[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2632-2633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00596]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Westside Ranger District, Idaho 
Pocatello, Midnight, and Michaud Allotment Management Plan Revisions

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to disclose environmental effects to authorize 
livestock grazing on all or portions of the Pocatello, Midnight, and 
Michaud allotments. The project area is within the Portneuf River and 
American Falls Subbasins. The project area is 10 miles south of 
Pocatello, Idaho and encompasses 43,200 acres of the National Forest 
Systems Lands administered by the Westside Ranger District, Caribou-
Targhee National Forest.

DATES: ``Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by February 14, 2014. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected June 2014 and the final impact statement is expected December 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to District Ranger Jeffery Hammes, 
Westside Ranger District, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204. 
Comments may also be sent via email to [[email protected]], or via facsimile to 208-236-
7555.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heidi Heyrend, Rangeland Management 
Specialist, 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401. Telephone: 
208 524-7500, email [email protected].
    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:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of this project is to reauthorize livestock grazing in 
a manner that maintains and/or moves the area toward Forest Plan 
objectives and desired conditions. The previous AMPs were completed in 
1992. Since that time, the following have occurred: The Forest Plan was 
revised in 2003; Term Grazing Permits were modified with the Forest 
Plan Grazing Management riparian and upland forage utilization 
standards in 2005; and Lower Portneuf Watershed Analysis (LPWA) was 
completed and included revised management recommendations as well as 
identified areas not meeting Forest Plan Desired Condition in 2010. 
There is a need for change from the current management as the 
allotments are not meeting or moving toward desired conditions in an 
acceptable timeframe. Specific desired conditions that are not being 
met include: riparian conditions, and water resource and quality, and 
recreation.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action would reauthorize livestock grazing within the 
project area and would implement a grazing management strategy that 
would result in improvement of riparian, water quality, and aquatic 
resources, and reduces the recreation conflict. The allotment 
management plan outlines livestock management objectives, practices 
(including maximum amount of use to meet management objectives), 
structural and non-structural improvement necessary to meet management 
objectives, and a monitoring plan to determine whether management 
objectives are being met and adaptive management actions employed. The 
proposed actions includes direction for livestock grazing in riparian 
areas using the Caribou Riparian Grazing Implementation Guide (i.e. 
site-specific riparian grazing management standards); adjusted 
structural range improvements (i.e. fences and water development) to 
reduce the impacts to riparian areas and disperse recreation management 
prescription; and defines the adaptive management strategies to meet 
management objectives and practices.

Possible Alternatives

    In addition to the proposed action, the no graze alternative was 
also identified to be analyzed in the environment analysis. ``No 
grazing'' means that the Forest Service would not reauthorize livestock 
grazing within the project area (FSH 2209.13-92.31). Permitted 
livestock grazing would be eliminated on the Pocatello, Midnight, and 
Michaud Allotments. The livestock grazing permits would be cancelled. 
In accordance with agency regulations (36 CFR 222.4), grazing would 
cease two years after the notice of cancellation. Current livestock 
management would continue during that two-year interval.

Responsible Official

    The Westside District Ranger, Jeffery Hammes, will be the 
responsible official for making the decision and providing direction 
for the analysis.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide whether or not to re authorize 
livestock grazing within the Pocatello, Midnight,

[[Page 2633]]

and Michaud Allotments. If livestock grazing is reauthorized, the 
responsible official will also decide on basic elements of an allotment 
management plan: livestock management objectives, practices (including 
maximum amount of use to meet management objectives), structural and 
non-structural improvements necessary to meet management objectives, 
and a monitoring plan to determine whether management objectives are 
being met and adaptive management measures needed.

Preliminary Issues

    Preliminary issues identified include the rate of improvement on 
riparian and upland vegetation, aquatic resources, and recreation 
conflict use.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the official notice and comment 
period. Previous public scoping for this project occurred in December 
2010.
    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.

    Dated: January 8, 2014.
Jeffery J. Hammes,
Westside District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2014-00596 Filed 1-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P