[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7007-7008]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-672]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Frenchtown Face Ecosystem Restoration Project; Ninemile Ranger 
District, Lolo National Forest, Missoula County, MT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a supplemental environmental 
impact statement (SEIS) for the Frenchtown Face Ecosystem Restoration 
Project. The project includes timber harvest, prescribed burning, road 
management changes, weed spraying, and stream channel restoration. The 
Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on July 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 141, Page 43981), and the 
notice of the Final EIS on March 24, 2006. The Record of Decision on 
this project was administratively appealed to the Regional Forester per 
36 CFR part 215. The Regional Forester reversed the decision on June 
26, 2006, citing an inadequate soils analysis. A SEIS is being prepared 
to further address soils issues for this project.

DATES: Scoping is not required for supplements to environmental impact 
statements (40 CFR 1502.9(4)). There was extensive public involvement 
in the development of the proposed action, the Draft EIS, and the Final 
EIS. The comment period for the Draft SEIS will be 45 days from the 
date the EPA publishes the notice of availability in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: The line officer responsible for this analysis is: Garry 
Edson, District Ranger, ninemile Ranger District, 20325 Remount Road, 
Huson, Montana 59846.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Riggers, EIS Team Leader, 
Building 24, Fort Missoula, Missoula, Montana 59804, (406) 329-3793 or 
e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Frenchtown Face Ecosystem Restoration 
project area includes 44,000 acres of National Forest land 
approximately 25 miles northwest of Missoula, Montana. Lands affected 
are within the Mill, Roman, Houle, Sixmile, and lower Ninemile Creek 
(including Butler, Kennedy, and McCormick Creeks) watersheds. The 
project area is bounded by the Clark Fork River and Ninemile Creek to 
the southwest, and the Ninemile/Flathead Reservation divide to the 
northeast.
    The purpose and need for this project is to:
    (1) Reduce the potential for high severity fires within the low 
elevation ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests, while also improving 
fire protection on private property with all ownerships.
    (2) Maintain/improve forest health and reduce the risk of damage 
from insects and disease while maintaining a natural appearing 
landscape.
    (3) Reduce the expansion of new or less extensive weed species, and 
control existing weeds, under a comprehensive block planning effort.
    (4) Reduce roads while maintaining reasonable access recreation, 
but limiting further recreational development.
    (5) Maintain/improve water quality and fish habitat throughout the 
landscape.
    (6) Maintain/improve wildlife security and habitat.
    (7) Protect and interpret historic sites.
    The Frenchtown Face Ecosystem Restoration Record of Decision was 
released at the same time as the Final EIS and publication of the legal 
notice in the newspaper of record (March 24, 2006). The Record of 
Decision authorizing the following:
    (1) Timber harvest on approximately 3,621 acres, to be followed by 
underburning on 3,598 of those acres,
    (2) Prescribed burning of approximately 6,488 additional acres,
    (3) Constructing 3.5 miles of temporary road and reconstructing 
57.4 miles of road (42.4 miles to incorporate BMPs (Best Management 
Practices) and 15.0 miles to temporarily access timber),
    (4) Decommissioning 114.7 miles of road (75.9 miles already closed 
year-long) and removing and/or replacing 19 culverts,
    (5) Spraying noxious weeds on approximately 4,600 acres (1,750 
acres aerial and 2,850 acres ground-based),
    (6) Constructing two new OHV trailheads and \1/2\ mile of new trail 
to connect existing OHV routes between Mill and Edith Creeks; 
constructing \1/4\ mile of mountain bike trail to connect existing 
trails near Kreis Pond and Camp Menard; constructing 1.5 miles of horse 
trail to connect the Stony and Butler trailheads; constructing new 
parking areas at McCormick and Kennedy Ridge trailheads; upgrading 8 
existing recreational facilities (Kreis

[[Page 7008]]

Pond Campground, Grand Menard Picnic Area, CCC Camp, Ninemile Remount 
Depot, and Stoney Creek, Ch-paa-qn, Kennedy Ridge, and McCormick 
Trailheads); and establishing an OHV education program in local area 
schools,
    (7) Improving fish habitat by rehabilitating the placer mining site 
on \1/2\ mile of Little McCormick Creek, and
    (8) Keeping open the Houle Creek and CCC gravel pits and developing 
the Sixmile rip-rap source.
    The SEIS is intended to provide additional analysis on the existing 
condition and potential effects of proposed treatment activities on 
soils, along with unit-specific mitigation requirements to protect and 
improve soils conditions in these units. In addition, we are taking 
this opportunity to provide more information wildlife issues and 
cumulative effects. We expect to have a draft SEIS available for public 
review and comment in February, 2007, and a Final SEIS in April, 2007. 
The comment period for the Draft SEIS will be 45 days from the date the 
EPA publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes it is important at this early stage to 
give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
draft supplemental 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, 
533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
Draft SEIS stage but that are not raised until after completion of the 
Final SEIS (Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement) may be 
waived or dismissed by the courts. Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 
490 F. Sup. 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 and respond to them 
in the Final SEIS. 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

    Deborah L. R. Austin, Forest Supervisor of the Lolo National 
Forest, Bldg. 24, Fort Missoula, Missoula, Montana 59804, is the 
Responsible Official for this project. The Record of Decision will 
identify the land management activities to be implemented in the 
project area. The Forest Supervisor will make a decision on this 
project after considering comments and responses, environmental 
consequences discussed in the Final SEIS, and applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies. The decision and supporting reasons will be 
documented in a Record of Decision.

    Dated: February 7, 2007.
Deborah L. R. Austin,
Forest Supervisor, Lolo National Forest.
[FR Doc. 07-672 Filed 2-13-07; 8:45 am]
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