[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71-72]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-28691]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Notice of Availability; County Line Vegetation Management Project 
Draft, Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, Rio Grande National Forest.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest 
Service (USFS), Rio Grande National forest (RGNF) announces the 
availability of the County Line Vegetation Management Project Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Draft EIS was prepared in 
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations (40 CFR Parts 
1500-1508). The EIS analyzes the environmental impacts of a proposal to 
manage a spruce beetle infestation by performing up to 715 acres of 
sanitation/salvage harvest and up to 841 acres of preventative 
thinning. Timber harvest activities could produce from 22 to 29 MMBF of 
spruce sawtimber. The action alternatives propose to realign 0.3 miles 
of system road, to reconstruct from 10.7 to 15.6 miles of system roads 
to construct 2.3 miles of temporary roads, and to close up to 2.3 miles 
of open system road and convert it to a non-motorized trail. Three 
alternatives are considered: (A) The No Action Alternative; (B) the 
Proposed Action (Sanitation/salvage and preventative thinning); and (C) 
Sanitation/Salvage.

DATES: USFS invites Federal agencies, state and local governments, 
Native American tribes, and the public to comment on the Draft EIS. The 
comment period extends from the publication of this Notice of 
Availability until February 07, 2005. Written comments must be 
submitted by February 07, 2005. Comments submitted after that date will 
be considered to the extent practicable. The USFS will consider the 
comments in the preparation of the Final EIS. Public meetings to 
present information and receive written comments on the Draft EIS are 
not planned at this time.
    The following Web site may be accessed for additional information: 
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/riogrande/.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the Draft EIS or requests for 
copies of the Draft EIS to Mr. John Murphy, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, USDA-USFS, Rio Grande National Forest, Public Lands Center, 
1803 West Highway 160, Monte Vista, CO 81144. Electronic mail (e-mail) 
may be sent to [email protected] and faxes 
may be sent to (719) 852-6250.
    A copy of the Draft EIS will be available on the Internet at: 
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/riogrande/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Mr. John Murphy, 
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, USDA-USFS, Public Lands Center (719) 
852-6221. Refer to SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION regarding public 
disclosure of submitted comment information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rio Grande National Forest is comprised 
of 1.86 million acres located in southwestern Colorado. Denver, 
Colorado, is approximately 300 miles to the north of the RGNF, and 
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is approximately 270 miles to the south. The 
Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the western border 
of the RGNF. The County Line analysis Area is located about 15 miles 
north-east of Chama, New Mexico on lands administered by the RGNF.
    The spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) is the most significant 
cause of mortality of mature Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) 
stands. Large-scale spruce beetle infestations in excess of 100,000 
acres have occurred over the last 25 years in North America from Alaska 
to Arizona.
    The scope of spruce beetle outbreaks can be significant, at times 
killing up to 80% or more of the mature spruce trees within a 
watershed.
    Many areas of the Rio Grande National Forest are currently 
experiencing severe infestations of spruce beetle, including the County

[[Page 72]]

Line Analysis Area. Endemic spruce beetle populations usually live in 
windthrown trees but as populations increase they may enter 
susceptible, large diameter trees. Spruce stands are highly susceptible 
to spruce beetle when they are on highly productive sites, have an 
average diameter at breast height greater than 16 inches, have a basal 
area greater than 150 square feet per acre, and are stands that are 
predominantly spruce.
    The Count Line area contains these types of stands which are most 
susceptible to spruce beetle infestation. Significant spruce beetle 
activity was first observed in the County Line Analysis Area during the 
winter of 2003. Monitoring since then has shown spruce beetle 
infestations spreading through many of the stands in the analysis area 
at levels, which are resulting in significant spruce mortality. While 
spruce beetle epidemics cannot be stopped, stand management can reduce 
the adverse effects of beetle infestations and the resulting tree 
mortality.
    The responsible Official is the forest Supervisor, Rio Grande 
National Forest, 1803 West Highway 160, Monte Vista, CO 81132. The NEPA 
decision to be made by the USFS official is whether to perform 
sanitation/salvage treatments to heavily impacted stands, whether to 
perform preventive thinning to susceptible stands, and whether to close 
2.1 miles of open system road and convert it to a non-motorized trail.
    No Action: The No Action Alternative is the current USFS management 
situation. Under this alternative, USFS would not treat stands 
currently infested with spruce beetle, would not perform preventative 
thing in susceptible stands, and would not close 2.1 miles of open 
system road and convert it to a non-motorized trail.
    Proposed Action: This alternative emphasizes forest health 
restoration activities by managing spruce stands to create conditions 
less favorable to the spread of spruce beetle, reducing the spruce 
beetle population in the analysis area. This alternative proposes to 
thin 715 acres of spruce-fir and to conduct sanitation/salvage harvest 
on 841 acres. Trap trees would be utilized in the preventative thinning 
areas. Following timber harvest activities 693 acres would be planted 
to spruce. This alternative requires 5.1 miles of pre-haul maintenance, 
1.8 miles of dust abatement, 15.6 miles of road reconstruction, 0.3 
miles of road re-alignment, and 2.1 miles of road closure and 
conversion to a non-motorized trail. From 24 to 29 MMBF of spruce 
sawtimber would be harvested under this alternative.
    Alternative C: This alternative addresses forest health restoration 
activities by reducing the spruce beetle population in the analysis 
area. This alternative proposes to conduct sanitation/salvage harvest 
on 841 acres. Following timber harvest activities 693 acres would be 
planted to spruce. This alternative requires 5.1 miles of pre-haul 
maintenance, 1.8 miles of dust abatement, 10.7 miles of road 
reconstruction and 0.3 miles of road re-alignment. From 22 to 25 MMBF 
of spruce sawtimber would be harvested under this alternative.

Comments Requested

    This Notice of Availabilitry initiates the public comment process 
that guides the development of the Final EIS. The USFS invites written 
comments and suggestions on the proposed action and alternatives, 
including any issues to consider, as well as any concerns relevant to 
the analysis. In order to be most useful, comments should be received 
by February 07, 2005. Comments received in response to this notice, 
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. If you wish to withhold your name or street 
address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA), you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the 
extent allowed by law, but persons requesting such confidentiality 
should be aware that under the FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in 
only very limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The 
USFS will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding the 
request for confidentiality, 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 a 
specified number of days. All submissions from organizations and 
business, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
available for public inspection in their entirety. 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 Part 215. Upon completion of the Final EIS the 
document will be provided to the public for review and comment. 
Comments and USFS responses will be addressed and contained in the 
Final EIS.

    Dated: December 23, 2004.
Cindy Rivera,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 04-28691 Filed 12-30-04; 8:45 am]
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