[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65578-65579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25249]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 219 / Monday, November 15, 2004 / 
Notices  

[[Page 65578]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Bridger-Teton National Forest-Wyoming--Kemmerer and Greys River 
Ranger Districts; Lincoln County, WY Salt Pass Grazing Allotments 
Environmental Impact Statement.

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare An 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the effects of domestic 
livestock grazing in the Salt Pass area. The Salt Pass Grazing 
Allotments (composed of Giraffe, Lower Salt, Porcupine, Smiths Fork, 
Buckskin Knoll, Lake Alice, North Salt River, South Salt River domestic 
sheep allotments and Trespass domestic cattle allotment) are located in 
Township 28, 29, 30 North, and Range 116, 117, 118, 119 West; Sixth 
Principal Meridian. The allotments are located entirely within Lincoln 
County. The allotments are located on two ranger districts, Kemmerer 
and Greys River. The Kemmerer Ranger District administers all the 
allotments except North Salt River and South Salt River, which are 
administered by the Greys River Ranger District.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by December 17, 2005. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected in April 2005 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected by July 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Russ Bacon, District Ranger, 
Kemmerer Ranger District, P.O. Box 31, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101. For 
further information, mail correspondence to [email protected] and on the subject line put only ``Salt Pass 
Allotments''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Russ Bacon, Kemmerer District Ranger, 
Kemmerer Ranger District, P.O. Box 31, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101 or phone 
(307) 877-4415.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    This proposal, in part, is to comply with Public Law 104-19, 
section 504(a): establish and adhere to a schedule for the completion 
of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.) analysis and decision on all grazing allotments within the 
National Forest System unit for which NEPA is needed (Pub. L. 104-19, 
General Provision 1995). Upon completion of the NEPA analysis and 
decisions for the allotments, the terms and conditions of the existing 
grazing permits will be modified, as necessary, to conform to such NEPA 
analysis. In addition, the purpose of the proposed action is to improve 
range condition and trend and achieve desired conditions within the 
project area through livestock grazing.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to authorize continued livestock grazing, 
provide analysis and data to update allotment management plans (AMPs), 
and allow livestock grazing that meets or moves existing resources 
conditions toward desired conditions on National Forest grazing 
allotments while complying with applicable statutes. Adaptive 
management, which allows flexibility during the implementation of the 
grazing strategy, would allow managers to make adjustments and 
corrections to management based on monitoring.

Possible Alternatives

    Grazing as Currently Permitted: Although allotment management plans 
(AMP's) would be prepared for each of the nine allotments, the grazing 
management practices specified for the allotments with existing AMP's 
would not be changed. In addition, no new utilization standards would 
be initiated to move existing resource conditions in the project area 
toward the desired future conditions (DFC's) specified in the Forest 
Plan.
    No Grazing by Domestic Livestock (No grazing alternative): This 
would eliminate livestock grazing in the project area. This alternative 
was developed to demonstrate the effects that eliminating livestock 
grazing would have on the environment and to more clearly illustrate 
the potential effects of implementing other alternatives. Under this 
alternative, domestic livestock grazing on all nine allotments within 
the project area would be phased out over several years as existing 
Term Grazing Permits expire.

Responsible Official

    Russell Bacon, District Forest Ranger, Kemmerer Ranger District, 
P.O. Box 31, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101 and Charlene Bucha-Gentry, 
District Forest Ranger, Greys River Ranger District, P.O. Box 339, 
Afton, Wyoming 83110.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision, which is based on this analysis, will be to decide if 
livestock will be allowed to graze on the allotment complex, either 
through the implementation of the proposed action, or an alternative to 
the proposed action. The decision would include any mitigation measures 
needed in addition to those prescribed in the Forest Plan.

Scoping Process

    Forest Service is seeking information, comments, and assistance 
from individuals, organizations, tribal governments, and federal, 
state, and local agencies interested in or affected by this project. 
This analysis is for nine grazing allotments. The decision will have 
limited environmental effects outside the allotment boundaries, and the 
economic impacts are localized. Public participation will be solicited 
by notifying in person and/or by mail known interested affected 
publics. News releases will be used to give the public general notice. 
Public participation activities would include requests for written 
comments. The first formal opportunity to comment is to respond to this 
notice of intent, which initiates the scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7). 
Scoping includes: (1) Identifying potential issues, (2) narrowing the 
potential issues and identifying significant issues of those that have 
been covered by prior environmental review, (3) exploring alternatives 
in addition to No Action, and (4) identifying potential environmental 
effects of the proposed action and alternatives.

[[Page 65579]]

Preliminary Issues

    The Forest Service has identified the following potential issues. 
Your input is especially valuable here. It will help us determine which 
of these merit detailed analysis. It will also help identify additional 
issues related to the proposed action that may not be listed here.
     Effects of grazing on soil erosion and productivity.
     Effects of grazing on watershed condition and function.
     Effects of grazing on the life cycle of the Bonneville and 
Snake River cutthroat trout.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement.
    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 
contention. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
533 (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 meaningully 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 for public inspection.

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

    Dated: November 4, 2004.
Fred Fouse,
Acting District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 04-25249 Filed 11-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M