[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 62 (Wednesday, March 31, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16889-16892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7124]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Ogden District Travel Plan; Ogden Ranger District, Wasatch-Cache 
National Forest; Box Elder, Cache, Rich, Weber and Morgan Counties, UT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The project will update the travel management plan for the 
Ogden Ranger District focusing on summer season motorized travel routes 
and how these routes will be used. The analysis and disclosure will 
assess the effects of alternatives on physical, biological and social 
resources including non-motorized recreation. The current travel 
management plan was developed in 1988 and amended in 1991. This project 
acknowledges changed environmental and social conditions and will 
respond with an improved plan and map to

[[Page 16890]]

direct motorized access and use of the Ogden Ranger District.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by April 30, 2004. It is important to note that scoping responses 
received on the Ogden Ranger District Travel Plan Update during July-
August 2003 are accepted in this EIS planning process; no other action 
is required of those who responded to scoping in July-August 2003 to 
have those original comments incorporated into and made part of this 
planning process. A draft environmental impact statement is expected to 
be published in October 2004, with public comment on the draft material 
requested for a period of 45 days, and completion of a final 
environment impact statement is expected April 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: District Ranger, Ogden Ranger 
District, 507 25th Street, Suite 103, Ogden, UT 84401, ATTN: Travel 
Plan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Vallejos, Recreation Forester, 
Ogden Ranger District, 507 25th Street, Suite 103, Ogden, UT 84401, 
(801) 625-5112; or e-mail at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the proposed action is to implement decisions made 
in the 2003 Forest Plan Revision for the Wasatch-Cache National Forest 
that result in a system of motorized roads and trails that provides 
opportunities for quality motorized recreation experiences, 
administrative access for Forest Service personnel and permittees, 
healthy wildlife habitat, stable soil, high quality water, sustainable 
vegetation and outstanding scenery.
    The need for change is demonstrated by the following: Since the 
Ogden Ranger District travel plan was last revised in 1991, demands for 
motorized recreational experiences have increased dramatically. In this 
period of time there has been a surge in the popularity of summer 
motorized recreation especially Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use.
    While quantitative data is lacking, field observation clearly shows 
that this increase in demand for motorized recreation experiences has 
come at a cost. There are abundant examples where unmanaged motorized 
recreational use has resulted in a labyrinth of unauthorized OHV's 
trails, denuded hillsides, erosion from gullies and ruts, loss of 
aesthetic appeal, and deterioration of quality wildlife habitat.
    The system of roads and motorized trails on the Ogden Ranger 
District has evolved over time. Like many of the tracts of land 
acquired by the Forest Service over the years, the area being studied 
in this analysis contains a number of old roads and trails. Some of 
these historical roads and trails were incorporated into the Ogden 
Ranger District travel system when the 1988 and 1991 travel management 
plans were completed. Traces of many travelways have remained and 
continue to be used inappropriately by the public. Over the past decade 
there has been an alarming increase in illegal user created trails. The 
process of incorporating roads and trails into the Ranger District's 
travel management system while user created travelways continue to 
evolve has created an unacceptable situation for management and 
provided unclear direction to the public.
    The objective of this analysis is to take a systematic look at 
these historic and user created trails and make decisions about which 
should be incorporated into the system and which should be removed and 
rehabilitated. The proposed action also includes several new motorized 
trail segments to be added to the system. By carefully considering what 
should be included in its motorized travel system, the Ogden Ranger 
District will be positioned to: provide quality motorized 
opportunities; better manage increased demand and, reduce environmental 
damage.

Proposed Action

    The Ogden Ranger District of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest is 
proposing 28 separate projects and changes to update the existing 
Travel Management Plan. These projects are identical to those proposed 
in the July 2003 scoping document. Included are the following:

Curtis Creek Area

    1. Otter Creek road--No FS Road Number--0.43 miles--Add this road 
to the system to connect BLM roads through National Forest.
    2. Red Spur Radio--FS Road Number 20205--1.03 miles--Add a road to 
the system that has few environmental impacts and is used to access the 
radio sites.
    3. Dry Fork--FS Road Number 20162--1.08 miles--Close northern piece 
of road to public use that has drainage problems and not needed for 
access.
    4. Valley Ridge North--No FS Road Number--0.2 miles--Add this road 
to the system to connect BLM roads and bypass a section of closed road.
    5. Big Crawford Spring--FS Road Number 26704, 26705, 26706-1.38 
miles--Close three sections of road with drainage problems and not 
needed for access.
    6. Zion Spring--FS Road Number 20221--1.17 miles--Close and 
obliterate a section of the road past the spring that is not needed.
    7. Tilda Springs ATV--No FS Road Number--0.83 miles--Build a new 
ATV trail to expand the existing system of trails.
    8. Davenport Hollow--FS Road Number 20196--2.34 miles--Add a road 
to the system that expands ATV opportunities and ends at a scenic 
overlook.
    9. Tilda Springs ATV--FS Road Number 26001 to 26004--1.98 miles--
Add four sections to the system of open ATVs trails to expand motorized 
opportunities.

Monte Cristo Area

    10. Dairy Wash ATV trail--No FS Road Number--2.02 miles--Build a 
new ATV trail adjacent to State Highway 39 to connect existing open 
roads.
    11. Silvia Hollow Trail--FS Trail Number 6314 to 6317--4.95 miles--
Change the designation of non-motorized trails to allow ATV use on the 
power line roads.
    12. Dairy Ridge 2--FS Road Number 26731--0.40 miles--Add a road 
that has few environmental impacts and could access a proposed gravel 
source.
    13. Silvia Hollow and Wasatch Dispersed--FS Road Number 20069, 
26733--1.64 miles--Add two roads to the system of approved roads that 
have few environmental impacts and access existing dispersed camp 
sites.
    14. Dry Bread Upper--FS Road Number 20107--1.33 miles--Open a 
previously closed road to ATV travel that would create few 
environmental impacts.

South Fork Area

    15. Camp Red Cliffe--FS Road Number 20191--0.47 mile--Close this 
road used by the camps and cabins to reduce management problems but 
allow permitted use.

Lewis Peak Area

    16. North Ogden Canyon Trail--FS Trail Number 6083--1.78 miles--
Change the designation from non-motorized system trails to allow 
motorcycle use. ATVs will not be allowed. This trails uses the road 
under the power line and connects to the Skyline trail currently open 
to motorcycles.
    17. Dry Canyon Overlook and City View Trails--FS Trail Numbers 
6352, 6040--1.88 miles--Change the designation from non-motorized 
system

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trails to allow motorcycle use. These trails connect to the Lewis Peak 
trail currently open to motorcycles.

Inspiration Point--Willard Mountain Area

    18. Willard ATV Trail--FS Trail Number 6323--1.50 miles--Change the 
designation from motorized system trails to non-motorized use only 
since this trail is causing environmental impacts and is hard to 
maintain for motorized recreation.
    19. Inspiration Point Trail--FS Trail Number 6091--0.48 mile--
Change the designation on motorcycle-only motorized trails to allow ATV 
use. This trail connects to the Willard Peak road currently open to 
motorized use.
    20. Willard Lake Trail--FS Trail Number 6090--1.36 miles--Change 
the designation from non-motorized trails to allow ATV use. This trail 
connects to the Willard Peak road currently open to motorized use and 
would add a new motorized recreation loop opportunity.

Public Grove Area

    21. Public Grove 4x4--FS Road number 20220--2.61 miles--Add a road 
to the system of approved roads to connect two county roads together.
    22. Public Hollow Loop 4x4 and Flat Canyon 4x4--FS Road Numbers 
20092, 26015--1.60 miles--Close and obliterate two sections of road to 
reduce environmental impacts. These roads are currently closed each 
spring to prevent damage.

Willard Area

    23. Brigham City Water--No Road Number--0.51 miles--Add a road that 
will be used as access to developed springs on National Forest.
    24. Devils Hole Canyon ATV Trail--No FS Trail Number--1.77 miles--
Build a new ATV trail to reduce mixed use traffic on the main road.
    25. Box Elder Creek Trail--No FS Trail Number--2.62 miles--Add an 
ATV trail to the system of approved trails to increase motorized 
recreation opportunities.
    26. Petes Hollow Trail--No FS Trail Number--2.37 miles--Add an ATV 
trail to the system of approved trails to increase motorized recreation 
opportunities and link the Front Range trails to the Willard area.
    27. Grizzly Peak 4x4--FS Road Number 20091--0.57 mile--Close and 
obliterate a section of this road that is difficult to maintain and is 
a low priority for access.
    28. Perry Reservoir--FS Road Number 20070--0.15 mile--Close and 
obliterate a section of the road at the reservoir to reduce 
environmental impacts.

Possible Alternatives

    Three alternatives to the proposed action are currently envisioned: 
(1) A no action alternative, that would continue management under the 
existing travel plan; (2) an alternative that emphasizes the protection 
of wildlife values identified in the revised Wasatch-Cache Forest Plan; 
(3) an alternative that provides for motorized recreation opportunities 
for parts of the Ogden Ranger District without placing other values at 
substantial risk.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official is Chip Sibbernsen, District Ranger, Ogden 
Ranger District, 507 25th Street, Suite 103, Ogden, UT 84401.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is to identify the system of summer 
motorized roads and trails on the Ogden Ranger District. It will also 
define what types of vehicles can be used, season restrictions, other 
timing restrictions and those routes that are open to ``administrative 
use'' for a the purpose of law enforcement, infrastructure maintenance 
and fire protection. The decision will also include mitigation measures 
to reduce environmental impacts associated with the transportation 
system and its use.

Scoping Process

    Scoping for this project was initiated on July 18, 2003, with a 
letter signed by Chip Sibbernsen that included a proposed action and 
maps. The scoping comment period was open until August 22, 2003, and 
nearly 60 public responses were received. As a result of this scoping 
several respondents felt the scope and complexity of the proposed 
action would require an environmental impact statement (EIS). This 
notice of intent reopens scoping so that the original respondents can 
add comments to those originally submitted, or so that other interested 
individuals may comment if they so desire. It is important to note that 
the original scoping responses received during July-August 2003 are 
accepted in this EIS planning process; no other action is required of 
those who responded to scoping in July-August 2003 to have their 
original comments included into and made part of this planning process.

Preliminary Issues

    Several preliminary issues were identified through the public 
scoping process conducted in July and August 2003. These issues relate 
to: (1) Water quality; (2) invasion by noxious weeds; (3) sensitive 
fish populations, especially Bonneville cutthroat trout; (4) wildlife 
habitat and an important regional wildlife corridor identified in the 
revised Forest Plan; (5) roadless area values; and, (6) non-motorized 
recreation opportunities.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent reinitiates the scoping process to help guide 
the development of the environmental impact statement. As indicated 
above, scopingresponses received during July-August 2003 are accepted 
in this EIS planning process, and no other action is required of those 
who responded to scoping in July-August 2003 to have their original 
comments made part of this planning process. Any new comments are also 
welcome, either of those who commented in the past or from newly 
interested parties.

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 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

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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 for public inspection.

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

    Dated: March 24, 2004.
Chip Sibbernsen,
Ogden District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 04-7124 Filed 3-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M