[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 84 (Friday, April 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23750-23751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9877]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6650-8]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared pursuant to the Environmental 
Review Process (ERP), under section 309 of the Clean Air Act and 
section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act as amended. 
Requests for copies of EPA comments can be directed to the Office of 
Federal Activities at (202) 564-7167. An explanation of the ratings 
assigned to draft environmental impact statements (EISs) was published 
in the Federal Register dated April 2, 2004 (69 FR 17403).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65401-00 Rating EC2, Northern Rockies Lynx 
Amendment, To Conserve and Promote Recovery of the Canada Lynx, NFS and 
BLM to Amend Land Resource

[[Page 23751]]

Management Plans for 18 National Forests (NF), MT, WY, UT and ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns that the preferred alternative 
would allow activities potentially damaging to lynx and its habitat and 
may not promote adequate conservation to allow lynx recovery. EPA 
recommended that the involved federal agencies develop standards to 
better balance lynx conservation and multiple-use needs.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65405-ND Rating EC1, Equity Oil Company Federal 32-4 
and 23-21 Oil and Gas Wells Surface Use Plan of Operation (SUP0), 
Implementation, Located in the Bell Lake Inventoried Roadless Area 
(IRA), Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Medora Ranger District, Goldon Valley 
County, ND.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to impacts from 
roads into Inventoried Roadless Area. EPA recommended avoiding and/or 
minimizing disturbances in the Inventoried Roadless Area and fully 
implementing proposed monitoring and mitigation measures. ERP No. D-
AFS-J65408-MT Rating EC2, Fortine Project, To Implement Vegetation 
Management, Timber Harvest and Fuel Reduction Activities, Kootenai 
National Forest, Fortine Ranger District, Lincoln County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns due to impacts from sediment 
production and transport from proposed timber harvest activities in the 
watershed of 303(d) listed Fortine Creek. EPA recommended additional 
information and analysis to clarify the ability of watershed 
restoration to adequately offset sediment produced during timber 
harvest and road construction, as well as including detailed monitoring 
and mitigation plans.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K65307-AZ Rating EC2, Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott 
National Forest, Integrated Treatment of Noxious and Invasive Weeds, 
Implementation, Coconino, Mojave and Yavapai Counties, AZ.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns due to potential impacts to 
drinking water sources from herbicide applications. EPA requested 
information on this issue and mitigation to avoid or reduce possible 
drinking water impacts. ERP No. D-AFS-L65450-00 Rating LO, Chips Ahoy 
Project, Proposes Vegetation, Wildlife Habitat, Recreation and Aquatic 
Improvement Treatments, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Priest Lake 
Ranger District, Bonner County, ID and Pend Orielle County, WA.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the proposed action, 
additional information was requested on recreation activities be 
included in the Final EIS and that vegetation management in Canada Lynx 
and Fisher habitat be staggered over time.
    ERP No. D-FHW-E40794-00 Rating EC2, Interstate 69 National 
Corridor, Connecting Henderson, Kentucky to Evansville, Indiana, NPDES, 
and U.S. Army COE Section 10 and 404 Permits, Transportation Equity Act 
for the 21st, KY and IN.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding impacts relating to the 
non-attainment of the 8-hour ozone standard, as well as noise and 
wetlands impacts. Potential impacts to federally-listed species is an 
additional area of concern.
    ERP No. D-NPS-K65267-CA Rating LO, Point Reyes National Seashore 
(PRNS) and the North District of Golden Gate National Recreation Area 
(GGNRA) Fire Management Plan, Implementation, Marin County, Ca.
    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objections to this project but 
requested clarification of water quality mitigation measures and the 
biological opinion.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-E65038-FL, USDA Forest Service and State of Florida 
Land Exchange Project, Assembled Exchange of both Fee, Ownership 
Parcels and Partial Interest Parcels, Baker, Citrus, Franklin, 
Hernando, Lake, Liberty, Okaloosa, Osceola, Santa Rosa and Sumter 
Counties, FL.
    Summary: EPA supports the proposed action to consolidate lands and 
therefore has no objections to the project.
    ERP No. F-AFS-E65067-AL, Forest Health and Red-Cockaded Woodpecker 
(RCW) Initiative, Implementation, Talladega National Forest, Talladega 
and Shoal Creek Ranger Districts, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Clebourne 
and Talladega Counties, AL.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed action.
    ERP No. F-AFS-F65044-MI, Baltimore Vegetative Management Project, 
Implementation, Ottawa National Forest, Ontonagon Ranger District, 
Ontonagon County, MI.
    Summary: EPA continues to express concern relating to glossy 
buckhorn control and deer monitoring.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65439-OR, Monument Fire Recovery Project, Whitman 
Unit --Wallowa--Whitman National Forest (WWNF) Timber Harvest of Fire 
Killed/Dying Trees, Reforestation, Recovery of Herbaceous, Native 
Vegetation and Maintenance or Improvement of Water Quality, 
Implementation, Baker County, OR.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BLM-J01079-WY, South Powder River Basin Coal Project, 
Application for Leasing of Five Federal Coal Tracts: NARO Tracts: NARO 
North and NARO South (North Antelope/ Rochelle Mine Complex), Little 
Thunder (Black Thunder Mine) West Roundup (North Rochelle Mine) and 
West Antelope (Antelope Mine), Campbell and Converse Counties, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to impacts from 
fugitive dust and the need for an air cumulative impact analysis.
    ERP No. F-BLM-J65376-CO, Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area 
Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Montrose and Delta Counties, 
CO.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FHW-E40782-NC, Western Wake Freeway, Transportation 
Improvements from NC-55 at NC-1172 (Old Smithfield Road) to NC-55 near 
NC-1630 (Alston Avenue), Funding and COE 404 Permit, Wake County, NC.
    Summary: EPA continues to express concerns due to non-mitigable 
impacts to terrestrial forests and other upland natural systems. EPA 
also continues to be concerned about potential noise receptor impacts 
in Feltonsville and the preparation, review and approval of a wetland 
and stream mitigation plan.

    Dated: April 27, 2004.
Ken Mittelholtz,
Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 04-9877 Filed 4-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P