[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14494-14495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2762]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Fishel Vegetation and Transportation Management Project; 
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Vilas and Forest Counties, WI

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

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

    Authority: The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 
as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321-4346); Council on Environmental quality 
Regulations, title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, parts 1500-1508 
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508); and U.S. Department of Agriculture NEPA 
Regulations, part 1b (7 CFR part 1b).

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of proposed actions to harvest trees and associated 
transportation management activities.
    The purpose and need identified for the Fishel project area is to: 
Improve structural diversity (age/size class) and species diversity in 
the northern hardwood interior block habitats and maintain forest 
composition while improving riparian habitat, contributing toward 
satisfying demand for timber products, and to provide an efficient road 
system that will meet long-term transportation needs to move the Fishel 
project area towards the desired conditions as described in the 2004 
Forest Plan.
    Actions are proposed to meet or move towards meeting Forest Plan 
goals 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.5, 3.1, as well as meet Forest Plan objectives 
through design features and treatment mitigation.
    The project area is located on public lands administered by the 
Eagle River-Florence Ranger District approximately 30 miles northeast 
of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. It is located approximately 10 miles 
northeast of Eagle River, bordered on the west and north by Big Sand 
Lake and the Michigan border, on the east by State highway 55 and on 
the south by State Highway 70.
    No Action is one alternative that will be considered. Additional 
alternatives will be formulated based on public issues, and response 
analysis. The proposed action involves harvesting approximately 16.9 
MMBF (million board feet) of green trees from approximately 5,517 acres 
within an analysis area of about 35,200 acres. Harvest of trees would 
be by ground based (tractor) methods during the winter months. Most 
harvested areas would be open to natural regeneration with some areas 
planted to longer lived white pine near trout streams, and jack pine 
for age class diversity.
    Road work would include construction of 2.1 miles of new road and 
23.7 miles of road reconstruction to access harvest activity stands. 
The transportation management proposal includes construction of 2.1 
miles of new road, 23.7 miles of road reconstruction and 44.6 miles of 
road decommissioning to move towards the road densities identified in 
the Forest Plan. After the project is completed, approximately 107 
miles of existing

[[Page 14495]]

Forest Service Roads are proposed to remain open and be maintained.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described 
in this notice should be received within 45 days of the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Chequamegon-Nicolet National 
Forest, Deputy Forest Supervisor Jeanne Higgins, c/o Lois Pfeffer, 145 
East 2nd Street, Powell, WY 82453.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed 
action and EIS should be addressed to Lois Pfeffer, Forester, TEAMS 
Planning, phone (550) 359-7023.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS will tier to the 2004 FEIS for the 
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
(Forest Plan). The Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest Plan provides the overall 
guidance (Goals, Objectives, Standards, and Management Area Direction) 
to achieve the Desired Future Condition for the area being analyzed, 
and contains specific management area prescriptions for the entire 
Forest.
    The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from 
Federal, State, and local agencies as well as individuals and 
organizations that may be interested in, or affected by the proposed 
action. The Forest Services invites written comments and suggestions on 
the issues related to the proposal and the area being analyzed. 
Information received will be used in preparation of the Draft EIS and 
Final EIS. For most effective use, comments should be submitted to the 
Forest Service within 45 days from the date of publication of this in 
the Federal Register.
    The Eagle River-Florence Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet 
National Forest in Forest and Vilas Counties in the state of Wisconsin 
would administer the proposed management activities for this analysis. 
Agency representatives and other interested people are invited to visit 
with Forest Service officials at any time during the EIS process. Two 
specific time periods are identified for the receipt of formal comments 
on the analysis. The two comment periods are: (1) During the scoping 
process, the next 45 days following publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register, and (2) during the formal review period of the Draft 
EIS.
    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 it is important to give reviewers notice at this early stage 
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 reviewers' position and intentions.
    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 waved or dismissed by the courts.
    City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Circuit, 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 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 refer 
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National environmental Policy Act, 40 
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    It is projected the final release of the EIS to be November 30, 
2006. The Forest Supervisor or Deputy Forest Supervisor for the 
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest are the responsible officials for 
the EIS. After considering the comments, responses, and environmental 
consequences discussed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies a decision by this official 
will be made regarding the proposal. The reasons for the decision will 
be documented in a Record of Decision. The Forest Supervisor's office 
of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is located at 1170 4th 
Avenue South, Park Falls, WI 54552, phone: 715-762-2461.

    Dated: March 16, 2006.
Jeanne M. Higgins,
Deputy Forest Supervisor, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
[FR Doc. 06-2762 Filed 3-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M