[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 237 (Monday, December 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 73483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23893]



[[Page 73483]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Bureau of Land Management Districts and National Forests Within 
the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl; Western Oregon and Washington, 
and Northwestern California; Removal of Survey and Manage Mitigation 
Measure Standards and Guidelines

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, USDI; Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplement to a final 
environmental impact statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and USDA Forest Service 
(collectively the Agencies) will prepare a supplemental environmental 
impact statement (SEIS) to address the order of Judge Marshal J. 
Pechman, United States District Court, Western District of Washington. 
(Northwest Ecosystem Alliance v. Rey, August 1, 2005) Specifically, the 
court found that the 2004 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement to Remove or Modify the Survey and Manage Mitigation Measure 
Standards and Guideline (2004 SEIS) was deficient because the Agencies 
failed to: (1) ``* * analyze potential impacts to Survey and Manage 
species if they are not added to or are removed from the Forest 
Service's and BLM's respective programs for special status species;'' 
(2) ``* * * provide a thorough analysis of their assumption that the 
late-successional reserves would adequately protect species that the 
Survey and Manage standard was introduced to protect, particularly in 
light of their previous positions in earlier environmental impact 
statements;'' and (3) ``* * * disclose and analyze flaws in their 
methodology for calculating the acreage in need of hazardous fuel 
treatments. Part of the cost analysis was similarly flawed because it 
relied on the acreage in need of hazardous fuel treatments in 
calculating the cost of the Survey and Manage standard.'' The SEIS will 
provide additional information and analysis necessary to fully address 
the deficiencies noted by the court in the 2004 SEIS.

DATES: Comments concerning the analysis should be received in writing 
by January 11, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments concerning this proposal to: Comments, 
2006 SEIS for Survey and Manage, PO Box 2965, Portland, Oregon 97208.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael J. Haske, Chief, Branch of 
Forest Resources and Special Status Species, BLM, PO Box 2965, 
Portland, Oregon 97208 or Alan Christensen, Group Leader, Wildlife, 
Fisheries, Watershed, Soils and Range, USDA Forest Service, 333 SW., 
First Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 2004 SEIS addressed National Forest 
System lands and public lands administered by the BLM within the range 
of the northern spotted owl, generally in western Oregon and 
Washington, and in northwestern California.
    Scoping is not required for supplements to environmental impact 
statements (40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4)). However, at their discretion the 
Agencies are inviting comments at this time. Comments are sought to 
help the Agencies identify specific information needs and analytical 
methodologies necessary to fully address the court identified 
deficiencies. For comments to be most useful, they should be as 
specific as possible and submitted in writing by the date identified 
above.
    A notice will be prepared and circulated to affected Federal, 
State, and local agencies, affected tribes, and individuals and 
organizations previously expressing an interest in the 2004 SEIS. This 
notice, along with background information, will also be posted on the 
Internet: http://www.reo.gov.s-m2006/index.htm. The USDA Forest Service 
and BLM will be joint lead agencies for this analysis. The responsible 
officials for National Forest System lands will be the Secretary of 
Agriculture, Jamie L. Whitten Federal Building, 12th & Jefferson Drive, 
SW., Washington, DC 20250. The responsible official for public lands 
administered by the BLM will be the Secretary of the Interior, 1849 C 
Street, NW., Mailstop 7229-MIB, Washington, DC 20240.

Larry Benna,
Deputy Director, Operations, Bureau of Land Management, Department of 
the Interior.
[FR Doc. 05-23893 Filed 12-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M