[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 72 (Friday, April 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19921-19922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7478]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Clear Prong Project, Boise National Forest, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Cascade Ranger District of the Boise National Forest will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a resource 
management project in the Clear Creek drainage. The entire project area 
is located in watersheds that drain into Clear Creek, which in turn 
drains into the North Fork Payette River below Cascade Reservoir. The 
11,056-acre project area is located 10 miles east of Cascade, Idaho, 
and about 120 miles north of Boise, Idaho.
    The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of 
the analysis. The agency also hereby gives notice of the environmental 
analysis and decisionmaking process that will occur on the proposal so 
interested and affected people are aware of how they may participate 
and contribute to the final decision. At this time, no public meetings 
to discuss the project are planned.
    Proposed Action: Eight objectives have been identified for the 
project: (1) Relative to Douglas-fir beetle, mountain pine beetle, 
western pine beetle, western spruce budworm, and/or dwarf mistletoe, 
manipulate the structures, densities and compositions of stands to 
maintain a low or moderate susceptibility level, or to decrease 
susceptibility to a low or moderate level; (2) reduce fuel loads and 
ladder fuels through the use of prescribed fire where existing forest 
types indicate such an action could be accomplished without substantial 
mortality of the overstory trees, and where topographic features would 
make the use of prescribed fire a practical management action; (3) 
retain the existing size class of stands currently identified as large 
tree and manipulate the structure of small and medium tree size class 
stands to accelerate their movement toward the large tree size class; 
(4) reduce the densities of stands currently identified as large tree 
size class to maintain or

[[Page 19922]]

restore canopy closures within desired conditions; (5) consistent with 
the particular habitat type, discriminate against shade-tolerant 
species such as grand fir and subalpine fir and encourage retention and 
recruitment of several species; (6) improve long-term stand growth to 
or near levels indicative of sustainable forests; (7) provide wood 
products to support local and regional economies; and (8) reduce 
management-induced sediment associated with roads 409, 405B, 405B2, 
405C, 405D, and 417HX1.
    The Proposed Action would implement silvicultural activities, 
including thinning of submerchantable trees and prescribed fire, on 
2,875 acres. An estimated 9.0 MMBF would be removed using tractor, off-
road jammer, skyline, and helicopter yarding systems. The Proposed 
Action would employ a variety of silvicultrual prescriptions including 
commercial thin, commercial thin with prescribed fire, sanitation/
improvement, sanitation/improvement with prescribed fire, seed cut 
shelterwood, clearcut with reserve trees, thinning of submerchantable 
trees, thinning of submerchantable trees with prescribed fire, and 
prescribed fire.
    The Proposed Action would restore an estimated 0.8 mile of the 409 
road through maintenance activities to reduce sedimentation. 
Specifically, gravel would be applied to the surface of the 409 road 
from near the 409/409D intersection to Clear Creek Summit. Roughly 1.6 
miles of temporary road would be constructed to facilitate 
silvicultrual activities.
    An estimated 4.4 miles of existing road (405B, 405B2, 405C, 405D, 
and 417HX1) not needed for the long-term management of the area would 
be decommissioned to reduce future maintenance needs and to reduce 
sedimentation. These five roads would be removed from the 
transportation system.
    Preliminary Issues: Preliminary concerns with the Proposed Action 
include potential impacts on water quality and terrestrial wildlife 
species.
    Possible Alternatives to The Proposed Action: One alternative to 
the Proposed Action that has been discussed thus far is a no action 
alternative. Other alternatives will likely be developed as issues are 
identified and information received.
    Decisions To Be Made: The Boise National Forest Supervisor will 
decide the following: (1) Should vegetation be managed within the 
project area at this time, and if so, which stands should be treated 
and what silvicultural systems applied? (2) Should temporary roads be 
built at this time, and if so, how many miles should be built and where 
should they occur within the project area? (3) Should existing 
classified roads within the project area receive maintenance activities 
to reduce sedimentation, and if so, where within the project area? (4) 
Should portions of roads 405B, 405B2, 405C, 405D, and 417HX1 be 
decommissioned at this time? (5) Based on the completed Clear Prong 
Project Roads Analysis, which roads should be adopted as the minimum 
transportation system? (6) What design features and/or mitigation 
measures should be applied to the project?

DATES: Substantive comments concerning the proposed project and 
analysis are encouraged and should be postmarked or received within 30 
days following publication of this announcement in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Substantive comments should be addressed to the Cascade 
Ranger District, ATTN: Keith Dimmett, PO Box 696, Cascade, ID 83611 or 
sent electronically to [email protected]. 
Electronic comments must be submitted in plain text or another format 
compatible with Microsoft Word. Substantive comments are those within 
the scope of, are specific to, and have a direct relationship to the 
proposed action and include supporting reasons that the Responsible 
Official should consider in reaching a decision. Comments received in 
response to this request will be available for public inspection and 
will be released in their entirety if requested pursuant to the Freedom 
of Information Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further information can be obtained 
from Keith Dimmett at the address mentioned above or by calling 208-
382-7400.
    Schedule: Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), June 2005. 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), August 2005.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An estimated 2,194 acres of the Peace Rock 
Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA) and an additional 252 acres of the 
Stony Meadows IRA lie within the Clear Prong Project Area. With the 
exception of a small portion of the prescribed fire, none of the 
activities associated with the Proposed Action would occur within 
either IRA.
    The entire project area drains into Clear Creek, which was listed 
in 1998 as impaired under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. The 
pollutant of concern was sediment. There is currently no TMDL in place.
    The project area lies within Management Area 17 (North Fork Payette 
River), discussed on pages III-290 through III-301 in the Forest Plan. 
Several Management Prescription Categories (MPC's) apply within this 
Management Area (MA). However, only MPC 4.1c and 5.2 occur within the 
project area. With the exception of a small portion of the prescribed 
fire, the Proposed Action includes management activities within MPC 5.2 
only.
    The comment period on the DEIS 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, reviews of 
the DEIS 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, 533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that 
could be raised at the DEIS stage but are not raised until after 
completion of the FEIS may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City 
of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1002 (9th Cir., 1986) and Wisconsin 
Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, (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 DEIS 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 FEIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as 
specific as possible. it is also helpful if comments refer to specific 
pages or chapters of the draft 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.
    Responsible Official: Richard A. Smith, Forest Supervisor, Boise 
National Forest, 1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200, Boise, ID 83709.

    Dated: March 31, 2005.
Richard A. Smith,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 05-7478 Filed 4-14-05; 8:45 am]
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