[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 244 (Monday, December 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79303-79305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32043]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Revision of the Land Management Plan for the Chugach National 
Forest, Alaska

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: As directed by the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), the 
USDA Forest Service is preparing the Chugach National Forest's revised 
land management plan (forest plan), which requires preparation of an 
environmental impact statement (EIS). Publication of this notice marks 
the initiation of the public scoping period for the proposed action. 
This notice briefly describes the nature of the decision to be made, 
the proposed action, and information concerning public participation. 
It also provides estimated dates for filing the EIS, the name and 
address of the responsible agency official, and the individuals who can 
provide additional information. The revised forest plan will supersede 
the existing forest plan that was approved by the Regional Forester in 
2002. The existing forest plan will remain in effect until the revised 
forest plan takes effect.

DATES: Comments concerning the proposed action provided in this notice 
will be most useful in the development of the proposed revised forest 
plan and draft EIS if received by February 17, 2016. The agency expects 
to release the proposed revised forest plan and draft EIS for formal 
comment by summer 2016 and a final EIS and draft record of decision by 
April 2017.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent in one of the following ways: (1) Via 
the Forest Plan Revision Web page at http://go.usa.gov/cBWvQ or (2) 
send or deliver written comments to the Chugach National Forest's 
Supervisor's Office, Attn: Forest Plan Revision, 161 East 1st Street, 
Door 8, Anchorage, AK 99501.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary C. Rasmussen, Forest Plan 
Revision Team Leader, at [email protected] or (907) 743-9500. 
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

    Several areas where changes are needed in the Chugach Forest Plan 
surfaced from the requirements of the 2012 Planning Rule for the 
National Forest System, findings from the development of the Assessment 
of the Chugach National Forest (a precursor document in the planning 
process that identified and evaluated the existing condition across the 
forest landscape), changes in conditions and demands since the 2002 
forest plan, and public concerns to date.
    The 2012 Planning Rule, which became effective May 9, 2012, 
requires inclusion of plan components that address social and economic 
sustainability, ecosystem services, and multiple uses integrated with 
the plan components for ecological sustainability and species 
diversity. Social and economic management direction is needed to 
provide people and communities with a range of social and economic 
benefits for present and future generations. To meet the Planning 
Rule's requirement to provide for ecological sustainability, management 
direction is needed that addresses ecosystem diversity (including key 
ecosystem characteristics and their integrity), in light of changes in 
climate, federal subsistence regulations, land ownership and 
recreational use patterns, and threats to ecosystem integrity from 
invasive species and pollution sources (e.g. the Exxon Valdez oil 
spill). Revised plan components are needed that focus on maintaining or 
restoring aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to provide for species 
diversity including threatened and endangered species, species of 
conservation concern, and species of public interest. Additionally, 
updates and modifications to management direction are needed to address 
suitability of certain areas for particular uses, address access and 
sustainable recreation, provide for the management of existing and 
anticipated uses, as well as protect resources. During the plan 
revision process, the 2012 Planning Rule requires the Forest Service to 
undertake processes to identify and evaluate existing and new 
designated areas including lands that may be suitable for inclusion in 
the National Wilderness Preservation System and eligible rivers for 
inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Proposed Action

    The Forest Service is preparing the Chugach National Forest revised 
land management plan. The detailed proposed action is available on the 
Forest's Web site at: http://go.usa.gov/cBWvQ. The proposed action 
describes the strategic intent of managing the Forest for the next 10 
to 15 years and provides management direction in the form of goals, 
desired conditions, objectives, standards, and guidelines. It 
identifies management areas and geographic areas across the Forest and 
estimates the timber sale program quantity. The proposed action 
describes the plan area's distinctive roles and contributions within 
the broader landscape, identifies watersheds that are a priority for 
maintenance or restoration, and identifies the suitability of national 
forest lands to support a variety of proposed and possible actions that 
may occur on the plan area over the life of the plan. The proposed 
action also identifies a monitoring program.
    The proposed action includes plan components to maintain or restore 
ecological conditions that contribute to maintaining viable populations 
of dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis), a species of 
conservation concern identified for the Chugach National Forest by the 
Regional Forester.

Nature and Scope of Decision To Be Made

    As the forest plan is revised, the responsible official will use 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

[[Page 79304]]

process to develop alternatives to the proposed action and decide which 
alternative best promotes the ecological integrity and sustainability 
of the Chugach National Forest's ecosystems, watersheds, and diverse 
plant and animal communities. In addition, the responsible official 
will decide if the plan provides sufficient management guidance to 
contribute to social and economic sustainability, and to provide people 
and communities with ecosystem services and multiple uses including a 
range of social, economic, and ecological benefits for the present and 
into the future.
    The responsible official will also determine whether to make new 
recommendations for Wilderness and other designated areas.
    The revised forest plan will provide strategic direction and a 
framework for decision making during the life of the plan, but it will 
not make site-specific project decisions and will not dictate day-to-
day administrative activities needed to carry on the Forest Service's 
internal operations. The authorization of project-level activities will 
be based on the direction contained in the revised forest plan, but 
will occur through subsequent project specific decision making, 
including NEPA analysis.
    The revised forest plan will provide broad, strategic guidance 
designed to supplement, not replace, overarching laws and regulations. 
Though strategic guidance will be provided, no decisions will be made 
regarding the management of individual roads or trails, such as those 
that might be associated with a travel management plan under 36 CFR 
part 212. Some issues, although important, are beyond the authority or 
control of a forest plan and will not be addressed during this revision 
process. For example, the revision process cannot be used to modify 
inventoried roadless area boundaries established by the Roadless Area 
Conservation Rule.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official who will approve the Record of Decision is 
Terri Marceron, Forest Supervisor for the Chugach National Forest, 161 
East 1st Avenue, Door 8, Anchorage, AK 99501.

Applicable Planning Rule

    Preparation of the revised forest plan for the Chugach National 
Forest began with the publication of a Notice of Initiation in the 
Federal Register on July 9, 2014 [79 FR 38852] and was initiated under 
the planning procedures contained in the 2012 Forest Service planning 
rule (36 CFR 219 (2012)).

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the EIS. Written comments received in response to 
this notice will be analyzed to further develop the proposed revised 
forest plan and identify potential significant issues. Significant 
issues will, in turn, form the basis for developing alternatives to the 
proposed action.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments such that 
they are useful to the agency's preparation of the EIS. Comments on the 
proposed action will be most valuable if received within 60 days of the 
publication of this notice and should clearly articulate the reviewer's 
opinions and concerns.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will become part of the public 
record. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; 
however, anonymous comments will not provide the Agency with the 
ability to provide the respondent with subsequent environmental 
documents. See the section below concerning the objection process and 
the requirements for filing an objection.
    While we are interested in all comments related to the proposed 
action, the Forest Service is particularly interested in receiving 
comments about which if any areas of the Chugach National Forest should 
be included in the analysis of wilderness character. The areas analyzed 
will form the basis for recommendations for future Wilderness 
designation.

Public Participation in the Planning Process

    Beginning in March 2012, the Forest Service began to lay the 
foundation to engage the public about the forest plan revision process. 
The public and stakeholders were informed through press releases, 
letters and Web-based information, and the Forest Service partnered 
with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) to hold 10 community 
workshops in the spring of 2012. Additionally, an online participatory 
mapping interface (Talking Points) was available for the public to use 
from April to November 2012.
    On January 31, 2013, the Forest Service issued a news release 
announcing the beginning of the first phase of the planning process. On 
February 7, 2013, a legal notice was published in the Anchorage Daily 
News announcing the beginning of the assessment phase of the plan 
revision and upcoming opportunities for public engagement. Eighteen 
additional public meetings and workshops were held in local communities 
in 2013. In addition to these efforts, the Forest Service also 
conducted a series of targeted outreach efforts to federally recognized 
Alaska Native Tribes and Corporations, youth, new audiences, 
permittees, and neighboring landowners, including the State of Alaska, 
to capture stakeholder input for the assessment.
    A public comment period with nine accompanying ``open house'' 
meetings was held in spring 2015 following publication of the following 
documents: Preliminary Need to Change Report; Draft Wilderness 
Inventory and Evaluation Report; Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers 
Evaluation Report; and a spring 2015 Plan Revision newsletter.
    The public engagement strategy for early 2016 will focus on issue 
identification and alternative development. Engagement tools include: 
Keeping the Plan Revision Web page updated; notifying mailing list 
subscribers and interested parties when information is available; and 
soliciting invitations to stakeholder meetings to present additional 
forest plan revision information. Additional comment periods and public 
meetings will be scheduled to coincide with the availability of the 
revised forest plan and draft environmental impact statement expected 
in July 2016.

Decision Will Be Subject to Objection

    The decision to approve the revised forest plan for the Chugach 
National Forest will be subject to the objection process identified in 
36 CFR 219 Subpart B (219.50 to 219.62). According to 36 CFR 219.53(a), 
those who may file an objection are individuals and entities who have 
submitted substantive formal comments related to plan revision during 
the opportunities provided for public comment during the planning 
process.

Documents Available for Review

    The detailed proposed action text describing preliminary desired 
conditions, objectives, standards, guidelines, and other plan content; 
the 2015 Need for Change; the 2014 Assessment; other documents that 
support the proposed action; and information from previous public 
meetings are posted on the Chugach National Forest's Web site at: 
http://go.usa.gov/cBWvQ. The material available on this site may be 
revised or updated at any time as part of the planning process.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1600-1614; 36 CFR part 219 [77 FR 21162-
21276].


[[Page 79305]]


    Dated: December 14, 2015.
Alicia King,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2015-32043 Filed 12-18-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P