[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 187 (Friday, September 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55576-55580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24373]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the National 
Forests in Mississippi

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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

SUMMARY: The Regional Forester for the Southern Region gives notice of 
the agency's intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for revision of the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest 
Plan) for the National Forests in Mississippi. According to 36 CFR 
219.10(g), Forest Plans are ordinarily revised on a 10-15 year cycle. 
The planning process will be initiated under the 1982 Forest Service 
planning regulations (36 Code of Federal Regulations 219 et seq., as is 
provided for at 36 CFR 219.35(b) of the current regulations). The 
existing Forest Plan for Mississippi was approved on September 16, 
1985. On December 14, 1999, a Notice of Intent to revise the Forest 
Plan was published in the Federal Register (FR 69686, December 14, 
1999). This 2003 Notice of Intent updates the projected schedule for 
Forest Plan revision and provides an opportunity for additional public 
comments. The agency invites written comments and suggestions from 
American Indian tribes, Federal agencies, State and local governments, 
individuals and organizations on the scope of the analysis to be 
included in the draft EIS (DEIS) (40 CFR 1501.7).
    This Notice of Intent affects the following counties in 
Mississippi: Adams, Amite, Benton, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Copiah, Forrest, 
Franklin, George, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jones, 
Lafayette, Lincoln, Marshall, Newton, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, 
Pontotoc, Scott, Sharkey, Smith, Stone, Tippah, Union, Wayne, 
Wilkinson, Winston, and Yalobusha counties in Mississippi.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
on or before 45 days from publication of this Notice. The agency 
expects to file the draft EIS with the Environmental Protection Agency 
and make it available for public comment in November, 2005. The agency 
expects to file the final EIS in November, 2006. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section for meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Forest Plan Revision, National 
Forests in Mississippi, 100 West Capitol St., Suite 1141, Jackson, MS 
39269. Electronic mail should include ``Forest Plan Revision'' in the 
subject line and be sent to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Forests in Mississippi: 
Planning Team Leader Jeff Long (phone 601-965-4391; TTY 601-965-6038). 
Electronic mail should include ``Forest Plan Revision'' in the subject 
line and be sent to: [email protected]. Information about 
Forest Plan revision and future opportunities to participate will be 
posted at the following Web site:http://www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/mississippi/.
    Responsible Official: The Regional Forester for the Southern 
Region, located at 1720 Peachtree Road, NW., Atlanta, Georgia 30309, is 
the Responsible Official.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 55577]]

I. Background Information

    A Notice of Intent to revise the 1985 Forest Plan for the National 
Forest in Mississippi was published in the Federal Register in 1999 (FR 
69686, December 14, 1999). However, Forest Plan revision efforts for 
the National Forests in Mississippi were delayed due to changes in 
national planning priorities and reduced funding. This (revised) Notice 
of Intent provides public notice that the revision for the National 
Forests in Mississippi is again underway, updates the December 1999 
projected schedule for Forest Plan revision, and affords an opportunity 
for additional public comments on the scope of the analysis to be 
included in the draft EIS.
    The Forest Plan covers the six proclaimed National Forests in 
Mississippi; Bienville, Delta, De Soto, Homochitto, Holly Springs and 
Tombigbee National Forests. Decisions made in the Forest Plan identify 
actions that may take place but do not represent a commitment by the 
agency to implement site-specific projects. Forest Plan decisions do 
not normally make any irreversible or irretrievable commitment of 
resources. Site-specific decisions, which may involve irreversible or 
irretrievable commitment of resources are reserved for the second stage 
decisions which follow Forest Plan decisions.
    The following decisions are made in a Forest Plan:
    (1) Establishment of the forest-wide multiple-use goals and 
objectives (36 CFR 219.11(b)).
    (2) Establishment of forest-wide management requirements (36 CFR 
219.13 to 219.27).
    (3) Establishment of multiple-use prescriptions and associated 
standards and guidelines for each management area (36 CFR 219.11(c)).
    (4) Determination of land that is suitable for the production of 
timber (16 U.S.C. 1604(k) and 36 CFR 219.14).
    (5) Establishment of allowable sale quantity for timber within a 
time frame specified in the plan (36 CFR 219.16).
    (6) Establishment of monitoring and evaluation requirements (36 CFR 
219.11(d)).
    (7) Recommendation of roadless areas as potential wilderness areas 
(36 CFR 219.17).
    (8) Where applicable, designation of those lands administratively 
available for oil and gas leasing; and when appropriate, authorizing 
the Bureau of Land Management to offer specific lands for leasing (36 
CFR 228.102(d) and (e)).
    The authorization of site-specific activities within a plan area 
occurs through project decision-making, the second state of forest 
planning. Project decisions must comply with National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) procedures and must include determination that the 
project is consistent with the Forest Plan decisions listed above. 
(Note: The above citations are from the 1982 36 CFR 219 planning 
regulations)

II. Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose for this revision rests primarily in the requirements 
of the National Forest Management Act. The law's implementing 
regulations at 36 CFR 219.10(g) require that Forests Plans be revised 
at least every 15 years.
    A genuine need to revise the plan exists due to: Changes in policy 
or law and changed physical, biological, and social conditions 
occurring on the forest.

Changes in Policy or Law

    A substantial body of case law has developed since the Mississippi 
plan was written, which more clearly defines the roles and requirements 
of a Forest Plan. One resulting example is the concise listing of eight 
forest-plan decisions given above. Similarly, the science and policy of 
national forest management have continued to evolve. The service-wide 
adoption of Ecosystem Management in 1992, in 1994 with its ``Course to 
the Future'' document, the Southern Region's recovery plan for 
management of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker in 1995, 2002 Southern Forest 
Resource Assessment, the USDA Forest Service Strategic Plan (2000 
Revision) direction and 2003 Healthy Forests Initiative are 
illustrations of such changes. These policy statements represent a 
fundamental change in management philosphy and, as such, are built from 
an extensive set of concepts and principles.

Changed Physical, Biological, and Social Conditions

    Hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, and Southern Pine Beetle 
outbreaks have made changes to the forest beyond those contemplated in 
the current plan. Beaver impoundments and the success of exotics such 
as kudzu and cogongrass have made, or threaten, additional changes. In 
many areas, our neighbors and customers have also changed 
significantly. Particularly near the Gulf Coast, the private lands in 
and around the national forests have become more densely populated with 
an increasingly urban population. Urban interface is occurring in 
varying degrees on all national forests within the state.

III. Proposed Action

    The Regional Forester for the Southern Region proposes to prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for revising of the Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) for the National Forests in 
Mississippi. The Forest Plan will prescribe resource management 
direction pursuant to the requirements of the National Forest 
Management Act for the six proclaimed National Forests in Mississippi; 
Bienville, Delta, De Soto, Homochitto, Holly Springs and Tombigbee 
National Forests. The agency invites the public, state and local 
government officials and their representatives, other federal agencies, 
and any affected Indian tribes to participate in the forest plan 
revision process which will proceed over the next 24 to 36 months 
before a final revised Forest Plan is issued.
    The current Forest Plan for the National Forests in Mississippi 
requires revision to incorporate agency established ecosystem 
management principles. The Forest Service will identify ecological 
units through the Landtype Association (LTA) level, according to the 
Forest Service National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units. 
Management direction in the revised Forest Plan would work toward 
maintaining the long-term ecological structure and function of affected 
ecosystems.
    The current Forest Plan contains limited descriptions of the 
desired conditions (DC's). The current plan's DC's will be updated to 
accurately reflect evolving agency and public expectations regarding 
resource uses, products, values or services occurring on or generated 
from national forest administered lands. One of the more critical tasks 
to be accomplished during the forest plan revision process will be 
development of updated DC's. Desired Conditions (DC's) are descriptive 
statements expressing a collective vision of landscape conditions and 
the uses, products, values, and services that will be provided by these 
conditions. The desired condition and the associated outcomes will 
serve as central reference points for planning and management of 
national forest lands. DC's will be developed in response to the 
significant issues identified during scoping. Extensive public 
participation will be sought as the forest identifies and develops 
these DC's. Each DC will utilize established ecological units as a 
criteria for defining their location and capabilities. Each DC will 
emphasize the resource or condition which the issue addresses. Plan 
revision

[[Page 55578]]

alternatives will be developed by allocating land areas to individual 
DC's. Notwithstanding the issue to which it responds, each desired 
condition must incorporate concepts of sustainability and multiple-use 
resource management principles.

IV. Preliminary Issues

    The following preliminary issues were developed from the 10-year 
review of the current plan and subsequent annual monitoring reports, 
together with the public and internal response to their findings and 
from public comments received on project level proposals and from 
comments made during the earlier 1999 public forest plan scoping. 
Public comments in response to this notice will help us to determine 
additional issues and scope of the analysis to be considered.

Forest Health/Sustainability

    Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management is a key component of the 
Forest Service Natural Resource Agenda. Watersheds are vital to 
ecosystem health. Healthy watersheds promote healthy forests and 
sustainable forest ecosystems. The revised Forest Plan will incorporate 
Forest Service policy to restore and maintain healthy watersheds for 
use by current and future generations.
    Forest Health and Sustainability topics include:
    [sbull] Forest biological diversity.
    [sbull] Native forest ecosystem restoration and maintenance.
    [sbull] Forest Health, especially protection from insects and 
diseases.
    [sbull] Prescribed fire's role for residual fuels reduction as well 
as its role for managing ecosystems will be expanded.
    [sbull] Old growth.
    [sbull] Protection of riparian areas.
    [sbull] Streamside zone management.
    [sbull] Control or eradication of noxious weeds occurring on 
national forest lands.
    [sbull] Management of special interest areas.

Vegetation Management

    The harvest and regeneration of timber-producing trees have always 
been a central issue in national forest planning. Over the life of the 
current Forest Plan, timber has generally ranked as the second most 
valuable agricultural corps in the State of Mississippi. This 
preliminary issue assumes additional significance because of its impact 
on other resources, such as recreation and wildlife. Not surprisingly, 
forest regeneration and timber harvest were the subject of more review 
comments than any others. Public comments received on the 10-year 
Review of the Land and Resource Management Plan expressed support for 
timber harvests to continue at current or higher levels and others 
objected to the level. Individuals and organizations involved in the 
timber industry or local government have expressed concern about the 
impact of national forest timber harvests on local economies, 
particularly on employment and the 25% returns to counties for roads 
and schools. The average actual timber volume sold on the National 
Forests in Mississippi was just over 80% of the amount planned for 
fiscal years 1985 through 1995. However, declines in harvest levels 
have occurred over the last several years causing concern for 
individuals and organizations involved in the timber industry and local 
government officials concerned about declining revenues.
    Vegetation Management focuses on:
    [sbull] Lands suitable for timber production.
    [sbull] Relationship of timber harvest levels to local economies 
and jobs.
    [sbull] Silvicultural systems and how they affect sustainability 
and forest health.
    [sbull] Hardwood management within pine stands.
    [sbull] Mixed pine management.
    [sbull] Alternative forest products, such as pine straw raking and 
removal.
    [sbull] Role of herbicide use in forest management.

Threatened, Endangered, Proposed and Sensitive Species Management

    Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) Decisions. The Final Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Management of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and 
its Habitat on National Forests in the Southern Region (RCW/EIS) was 
issued in June of 1995. The RCW/EIS contains direction to revise 
previous management practices, standards, and guidelines, and its 
Record of Decision (ROD) instructs affected forests to incorporate the 
new direction into their Forest Plan, through revision or amendment. 
The RCW/EIS ROD also includes an amendment (number 14) to the current 
Forest Plan for the National Forests in Mississippi which is designed 
to bridge the gap until the Forest Plan revision can be accomplished. 
Toward that end, Amendment 14 designates tentative RCW Habitat 
Management Areas (HMAs) and tentative population objectives. It also 
continues the interim standards, adopted in 1990, for areas within \3/
4\-mile of active and inactive RCW clusters. For areas within the 
tentative HMAs but outside the \3/4\-mile circles, current Forest Plan 
standards and guidelines remain in effect with the exception that 
silvicultural methods and practices are limited. Available options 
include thinning, two-aged shelterwood, and uneven-aged management by 
either single-tree or group-selection methods. Clearcutting is allowed 
only to restore Longleaf or other desirable native pines to appropriate 
sites occupied by species less suitable for RCW.
    The revised Forest Plan must establish final HMA boundaries and 
population objectives. The RCW/EIS Record of Decision established 
tentative HMAs on 367,169 acres on the Bienville, De Soto, 
Chickasawhay, and Homochitto Ranger Districts. The accompanying 
tentative population goal is 1,595 active clusters. As of 2002, the 
forest's total number of active clusters was 187. Additionally, the 
Forest Plan revision must incorporate the management practices, 
standards, and guidelines in the RCW Record of Decision Appendix A and 
in the revised RCW recovery plan. The HMAs and population objectives 
are subject to some modification. In addition, opportunities will be 
examined to expand existing HMAs or create additional HMAs. Any changes 
to HMAs require analysis beyond that contained in the RCW/EIS as well 
as a favorable opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service obtained 
through formal consultation.

Other Threatened and Endangered Species

    Management for other proposed, endangered, threatened, and 
sensitive (PETS) species will also require consideration during plan 
revision. Recovery plans for the affected species are developed by the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and their prescribed conservation and 
protection measures will be incorporated in forest management 
activities. The Forest Service will continue efforts to conserve PETS 
species and their habitats.
    Proposed, endangered, threatened, and sensitive species management 
facets to be addressed during plan revision include:
    [sbull] Develop management practices (actions) that promote 
(sustain) viable populations of proposed, endangered, threatened, and 
sensitive species and their habitats occurring on national forest 
lands.
    [sbull] Determine how much of the National Forests in Mississippi's 
land base will be allocated to red-cockaded woodpecker management 
(Habitat Management Areas) and what effect such allocation will have on 
other resource management options.

[[Page 55579]]

Transportation and Access

    Management of our forest transportation system attracts public 
interest. Almost all users of the national forests use forest roads. 
The revised Forest Plan will incorporate the National Roads policy.
    The current extensive system of roads and trails allows access to 
nearly every part of the forest. In addition, and by the direction of 
the current Forest Plan, the National Forests in Mississippi are 
``generally open to ORV's'' (off-road vehicles), now more often 
referred to as OHV's (off-highway vehicles). Exceptions are 
individually identified areas of potential resource damage or conflict 
with other uses. Motorized use can reduce the habitat quality for some 
wildlife species and cause damage to the soil resource on sensitive 
sites. The use of motorized vehicles can also conflict with users who 
are seeking more solitude or create safety concerns for non-motorized 
users such as hikers or horseback riders. Motorized vehicle use, 
particularly that of all-terrain vehicles (ATV's), has increased 
dramatically over the last ten years. Furthermore, the current plan's 
assumption that cross-country travel by OHV's would be ``limited by 
heavy undergrowth'' has proven inaccurate. As a result, instances of 
resource damage and user conflicts have become increasingly common.
    Transportation and access facets to be addressed during plan 
revision include:
    [sbull] Management area direction should address transportation 
management and access needs. The forest's road system will be managed 
to meet resource needs and provide adequate public access.
    [sbull] Determine level of local roads required to provide 
permanent, effective access to national forest lands for all resource 
management needs.
    [sbull] Address off-road vehicles (ORV's) management to provide the 
appropriate level of recreational opportunities while protecting other 
resources.

Recreation

    National Forests in Mississippi offer a host of outdoor recreation 
opportunities. Recreation demand, both dispersed and developed, is 
expected to continue to increase over the next plan cycle. Increases in 
recreation use often create resource management conflicts. Different 
user groups compete for use of the same area, each having different 
expectations.
    Planning will address five key areas: (1) Improving the settings 
for outdoor recreation and enhancing visitor experiences, (2) 
guaranteeing visitor satisfaction with our services and facilities, (3) 
reaching out to rural and urban communities to capitalize on the social 
and economic opportunities associated with recreation on national 
forests, (4) strengthening our relationships with those who cooperate 
with us to improve outdoor recreation for all Americans, and (5) 
ensuring that recreation use does not impair the land's health.

Prescribed Fire

    Prescribed fire is an important management tool on the National 
Forests in Mississippi. The forest consistently ranks first or second 
in the nation in the amount of acreage to which it is applied. 
Historically, fire played a significant role in shaping the native 
plant and animal communities in Mississippi. Prior to European 
settlement, fires occurred throughout the year on a variety of sites, 
whenever conditions allowed natural or aboriginal ignitions to spread. 
Studies indicate that fire can have an influence on the successful 
regeneration of oaks. One of the concepts underlying ecosystem 
management is that natural processes should be simulated to the 
greatest extent possible. This builds on the idea that the structure 
and function of native ecosystems is best maintained by the conditions 
under whey they evolved. Prescribed fire facets to be addressed during 
plan revision include:
    [sbull] Determine role of prescribed fire in achieving forest 
ecosystem management goals and objectives.
    [sbull] Identify and evaluate the extent, time of year (including 
summer growing season), and frequencies for prescribed fire use as an 
ecosystem management tool.
    [sbull] Evaluate impacts associated with use of plow lines and 
establish appropriate standards and guidelines.
    [sbull] Consider use of permanent fire lines, especially within 
wildland/urban interface zones.

Roadless Areas

    The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Roadless Area 
Review and Evaluation II (RARE II) of 1979 inventoried three roadless 
areas on national forest lands in Mississippi. Two areas, Black Creek 
and Leaf, were recommended for wilderness designation. The third, Sandy 
Creek, was listed for further study. The Mississippi National Forest 
Wilderness Act of 1984 (Pub. L. 98-515, Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2420) 
established the Black Creek Wilderness and the Leaf Wilderness. 
Included in the act was ``release'' language which directed that 
inventoried areas not designed as wilderness be managed for multiple 
use; however, the act also directed that the ``wilderness option'' be 
reviewed for such areas when the Forest Plan was revised. For the 
National Forests in Mississippi, the Sandy Creek areas is the only one 
in thsi category. Additional areas have been and may be yet identified 
by the public for consideration during plan revision.

V. Development of Alternatives

    The alternatives presented in the forest's Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS) will portray a full range of responses to 
significant issues. The range of alternatives will include one that 
continues current management direction, as well as others that address 
the range of issues developed during the scoping process. The Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement will examine the effects of implementing 
strategies to achieve different overall desired conditions for the 
forest, including possible management practices and objectives that 
move the forest toward desired conditions. A preferred alternative will 
be identified in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

VI. Involving the Public

    The obejective in this process for public involvement is to create 
an atmosphere of openness where all members of the public feel free to 
share information with the Forest Service and its employees on a 
regular basis. An active dialogue with the public will enable the 
forest to gather ideas, concerns and determine public attitudes and 
encourage public involvement in a planning process that fully 
integrates the needs and values of all segments of the public, 
including low-income, minority and historically underserved 
communities.
    The Forest Service is seeking information, comments, and assistance 
from Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and other 
individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected by 
the proposed action. This input will be utilized in the preparation of 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The range of alternatives to 
be considered in the DEIS will be based on the identification of 
significant public issues, management concerns, resource management 
opportunities, and plan decisions specific to the National Forests in 
Mississippi. Public participation will be solicited by a variety of 
methods, including notifying in person and/or by mail, known interested 
and affected publics. News releases will be used to give the public 
general notice, and public scoping meetings will be conducted as deemed

[[Page 55580]]

appropriate. A Forest Planning Web site will be maintained to serve as 
an additional avenue for communicating with interested publics.
    Public participation, facilitated by open decision making process, 
will be sought throughout the plan revision process and will be 
especially important at several points along the way. The first 
opportunity to comment will be during the scoping process (40 CFR 
1501.7). Scoping includes: (1) Identifying additional potential issues 
(other than those previously described), (2) from these, identifying 
significant issues or those which have been covered by prior 
environmental review, (3) exploring additional alternatives, and (4) 
identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed action and 
alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects). Public 
scoping comments received during the 2000 public scoping meetings will 
be used along with public comments received following this revised 
Notice of Intent.
    Public meetings will be scheduled throughout the plan revision 
process. Their location and frequency of occurrence will vary depending 
on their specific objectives. Public meetings may focus on specific key 
issues to seek clarification and understanding prior to development of 
alternatives and evaluation of effects. Public notice will be provided 
through publication in the newspaper of record for National Forests in 
Mississippi (the Clarion-Ledger, published daily in Jackson, 
Mississippi). Notice will also be served through direct mailings to 
interested and affected parties identified during the plan revision 
process and posting on the National Forests in Mississippi Web site at: 
www/southernregion.fs.fed.us/mississippi.

VII. Release and Review of EIS

    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for 
public review by November 2005. At that time, EPA will publish a notice 
of availability of the draft supplement in the Federal Register. The 
comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be 90 
days from the date the EPA's notice of availability appears 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 
the DEIS 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 DEIS stage but that are not raised until 
completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 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 three month comment period so that 
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can consider them and respond to them in the 
FEIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed actions, comments on the DEIS 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 DEIS 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 the procedural provisions of 
the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing 
these points.
    After the comment period ends on the DEIS, the comments will be 
analyzed, considered, and responded to by the Forest Service in 
preparing the FEIS. The FEIS is scheduled to be completed by November, 
2006. The responsible official will consider the comments, responses, 
environmental consequences discussed in the final environmental impact 
statement, and applicable laws, regulations, and policies in making a 
decision regarding this proposal. The responsible official will 
document the decision and reasons for the decision in a Record of 
Decision. The decision will be subject to appeal in accordance with 36 
CFR 217.

    Dated: September 22, 2003.
Roberta A. Moltzen,
Acting Regional Forester.
[FR Doc. 03-24373 Filed 9-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M