[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29610-29611]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4757]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Long Ridge Project, Clearwater National Forest, Idaho County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of timber harvest 
and watershed restoration activities in the Long Ridge project area on 
the Lochsa Ranger District of the Clearwater National Forest. The Long 
Ridge project area is located in the Musselshell Creek drainage, a 
tributary to Lolo Creek, approximately 8 air-miles southeast of the 
town of Pierce, Idaho.

DATES: This project will be scoped beginning in May 2006. Comments that 
are received during the scoping period will be used to develop 
alternatives to

[[Page 29611]]

the proposed action in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. A 45-
day public comment period will follow the release of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement that is expected in December 2006. The 
Final Environmental Impact Statement is expected in June 2007.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the scope of 
this project should be sent to Lois Foster ([email protected]), 
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Lochsa Ranger District, Kamiah Ranger 
Station, Rt. 2, Box 191, Kamiah, ID 83536.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois Foster ([email protected]), 
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Lochsa Ranger District, Kamiah Ranger 
Station, Rt. 2, Box 191, Kamiah, ID 83536. Phone (208) 935-4258.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Long Ridge Project area contains 
approximately 4,200 acres, all of which are National Forest lands. The 
legal location is portions of Sections 27, 32, 33, and 34, T36N, R6E; 
and Sections 4, 5, 8, 9, and 17, T35N, R6E; Boise Meridian, Idaho 
County, Idaho. The proposed actions would occur on National Forest 
lands and are all outside the boundaries of any inventoried roadless 
area or any areas considered for inclusion in the National Wilderness 
System as recommended by the Clearwater National Forest Plan or by any 
past or present legislative wilderness proposals.
    Purpose and Need for Action is to: (1) Reestablish white pine and 
larch as major components of the forest ecosystem, and change the tree 
species mix to more closely resemble the historic species composition 
for this landscape; (2) Remove dead trees on the ground that are 
currently creating high fuels levels, and reduce the excessive numbers 
of standing dead and dying trees that will contribute to ground fuels 
in the future; and (3) Capture the commercial value of the timber in 
these stands before it is lost due to mortality and decay.
    The Proposed Action would harvest timber using regeneration harvest 
on approximately 850 acres within the Musselshell Creek drainage. 
Regeneration harvest would leave approximately 15-20 trees per acre as 
individual trees and in groups, where feasible, to provide a continued 
source of nutrients and organic materials to the soils to maintain site 
productivity, and to provide future snags and down woody material for 
wildlife habitat. To facilitate timber removal, existing temporary and 
permanent roads would be used. Gravel would be replaced and additional 
cross drains would be installed on approximately 5 miles of existing 
roads, and an estimated 2 miles of new permanent roads would be 
constructed. Approximately 5 miles of existing roads that are not 
needed for future management access would be obliterated following 
completion of sale-related activities.
    Possible Alternatives the Forest Service will consider include a 
``no action'' alternative in which none of the proposed activities 
would be implemented. Additional alternatives that will be considered 
may include varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to 
achieve the purpose and need for action, as well as to respond to the 
issues and other resource concerns.
    The Responsible Official is the Forest Supervisor of the Clearwater 
National Forest, 12730 Highway 12, Orofino, ID 83544. The Responsible 
Official will decide if the proposed project will be implemented, and 
will document the decision and reasons for the decision in a Record of 
Decision. That decision will be subject to Forest Service Appeal 
Regulations. The responsibility for preparing the DEIS and FEIS has 
been delegated to Cindy Lane, District Ranger, Lochsa Ranger District, 
Rt. 1, Box 398, Kooskia, ID 83539.
    The Scoping Process will be initiated with the release of a Scoping 
Letter in April 2006. Comments that are received in response to the 
Scoping Letter will be included in the documentation for the EIS. 
Additional scoping will follow the release of the DEIS, expected in 
December 2006. This proposal also includes openings greater than 40 
acres. A 60-day public review period and approval by the Regional 
Forester for exceeding the 40-acre limitation will occur prior to the 
signing of the Record of Decision. The 60-day public review period is 
initiated with this Notice of Intent.
    Preliminary Issues that could be affected by proposed activities 
include air quality, economics, fuels treatment, future management 
accessibility, grazing, heritage resources, old growth habitat, 
recreation access, scenic quality, size of openings, soil compaction 
and productivity, tribal treaty rights, and water quality.
    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 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 on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: April 27, 2006.
Thomas K. Reilly,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 06-4757 Filed 5-22-06; 8:45 am]
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