[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 37 (Monday, February 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8337-8338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3194]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 37 / Monday, February 26, 2007 / 
Notices  

[[Page 8337]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests; Santa Rosa Ranger District; 
Martin Basin Rangeland Management Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Santa Rosa Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe 
National Forest will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS) on a proposal to authorize continued livestock grazing 
on National Forest System (NFS) lands within the boundaries 
administered by the Santa Rosa Ranger District. The Project Area is 
located in Humboldt County, Nevada.
    The preparation of this SEIS is needed because the Record of 
Decision issued on June 2, 2006 for the Martin Basin Rangeland 
Management Project was appealed, and following review, the decision was 
reversed. The supplemental analysis will provide additional analysis 
and disclosure of environmental effects.

DATES: The Draft Supplemental EIS is expected to be released for public 
review and comment in April of 2007. The Final Supplemental EIS is 
expected in July of 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Jose Noriega, District Ranger, 
Santa Rosa Ranger District, 1200 East Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 
89445.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jose Noriega, District Ranger, 
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Telephone: 775-623-5025, extension 5.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Initiation of the Martin Basin Rangeland Project began in 2002 with 
the original Notice of intent published in the Federal Register on 
December 30, 2002. The Draft EIS was released in May of 2004 for a 135-
day comment period. The Final EIS was released in June of 2005 and a 
45-day comment period was also provided at that time. The Record of 
Decision for this project was issued on June 2, 2006, by, then Forest 
Supervisor, Robert L. Vaught.
    The Record of Decision for the Martin Basin Rangeland Project was 
appealed to the Intermountain Regional Forester. On September 6, 2006, 
the Regional Forester issued a decision on the appeal and remanded the 
decision back to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest for additional 
analysis.

Purpose of and Need for Action

    The purpose and need as defined in the original FEIS will be 
modified to indicate more specifically the economic and environmental 
factors that propel both the authorization of grazing and the 
modification of the terms and conditions and strategies that govern our 
current permits.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The Proposed Action and Alternatives as outlined in the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement will be supplemented to further define 
and provide additional details regarding the intent of those 
alternatives. This Supplemental EIS may also include one or more non-
significant Forest Plan Amendments.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is: Edward C. Monnig, Forest Supervisor, 
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, NV 89431.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need, the deciding officer will decide 
whether or not to continue grazing on the allotments within the Martin 
Basin Rangeland Project area. If the decision is to continue livestock 
grazing, then under what standards, mitigation measures and monitoring 
requirements it will be subject too.

Scoping Process

    The scoping period for this EIS was formally initiated in December 
of 2002 when the original notice of intent for this project was 
published in the Federal Register (December 30, 2002; volume 67, Number 
250). While no additional scoping periods are planned prior to the 
release of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement those 
wishing to submit comments may do so at the address listed above for 
District Ranger Jose Noriega.

Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review

    A Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement will be 
prepared for comment. The comment period on the Draft Supplemental EIS 
will be 45 days from the date that the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) publishes the notice of availability (NOA) in the Federal 
Register.
    The Forest Service believes that, 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 EISs 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 have been raised at the draft EIS 
stage but that are not raised until after completion of the final EIS 
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 consider them and respond to them 
in a meaningful manner within the final EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns regarding the Proposed Action, comments on the draft EIS 
should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if the comments 
refer to specific pages, sections, or chapters of the draft document. 
Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft EIS or the merits 
of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the document. Reviewers 
may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
Regulations for implementing the

[[Page 8338]]

procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
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 of 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: January 24, 2007.
Edward C. Monnig,
Forest Supervisor.
 [FR Doc. E7-3194 Filed 2-23-07; 8:45 am]
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