[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1434-1435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-345]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6659-4]


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 FR dated April 02, 2004 (69 
FR 17403).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65421-00 Rating EC1, Grizzly Bear Conservation for 
the Greater Yellowstone Area National Forests, Implementation, Amend 
Six Forest Plans: Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Bridger-Teton 
National Forest, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Custer National 
Forest, Gallatin National Forest and Shoshone National Forest, MT, WY 
and ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the preferred 
alternative did not include protection measures to reduce conflicts 
between grizzly bears and other Forest uses and to enhance food 
security and habitat protections included in other alternatives. EPA 
believes these measures would improve water quality, fish and wildlife, 
and other natural resources and should be considered in the Final EIS.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65423-UT Rating EC2, Reissuance of 10-Year Term 
Grazing Permits to Continue Authorize Grazing on Eight Cattle 
Allotments, Permit Reissuance, Fishlake National Forest, Beaver 
Mountain Tushar Range, Millard, Piute, Garfield, Beaver and Iron 
Counties, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
adverse impacts to aquatic resources, water quality, and wildlife 
habitats as well as soil erosion from continued grazing as proposed in 
the Draft EIS. The Final EIS should consider greater use of upland 
areas, include specific guidelines and measures for future adaptive 
management processes and ensure resources for education, enforcement of 
permit standards, mitigation and monitoring.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65427-WY Rating EC2, Cottonwood II Vegetation 
Management Project, Proposal to Implement Vegetation Management in the 
North and South Cottonwood Creek Drainages, Bridger-Teton National 
Forest, Big Piney Ranger District, Sublette County, WY.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about potential adverse 
impacts to water quality, aquatic habitat and wildlife resources, soil 
condition and impacts to fish and wildlife, especially sensitive 
species. In addition, the Final EIS should include the value of 
recreation and impacts to recreation related business to assess the 
full range of potential socio-economic impacts.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65429-CO Rating EC2, Village at Wolf Creek Project, 
Application for Transportation and Utility Systems and Facilities, 
Proposed Development and Use of Roads and Utility Corridors Crossing, 
National Forest System Lands to Access 287.5 Acres of Private Property 
Land, Mineral County, CO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
adverse impacts to wetlands, water quality and quantity, aquatic 
habitat, air quality and wildlife, (including lynx and Rio Grande Cut 
Throat Trout). The Final EIS should include an analysis and 
quantification of indirect impacts, including impacts from reasonably 
foreseeable actions and mitigation measures.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65430-MT Rating EC2, McSutten Decision Area, 
Implementation of Harvest and Associated Activities, Prescribed 
Burning, and Road Management, Kootenai National Forest, Rexford Ranger 
District, Lincoln County, MT.
    Summary: EPA supports the project purpose and need, but expressed 
environmental concerns regarding proposed timber harvests on sensitive 
soils and potential water quality impacts.
    ERP No. DS-AFS-J02027-UT Rating EC2, Table Top Exploratory Oil and 
Gas Wells, New Information from the Approval 1994 Final EIS, Wasatch-
Cache National Forest, Evanston Ranger District, Summit County, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns about the lack of detail given in 
the mitigation plans to protect the lynx. The Final EIS should include 
mitigation measures to reduce potential adverse air impacts from 
flaring during periods with atmospheric inversions.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-H65021-MO East Fredericktown Project, To Restore 
Shortleaf Pine, Improve Forest Health, Treat Affected Stands and 
Recover Valuable Timber Products, Mark Twain National Forest, Potosi/
Fredericktown Ranger District, Bollinger, Madison, St. Francois and 
Ste. Genevieve Counties, MO.
    Summary: The Final EIS adequately addressed EPA's issues raised in 
the comments on the Draft EIS.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65415-MT Robert-Wedge Post-Fire Project, Salvage 
Trees and Rehabilitate Lands, Flathead National Forest, Glacier View 
Ranger District, Flathead County, MT.
    Summary: EPA is concerned that logging in areas of high burn 
severity may result in detrimental soil and water quality effects, and 
increased erosion and sediment production and supports the use of less 
damaging logging techniques. EPA also expressed environmental concerns 
regarding road management activities.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65420-SD Southeast Geographic Area Rangeland 
Management on National Forest System Lands of the Buffalo Gap National 
Grassland, To Implement Best Management Grazing Practices, Buffalo Gap 
National Grassland, Falls River Ranger District, Fall River County, SD.
    Summary: EPA's main concerns relate to continuing adverse impacts 
from livestock grazing to: (1) Streams, riparian zones, and wetlands; 
(2) fecal coliform and other bacteria, sediment, and other impacts that 
are impairing beneficial uses for warmwater fish and other aquatic 
life; and (3) the need for better riparian protections to manage 
livestock activities that cause adverse impacts to fish and other 
aquatic life and their habitats.

[[Page 1435]]

    ERP No. F-AFS-J65422-MT West Side Reservoir Post-Fire Project, 
Proposed Implementation of Timber Salvage and Access Management 
Treatments, Flathead National Forest, Hungry Horse and Spotted Bear 
Ranger Districts, Flathead County, MT.
    Summary: EPA supports less damaging logging methods proposed and 
project modifications to reduce potential adverse effects. However, EPA 
is still concerned that post-fire logging may impact soils, water 
quality, and wildlife habitat (particularly habitat of the threatened 
grizzly bear).
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65456-AK Resurrection Creek Stream and Riparian 
Restoration Project, Proposes to Accelerate the Recovery of Riparian 
Areas, Fish and Wildlife Habitat, Chugach National Forest, Seward 
Ranger District, Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65457-OR Crooked River National Grassland Vegetation 
Management/Grazing, Vegetation Treatments and Grazing Disposition, 
Ochoco National Forest, Jefferson County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections and supports the USFS 
efforts to work with watershed councils and ODEQ to develop Water 
Quality Management Plans for the streams within the Grasslands which do 
not meet ambient water quality standards.

    Dated: January 4, 2005.
Robert W. Hargrove,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 05-345 Filed 1-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P