[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25693-25695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10322]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest; Snohomish County, WA; Green 
Mountain Lookout Removal

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: This project would remove the historic fire lookout on Green 
Mountain and relocate it to Circle Peak, authorizing the use of 
motorized equipment and mechanical transport within the Glacier Peak 
Wilderness in connection with the removal. Green Mountain Lookout is 
approximately one air mile inside Glacier Peak Wilderness, Darrington 
Ranger District, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Circle Peak is 
on National Forest land outside Wilderness and approximately six miles 
southwest of Green Mountain.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by June 3, 2013. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
November 2013, and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
March 2014.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Attn: Todd Griffin, Project Leader, 
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 3A, 
Everett, Washington 98201. Comments may also be sent via email to 
[email protected], or via facsimile to (425) 783-0141.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Griffin, Project Leader, at (360) 
677-2258.
    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 Green Mountain Lookout is located in the 
western portion of the 573,000-acre Glacier Peak Wilderness near 
Darrington, Washington. It was built in 1933 by the Civilian 
Conservation Corps as part of a fire detection system in the North 
Cascade Mountains. The lookout served in this role until 1984 when 
aerial fire detection became more prevalent; the fire staffing was 
gradually replaced by wilderness ranger staffing. In 1964 the North 
Cascades National Park Act expanded Glacier Peak Wilderness to include 
the point of Green Mountain on which the lookout is sited. In 1987, the 
lookout was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Through 
the years, natural elements have taken a toll on the lookout. 
Maintenance and restoration efforts have been on-going for several 
decades, with major reconstruction in 1950 and 1998. In 2002, the 
lookout was disassembled and removed from Green Mountain in order to 
make repairs to a deteriorating foundation. In 2009, the repairs to the 
foundation were completed, and the lookout was flown back to its 
original location at Green Mountain and placed on the new foundation.
    In 2010, a lawsuit was filed against the Forest Service seeking 
declaratory judgment and injunction requiring the removal of the 
lookout. The plantiff alleged that the Forest Service violated the 
Wilderness Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with 
the removal and reassembly of the lookout, and the use of mechanized 
transport. The court agreed with the plantiff's claims and ordered the 
Forest Service to remove the lookout. In an amended decision, the court 
granted a

[[Page 25694]]

motion that the Forest Service should be afforded the opportunity to 
determine how to move forward to implement the court's order to remove 
the lookout.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Purpose and Need is to comply with the Court directive 
requiring removal of Green Mountain Lookout while maintaining 
compliance with the Wilderness Act and National Historic Preservation 
Act.
    1. There is a need for the Forest Service to comply with the 2012 
Summary Judgment by the U.S. District Court, as amended, requiring the 
Forest Service to remove Green Mountain Lookout (Wilderness Watch v. Y. 
Robert Iwamoto and United States Forest Service, U.S. District Court 
for Western Washington, Case NO. C10-1797-JCC, 03/27/2012; as amended 
09/20/2012).
    2. There is a need to remove Green Mountain Lookout and restore the 
mountain top in such a manner as to respect the Wilderness character of 
Glacier Peak Wilderness while complying with the court directive (1964 
Wilderness Act and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), Wilderness Forest-wide 
standards and guidelines, p. 4-115).
    3. There is a need to manage historic properties and maintain 
compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, associated 
regulations and policy, and the Forest Plan, while complying with the 
court directive (36 CFR 800; Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), Archaeology Forest-wide 
Standards and Guidelines, p. 4-99).

Proposed Action

    The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBS) proposes to remove 
Green Mountain Lookout from its current location within Glacier Peak 
Wilderness, and relocate the structure to Circle Peak, a similar 
mountain top outside of Wilderness but nearby on National Forest 
Service System (NFS) lands.The Proposed Action would include three 
elements in support of the project's Purpose and Need. It would:
    1. Remove existing lookout at Green Mountain from Glacier Peak 
Wilderness and restore the mountain top. This element would ensure that 
the project would comply with the Summary Judgment of the Court.
    2. Utilize motorized equipment and mechanical transport within 
Glacier Peak Wilderness for the removal of Green Mountain lookout. The 
Forest Service would complete a minimum requirement analysis (MRA) to 
determine whether motorized equipment and mechanized transport would be 
necessary for the minimum administration of the area with respect to 
Wilderness values.
    3. Construct new foundation and relocate Green Mountain Lookout 
onto nearby Circle Peak. This element would address the need to manage 
historic properties and maintain compliance with the National Historic 
Preservation Act.
    Connected actions associated with the removal of Green Mountain 
Lookout would include the following items:
     Designation of a staging area at Green Mountain Horse 
Pasture. This site would be utilized for temporary staging and storing 
of equipment and materials. Clearing of vegetation may be required at 
this site to ensure safe ingress and egress of aircraft.
     Use of heavy and medium lift helicopters to ferry both 
personnel and materials to and from Green Mountain. Flights would be in 
support of relocating Green Mountain Lookout and restoring mountain 
top. A project aviation safety plan would be completed before 
implementation.
     Two repeaters (Snohomish County SAR and Forest Service) 
currently housed inside of Green Mountain Lookout would be taken out of 
service and returned to the responsible agency.
     The catwalk attached to Green Mountain Lookout would be 
separated from the main structure and stored temporarily at Green 
Mountain Horse Pasture, where it would be salvaged. The catwalk will 
not be re-attached to the lookout when relocated to Circle Peak.
     In addition to removing the lookout, restoration of 
mountain top would include demolishing the concrete foundation and 
removal of all materials to the extent possible. Disturbed areas would 
be re-vegetated where feasible.
    Connected actions associated with relocation of Green Mountain 
Lookout to Circle Peak would include the following items:
     Designation of a staging area at the Seed Orchard. This 
site would be utilized for temporary staging and storing of equipment 
and materials. Clearing of vegetation may be required at this site to 
ensure safe ingress and egress of aircraft.
     Construction of a concrete foundation for the placement of 
Green Mountain Lookout. Minor soil excavation and clearing of 
vegetation would result from construction of the foundation.
     Use of heavy and medium lift helicopters to ferry both 
personnel and materials to and from Circle Peak and the Seed Orchard. 
Flights would be in support of constructing a new foundation for the 
placement of Green Mountain Lookout. A project aviation safety plan 
would be completed before implementation.
    Project implementation is expected to occur throughout the summer 
months of 2014. Both Green Mountain and Circle Peak are at high 
elevation and would not permit project activities for most of the year, 
excepting July to October when the sites are normally snow free. It may 
be necessary to store the lookout temporarily at either Green Mountain 
horse pasture or the Seed Orchard if construction of new foundation is 
not completed as anticipated. Potential delays for constructing the new 
foundation as scheduled could be funding or adverse weather conditions 
if project extends into October or later. If funding or inclement 
weather become an issue during implementation, priority would be given 
to removing the lookout from Green Mountain and storing until the 
project site at Circle Peak is completed.

Possible Alternatives

    1. Use of helicopter to airlift lookout intact for placement 
elsewhere on Forest lands, restore mountain top (Proposed Action)
    2. Incinerate lookout, restore mountain top
    3. Disassemble lookout by hand and pack out all material, restore 
mountain top
    4. Disassemble lookout by hand, use of helicopter for ingress/
egress of personnel and materials, restore mountain top
    5. Donate lookout to local museum, to include airlifting structure 
intact, restore mountain top.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official is the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National 
Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor will make the following decisions based on 
the interdisciplinary analysis: (1) What method would the Forest 
Service remove the lookout; (2) what would be the ultimate disposition 
of the lookout; this depends in part on item (1), the method of 
removal.

Preliminary Issues

    1. Effects of motorized equipment and mechanized transport inside 
of Wilderness
    2. Effects to historic properties
    3. Cost to taxpayers.

[[Page 25695]]

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement.
    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.
    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 agency with the ability to provide the commenter with project 
updates.

    Dated: April 25, 2013.
Mike Schlafmann,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2013-10322 Filed 5-1-13; 8:45 am]
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