[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 244 (Thursday, December 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72342-72343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-6088]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Bitterroot National Forest, West Fork Ranger District; Montana; 
Lower West Fork Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, Bitterroot National Forest, will 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document the 
analysis and disclose the environmental impacts of the proposed Lower 
West Fork project. The project area is located in Ravalli County, about 
15 miles southwest of Darby, Montana. The project area encompasses 
about 38,400 acres between the Pierce and Wheeler Creek drainages on 
the west side of the West Fork Bitterroot River, and the Piquett, 
Violet, Pine, Applebury, Steep Creek drainages on the east side of the 
river. The proposed Lower West Fork project would manage vegetation to 
reduce fuel loads and crown fire hazard in the wildland urban 
interface, improve forest health and resilience to disturbances, and 
maintain or increase shade intolerant species such as ponderosa pine 
and aspen. Roads will be evaluated for opportunities to reduce 
sedimentation and restore aquatic passage. Terraced lands will be 
evaluated for opportunities to restore soils. Site-specific Bitterroot 
Forest Plan amendments may be proposed for downed wood, snags, soils, 
or elk habitat effectiveness. Approximately 5,100 acres of the project 
area are proposed for vegetation treatments.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by January 22, 2008. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected in June, 2008, and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected in December, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send written, oral, or e-mail comments to Lower West Fork 
Project; Dave Campbell, District Ranger; West Fork Ranger Station; 6735 
West Fork Road; Darby, Montana 59829; phone (406) 821-3269; e-mail 
[email protected]. For further 
information, mail correspondence or contact Mike Jakober, Acting South 
Zone Interdisciplinary Team Leader; West Fork Ranger Station; 6735 West 
Fork Road; Darby, Montana 59829; phone (406) 821-3269; e-mail 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Jakober, Acting South Zone 
Interdisciplinary Team Leader; West Fork Ranger Station; 6735 West Fork 
Road; Darby, Montana 59829; phone (406) 821-3269; e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Lower West Fork project is proposed to respond to the goals and 
objectives of the Bitterroot Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the 
Bitterroot National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The 
purpose and need objectives of the Lower West Fork project are to: (1) 
Reduce fuel loads and crown fire risk in lower elevation ponderosa 
pine/Douglas fir forests; (2) improve forest health and resilience to 
natural disturbances, particularly the health and resilience of large 
ponderosa pine trees; (3) maintain or increase shade intolerant species 
such as ponderosa pine and aspen; and (4) improve soil, watershed, and 
fisheries conditions.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is designed to accomplish the project 
objectives with minimal environmental impacts. The types of vegetation 
treatments that may be implemented on the landscape to meet the 
objectives include, but are not limited to: Green tree removals such as 
commercial and non-commercial thinning; removal of individual dead, 
dying, and diseased trees; creating small openings to regenerate aspen; 
slashing of small, non-commercial understory trees; hand piling; and 
prescribed burning. The total proposed vegetation treatment acres are 
approximately 5,100.

[[Page 72343]]

    The types of soil, watershed, and fisheries improvement treatments 
that may be implemented to meet objectives include, but are not limited 
to: Realignment, storage, and decommissioning of existing roads; 
culvert removal and replacement for fish passage; installing fish 
screens on irrigation ditches; spot application of gravel at road 
stream crossings; and restoration of soils in terraced units. 
Approximately 10 miles of road are proposed for decommissioning 
(obliteration), and 19 miles are proposed to be put into long-term 
storage. Nine culverts are proposed for replacement or removal to 
improve fish passage.

Possible Alternatives

    Preliminary alternatives which have been identified include the 
proposed action and the no action alternative.

Responsible Official

    David T. Bull, Forest Supervisor; Bitterroot National Forest; 1801 
N. First; Hamilton, Montana 59840-3114.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will determine whether or not to proceed 
with the proposed project activities.

Scoping Process

    Comments will be accepted during the 30 day scoping period as 
described in this notice of intent. To assist in commenting, a scoping 
letter providing more detailed information on the project proposal has 
been prepared and will be mailed out to interested parties. The Lower 
West Fork project was previously scoped in March, 2007. If you 
responded at that time and wish to use the same comments, there is no 
need to comment again. Comments received in spring, 2007 are included 
in the project file and will be considered in this analysis. If you did 
not receive a scoping letter in spring, 2007, but wish to receive one 
now, contact Dave Campbell, West Fork Ranger District, at the mailing 
address, phone number, or e-mail address previously listed in this 
notice of intent. At this time, there are no plans to schedule a public 
meeting. If needed, a meeting will be scheduled between the release of 
the draft and final environmental impact statements. The time and 
location of the meeting will be announced at that time.

Preliminary Issues

    The scoping that was conducted in March, 2007 disclosed the 
following preliminary issues: (1) Impacts to air quality; (2) economic 
impacts; (3) funding realities; (4) utilization of small diameter 
trees; (5) impacts and costs of obliterating roads; (6) methods and 
science used in the analysis; and (7) appropriate distances needed to 
treat fuels around homes.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which 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 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. 
519,533 (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, 409 
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 statements. 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: December 11, 2007.
Amber Lewis,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07-6088 Filed 12-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M