[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 48 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11588-11589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5469]



[[Page 11588]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Caribou-Targhee National Forest; Idaho; Caribou Travel Plan 
Revision--(Located in Bonneville, Bannock, Beark Lake, Bingham, 
Bonneville, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, Power Counties in Idaho and Box 
Elder, Cache and Rich Counties in Utah and Lincoln County in Wyoming.)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of the proposed action and alternatives to revise the Caribou 
Travel Plan for the Caribou portion of the Caribou-Targhee National 
Forest. The travel plan analysis will address both summer and winter 
travel; or snow-free and snow seasons. The Travel Plan Revision will 
tier to the FEIS for the 2003 Caribou Revised Forest Plan. The Caribou 
portion of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest is located in Southeast 
Idaho and portions of Western Wyoming and Northern Utah.

DATES: To be most useful to the analysis, comments concerning the 
proposed action should be received in writing 30 days from the 
publication of this notice. Comments will be accepted after that date. 
The draft environmental impact statement is expected in September of 
2004 and the final environmental impact statement is expected February 
of 2005. If you would like to be included on our mailing list 
concerning this analysis, please contact Cynthia Hobach at 208-524-7500 
or [email protected].

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Caribou Travel Plan Revision 
Team, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho 
Falls, Idaho 83401. Written comments may also be electronically 
submitted to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debrah Tiller, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho 
Falls, Idaho 83401 or visit our Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-
targhee, under the Travel Plan Revision headline.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action, maps and other 
supporting documents can be viewed at http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-targhee under the Caribou travel plan revision heading. Hard copy 
documents are available at local forest offices. We are coordinating 
efforts with Tribal governments, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Parks 
and Recreation and local County Commissioners. The following public 
meetings have been scheduled to aid people in understanding the 
proposed action and the analysis process, all meetings will be held 
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.:

March 18th in Madlad, ID at the Westside Ranger District, 195 South, 
300 East
March 25th in Montpelier, ID at the Allred Building, Bear Lake 
County Fairgrounds, 21620 US Highway 30
March 31st in Preston, ID at the Robinson Building, Franklin County 
Fairgrounds, 185 West, 2nd North
April 1st, in Pocatello ID at the Westside Ranger District, 4350 
Cliffs Drive
April 7th in Soda Springs, ID at the Tigert Middle School, 250 East, 
2nd South
April 8th in Afton, WY at the City of Afton Building, 416 South 
Washington
April 15th in Idaho Falls, ID at the Caribou-Targhee Forest 
Headquarters, 1405 Hollipark Drive
April 21st in Fort Hall, ID at the Tribal Business Center, 306 Pima 
Drive

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Caribou Travel Plan does not comply with programmatic direction 
set by the 2003 Caribou Revised Forest Plan. The travel does not comply 
with plan direction to manage most snow-free motorized travel on 
designated routes. The Revised Forest Plan also prescribes a limit on 
open motorized route densities during the snow-free season for many 
areas of the forest. The current travel plan exceeds these limits in 
some areas of the forest.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action will meet plan direction by designating 
motorized routes in areas that were managed as open to cross-country 
motorized travel during the snow-free season. The proposed action will 
also address snow season motorized access through winter range 
prescriptions.

Possible Alternatives

    Alternatives may include increasing or decreasing open motorized 
routes in various prescription areas. Alternatives that would not meet 
the prescribed open motorized route densities would require amending 
the Revised Forest Plan. Alternatives to the proposed action may 
include additional areas managed for a non-motorized experience during 
the snow season.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The USDA Forest Service.

Responsible Official

    Jerry B. Reese, Caribou-Targhee Forest Supervisor, 1405 Hollipark 
Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83401.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Travel planning is an allocation process based on resource and 
social concerns. The framework for the decision is set by the 
programmatic direction outlined in the 2003 Caribou Revised Forest 
Plan: Most cross-country motorized travel is restricted to designated 
routes; snow-free designated motorized routes will adhere to the 
prescribed open motorized route densities; critical winter range areas 
will have designated motorized routes during the snow season and 
additional non-motorized areas for the snow season will be considered.

Scoping Process

    Open houses will be held in area communities to discuss the 
proposed action and possible alternatives for revising the Caribou 
travel plan. Our electronic website contains more specific information, 
and public comment can be received electronically. See e-mail 
addresses, website addresses and public meeting information listed 
above.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Additional 
public comments will be accepted after publication of the DEIS 
anticipated by September 2004. The Final EIS and Records of Decision 
for the Caribou Travel Plan Revision are expected in February of 2005.
    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 environment 
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.

[[Page 11589]]

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 5129,553 (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 to public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, 
Section 21)

    Dated: March 4, 2004.
Jerry B. Reese,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
[FR Doc. 04-5469 Filed 3-10-04; 8:45 am]
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