[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 224 (Thursday, November 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 65434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28970]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 224 / Thursday, November 20, 2003 / 
Notices  

[[Page 65434]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


2003 Record of Decision on the Woodpecker Project Area Final 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; record of decision.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, Tongass National Forest, has prepared 
the 2003 Record of Decision for the Woodpecker Project Area. The 
project area is located within the Petersburg Ranger District, on 
Mitkof Island, about 27 miles south of Petersburg, Alaska. Forrest 
Cole, Forest Supervisor for the Tongass National Forest, has selected 
the activities from Alternative 6 of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (Final EIS, August 2001) that were not included in the 2002 
Record of Decision (signed December 24, 2002). The 2003 decision 
includes: (a) Harvest of approximately 10.9 million board feet of 
timber from approximately 900 acres, (b) construction of approximately 
4.8 miles of new classified road, and (c) construction of approximately 
1.3 miles of temporary road. An existing log transfer facility will be 
used.

DATES: The legal notice of this decision will be published in the 
Juneau Empire, the newspaper of record, published in Juneau, Alaska, on 
November 24, 2003. This will begin the 45-day appeal period, which will 
close on Thursday, January 8, 2004. This decision may be implemented no 
sooner than 5 business days after close of the appeal period, if no 
appeal is received. If an appeal is received, this decision may be 
implemented no sooner than 15 days following disposition of the appeal.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Record of Decision or Final EIS 
may be directed to: Linda Slaght, Petersburg Ranger District, P.O. Box 
1328, Petersburg, Alaska 99833, Phone (907) 772-3871; fax (907) 772-
5995; or E-mail [email protected]. The Responsible Official is Forrest 
Cole, Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest, 648 Mission Street, 
Ketchikan, AK 99901. The Regional Forester is the Appeal Deciding 
Officer. Written notices of appeal must be addressed to: Regional 
Forester, Alaska Region, USDA, Forest Service, P.O. Box 21628, Juneau, 
AK 99802-1628.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for further information 
concerning the Final EIS or the Record(s) of Decision may be directed 
to Patricia Grantham, District Ranger, or Linda Slaght, Writer/Editor, 
Petersburg Ranger District, 907-772-3871. Copies of the 2003 Record of 
Decision have been mailed directly to those people who requested to be 
on the project mailing list. Additional copies may be obtained from the 
Petersburg Ranger District or reviewed at public libraries throughout 
southeast Alaska. The 2003 Record of Decision is also posted on the 
Tongass National Forest Web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/rl0/tongass.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The Forest Supervisor for the Tongass National Forest 
signed a Record of Decision for the Woodpecker Project Area on December 
24, 2002. No appeals were received and the Decision is being 
implemented. All of the activities approved by the 2002 Decision were 
outside roadless areas, in compliance with an order issued by the U.S. 
District Court, District of Alaska, in Sierra Club v. Rey (J00-0009 CV 
(JKS)) on April 26, 2002. That order enjoined the Forest Service from 
permitting timber harvest and road building in roadless areas until the 
completion of the final supplemental environmental impact statement 
(SEIS) for the Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan (Forest Plan). The SEIS was signed on February 24, 2003, and the 
injunction was lifted.
    The Woodpecker Project Area is partly within the Crystal 
Inventoried Roadless Area on the Tongass National Forest. The Roadless 
Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule, 36 CFR 294.10, January 12, 2001) 
generally prohibits timber harvesting and road building in roadless 
areas with a period of transition for the Tongass. This transition 
period makes an exception for projects where a notice of availability 
for a draft environmental impact statement was published prior to 
January 12, 2001. Since the notice of availability for the Woodpecker 
project was published on August 18, 2000, this project is exempted from 
the prohibitions in the Roadless Rule. The Woodpecker project is 
consistent with the Forest Plan and the Forest Plan SEIS.
    This decision is subject to administrative review (appeal) pursuant 
to 36 CFR part 215. The legal notice of this decision will be published 
in the Juneau Empire, the newspaper of record, published in Juneau, 
Alaska, on November 24, 2003, which will start the 45-day appeal 
period. A written notice of appeal that includes sufficient evidence of 
why this decision should be changed and requirements of 36 CFR part 215 
must be postmarked by the last day of the appeal period and filed with 
the Appeal Deciding Officer: Regional Forester, Alaska Region, USDA 
Forest Service, P.O. Box 21628, Juneau, AK 99802-1628.
    Responsible Official: Forrest Cole, Forest Supervisor, Tongass 
National Forest, Federal Building, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901, is the 
responsible official.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1505.2 and 1506.6; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 28)

    Dated: November 13, 2003.
Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-28970 Filed 11-19-03; 8:45 am]
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