[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 206 (Thursday, October 25, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60617-60618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5273]


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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. 206 / Thursday, October 25, 2007 / 
Notices  

[[Page 60617]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Black Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District, South 
Dakota, Upper Spring Creek Project Area

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement on a proposal to use multiple vegetation treatments focused 
on creating a landscape condition more adapted to fire and that reduces 
potential for high severity wildfire near at-risk communities and in 
the wildland-urban interface, and reduce the threat to ecosystem 
components including forest resources from an existing insect epidemic. 
The proposal is being planned for the 44,100 acre Upper Spring Creek 
Project Area that includes about 39,700 acres of National Forest System 
land and about 4,300 acres of interspersed private land. The project 
area generally extends westward from west of Hill City, South Dakota 
encompassing the Upper Spring Creek watershed. This project will be 
conducted as an authorized project under section 102 of the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA). Actions proposed for the Upper 
Spring Creek Project Area include the following:
     Remove conifers from hardwood stands such as aspen and 
birch and by restoring meadows (est. 3,800 acres).
     Reduce the amount of fuel that currently exists and that 
created by vegetation treatment activities. Treatment could include 
lopping, crushing, piling and burning; creating fuel breaks along roads 
and adjacent to private property, particularly those properties with 
houses and subdivisions. Prescribed broadcast burning of up to 14,200 
acres is also planned to not only reduce fuel levels, but also benefit 
big game and other wildlife resources.
     Thin and harvest approximately 23,500 acres of pine stands 
using a variety of treatments to reduce the overall density of pine 
trees and create a mosaic of structural stages across the landscape. 
Both commercial harvest and non-commercial thinning will be sued to 
reduce the stand density, associated fuel hazard conditions and 
susceptibility to Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) infestations.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis would be most 
useful if received by 30-days following the date of this notice. The 
draft environmental impact statement is expected to be available for 
public review by February 2008 and the final environmental impact 
statement is expected to be completed by May 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Robert J. Thompson, District 
Ranger, Black Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District, Upper 
Spring Creek Project Area, 8221 South Highway 16, Rapid City, South 
Dakota 57702. Telephone Number: (605) 343-1567. E-mail: [email protected] with ``Upper Spring Creek'' as 
the subject. Electronic comments must be readable in Word, Rich Text or 
PDF formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have any questions or need 
additional information please contact Katie Van Alstyne, Team Leader or 
Robert J. Thompson, District Ranger, at the Mystic Ranger District 
office in Rapid City at (605) 343-1567.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The actions proposed are in direct response 
to management direction provided by the Black Hills National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The site specific 
actions are designed, based on Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines, to 
move existing resource conditions in the Upper Spring Creek Project 
Area toward meeting Forest Plan Goals and Objectives. Anticipate issues 
include: Wildlife and fuels hazards, MPB effects, prescribed fire, 
activity fuels reduction, vegetation and wildlife habitat diversity, 
and socioeconomic issues. The range of alternatives analyzed in the EIS 
is expected to be consistent with Sec. 104 of the HFRA.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the Upper Spring Creek Project is to:
     Move toward achieving desired land and resource 
conditions, as provided by the Forest Plan, as amended.
     Restore resource conditions to a healthy, resilient fire-
adapted ecosystem.
     Reduce the threat to ecosystem components including forest 
resources, from the existing insect (mountain pine beetle) epidemic.
     Help protect local communities and resources from 
catastrophic wildlife.
    This project is focused on implementing management actions that 
move toward achieving:
     Desired conditions and objectives embodied in Goals 2, 3, 
7, and 10 of the Forest Plan (as amended).
     Goals and objectives applicable to Forest Plan Management 
Area (MA) 4.1--Limited Motorized Use and Forest Product Emphasis; MA 
5.1--Resource Production Emphasis; and MA 5.4--Big Game Winter Range 
Emphasis, that lie within U.S.C., described in Chapter III of the 
Forest Plan (Phase II Amendment).
     Goals of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 
(HR 1904) and other National level initiatives and policy that provide 
procedural tools to hasten process focused on reducing the probability 
and occurrence of severe wildlife in the fire adapted ecosystems, 
especially near at risk communities (ARC) and in the wildland-urban 
interface (WUI).
    Addressing the existence of insect or disease on public and 
adjacent private lands. Moreover, it is appropriate that proposed 
actions be designed in consideration of applicable fuels hazard 
reduction management recommendations and guidelines provided by the 
Pennington County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) of 2007 and 
the Custer County CWPP of 2006.

Proposed Action

    Proposed actions include the following:
     Restore natural fuel breaks to help reduce the potential 
for large-scale, intense wildfire spread. Treatment includes removing 
conifers from hardwood stands such as aspen and birch and by restoring 
meadows (est. 3,800 acres).

[[Page 60618]]

     Reduce the amount of fuel that currently exists and that 
created by vegetation treatment activities. Treatment could include 
lopping, chipping, crushing, piling and burning; creating fuel breaks 
along roads and adjacent to private property, particularly those 
properties with houses and subdivisions. Prescribed broadcast burning 
of up to 14,200 acres is also planned to not only reduce fuel levels, 
but also benefit big game and other wildlife resources.
     Thin and harvest approximately 23,500 acres of pine stands 
using a variety of treatments to reduce the overall density of pine 
trees and create a mosaic of structural stages across the landscape. 
Both commercial and non-commercial sized trees would be removed 
utilizing multiple contracts including stewardship, timber sale, and 
service contracts.

Responsible Official

    Robert J. Thompson, District Ranger, Mystic Ranger District, Black 
Hills National Forest, 8221 South Highway 16, Rapid City, SD 57702.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether or not to implement the proposed 
action or possible alternative at this time.

Scoping Process

    Comments and input regarding the proposal will be received via 
direct mailing from the public, other groups and agencies during the 
initial public comment period in October and November 2007. If you 
would like to be more involved, a public meeting is scheduled for 
Thursday November 8, 2007 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the City Hall 
conference room in Hill City, South Dakota. Comments submitted based on 
this NOI will be most useful if received within 30 days from the date 
of this notice. Response to the draft EIS will be sought from the 
interested public beginning in February 2008.

Comment Requested

    This NOI provides information that the agency will prepare an 
environmental impact statement in response to public comment and 
feedback during the October and November 2007 scoping period. Comments 
received will assist the planning team to identify key issues and 
opportunities used to refine the proposal or possible alternatives. 
Comments on the DEIS will be requested during the 45 day comment period 
following the Notice of Availability, expected to be published in the 
Federal Register in February 2008 (See discussion below).
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: 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, 533 (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 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.

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

    Dated: October 17, 2007.
Craig Bobzien,
Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest.
[FR Doc. 07-5273 Filed 10-24-07; 8:45 am]
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