[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27013-27015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10989]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District; Tongass National Forest; 
Alaska; Saddle Lakes Timber Sale Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture will 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to 
construct roads and harvest timber in the Saddle Lakes

[[Page 27014]]

area of Revillagigedo Island, Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District, 
Tongass National Forest. The proposed action would harvest almost 33 
million board feet (MMBF) of timber on about 2,613 acres and would 
construct up to 19 miles of road.

DATES: Comments concerning this project should be received by June 7, 
2012. Additional opportunity for formal comments will be accepted after 
release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which is expected 
to be published in January 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send or hand-deliver written comments to the Ketchikan-Misty 
Fiords Ranger District, Attn: Saddle Lakes Timber Sale, 3031 Tongass 
Avenue, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901; telephone (907) 225-2148. The FAX 
number is (907) 225-8738. Comments may be sent via email to: [email protected] with Saddle Lakes on the 
subject line. In all correspondence, please include your name, address, 
and organization name if you are commenting as a representative of an 
organization.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff DeFreest, District Ranger, 
Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District, 3031 Tongass Avenue, Ketchikan, 
Alaska 99901, telephone (907) 228-4100; or Rob Reeck, Planning Staff 
Officer, telephone (907) 228-4114, or Linda Pulliam, Interdisciplinary 
Team Leader, telephone (907) 228-4124, also at the Ketchikan-Misty 
Fiords Ranger District, 3031 Tongass Avenue, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901.
    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: This EIS will tier to the 2008 Tongass Land 
and Resource Management Plan Final EIS. The project area is 
administered by the Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District of the 
Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan, Alaska and occurs in Value 
Comparison Units (VCUs) 746, 747, and 753 between George and Carroll 
Inlets.
    The project area is located about 14 miles northeast of Ketchikan, 
Alaska, on Revillagigedo Island. Portions of the North Revilla (526) 
and Carroll (535) Inventoried Roadless Areas lie within the project 
area. Land Use Designations (LUDs) for the 38,460 acre project area 
include Timber Production (15,328 acres), Modified Landscape (16,062 
acres), Old-Growth Habitat (3,566 acres), and Non-National Forest Land 
(3,505 acres).

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the Saddle Lakes Project is to respond to the goals 
and objectives identified by the Forest Plan to guide timber management 
to support the local and regional economies of Southeast Alaska, while 
moving the project area towards the desired conditions of the Forest 
Plan, and to facilitate the transition to a sustainable wood product 
industry based on young-growth managment.
    The underlying need for the Saddle Lakes Project comes from the 
Forest Service's obligation, subject to appropriations, applicable law, 
and to the extent consistent with providing for the multiple use and 
sustained yield of all renewable forest resources, to seek to provide a 
supply of timber from the Tongass that meets market demand annually and 
for the planning cycle.
    This project is essential to provide an orderly flow of timber to 
large and small timber purchasers, mill operators, and value-added wood 
product industries in Southeast Alaska who contribute to the local and 
regional economies. The project will help provide a reliable supply of 
timber that will support local jobs and facilitate a sustainable wood 
product industry.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action would harvest almost 33 MMBF of timber on about 
2,613 acres and would construct up to 19 miles of road, with around 9.3 
miles of National Forest system and 9.2 miles of temporary (non-system) 
road. All new road construction would be closed to motorized use after 
timber harvest. Existing log transfer facilities at Shelter Cove and 
Coon Cove could be used.
    The proposed action would not harvest timber or construct roads in 
inventoried roadless areas. Harvest would include helicopter, ground 
based, and cable yarding systems, and include even-aged and uneven-aged 
harvest prescriptions. All proposed activities would meet the standards 
and guidelines of the Forest Plan.

Possible Alternatives

    Scoping comments will be used by the Forest Service to develop a 
range of alternatives in response to significant issues that are 
identified. A no-action alternative will be analyzed during the 
alternative process.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for the decision on this project is 
Forrest Cole, Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest, Federal 
Building, 648 Mission Street, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide: (1) The estimated timber 
volume to make available from the project, as well as the location, 
design, and scheduling of timber harvest, road construction and 
reconstruction, and silvicultural practices used; (2) access management 
measures; (3) mitigation measures and monitoring requirements; and (4) 
whether there may be a significant restriction on subsistence uses.

Preliminary Issues

    Preliminary concerns identified by the interdisciplinary team 
include (1) Designing an economical timber sale; (2) designing the 
timber sale to meet the scenic integrity objectives for visual priority 
routes; (3) the effects of timber harvest and road construction on 
wildlife habitat and travel corridors, and (4) designing the timber 
sale to avoid, minimize, or mitgate effects to rare and sensitive 
plants.

Permits or Licenses Required

    All necessary permits will be obtained prior to project 
implementation, and may include the following:
    (1) State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation 
(DEC), Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (APDES):
     General permit for Log Transfer Facilities in Alaska;
     Review Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan;
     Certification of Compliance with Alaska Water Quality 
Standards (401 Certification) Chapter 20;
     Storm Water Discharge Permit/National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System review (Section 402 of the Clean Water Act);
     Solid Waste Disposal Permit;
    (2) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
     Approval of discharge of dredged or fill material into the 
waters of the United States under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act;
     Approval of the construction of structures or work in 
navigable waters of the United States under Section 10 of the Rivers 
and Harbors Act of 1899;
    (3) State of Alaska, Division of Natural Resources (DNR):
     Authorization for occupancy and use of tidelands and 
submerged lands.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the EIS. The Forest Service will be seeking 
information, comments, and assistance from Tribal Governments, Federal, 
State, and local agencies, individuals and organizations interested in, 
or affected by the

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proposed activities. In addition to this Notice of Intent, legal 
notices and display ads will be placed in the Ketchikan Daily News. The 
Ketchikan Daily News is the official newspaper of record for this 
project. A scoping document was mailed May 2, 2012 and will be posted 
on the Tongass National Forest public Web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/projects/projects. Individuals who want to be placed on the 
project mailing list should contact the Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger 
District at the address above.
    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 EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of 
the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's 
concerns and contentions.
    Comments, including names and addresses of those who comment, will 
be part of the public record for this proposed action and will be 
available for public inspection. 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.

    Dated: April 26, 2012.

Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2012-10989 Filed 5-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P