[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 115 (Friday, June 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33195-33196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2958]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Settlement Land Transfers; Pueblo de San Ildefonso and Los Alamos 
County, Santa Fe National Forest, Los Alamos County/Rio Arriba/Santa Fe 
County, NM

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION:  Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The US Forest Service (FS) will prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) on a proposed action that implements certain 
aspects of the Pueblo de San Ildefonso Claims Settlement Act of 2005 
(Pub. L. 109-186). Portions of the Act considered in this analysis 
include mandated transfer of certain National Forest System lands to 
the Pueblo de San Ildefonso (about 7,058 acres), the Pueblo of Santa 
Clara (about 740 acres), and Los Alamos County (about 631 acres). Lands 
would be conveyed in exchange for an appraised monetary value. The 
legislation also requires the Forest Service to offer for purchase six 
parcels of National Forest System lands to Los Alamos County near the 
community (totaling about 324 acres), and to reconstruct Forest Road 
(FR) 416v to a high-clearance, Level 2 standard. Although these 
proposed actions have been mandated by the Act, the Santa Fe National 
Forest will conduct a National Environmental Policy Act environmental 
analysis to disclose the impacts of these actions, and to fully 
describe any discretionary actions that may also be included as part of 
the land transfers called for in the Act. However, under the Act, 
discretion is limited. A map of the area is located at the following 
Forest Service Web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/projects/.

DATES: Comments concerning the project must be received by July 10, 
2007. The draft environmental impact statement is expected in September 
2007 and the final environmental impact statement is expected in 
November 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Sandy Hurlocker, District Ranger, 
US Forest Service, Espanola Ranger District, P.O. Box 3307, Espanola, 
New Mexico 87533. Electronic mail (e-mail) may be sent to: [email protected] and FAX may be sent to (505) 
753-9411.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Hurlocker, District Ranger, 
Espanola, Espanola Ranger District, (505) 753-7331.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: On September 27, 2006, the Pueblo de San Ildefonso 
Claims Settlement Act of 2005 was signed into law. The purpose of the 
Act is to resolve title claims asserted against the United States by 
the San Ildefonso Pueblo under the proceedings of the Indian Claims Act 
(Docket No. 354). Other purposes of the Act related to this analysis 
are (1) The authorization of the Pueblo to acquire and the Forest 
Service to convey National Forest System lands as identified in the San 
Ildefonso Settlement Agreement (Settlement Area Lands), and (2) the 
authorization of the Secretary of Agriculture to convey other lands out 
of the National Forest System in order to comply with an inter-Pueblo 
agreement and the Los Alamos Agreement, which has been incorporated by 
the San Ildefonso Settlement Agreement and ratified by the Act. These 
additional lands include the Water System Lands, the Northern Tier 
Lands (to be acquired by the Santa Clara Pueblo), and the Los Alamos 
Townsite Lands.
    The Act provides that the Settlement Area Land and the Northern 
Tier Lands shall be held by the Secretary of the Interior in trust for 
the benefit of each Pueblo. Lands acquired by Los Alamos County as 
Water System Lands become San Ildefonso Pueblo tribal lands if they 
were no longer needed for Los Alamos County's water facilities. Most of 
the Los Alamos Townsite lands are currently used for Los Alamos County 
water facilities, including Los Alamos Reservoir and dam, as well as 
water tanks. Except for the restrictions and reservations identified 
above, the Secretary of Agriculture does not propose to place any 
restrictions on future use of the Townsite lands, Settlement Area 
lands, Water System lands, or Northern Tier lands.
    The Act also calls for reservation of a number of road easements to 
assure public access to lands that would otherwise be inaccessible to 
motorized vehicles once the conveyance takes place. For most of these 
reservations, existing roads provide adequate access and so only an 
administrative action is expected. However, as part of the Los Alamos 
Agreement, road improvement work must be completed to improve public 
access to the National Forest System lands adjoining the Settlement 
Area Lands prior to conveyance. The Act allows for reconstruction of FR 
416v to a high clearance, Level 2 to provide this access.
    Even though the Act requires these actions and so discretion is 
limited, the Santa Fe National Forest will study and disclose in an 
environmental impact statement the effects of the actions described in 
the Act that relate to the Secretary of Agriculture's authority to 
transfer lands and reconstruct Road 416v. Other actions to be 
undertaken by the Department of Interior, the Pueblo de San Ildefonso, 
or Los Alamos have not been included in the scope of this proposal 
because they can be accomplished separately. A map of the area is 
located at the following Forest Service Web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/projects/.

Proposed Action

    The Santa Fe National Forest proposes the following:
     Convey the Settlement Area lands to the Pueblo de San 
Ildefonso (approximately 7,058 acres) located in: Township 20 north, 
Range 7 east, sections 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33; and Township 
19 north, Range 7 east, sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; New Mexico Principal 
Meridian.
     Convey the Water System lands to Los Alamos County 
(approximately 631 acres) located in Township 20 north, Range 7 east, 
section 31; Township 19 north, Range 7 east, sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; 
Township 19 north, Range 6 east, section 1; New Mexico Principal 
Meridian.
     Convey the Northern Tier Lands to the Pueblo of Santa 
Clara (approximately 740 acres) located in Township 20 north, Range 7 
east, sections 17, 18; New Mexico Principal Meridian.
     Offer the conveyance the Los Alamos Townsite lands to Los 
Alamos County. These six parcels total approximately 324 acres of 
National

[[Page 33196]]

Forest System lands located in Township 19 north, Range 4 east, section 
13; Township 19 north, Range 5 east, sections 3, 4, 5, 18; New Mexico 
Principal Meridian.
     Reconstruct FR 416v to a high clearance, Level 2, 
standard, following the existing route as much as practical. 
Reconstruction will require grading, culvert placement, and possibly 
relocation of short segments.
     Ancillary actions that may be implemented along with the 
land transfers and road reconstruction. Examples include fence 
construction along boundary lines and road closures where roads no 
longer serve a purpose to the management of National Forests.
    Lead Agency: The USDA Forest Service (FS) is the lead agency.
    Responsible Official: The responsible Official is the Forest 
Supervisor, Santa Fe National Forest 1474 Rodeo Road, P.O. Box 1689, 
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1689.
    Decision Framework: The NEPA decision to be made is limited by the 
Act. Transfer or offering for sale of lands is mandated. Reconstruction 
of FR 416v is also mandated as an action that must be completed before 
the land conveyance can occur. However, the Forest will evaluate 
effects and develop mitigation measures and best management practices 
to implement during the road reconstruction and, where applicable, in 
the land conveyance.
    Scoping Process: The scoping process will include public meetings 
and field reviews as necessary. Appropriate public involvement will 
occur in May/June 2007 as initial scoping. Appropriate activities will 
occur once the Draft EIS is available for review, which is expected to 
occur in the summer of 2007.
    Preliminary Issues: Because the conveyance of land will not 
significantly change the expected land use of the transferred lands, no 
significant issues have been identified. Reconstruction of FR 416v has 
the potential to affect known cultural resource sites located within 
the existing roadway. Because the sites and road occupy land between a 
canyon wall and steep ground, options to avoid these sites are limited, 
and so data recovery is the likely method for mitigating impacts. No 
threatened or endangered species--or Region 3 sensitive species--of 
animal or plant are known in the project area. Likewise, no Region 3 
sensitive species are known. Because the National Forest System lands 
would be closed to the general public once conveyed to the Pueblos, a 
change in recreational use patterns is likely. A closed pumice mine 
exists on the land to be conveyed to the San IIdefonso Pueblo, with 
reclamation underway. Any unfinished reclamation will pass to the 
Secretary of Interior pursuant to the Act, Section 7(f).

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process that guides the 
development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest Service 
invites written comments and suggestions on the proposed action, 
including any issues to consider, as well as any concerns relevant to 
the analysis.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be 
prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental 
impact statement 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 
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 
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement 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 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 final 
environmental impact statement. To assist the Forest Service in 
identifying and considering issues and concerns on the proposed action, 
comments on the draft environmental impact statement 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 draft environmental impact statement 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.

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

    Dated: June 1, 2007.
Daniel J. Jiron,
Forest Supervisor, Santa Fe National Forest.
[FR Doc. 07-2958 Filed 6-12-07; 1:20 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M