[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21732-21734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8400]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Chugach National Forest; Alaska; Kenai Winter Access

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Chugach National Forest will prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) for developing the Kenai winter access 
management plan on the Seward Ranger District. The objective of the 
Kenai winter access management plan is to respond to the public's need 
for high quality winter recreation opportunities and access in the 
planning area that best meets the needs of past, present and future 
users of the area and surrounding areas.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis to be most helpful 
should be received on or before May 25, 2005. The draft environmental 
impact statement is expected to be completed in August 2005 and the 
final environmental impact statement is expected to be completed in 
November 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Kenai Winter Access, Chugach 
National Forest, 3301 C St., Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99503. Comments 
may also be submitted by facsimile to (907) 743-9476 or by e-mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Talbott, Public Affairs Staff 
Officer, Chugach National Forest, 3301 C St., Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 
99503, (907) 743-9500. Sharon Randall, Planning Staff Officer, Chugach 
National Forest, 3301 C St., Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99503, (907) 743-
9500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service is seeking information, 
comments and assistance from individuals, organizations, tribal 
governments, and Federal, State, and local agencies that are interested 
or may be affected by the proposed action. The public is invited to 
help identify issues and define the range of alternatives to be 
considered in the EIS. The range of alternatives will be based on the 
identification of significant public issues, management concerns, 
resource management opportunities, and plan decisions specific to 
Access Management within the scope of the Chugach National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan 2002 Revision (Forest Plan). Written 
comments identifying issues for analysis and range of alternatives are 
encouraged.

Background

    On May 31, 2002, the Alaska (Region 10) Regional Forester signed 
the Record of Decision for the Revised Chugach Forest Plan. A number of 
individuals and organizations then appealed various parts of the 
decision, including the closure of the Carter-Crescent Lakes area to 
winter motorized access.
    In January 2003, after reviewing the appeals and the administrative 
record, the Regional Forester withdrew that portion of the decision 
closing the Carter-Crescent Lakes area to winter motorized access. By 
withdrawing the decision for the Carter-Crescent Lakes area, management 
direction for that area remained as it was in the 1984 Chugach National 
Forest Plan. Under the 1984 Forest Plan, the area is open to winter 
motorized activities from December 1 to April 30 once there is adequate 
snow to protect resources.
    The Regional Forester also directed the Chugach National Forest to 
reconsider this portion of the decision at the local level, with 
involvement from all interested parties, to make sure that the site-
specific impacts of any closure were fully disclosed and that 
reasonable alternatives were considered.
    As directed by the Regional Forester, the Forest Service began a 
site-specific analysis for the Carter-Crescent Lakes Area in late 
February and March of

[[Page 21733]]

2004. Several open house listening sessions specific to the Carter-
Crescent Lakes area were held during that time in Anchorage, Seward, 
Cooper Landing, Moose Pass and Soldotna.
    Many of the public comments received during that period suggested 
that in order to find a workable long-term solution to winter 
recreation access, the Forest Service would need to expand the planning 
area beyond just the Carter-Crescent Lakes area. As stated in many of 
the comments, an expansion of the planning area would allow greater 
creative management options such as considering timing, shared-use of 
split-season access periods across Forest Service lands on the Seward 
Ranger District.
    After further consideration, the Chugach National Forest asked for 
and received approval from the Regional Forester to expand the planning 
area outside of the Carter-Crescent Lakes area.

Purpose and Need for Action

    Due to the withdrawal of the Forest Plan decision regarding winter 
motorized recreation access for the Carter-Crescent Lakes area, the 
Forest needs to address how and where to manage for motorized and 
nonmotorized winter access. The purpose is to have a clear and concise 
plan for winter access on the Seward Ranger District that addresses the 
needs for forest management, public access and recreation use.

Proposed Action

    The Chugach National Forest proposes to develop a winter access 
management plan for the Seward Ranger District by next winter season 
2005/2006 in order to respond to the withdrawal of the 2002 Forest Plan 
decision regarding winter motorized access for the Carter-Crescent 
Lakes area.

Possible Alternatives

    The range of alternatives considered will address significant 
issues and fulfill the purpose and need. A reasonable range of 
alternatives will be evaluated. Rationale will be given for any 
alternative(s) eliminated from detailed consideration. Alternatives 
will represent differing management scenarios based on quality and 
quantity of travel.
    A ``no-action alternative'' is required by law. The no-action 
alternative under this analysis will assume winter motorized recreation 
access direction as described under the 2002 Forest Plan, except for 
the Carter-Crescent area which would continue to be managed for winter 
motorized recreation access as described under the 1984 Forest Plan. 
Additional alternatives will provide a range of ways to address and 
respond to public issues, management concerns and resource 
opportunities identified during the collaborative learning and scoping 
process.
    Responsible Official: Joe Meade, Forest Supervisor, Chugach 
National Forest, 3301 C St., Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99503, (907) 743-
9500.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor, as Responsible Official, may decide to (1) 
select the proposed action, (2) select one of the alternatives, (3) 
select one of the alternatives after modifying the alternative with 
additional mitigating measures or combinations of activities from other 
alternatives, or (4) select the no-action alternative. The decisions to 
be made within each of the alternatives will include whether an area is 
open, restricted, or closed to certain winter uses.

Scoping Process

    The Forest Service accepted comments on this issue in February and 
March 2004 when scoping began for the Carter-Crescent Lakes area 
environmental analysis. Since then the project area has expanded to 
include the entire Seward Ranger District. In February 2005, a 
Collaborative Learning approach designed to facilitate open 
communication and idea sharing with local communities was implemented. 
This has been done via public workshops in order to develop management 
scenarios that may lead to a range of alternatives to be analyzed. 
Seven public workshops were held between February and April 2005 in the 
communities of Anchorage, Moose Pass, Seward and Soldotna.
    Information about future public meetings will be announced in 
mailings, area media, and on the Chugach National Forest Internet site 
at http://www.fs.fed.us./r10/chugach.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent continues the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Comments 
received in response to this notice and previous request for comments, 
including names and addresses when provided, will become a matter of 
the public record available for inspection and copying.
    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 Draft EIS, the document will be provided to the 
public for review and comment. Comments and Forest Service responses 
will be responded to in the Final EIS.

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 
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

[[Page 21734]]

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 and will be 
available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)
    Dated: April 20, 2005.
Joe L. Meade,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 05-8400 Filed 4-26-05; 8:45 am]
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