[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 140 (Friday, July 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42361-42362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14418]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR-931-6320 HAG5-0121]


Notice of Availability of a Final Integrated Pest Management 
Program Environmental Impact Statement for the Horning Seed Orchard; 
Clackamas County, OR

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 102 of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the 
availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that 
evaluates, analyzes, and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and 
cumulative environmental impacts of a proposed integrated pest 
management program at the Horning Seed Orchard in Clackamas County, 
Oregon, in BLM's Salem District. The integrated pest management program 
is proposed to control the insect, weed, animal, and disease problems 
at the orchard, and to maintain healthy, vigorous crop trees for the 
production of seed and other vegetative materials used for 
reforestation and a variety of land management actions.

DATES: Written comments on the Final EIS will be accepted for 30 days 
following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. BLM asks 
that those submitting comments on the Final EIS make them as specific 
as possible with reference to page numbers and chapters of the 
document. Comments will not receive a formal response; however, they 
will be considered and included as part of the BLM decision-making 
process.
    Freedom of Information Act Considerations: Public comments 
submitted for this planning action, including names and street 
addresses of

[[Page 42362]]

respondents, will be available for public review at the BLM Salem 
District Office, 1717 Fabry Road, SE., Salem, Oregon, during regular 
business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except 
holidays or at the Horning Seed Orchard, 27004 S. Sheckly Road, Colton, 
Oregon, by appointment (503-630-8406). Individual respondents may 
request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street 
address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by 
law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives of officials of 
organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
inspection in their entirety.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions, comments, or requests for copies 
of the Final EIS to Mr. Jeffrey Gordon, Supervisor or Mr. Terry Garren, 
Horticulturist, Horning Seed Orchard at 27004 S. Sheckly Road, Colton, 
OR 97017, or by fax at 503-630-6888, or by e-mail to 
[email protected]. A copy of the Final EIS has been sent to those 
persons who responded to BLM indicating that they wished to receive a 
copy of the Final EIS. Copies of the Final EIS will be available at all 
13 city and county public libraries located in Clackamas County, 
Oregon, and on the BLM Salem District Web site at http://www.or.blm.gov/salem/html/planning/horning_ipm.htm. Public reading 
copies will also be available for review at the following locations:

Horning Seed Orchard, 27004 S. Sheckly Road, Colton, OR 97017, 503-630-
8406.
BLM Salem District Office, 1717 Fabry Road, SE., Salem, OR 97306, 503-
375-5646.
USDI Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office (OR931), 333 SW. 
First Avenue, Portland, OR 97204, 503-808-6001.
Bureau of Land Management Office of Public Affairs, Main Interior 
Building, Room 3321, 1849 C St., NW., Washington, DC 20240, 202-452-
5140.

    Background information and maps used in developing the Final EIS 
are available at the Salem District Office and the Oregon State Office 
in Portland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Greg Tyler, Manager, Horning Seed 
Orchard at 27004 S. Sheckly Road, Colton, OR 97017, 503-630-8406, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EIS analyzes four action 
alternatives and the no action alternative to manage pests at Horning. 
The alternatives can be summarized as follows:
    Alternative A--Maximum Production Integrated Pest Management. Pests 
would be managed using all identified biological, chemical, prescribed 
fire, cultural, and other pest control methods, including aerial 
application by helicopter.
    Alternative B--Integrated Pest Management with Environmental 
Protection Emphasis. Pests would be managed using all of the methods in 
Alternative A, with special exceptions designed to further protect 
workers' health and safety and the environment. The limitations were 
based on results of the human health and ecological risk assessment, 
scoping comments, and consultation with the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries office under the Endangered 
Species Act.
    Alternative C--Ground-Based Integrated Pest Management. This 
alternative is identical to Alternative B except for the exclusion of 
helicopter application.
    Alternative D--Pest Management with No Pesticides. Pests would be 
managed using only the non-pesticide biological, prescribed fire, 
cultural, and other methods listed under Alternative A.
    Alternative E--No Action: Continuation of Current Management 
Approach. The current management system allows for use of all non-
pesticide pest control practices at the seed orchard, as well as the 
use of pesticides on a specific case-by-case basis. All non-pesticide 
biological, prescribed fire, cultural, and other methods would be used 
in accordance with current procedures. When a specific need is 
identified for a biological or chemical pesticide, the action would be 
reviewed to determine whether it is encompassed by an existing 
environmental assessment (EA) or EIS.
    Agency Preferred Alternative: BLM's preferred alternative is 
Alternative B. Public participation has occurred throughout the NEPA 
process. Two Notices of Intent were filed in the Federal Register (FR) 
on March 26, 1999 (64 FR 14747) and March 29, 2001 (66 FR 17192). BLM 
held an open house, conducted direct mailings and a site visit during 
scoping to solicit comments and ideas. BLM provided a 60-day written 
comment period for review of the Draft EIS, during which two public 
meetings were conducted at the Horning Seed Orchard on July 17, 2003 
from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. A new appendix in the Final EIS 
provides a complete set of public comments received on the Draft EIS, 
with BLM's response to each comment.
    Following the 30-day availability period that begins with 
publication of EPA's Federal Register Notice of Availability, BLM will 
issue a Record of Decision announcing selection of the alternative to 
be implemented. This forest management decision may be protested under 
43 CFR 5003--Administrative Remedies. In accordance with 43 CFR 5003.2, 
the decision for this project will not be subject to protest until the 
publication of a notice of decision in a newspaper of general 
circulation, a minimum of 30 days after the Notice of Availability of 
this Final EIS. Protests of the decision must be filed with this office 
within 15 days of the publication of a notice of decision in the 
newspaper. If no protest is received by the close of business (4 p.m. 
Pacific standard time) on the 15th day, the decision will become final. 
If a timely protest is received, the decision will be reconsidered in 
light of the protest and other pertinent information available in 
accordance with 43 CFR 5003.3.

Dennis Williamson,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 05-14418 Filed 7-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P