[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 16 (Thursday, January 25, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3383-3385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-285]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Scriver Creek Integrated Restoration Project, Boise National 
Forest, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

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

SUMMARY: The Emmett Ranger District of the Boise National Forest will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a resource 
management project in the Scriver Creek drainage. The entire project 
area is located in watersheds that drain into the Middle Fork Payette 
River. The 11,500-acre project area is located approximately 6 miles 
north of Crouch, Idaho.
    The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of 
the analysis. The agency also hereby gives notice of the environmental 
analysis and decisionmaking process that will occur on the proposal so 
interested and affected people are aware of how they

[[Page 3384]]

may participate and contribute to final decision. At this time, no 
public meetings to discuss the project are planned.
    Proposed Action: Three purposes have been identified for the 
project: (1) Modify stand density, structure, species composition, and 
surface fuels to restore suitable white-headed woodpecker and 
flammulated owl habitat, in addition to providing forest conditions 
that are more resistant to insects, disease and wildfire; (2) initiate 
watershed restoration within the Scriver Creek 6th Field hydrologic 
unit (subwatershed) to improve watershed conditions and reduce long-
term sedimentation caused by existing roads, in addition to reducing 
road-related impacts to wildlife, fish, soil, and water resources; (3) 
provide commercial timber that supports local and/or regional sawmills, 
employment, and economies.
    The Proposed Action would implement silvicultural activities, 
including thinning of commercial trees on 2,826 acres (570 acres of 
commercial thinning, 1,445 acres of commercial thinning followed by 
prescribed fire, and 811 acres of commercial thinning followed by 
machine pile and burning). An estimated 928 acres would be harvested 
with off-road jammer/tractor, 870 acres would be skyline logged and a 
helicopter would harvest about 1,028 acres. The Proposed Action would 
employ silvicultural prescriptions including commercial thin, and 
thinning of submerchantable trees occurring naturally and within about 
846 acres of existing plantations.
    Approximately 16.5 miles of road would be decommissioned, of which 
an estimated 0.7 mile or road would be decommissioned while leaving the 
existing drainage and road prism sufficient for a future motorized 
trail. Approximately 16.1 miles of road improvement on National Forest 
System (NFS) roads 693, 6930, 695B, and 696 would take place. Roughly 
2.4 miles of new specified road and approximately 1.1 miles of 
temporary road would be constructed to facilitate harvest activities. 
Approximately 3.8 miles of NFS roads 696 and 693B would be realigned to 
eliminate roads and road segments paralleling within Riparian 
Conservation Area (RCA) corridors, and 1.3 miles of NFS road 693A would 
be reconstructed. Fish passage would be restored by replacing or 
removing the existing culvert on NFS road 693A and two culverts on NFS 
roads 693 and 695 would be replaced with fish passable structures. All 
perennial crossings would have up to 300 feet of surface gravel applied 
on both sides of the crossing on those roads used in conjunction with 
timber harvest (except for roads to be decommissioned). Twelve 
helicopter landings would be developed. Except for administrative use, 
about 20.5 miles of authorized roads would be closed year-round to 
motorized use after vegetation treatments are complete.
    Preliminary Issues: Preliminary concerns with the Proposed Action 
include potential impacts on water quality and terrestrial wildlife 
species.
    Possible Alternatives to the Proposed Action: One alternative to 
the Proposed Action that has been discussed thus far is a No Action 
alternative. Other alternatives will likely be developed as issues are 
identified and information received.
    Decisions to be Made: The Boise National Forest Supervisor will 
decide the following: (1) Should vegetation be managed within the 
project area at this time, and if so, which stands should be treated 
and what silvicultural systems applied? (2) Should roads be built at 
this time, and if so, how many miles should be built and where should 
they occur within the project area? (3) Should identified road 
maintenance activities occur at this time? (4) Should road 
decommissioning and realignment take place and which roads and how 
would this happen? (5) What design features, mitigation measures, and/
or monitoring should be applied to the project?

DATES: Comments concerning the proposed project and analysis are 
encouraged and should be postmarked or received within 30 days 
following publication of this announcement in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to the Emmett Ranger District, 
ATTN: Ann Roseberry, 1805 Highway 16, Room No. 5, Emmett, ID 83617; or 
sent electronically to [email protected]. 
Electronic comments must be submitted in plain text or another format 
compatible with Microsoft Word. Comments may also be delivered to the 
above address during regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
Monday-Friday. Comments can also be submitted by phone at 208-365-7000 
or fax to 208-365-7037. Comments received in response to this request 
will be available for public inspection and will be released in their 
entirety if requested pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further information can be obtained 
from Ann Roseberry at the address mentioned above or by calling 208-
365-7000.
    Schedule: Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), July 2007. 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), December 2007.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The entire project area drains into the 
Middle Fork Payette River and, although there are no 303(d)/305(b) 
listed streams within the project area, Scriver Creek drains to a 
segment of the Middle Fork Payette River, which is currently listed in 
Section 4a, Impaired Waterbodies with a TMDL complete for sediment 
(Idaho, State of, 1998a). A TMDL is currently in place and addresses 
the entire length of the Middle Fork Payette River.
    The entire project area lies within Management Area 14 (Lower 
Middle Fork Payette River), discussed on pages III-254 through III-265 
in the Boise National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest 
Plan). Several Management Prescription Categories (MPCs) apply within 
this management area. However, only MPC 5.2 occurs within the project 
area. The Proposed Action includes management activities within MPC 5.2 
only.
    The comment period on the DEIS 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 
the DEIS 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 DEIS stage but are not raised until after 
completion of the FEIS may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City 
of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1002 (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 DEIS 
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 FEIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as 
specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific 
pages or

[[Page 3385]]

chapters of the draft 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.
    Responsible Official: Richard A. Smith, Forest Supervisor, Boise 
National Forest, 1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200, Boise, ID 83709.

    Dated: January 18, 2007.
Richard A. Smith,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07-285 Filed 1-24-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M