[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 189 (Monday, October 1, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55737-55738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4805]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Bitterroot National Forest, Ravalli County, MT, Travel Management 
Planning

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, 
notice is hereby given that the Forest Service, Bitterroot National 
Forest will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement to disclose 
the environmental consequences of the proposed travel management 
planning. The proposed action would provide approximately 2,487 miles 
of wheeled motorized recreation opportunities on the Bitterroot 
National Forest while maintaining 1,030,405 acres of non-motorized 
areas. The proposed action would also provide approximately 341 miles 
of open snowmobile routes and 608,031 acres open to snowmobile use.

DATES: Specific comments on the proposed action should be received by 
November 23, 2007. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
to be available for the public in August 2008, and the final 
environmental impact statement is expected to be available in May 2009. 
The Motor Vehicle Use Map is scheduled to be available on or before 
December 2009.

[[Page 55738]]


ADDRESSES: Submit written, faxed, or e-mail comments by: (1) Mail--
Travel Management Planning Team; Stevensville Ranger District; 88 Main; 
Stevensville, Montana 59870 (2) fax--(406) 777-7423; (3) e-mail--
comments- [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Ritter, Stevensville District 
Ranger (406) 777-5461 or Sandy Mack, Project Team Leader (406) 777-7415 
(see ADDRESSES above)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose

    The objectives of the project are to: 1. Change the existing 
motorized recreation designations provide quality motorized recreation 
experiences while protecting natural resources and providing non-
motorized recreation opportunities.
     Provide motorized loop routes that offer a quality 
recreational experience, with the focus on using old roads and linkages 
with only minor resource impacts.
     Provide areas for non-motorized recreation experiences.
     Close routes to motorized use that have resource concerns 
that can't reasonably be mitigated.
    2. Close routes that offer little value as a motorized experience 
and have resource concerns.
    3. Clarify and simplify the motor vehicle use designations.
    4. Comply with the 2005 Travel Management Rule.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action establishes clear, standardized designations of 
where motorized recreation is appropriate, sustainable and desirable on 
the Bitterroot National Forest. It would provide 2,487 miles of routes 
open to wheeled motorized use including: 25 mi. of roads open to all 
vehicles, yearlong or seasonal (mixed-motorized); 1,479 mi. of roads 
open to highway legal vehicles only, yearlong or seasonal; 746 mi. of 
trails open to vehicles 50 or less in width, yearlong or 
seasonal; 237 mi. of trails open to motorcycles, yearlong or seasonal. 
It would also provide 1,030,405 acres of non-motorized use (\1/2\ mile 
or more from wheeled motorized use designations) across the Forest. The 
proposed action would provide 58 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, 
341 miles of open snowmobile routes and 608,031 acres open to 
snowmobile use.
    Alternatives to the proposed action will be developed based on 
public comments.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for the Travel Management Planning Project 
is Dave T. Bull, Forest Supervisor, Bitterroot National Forest 1801 N. 
First, Hamilton 59840-3114.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will determine whether or not to proceed 
with the proposed motorized use designations.

Scoping Process

    Comments will be accepted during the 60-day scoping period as 
described in this notice of intent. To assist in commenting, a coping 
package providing more detailed information on the project proposal has 
been prepared and is available to interested parties. Contact Sandy 
Mack, Project Leader at the address listed in this notice of intent if 
you would like to receive a copy. The information is also available on 
the web at www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot/projects/ motorized--rec.shtml, 
and at each District Office and at the public libraries in Darby, 
Hamilton, Stevensville and Missoula. the Forest will schedule public 
meetings in November, prior to the end of the public comment period. 
Meeting times and locations will be announced at a later date.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process that guides the 
development of the environmental impact statement.
    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 at least 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 24 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 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.
    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.

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


    Dated: September 20, 2007.
Barry Paulson,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07-4805 Filed 9-28-08; 8:45 am]
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