[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 97 (Monday, May 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28465-28467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2507]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Navy Timber Sale Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: This NOI revises information supplied in the NOI previously 
published in the Federal Register Vol. 71, No. 14 (pages 3454-3455) on 
January 23, 2006. The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to 
harvest timber in the Navy Timber Sale project area on the Wrangell 
Ranger District, Tongass National Forest. The Proposed Action is to 
harvest 54 million board feet of sawtimber and 7.7 million board feet 
of utility from approximately 4,700 acres in one or more offerings and 
would construct approximately 17 miles of National Forest System road 
and 16 miles of temporary road to facilitate access for logging. The 
Proposed Action includes harvest units and road construction within 
Inventoried Roadless Areas, as identified in the Forest Plan SEIS. The 
Proposed Action includes the use of the existing Log Transfer Facility 
(LFT) at Anita Bay as well as the construction of a new LTF at the 
entrance to Burnett Inlet near Navy Creek. The Proposed Action includes 
a non-significant amendment to the Forest Plan to modify the

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boundaries of the Burnett, Anita Bay, Mosman and Quiet small old-growth 
reserves. The Forest Supervisor will decide if and how much timber 
harvest and road building will occur within the project area, as well 
as modify the existing small old-growth reserves. The decision will be 
documented in a Record of Decision based on the information disclosed 
in the EIS.

DATES: A public mailing outlining the project timeline and public 
involvement opportunities opportunities (Schedule of Proposed Actions) 
was distributed quarterly from January 2006 to April 2007. Additional 
opportunities for comment will be provided after release of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The DEIS is projected to be 
filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Fall 2007 and 
will begin a 45-day comment period. The Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision are anticipated to be published 
in Spring 2008.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Wrangell Ranger District, 
Attn: Navy EIS, PO Box 51, Wrangell, AK 99929. Electronic comments can 
be e-mailed to [email protected]. Please 
include the word ``Navy'' in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamie Roberts, Planning Team Leader, 
or Mark Hummel, District Ranger, Wrangell Ranger District, P.O. Box 51, 
Wrangell, AK 99929, telephone (907) 874-2323.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy project area is located on central 
Etolin Island approximately 22 air miles southwest of Wrangell, Alaska. 
The project area is within portions of Value Comparison Units 
464, 465, 466, 467 and 468. Portions of three Inventoried 
Roadless Areas, North Etolin 232, Mosman 233 and 
South Etolin 234, as identified in the Forest Plan SEIS, are 
located within the project area. Timber harvest and road building is 
proposed within the Inventoried Roadless Areas. The project area 
includes four small old-growth reserves (Mosman, Quiet, Anita Bay and 
Burnett) as designated in the Forest Plan. A Forest Plan amendment 
would be required if a decision is made to modify any old-growth 
reserve. The Forest Supervisor will decide if and how much timber 
harvest and road building will occur within the project areas, as well 
as whether to modify the existing small old-growth reserves. The 
decision will be based on the information that is disclosed in the EIS. 
The Forest Supervisor will consider comments, responses, the disclosure 
of environmental effects, and applicable laws, regulations, and 
policies in making the decision. The rationale for the decision will be 
included in the Record of Decision.
    Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose and need for the Navy 
Timber Sale is: (1) To manage suitable lands to achieve 1997 Forest 
Plan goals and objectives in order to reach the desired future 
conditions prescribed for the Land Use Designations; (2) to assist in 
providing a continuous wood supply to meet society's needs; (3) and to 
contribute to the job market and the overall economy of southeast 
Alaska.
    Public Participation: Public participation has been an integral 
component of the study process and will continue to be especially 
important at several points during the analysis. The Forest Service 
will continue to seek information, comments and assistance from tribal 
governments, federal, state and local agencies, individuals and 
organizations that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
activities. Written scoping comments have been solicited through a 
scoping package that was sent to persons on the project mailing list in 
November 2005. Additional written scoping comments have been solicited 
through a scoping package that was sent to persons on the project 
mailing list concurrent with the publication of the initial NOI in 
January 2006. Subsistence hearings, as provided for in Title VIII, 
Section 810 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 
(ANILCA), will be provided, if necessary, during the comment period on 
the DEIS.
    Electronic Filing Address: Electronic comments can be e mailed to 
[email protected]. Please include the word 
``Navy'' in the subject line.
    Issues: Based on the comments received from the public and resource 
specialists the issues identified for analysis in the EIS include: (1) 
The effect of timber harvest on the local and regional economies; (2) 
the effect of the location of small Old-growth Reserves on wildlife 
habitat; (3) the effect of habitat fragmentation, due to harvest and 
road building, on wildlife habitat; (4) the effect of timber harvest 
and road construction on Inventories Roadless Areas and unroaded areas; 
(5) and effects to aquatic resources and from increased access in the 
Navy Drainage due to timber harvest, road construction and LTF 
construction.
    Range of Alternatives: The range of alternatives that are being 
developed to respond to the significant issues, besides no action, 
range from 18-98 million board feet.
    Draft Environmental Impact Statement: A Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) will be prepared for comment. The comment period on 
the DEIS will be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes the Notices 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 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 that are not raised until after completion of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 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 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. Comments may also address the adequacy 
of the DEIS 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.
    Responsible Official: Forrest Cole, Forest Supervisor, Tongass 
National Forest, Federal Building, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901, is the 
responsible official. The responsible official will consider comments, 
responses, the disclosure of environmental effects, and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies in

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making the decision. The rationale for the decision will be included in 
the Record of Decision.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: May 14, 2007.
Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07-2507 Filed 5-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M