within the Pine Ridge Geographic Area.
    2. If grazing is to be permitted, (a) What grazing a systems and 
prescribed livestock use would be permitted; (b) what structural range 
improvements would be undertaken; and (c) what type of monitoring 
program would be implemented. Individual Allotment Management Plans 
(AMPs) would then be developed to incorporate conditions outlined in 
the Record of Decision. These AMPs will be completed and approved prior 
to the 2004 grazing season, and would become part of the term grazing 
permits to be issued.

Scoping

    A preliminary scoping letter was sent to interested parties on 
March 7, 2003. This letter asked for public comments on the proposal 
from March 7 to April 7, 2003. Public involvement will be especially 
important at several points during the analysis, beginning with the 
scoping process. The Forest Service will seek information, comments, 
and assistance from Federal, State, local agencies, tribes, and other 
individuals or organizations who may be interested in, or affected by, 
the proposal. The scoping activities will include: (1) Engaging 
potentially affected or interested parties by written correspondence, 
(2) contacting those on our Forest media list, and (3) hosting public 
information meeting(s).

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the formal scoping process which 
guides the development of the environmental impact statement.

Early Notice of Importance for Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review

    A draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) 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 document. 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.)
Charles R. Marsh,
Acting District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 03-15422 Filed 6-18-03; 8:45 am]
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