[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31088-31090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12391]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Proposed Packsaddle Creek and Rammell Hollow Timber Sales 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Teton County, ID

AGENCY: USDA Forest Service.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement to document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of proposed actions to harvest timber; regenerate stands of 
aspen trees; and construct roads, reconstruct roads, decommission roads 
and meet Revised Forest Plan Standards for road densities in the 
Packsaddle Creek and Rammell Hollow areas of the Targhee National 
Forest in Teton County, Idaho. The proposed projects are located in 
Township 5 North, Range 44 East, Sections 18 and 19, and Township 5 
North, Range 43 East, Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, and 24, Boise 
Meridian, Teton County, Idaho.
    The Teton Basin Ranger District of the Targhee National Forest 
proposes to

[[Page 31089]]

regenerate approximately 600 acres of aspen and harvest an estimated 
7,200 hundred cubic feet (3.6 million board feet) of commercial timber 
on two timber sales. The purpose of the proposed project is to 
regenerate aspen. Conifer trees will be removed in these aspen-conifer 
mixed stands using a timber sale contract followed by implementing 
prescribed fire that will burn the conifer slash and will kill the 
remaining aspen parent stems. The prescribed fire will stimulate the 
production of root suckers throughout the treated aspen-conifer stand 
and will establish aspen regeneration. This activity will provide an 
Allowable Sale Quantity of merchantable forest products to industry and 
help meet Properly Functioning Conditions for stand structure, stand 
function, and species composition for aspen stands on suitable 
timberlands in the Mahogany Watershed.
    Following conifer harvest, approximately 400 acres of the 600 acres 
would receive broadcast burning to stimulate aspen regeneration. Again, 
following conifer harvest, the remaining approximately 200 acres would 
have conifer slash piled and burned and the remaining aspen trees 
severed with chainsaws to stimulate aspen regeneration. All treatment 
units considered for cutting are mature aspen-conifer mixed stands 
consisting of aspen, Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, subalpine fir and 
Engelmann spruce. An estimated 8.0 miles of existing Forest Road would 
be reconstructed, 0.3 miles of new road would be constructed, and 2.9 
miles of existing road would be decommissioned following treatment. 
Approximately 0.5 miles of road reconstruction would occur on private 
ground. All merchantable timber would be yarded using ground based 
systems such as tractors. Natural aspen regeneration is planned and 
expected for in all the proposed cutting units. Logging slash will be 
available for firewood to the public on some portions for one year. Ten 
to fifteen tons per acres of large woody debris will be left in each 
cutting unit for nutrient recycling.
    The issues identified during scoping and the analysis process will 
determine alternatives to the proposed action. The no action 
alternative will be analyzed.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described 
in this notice should be received within 30 days of the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. No scoping meeting 
are planned at this time. Information received will be used in 
preparation of the draft EIS and final EIS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 
Teton Basin Ranger District, P.O. Box 777, Driggs, Idaho 83422.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed 
action and EIS should be directed to Jim Robertson, Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest, Teton Basin Ranger District, 515 South Main Street, 
P.O. Box 777, Driggs, Idaho 83422. (Telephone: (208) 354-2312.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service is seeking information 
and comments from Federal, State and local agencies, as well as 
individuals and organizations that may be interested in, or affected by 
the proposed action. The Forest Service invites written comments and 
suggestions on the issues related to the proposal and the area being 
analyzed.
    The responsible official is Jerry B. Reese, Forest Supervisor, 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 1405 Hollipark Dr., Idaho Falls, Idaho 
83401.
    The decision to be made is: The Forest Service needs to decide 
whether to continue the present course of action (the no action 
alternative) or to implement the proposed action with applicable 
mitigation measures, or to implement an alternative to the proposed 
action with its applicable mitigation measures.
    The tentative date for filing the Draft EIS is August 1, 2004. The 
tentative date for filing the final EIS is October 1, 2004. The comment 
period on the draft environmental impact statement will be open for 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 viewers 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 alert an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 
519,(1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft impact statement stage but 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 F2d 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 of the Draft Environmental Impact 
statement 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. Agency representatives and other interested people are 
invited to visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the 
EIS process.
    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. 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 in response 
to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposed 
action and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted 
anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those who submit 
anonymous comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent 
decision under 36 CFR 215 or 217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 
1.27(d), any person may request the agency to withhold a submission 
from the public record by showing how the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA) permits such confidentiality. Persons requesting such 
confidentially should be aware that, under FOIA, confidentially may be 
granted in only limited circumstances, such as to protect trade 
secrets. The Forest Service will inform the requester of the agency's 
decision regarding the request for confidentially, and where the 
request is denied; the agency will return the submission and notify the 
requester that the comments may be resubmitted with or without name and 
address within 10 days.


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    Dated: May 25, 2004.
Jerry B. Reese,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Intermountain 
Region, USDA Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 04-12391 Filed 6-1-04; 8:45 am]
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