Environmental statements; availability, etc.: Incidental take permits— Central Cascades, King, and Kittitas Counties, WA,

[Federal Register: May 19, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 96)]

[Notices]

[Page 27236-27237]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr19my99-28]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[I.D. 051399A]

Availability of a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on a Proposed Modification of Plum Creek Timber Company's Incidental Take Permit for Threatened and Endangered Species on portions of its lands in the Central Cascades, King, and Kittitas Counties, Washington

AGENCIES: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce; Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a final supplemental environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Supplement) is available for review. Plum Creek Timber Company has requested modification of their incidental take permit (PRT-808398) (Permit) to accommodate the new land base expected as a result of a legislated land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service. NMFS and FWS (Services) prepared the Supplement. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (Statement) associated with the original Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) and Permit is not being re-opened or re-analyzed, and the decisions based on the original Statement are not being reconsidered. The Services herein announce the availability of the final Supplement for the proposed modification pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

DATES: Publication of the Record of Decision will occur no sooner than June 18, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Individuals wishing copies of the final Supplement should contact William Vogel, FWS, or Dennis Carlson, NMFS, Pacific Northwest Habitat Conservation Plan Program, 510 Desmond Drive SE., Suite 102, Lacey, Washington 98503-1273; telephone (360) 753-9440 or (360) 753- 5828 respectively. Copies may also be obtained by contacting Michael Collins, Project Leader, Plum Creek Timber Company, 999 Third Avenue, Suite 2300, Seattle, Washington 98104; or call (206) 467-3639. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for other locations where the final Supplement and supporting documents may be obtained.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Vogel, FWS, or Dennis Carlson, NMFS. Both are located at the office of the Pacific Northwest Habitat Conservation Plan Program, at the addresses and telephone numbers listed (see ADDRESSES).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Availability of Documents

Copies of the final Supplement and supporting documents are also available at the following libraries:

Wenatchee Public Library, Attention: Sandy Purcell, 310 Douglas Street, Wenatchee, Washington 98801

University of Washington Library, Attention: Carolyn Aamot, Government Publications Department, 170 Suzzallo Library, Seattle, Washington 98195-2900

Seattle Public Library, Attention: Jeanette Voiland, Government Publications Department, 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98104

Evergreen State College, Attention: Lee Lyttle, Library Campus Parkway - L23100H, Olympia, Washington 98505

Central Washington University, Attention: Dr. Patrick McLaughlin, Library Collection Development, Ellensburg, Washington 98926

King County Library System, Attention: Cheryl Standley, Documents Department, 1111 110th Avenue Northeast, Bellevue, Washington 98004

The Plum Creek Plan for the central Cascades was accepted and the Permit was originally issued on June 27, 1996. Both apply to a 170,600- acre Project Area located within a 418,700-acre Planning Area. The Planning Area is located within east King County and west Kittitas County, Washington, and is bisected by U.S. Interstate-90. The Planning Area includes not only Plum Creek lands, but National Forest lands and lands of other ownerships.

The Permit allows Plum Creek to incidentally take threatened and endangered fish and wildlife while requiring implementation of a conservation plan with a habitat-based, prescriptive-management strategy designed to minimize and mitigate such incidental take. The Plan approved in 1996 contemplated that Plum Creek lands managed under the Plan and Permit would likely change as a result of future land exchanges with the United States. Consequently, the Plan and associated Implementation Agreement provide procedures and criteria for modification of the Plan to accommodate the exchange of lands. The Plan describes two scenarios for land exchanges with the United States whereby the biological integrity of the Plan would be either maintained or improved. One scenario exchanges Plum Creek-owned lands in the Planning Area for Government-owned lands outside of the Planning Area. Another scenario describes an exchange of Federal and Plum Creek lands so that within the Planning Area there is: (1) an increase in National Forest land managed as Late-Successional Reserves or Adaptive Management Areas under the Northwest Forest Plan; (2) reduced Federal ownership of lands managed as Matrix under the Forest Plan; and (3) there is a net decrease in harvestable area.

In October of 1998, House Resolution 4328 authorized and directed the consummation of the Interstate-90 Land Exchange. The potential land exchange would result in a transfer to the Forest Service of up to 50,000 acres of the 170,600-acre Project Area previously covered by Plum Creek's Permit and Plan, and the transfer of up to 10,200 acres of National Forest lands within the 418,700-acre Planning Area to Plum Creek. Plum Creek would also acquire additional lands outside the Planning Area which are not addressed in the final Supplement as these lands would not be included on the Permit. The authorized land exchange is a combination of the two scenarios

[[Page 27237]]

determined to be beneficial in the original Plan.

A draft Supplement was released on December 18, 1998 (63 FR 70155), and the 52-day comment period closed on February 8, 1999. The final Supplement contains summaries and responses to the comments received.

The final Supplement analyzes Plum Creek's proposal in order to determine the environmental impact (beneficial or adverse) that would result from implementation of the Plan modification, as compared to the original Federal Action (approval and implementation of the original Plan and issuance of a Permit). It does not address the Federal action of land exchange.

The final Supplement considers three alternatives, including the Proposed Action and the No-action Alternatives. Under the No-action Alternative, Plum Creek would continue to implement the existing Plan on the current land base. This alternative includes specific mitigation for wildlife whether or not those species are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Proposed Action would allow the modification of the Plan to accommodate the new land base and would, therefore, apply the Plan standards to the newly acquired Plum Creek lands. The Northwest Forest Plan would apply to newly acquired National Forest lands. The Partial-Modification Alternative would allow the transfer of lands from Plum Creek to the Forest Service, but would not add the newly acquired Plum Creek lands to the Plan. Instead, take prohibitions under section 9 of the ESA would apply with respect to listed species, but no conservation would be required for other wildlife and special habitats.

Author: William O. Vogel, Pacific Northwest Habitat Conservation Plan Program.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407, 1531-1544, and 4201-4245.

Dated: May 11, 1999. Thomas Dwyer, Acting Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Dated: May 13, 1999. Margaret Lorenz, Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-12611Filed5-18-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F, 4310-55-F