[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 26649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-12724]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Kootenai National Forest, Lincoln County, MT; Flower Creek
Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of fuel and
vegetation management through commercial timber harvest, precommercial
thinning and fuel grinding; road storage; temporary road construction;
and trail construction. The project is located in the Flower Creek
Watershed on the Libby Ranger District, Kootenai National Forest,
Lincoln County, Montana, and south of Libby, Montana.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by 45 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. The
draft environmental impact statement is expected December 2009 and the
final environmental impact statement is expected March 2010.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Malcolm R. Edwards, District
Ranger, Libby Ranger District, 12557 Hwy 37, Libby, MT 59923. Comments
may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected].
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such a way that they are useful to the Agency's preparation of
the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of
the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's
concerns and contentions. The submission of timely and specific
comments can affect a reviewer's ability to participate in subsequent
administrative review or judicial review.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide
the respondent with standing to participate in subsequent
administrative review or judicial review.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise Beck, Team Leader, Libby Ranger
District, 12557 Hwy 37, Libby, MT 59923; phone: (406) 293-7773.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project area is approximately 3 air
miles south of Libby, Montana, within all or portions of T30N, R31W,
Sections 3, 4, 5, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29 and 30; T30N,
R32W, Sections 3, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,
32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 PMM, Lincoln County, Montana. The area contains
the Flower Creek Watershed.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose and need for this project is to: (1) Trend vegetation
in the Flower Creek Watershed towards conditions that are resilient to
fire thereby reducing the risk of stand replacing wildfire and
associated post-fire effects to the municipal watershed.
Proposed Action
To meet this purpose and need this project proposes:
(1) Vegetation treatments, including commercial timber harvest and
associated fuel reduction, fuel reduction in stands that are not
economically viable for commercial harvest, pre-commercial thinning,
yarding tops to the landing in commercial harvest units, grinding
landing piles and spot fuel grinding or mastication with and without
associated timber harvest. Vegetation treatments total 990 acres of
treated area.
(2) Access management includes road storage and construction of
temporary road. Approximately 1.81 miles of road storage is proposed.
Approximately 1 mile of temporary road construction to access treatment
units is proposed.
(3) Construction of a non-system trail tread to form a walking loop
in the project area for a total of 0.23 miles.
Possible Alternatives
The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of
these will be the ``no action'' alternative in which none of the
proposed activities will be implemented. Additional alternatives will
examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to
achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues
and other resource values.
Responsible Official
Forest Supervisor of the Kootenai National Forest, 31374 U.S.
Highway 2 West, Libby, MT 59923. As the Responsible Official, I will
decide if the proposed project will be implemented. I will document the
decision and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. I have
delegated the responsibility for preparing the DEIS and FEIS to Malcolm
R. Edwards, District Ranger, Libby Ranger District.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. A public meeting
will be held June 16 in Libby, Montana followed by a public field trip
on June 18.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions. The submission of
timely and specific comments can affect a reviewer's ability to
participate in subsequent administrative appeal or judicial review.
Dated: May 21, 2009.
Paul Bradford,
Forest Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest.
[FR Doc. E9-12724 Filed 6-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M