[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 44 (Monday, March 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10456-10457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4687]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Kootenai National Forest, Fortine Ranger District, Montana; 
Galton Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The USDA--Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of transportation 
system and access management alternatives, vegetation management 
alternatives, and recreation project alternatives in the Galton 
Decision Area (Decision Area) on the Fortine Ranger District of the 
Kootenai National Forest. The Forest Service is seeking comments from 
Federal, State, and local agencies and individuals and organizations 
that may be interested in or affected by the proposed actions. The 
comments will be used to prepare the draft EIS (DEIS).

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be 
postmarked or received within 30 days following publication of this 
notice. The draft environmental impact statement is expected in May of 
2010 and the final environmental impact statement is expected in 
November of 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments concerning the proposed action to 
Betty Holder, District Ranger, Fortine Ranger District, P.O. Box 116, 
Fortine, MT 59918. All comments must contain: Name of commenter, postal 
service mailing address, and date of comment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Moira McKelvey, Writer/Editor, Fortine 
Ranger District, P.O. Box 116, Fortine, MT 59918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Decision Area is located east of US 
Highway 93 from the U.S./Canada border to the Kootenai National Forest 
boundary south of Dickey Lake and includes a small portion of National 
Forest System Lands (NFSL) west of U.S. Highway 93 in the Dickey Lake 
and Ant Flat area. The Decision Area encompasses all of three (3) 
Planning Areas (Wigwam, Grave, and Murphy) and the Fortine Ranger 
District portions of two (2) Planning Areas (Stillwater and Ksanka). 
This area includes the Ten Lakes Wilderness Study Area (WSA), the Ten 
Lakes Scenic Area, Grave Creek, Therriault Lakes. Dickey Lake, Marston, 
and Ant Flat. The boundary for this project covers approximately 
170,300 acres of which approximately 127,380 acres is National Forest 
System Land.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for the project is to: (1) Provide the minimum 
system of roads and road uses that are needed for Forest Service land 
management activities and recreational access while reducing road 
impact to water quality and secure wildlife habitat and reducing road 
maintenance costs; (2) Provide trail loop opportunities and trail 
access to remote areas; (3) Provide ATV and motorcycle enthusiasts with 
trails on which they can ride their non-street legal vehicles and where 
nonlicensed riders can ride; (4) Designate mountain bike use that is 
compatible with the Montana Wilderness Study Act; (5) Designate allowed 
non-winter uses on all trails to reduce potential conflicts between 
user groups; (6) Designate over-snow vehicle use that is compatible 
with the Montana Wilderness Study Act while minimizing impacts to 
wildlife species such as grizzly bear; (7) Provide quiet winter 
recreation areas (non-motorized); (8) Provide a shelter facility for 
winter recreation users; (9) Reduce fuels within the wildland urban 
interface; (10) Create openings to provide big game browse; (11) 
Improve habitat for whitebark pine stand survival and regeneration; 
(12) Re-establish the natural role of fire in the ecosystem; (13) 
Provide a stable flow of timber products for the local and regional 
economy; and (14) Enhance recreational use and safety.

Proposed Action

    The Proposed Action would result in a year round travel plan for 
the Galton Project Area, which includes the Ten Lakes Wilderness Study 
Area. Over-snow vehicle use would be allowed from 12/1 through 3/31 in 
a regular season on 26 miles of designated trail routes leading to 
38,411 acres of contiguous National Forest System Lands open to over-
snow vehicle use. Over-snow vehicle use would be allowed in a late 
season from 4/1 to 5/31 on 31 miles of designated trail leading to 
4,445 acres of contiguous National Forest System Lands open to over-
snow vehicle use. The access within the open areas can be limited due 
to natural features such as terrain and vegetation.
    7.65 miles of road would be restricted for quiet winter recreation. 
The non-winter portion of the travel plan includes trail use 
designations to minimize conflict between user groups. The Proposed 
Action includes construction of 15.25 miles of new trail and the 
reconstruction of 2 miles of trail. The Proposed Action also would 
result in the conversion of 20.12 miles of road currently managed as 
trail to non-motorized trail and 7.85 miles of road converted to 
motorized trail. Additionally, 20.35 miles of road are proposed for 
decommissioning and 24.26 miles of road to be put into intermittent 
stored service. 9.56 miles of road are proposed to be restricted for 
all motorized use in Big Game Winter Range with an additional 4.69 
miles of road restricted for over-snow vehicle use in Big Game Winter 
Range.
    The Proposed Action would result in 9,043 acres of fuel treatment. 
This includes 191. acres of non-commercial understory thinning, 7,973 
acres of prescribed burning only, and 879 acres of prescribed burning 
with mechanical pretreatment.
    The Forest Service proposes to complete 1,814 acres of commercial 
vegetation management. This includes 226 acres of regeneration harvest 
(shelterwood and seedtree prescriptions) and 133 acres of regeneration 
harvest in clearcut with

[[Page 10457]]

reserves prescription. The Proposed Action also calls for 46 acres of 
commercial thinning along with 1,368 acres of improvement cutting as 
intermediate harvests. 41 acres are proposed to be cut for vista 
enhancement. The Forest Service also proposes to restore Locke Cabin, 
improve the parking facility at Murphy Lake, make improvements to 
camping facilities at the Bunchgrass dispersed camping site, improve 
the picnic and day use area at Little Therriault Lake, and construct a 
warming pavilion at Big Therriault Lake.
    The Proposed Action also includes a number of special use permits 
which will expire during the period this project will be implemented.

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 
be considered to achieve the project's purpose and need for action, and 
to respond to specific resource issues and public concerns.

Responsible Official

    Paul Bradford, Forest Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest, 31374 
Highway 2 West, Libby, MT 59923.

Nature of the Decision To Be Made

    A 2007 lawsuit settlement agreement with the Montana Wilderness 
Association commits the Forest Service to develop summer and winter 
travel plans for the Ten Lakes Wilderness Study Area. The Galton 
Project includes travel planning for the Ten Lakes WSA. This project 
will also reduce hazardous fuels within and outside the wildland-urban 
interface, provide 6.0 MMBF of commercial forest products, provide for 
recreation facilities, and evaluate special use permits.

Scoping Process

    Beginning in January 2008, efforts were made to involve the public 
in considering management opportunities within the Decision Area. Open 
houses were held on February 13, 25, and 26, 2008. A scoping package 
was mailed for public review on June 29, 2009. The proposal will be 
included in the quarterly Schedule of Proposed Actions. Comments 
received prior to this notice will be included in the documentation for 
the EIS.

Preliminary Issues

    Preliminary issues identified include access, including roads, 
mountain bikes and over-snow vehicles.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. At this stage of 
the planning process, site-specific public comments are being requested 
to determine the scope of the analysis, and identify significant issues 
and alternatives to the Proposed Action.

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 
published the notice of availability in the Federal Register. The 
Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers notice of 
several court rulings related to public participation in the 
environmental review process. First, reviews of DEIS' 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 stage 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 (ED, 
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 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 statements. 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.

Paul Bradford,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-4687 Filed 3-5-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M