[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34640-34641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-14040]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Black Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District, South 
Dakota, Deerfield Project Area Proposal and Analysis

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 on a proposal for multiple resource management actions within 
the Deerfield Project Area to implement the Black Hills National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan. The Deerfield Project Area covers 
about 41,000 acres of National Forest System land and about 5,200 acres 
of interspersed private land approximately 11 miles northwest of Hill 
City, South Dakota. The proposed action is to conduct vegetation 
management within the project area consisting of both commercial and 
non-commercial removal of trees, reduction of existing fuels and 
created activity fuels, and prescribed burning. Specific actions 
proposed for the Deerfield Project Area include the following: 
Commercial timber harvest of trees 7 inches or greater in diameter to 
thin stand densities, lower the potential for large scale mountain pine 
beetle infestations and crown fires, to create a mosiac of tree sizes 
and age classes, and to remove pine encroachment from meadows and 
hardwoods. These treatments would occur on approximately 14,000 acres. 
Non-commercial removal of trees smaller than 7 inches in diameter to 
reduce stand densities, eliminate ladder fuels, and improve the health 
and vigor of remaining trees would occur on approximately 4,200 areas, 
most of which overlap with commercial timber harvest acres. Forest 
fuels that currently exist and those created by harvest and thinning 
activities would be reduced by actions such as lopping, chipping, 
crushing, or piling and burning. Fuel breaks approximately 200 to 300 
feet wide would be constructed adjacent to private land to provide some 
measure of protection to private land or structures in the event of a 
wildfire. These fuel breaks would consist of thinning existing trees of 
all sizes on approximately 1,400 acres. Some of these acres may overlap 
with other commercial and non-commercial treatments described above. 
Prescribed burning would be conducted on approximately 7,000 to 10,000 
acres to reduce the continuity and amount of fuels, reduce the 
potential for large scale crown fires, and restore fire to its natural 
ecological role. Many of these acres will overlap with the vegetation 
treatments already described.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis would be most 
useful if received by 30-days following the date of this notice. 
Comments submitted by individuals and groups during the initial May 
2004 scoping period have been incorporated and there is no need to 
resubmit comments in response to this NOI. The draft environmental 
impact statement is expected to be available for public review by 
November 2004 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
to be completed by February 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Robert J. Thompson, District 
Ranger, Black Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District, Deerfield 
Project Area, 800 Soo San Drive, Rapid City, South Dakota 57702. 
Telephone Number: (605) 343-1567. E-mail: [email protected] with ``Deerfield'' as the subject. 
Electronic comments must be readable in Word, RichText or pdf formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie Van Alstyne, Project 
Coordinator, Black Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District, at 
above address, phone (605) 343-1567.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The actions proposed are in direct response 
to management direction provided by the Black Hills National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The site specific 
actions are designed based on Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines to 
move existing resource conditions in the Deerfield Project Area toward 
meeting Forest Plan Goals and Objectives. The project areas includes 
the Deerfield Recreation Area with Deerfield Lake, Reynolds Prairie, 
and Hat and Flag Mountains and lies approximately 11 miles northwest of 
Hill City, South Dakota. Anticipated issues include: an increasing 
mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation and pine tree mortality; fire 
and fuels hazard reduction; support and opposition to vegetation 
treatment such as timber harvest; impacts of vegetation treatment and 
multiple forest uses on wildlife habitat.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of and need for the actions proposed in the Deerfield 
Project is to: Reduce the potential for large scale MPB infestations, 
to break up the continuity of dense timber stands, reduce the potential 
for large scale wildfire, and restore hardwoods and meadows. This 
project will address Goals 2 and 3 of the Forest Plan--to provide for 
biologically diverse

[[Page 34641]]

ecosystems and provide for sustained commodity uses, consistent with 
Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines.

Proposed Action

    Proposed actions include the following:
     Commercial timber harvest of trees 7 inches or greater in 
diameter to thin stand densities, lower the potential for large scale 
MPB infestations and crown fires, to create a mosiac of tree sizes and 
age classes, and to remove pine encroaching on meadows and hardwoods. 
These treatments would occur on approximately 14,000 acres.
     Non-commercial removal of trees smaller than 7 inches in 
diameter to reduce stand densities, eliminate ladder fuels, and improve 
the health and vigor of remaining trees. These treatments would occur 
on approximately 4,200 acres, most of which overlap with commercial 
timber harvest acres.
     Reduce forest fuels that currently exist and those created 
by harvest and thinning activities. This might include lopping, 
chipping, crushing, or piling and burning.
     Construct fuel breaks approximately 200 to 300 feet wide 
adjacent to private land to provide some measure of protection to 
private land or structures in the event of a wildfire. These fuel 
breaks would consist of thinning existing trees of all sizes on 
approximately 1,400 acres. Some of these acres may overlap with other 
commercial and non-commercial treatments described above.
     Conduct prescribed burning on approximately 7,000 to 
10,000 acres to reduce the continuity and amount of fuels, reduce the 
potential for large scale crown fires, and restore fire to its natural 
ecological role. Many of these acres will overlap with the vegetation 
treatments already described.

Responsible Official

    John C. Twiss, Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest, 
25041 N. Highway 16, Custer, SD 57730.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether or not to implement the proposed 
action or alternatives at this time.

Scoping Process

    Comments and input regarding the proposal have been received via 
direct mailing from the public, other groups and agencies during the 
initial 30-day (plus) public comment period in May 2004. Comments 
submitted based on this NOI, will be most useful if received within 30 
days from the date of this notice. Response to the draft EIS will be 
sought from the interested public beginning in November 2004.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent provides information that the agency will 
prepare an environmental impact statement in response to public comment 
and feedback during the May 2004 scoping period. Comments submitted by 
individuals and groups during the initial May 2004 scoping period have 
been incorporated and there is no need to resubmit comments in response 
to this NOI. Additional comments received will assist the planning team 
to identify key issues and opportunities used to develop project 
alternatives and mitigation measures. Comments on the DEIS will be 
requested ruing the 45 days comment period following the Notice of 
Availability to be published in the Federal Register in November 2004 
(See discussion below).

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 for 45 days (beginning around November 1,2 2004) form the date 
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early state, 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 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.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21.

    Dated: June 16, 2004.
Brad Exton,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest.
[FR Doc. 04-14040 Filed 6-21-04; 8:45 am]
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