[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52890-52891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22677]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 173 / Monday, September 8, 2003 / 
Notices  

[[Page 52890]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Frank Church--River Of No Return Wilderness Noxious Weed 
Treatments Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement to the Frank Church--River Of No Return Wilderness (FC-RONR) 
Wilderness Noxious Weed Treatments Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Salmon-Challis national Forest, will prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to evaluate changed 
conditions since issuing the August 1999 FC-RONR Wilderness Noxious 
Weed Treatments EIS and Record of Decision (ROD). The inventoried 
number of sites and acreages to be treated within the FC-RONR 
Wilderness will be updated and analyzed. The EIS will also address a 
long-term integrated weed prevention strategy and use of an additional 
herbicide (Plateau).

DATES: The Forest Service expects to submit a draft Supplemental EIS by 
October 2003. The comment period on the Draft SEIS will be 45 days from 
the date the Notice of Availability is published in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments concerning this notice to Ken 
Wotring, Project Coordinator, Salmon-Challis National Forest, 50 Hwy 93 
South, Salmon, Idaho, 83467.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Wotring at (208) 756-5131 or 
Howard Lyman at (208) 839-2211.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Bitterroot, Nez Perce, Payette and Salmon Challis National 
Forests administer the Frank Church--River of No Return Wilderness. 
These National Forests chose to address several issues relative to 
consistent management of the FC-RONR Wilderness. Most of the issues 
addressed were recreational in nature. The need for consistent 
management of noxious weeds within the Wilderness was also addressed. A 
Draft EIS was released in January 1998. Public comment was extremely 
polarized regarding the recreational issues. Many individuals and 
interests were concerned that the Alternatives displayed in the DEIS 
would institute excessively harsh measures to address management of 
recreational use. On the other hand, public support for an aggressive 
noxious weeds program was evident in the comments received on this 
issue.
    The Forest Supervisors decided upon a two-prong approach in 
response to those public comments. (1) They would issue a Supplemental 
Draft to evaluate additional management actions to respond to public 
concerns prior to development of a FEIS for revision of the FC-RONRW 
Management Plan. (2) They would issue a Final Weeds EIS and ROD 
responsive to public support for a consistent noxious weeds program.

August 1999 FC-RONR Wilderness Noxious Weed Treatment Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (Weeds FEIS) and Record of Decision

    The Weeds FEIS proposed action was to treat 300 sites encompassing 
1,775 acres beginning in 1999 and up until the FEIS for revising the 
FC-RONRW Management Plan was completed. The Record of Decision (ROD) 
for the Weeds FEIS deferred addressing non-treatment practices, 
including coordination, education, prevention and inventory in the 
Management Plan Revision FEIS.
    The Weeds ROD selected Alternative 2, which consisted of an 
Aggressive Integrated Weed Treatment Wilderness-wide. Specific actions 
included:
    [sbull] Controlling weed populations through a combination of 
manual, chemical and biological methods;
    [sbull] Implementing restoration following control methods; and
    [sbull] Monitoring.
    This decision was appealed, and while the Regional Forester upheld 
the Forests, direction to the Forests reaffirmed the earlier commitment 
to complete a Noxious Weeds Prevention Strategy as part of the non-
treatment practices to be addressed in the revision of the Management 
Plan FEIS.
    The Forests implemented an integrated weed management strategy and 
committed to readdress non-treatment practices, specifically the 
Prevention Strategy in the Management Plan FEIS.

Changed Conditions and a New Approach

    The 1999 Weed FEIS analysis was based on nearly 300 inventoried 
sites encompassing 1,775 acres. The Weed FEIS evaluated, and the ROD 
adopted, an Adaptive Strategy for future treatment of new weed 
invasions and expansion of existing infestations. Extensive wildfires 
burned over \1/2\ million acres in and adjacent to the FC-RONR 
Wilderness during the summer of 2000 and accelerated expansion of 
noxious weeds into those fire distrubed areas. Recent inventories 
document sites encompassing 5,204 acres. Therefore, a Supplemental 
analysis to the Noxious Weeds EIS will be prepared to address the 
changed conditions. The SEIS will also address an additional herbicide 
for use in Noxious Weed control (Plateau). Finally, the SEIS will 
address a Noxious Weed Prevention Strategy for the FC-RONR Wilderness.

Timelines

    The Draft SEIS is expected to be available for public review in 
October 2003. The comment period on the Draft SEIS will be 45 days from 
the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. It is very 
important that those interested in this analysis participate at that 
time. To be most helpful, comments on the DSEIS should be as specific 
as possible. The Final SEIS is scheduled for completion in January 
2004. At that time, we will release the Final SEIS along with the 
Record of Decision (ROD). A 45-day appeal period will follow as 
required pursuant to 36 CFR 215. Implementation of the decision can 
occur 5 days following release of the ROD if not appealed or after a 
favorable appeal decision.

Submitting Comments

    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments should be as specific as 
possible. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental 
Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the 
National

[[Page 52891]]

Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

Authority

    The Salmon-Challis National Forest Supervisor has determined that 
preparation of a Supplemental EIS (Draft and Final) is required in 
order to address changed conditions and prior agency commitments, under 
CEQ regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (40 
CFR 1501-1508). The Supplemental EIS will address a proposal by the 
Salmon-Challis, Bitterroot, Payette and Nez Perce National Forests to 
address weeds management as described above. That portion of the Boise 
National Forest that falls within the FC-RONRW is proposed and will be 
administered by the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

Responsible Official

    I am the responsible official for release of the Notice of Intent 
to prepare this Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. My 
address is Salmon-Challis National Forest, 50 Hwy 93 South, Salmon, 
Idaho 83467. In addition to myself, Deciding Officials will include: 
Mark Madrid, Forest Supervisor Payette National Forest; Bruce 
Bernhardt, Forest Supervisor Nez Perce National Forest and Dave Bull, 
Forest Supervisor Bitterroot National Forest.

    Dated: August 29, 2003.
Lesley W. Thompson,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Salmon-Challis National Forest.
[FR Doc. 03-22677 Filed 9-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P