[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 40875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17414]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Cedar Gulch Mine, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Josephine 
County, OR

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a supplemental environmental 
impact statement (SEIS), to examine surface resource impacts connected 
with extracting gold from placer deposits within a 4.25-acre (approx.) 
area, in response to a mining claimant's proposed plan of operations. A 
Notice of Intent (NOI) was first published for this proposal under the 
name of Tracy Placer Mine, on April 21, 2006, Volume 71, No. 77, pages 
20640-20642. A Notice of Availability was published for the DEIS on 
March 20, 2009, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the project was 
put on hold before a comment period was completed. The Forest Service 
is now preparing a SEIS to address changed conditions and minor changes 
to the alternatives since the DEIS was first made available. The name 
of the project is hereby changed to Cedar Gulch Mine to reflect the 
actual name of the placer claim, rather than the claim owner's name. 
This is in keeping with Forest Service policy. Proposed mining would 
occur along the south bank of Sucker Creek, about 11 miles southeast of 
Cave Junction, Oregon.
    The purpose for preparing this SEIS is to forecast and disclose 
environmental consequences to surface resources, resulting from road 
use and mine operations, as well as to ascertain reasonable operational 
terms and conditions needed during development of locatable mineral 
resources of the United States (as authorized by the Mining Law of 
1872, as amended).

DATES: The Draft SEIS is expected to be completed in October 2011, and 
the Final SEIS is expected January 2012.

ADDRESSES: A legal notice will be published in the newspaper of record 
at the time the DSEIS is released for comment. Addresses for comment 
will be included in the legal notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information or 
questions, contact Karla Gallegos, Minerals Administrator, at (541) 
471-6708.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Scope of Environmental Analysis

    The scope of this environmental analysis is limited to a review of 
proposed placer mine operations, including road access to the mine, 
with regard to potential environmental impacts to affected surface 
resources. The Forest Service, in implementing the Mining Law of 1872, 
does not have discretion to deny otherwise lawful locatable minerals 
mining (entry) where a reasonable plan of operations is proposed. 
However, Forest Service resource specialists working on this project do 
aim to fulfill all legally mandated environmental analysis and 
statement requirements, including thorough consideration of operating 
terms and conditions that decrease environmental effects. The 
application of operational terms and conditions are intended to direct 
mining operations and reclamation activities that minimize adverse 
effects on National Forest System surface resources (36 CFR 228.1).

Preliminary Issues

    The interdisciplinary team assigned to this project has identified 
two significant issues. One of these issues, regarding potential for 
degradation of Sucker Creek water quality, validated the merit of 
preparing an SEIS. The two significant issues identified are:
    (1) The degree of impact from proposed mine operations related to 
species listed as threatened under the Endangered Special Act, as 
amended (specifically coho salmon and the northern spotted owl) and
    (2) The degree to which proposed mine operations might increase 
water temperature, turbidity, or both in Sucker Creek (especially with 
regard to the potential for a threatened violation of Clean Water Act 
requirements).

Preliminary Alternatives

    Three alternatives will be analyzed in the forthcoming draft SEIS: 
1), the no action alternative (as required by the National 
Environmental Policy Act, NEPA), 2), the miner's (claimant's) proposed 
action (plan of operations), and 3), an alternative mining plan 
incorporating reasonable terms and conditions that would minimize 
adverse environmental impacts on National Forest System surface 
resources.

Responsible Official

    Roy Bergstrom, District Ranger, Wild Rivers Ranger District, is the 
Forest Service official responsible for decision-making.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will be accountable for disclosing 
important environmental consequences, identifying the environmentally 
preferable alternative, and selecting an alternative to implement. He 
will review the analysis contained in the Cedar Gulch Mine SEIS and 
make a decision regarding the terms and conditions that shall be 
required to operate, identifying where, when, and to what extent such 
terms and conditions are essential to protect surface resources.
    Following completion of the draft SEIS, a comment period of no less 
than 45 calendar days will be allotted beginning on the day after the 
date EPA publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. 
At the end of this period, comments submitted to the Forest Service, 
together with names and addresses of those who responded, will be 
included in the public record for this proposal and as such will be 
available for public review. Forest Service officials will analyze, 
consider and respond to substantive comments submitted for the draft 
SEIS and will then publish substantive comments and accompanying 
responses in the final SEIS.

    Dated: June 22, 2011.
Roy Bergstrom,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2011-17414 Filed 7-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P