[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 32 (Friday, February 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7600-7601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-602]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Becker Vegetation Management Project, Boise National Forest, 
Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Boise Ranger District of the Boise National Forest will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a resource 
management project in the Crooked River Watershed. The 14,500 acre 
project area is located approximately 18 miles northeast of Idaho City, 
Idaho, and about 48 miles northeast of Boise, 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 decision-making process that will occur on the proposal so 
interested and affected people are aware of how they may participate 
and contribute to the final decision. At this time no public meetings 
to discuss the project are planned.
    Proposed Action: The primary purposes of the project are: (1) 
Manage the stand density, structure, and species composition to provide 
conditions that are more resistant to insect and disease infestations 
and uncharacteristic wildfire. Move towards the Forest Plan vegetation 
desired conditions, and maintain or increase the large tree component. 
(2) Modify stand density, structure, and species composition, to 
restore suitable habitat for white-headed woodpecker and flammulated 
owls. (3) Provide commercial timber that will contribute to the annual 
harvest of expected timber volume on the Boise National Forest while 
moving towards attaining the Forest Plan desired vegetative conditions. 
(4) Reduce tree stocking & brush within plantations in order to 
maintain good tree growth and vigor, to reduce fire hazard by removal 
of developing ladder fuels, and to reduce future susceptibility to 
insects and disease infestations. (5) Improve water quality and aquatic 
habitat by reducing long term sedimentation caused by existing roads.
    The Proposed Action would commercial harvest trees, and in some 
areas use a combination of commercial harvest thinning and pre-
commercial thinning from approximately 1,970 acres in the 14,500 acre 
project area. Regeneration harvest would occur on approximately 1,100 
acres where insect and disease infestation is particularly severe. In 
addition approximately 4,700 acres would have only pre-commercial 
removal of small diameter trees (including 1,688 acres of plantations). 
Within these areas of mechanical vegetation treatment, aspen clones 
would be managed by removing and reducing conifer competition in the 
immediate vicinity. Brush removal would occur within approximately 450 
additional acres of conifer plantations. An estimated 14.0 MMBF of 
timber would be harvested using ground-based yarding systems.
    Prescribed burning would occur within approximately 12,000 acres of 
project area to breakup the horizontal and vertical fuel continuity to 
reduce the chance of uncharacteristic stand replacement fires. 
Approximately 1,550 acres would be a natural fuels burn area where no 
mechanical treatment would occur, these acres would include target 
areas and conditional or incidental burn areas. A burn block of 
approximately 10,620 acres would target mechanically treated areas 
(commercial and pre-commercial thinning) and also include conditional 
or incidental burn areas.
    Approximately 15 acres would be targeted for native plant 
restoration.
    Whitebark pine restoration and enhancement is proposed in a 40 acre 
area around the summit of Pilot Peak.
    The proposed action would decommission and remove these from the 
transportation system approximately 22 miles of currently authorized 
roads. Approximately 3.7 miles of temporary road would be constructed, 
and approximately 0.8 miles of new road would be constructed. 
Approximately 6.5 miles of road currently not authorized would be 
improved by construction and added to the transportation system. 
Approximately 15.6 miles of road would be closed (these would remain as 
authorized roads) that are currently open, and 10.9 miles of closed 
road would be opened.
    Three culverts that are currently posing a fish migration barrier 
will be replaced and one would be removed as part of road 
decommissioning.
    Possible Alternatives to the Proposed Action: One alternative to 
the Proposed Action that will be considered 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: What amount and distribution of commercial tree 
harvest and pre-commercial tree thinning or removal should be 
implemented to achieve the project objectives? What amount of 
prescribed fire should be implemented to achieve the project 
objectives? What amount of plantation thinning or brush removal should 
be implemented to achieve the project objectives? Which roads should be 
adopted as part of the forest-wide minimum transporation system? What 
existing roads are needed for long term management of the area? What 
additional roads, if any, are needed to implement the action? What 
roads are not needed and should be decommissioned or obliterated? What 
roads currently open should be closed? What culverts that are currently 
functioning as fish migration barriers should be replaced? Should 
opportunities for aspen enhancement and whitebark pine restoration be 
implemented as part of the planned actions? Should opportunities for 
native plant restoration be implemented?

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 Boise National Forest, 
ATTN: Daniel Schlender, 1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200, Boise, ID 
83709 or sent electronically to [email protected]. Electronic comments must be submitted in plain text or 
another format

[[Page 7601]]

compatible with Microsoft Word. 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 Daniel Schlender at the address mentioned above or by calling 
(208) 373-4245.

    Schedule: Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), July 2007. 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), October 2007.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The entire project area lies within 
Management Area 7 (North Fork Boise River), discussed on pages III-166 
through III-177 in the 2003 Boise National Land and Resource Management 
Plan. The project area occurs within Management Prescription Category 
5.2 (Commodity Production Emphasis within Forested Landscapes).
    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 contention. 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 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 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: February 1, 2007.
Frank V. Guzman,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07-602 Filed 2-15-07; 8:45 am]
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