[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49414-49415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7104]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Black Hills National Forest, Northern Hills Ranger District, 
South Dakota and Bearlodge Ranger District, Wyoming--North Zone Range 
05 Proposal and Analysis

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revised notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: This project will revise Rangeland Allotment Management Plans 
(RAMP) for eight allotments comprising about 79,634 acres within two 
Ranger Districts of the Black Hills National Forest, and analyze 
continued grazing within the constraints of the Revised Black Hills 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended (BHNF 
LRMP). A Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for this project was published August 17, 2005 (70 FR 48369). More than 
six months have elapsed since the projected FEIS date in that original 
NOI. This revised NOI is being issued to update the project schedule.

DATES: The Notice of Availability of the draft environmental impact 
statement was published in the Federal Register on July 7, 2006 (71 FR 
38641). The final environmental impact statement is expected in 
September, 2006. No further formal public comment opportunities will be 
offered on this project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alice Allen, Project Coordinator, 
Black Hills National Forest, Hell Canyon Ranger District, at 330 Mt. 
Rushmore Rd., phone (605) 673-4853.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose of the project is to 
authorize livestock grazing in an environmentally acceptable manner. 
The EIS will determine current conditions, analyze environmental 
consequences of grazing management actions on those conditions, and 
assist the decision maker in selecting management/monitoring strategies 
consistent with meeting desired conditions in the BHNF LRMP, including 
Goals 1, 2 and 3. The need for the action is to revise allotment 
management plans, reverse any existing undesirable conditions, and 
ensure that authorized uses and associated management activities move 
them towards desired BHNF LRMP conditions. There is also a need to 
respond to requests for grazing permits on lands not currently being 
grazed.
    Proposed Action: The Northern Hills and Bearlodge Ranger Districts 
propose to implement best management practices and activities with 
adaptive management and monitoring strategies to allow livestock 
grazing consistent with Forest Plan desired conditions, standards and 
guidelines. The Proposed Action is Alternative A in the EIS.
    Issues: Key issues include impacts of the proposal to soil and 
water quality; vegetative diversity; wildlife and wildlife habitat; 
economic efficiency of the proposal; timeframe for achieving desired 
conditions; and management of the recently acquired Besant Park, Tilson 
and Gonzales parcels.
    Alternatives: Alternative B is similar to Alternative A, but would 
authorize livestock grazing on three additional recently acquired 
parcels and add these to adjacent existing allotments. Alternative D, 
the No Action Alternative, is the No Grazing Alternative and would 
eliminate any livestock grazing on the project area. Alternative E 
proposes the use of rest periods to achieve faster recovery of riparian 
areas. Alternative F would move the area toward desired conditions by 
means of reduced stocking rates, mandatory use of range riders, or 
other non-structural adaptive management actions. No new range 
improvements are proposed. Alternative C, current management, was 
dismissed from detailed consideration.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for the allotments on the Bearlodge Ranger 
District is Steve Kozel, District Ranger, Black Hills National Forest, 
Bearlodge Ranger District, 121 S. 21st Street, Sundance, Wyoming 82729. 
The Responsible Official for the allotments on the Northern Hills 
Ranger District is the District Ranger, Black Hills National Forest, 
Northern Hills Ranger District, 2014 N. Main St., Spearfish, South 
Dakota 57783.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether to continue to permit livestock 
grazing on all, part, or none of these allotments and, if so, under 
what terms and conditions to ensure that desired condition objectives 
are met, or that movement occurs toward those objectives. The Northern 
Hills District Ranger will also decide whether or not to allow 
livestock graing on three recently acquired parcels and one vacant 
grazing unit, and if so, under what conditions.

Public Comment

    Comments and input regarding the proposal were requested from the 
public, other groups and agencies via direct mailing on March 21, 2005. 
Additional comments were solicited during August and September 2005 via 
public notices and an additional direct mailing. The Draft EIS was 
issued for a 45-day public comment in July, 2006. No further formal 
public comment opportunities will be offered on this project.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: The following was published as part of the 
original Notice of Intent. 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 published 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

[[Page 49415]]

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 
1900.15, Section 21)

    Dated: August 17, 2006.
Craig Bobzien,
Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest.
[FR Doc. 06-7104 Filed 8-22-06; 8:45am]
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