Environmental statements; notice of intent: Boise National Forest, ID,

[Federal Register: August 25, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 164)]

[Notices]

[Page 46337-46339]

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

[DOCID:fr25au99-44]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Whiskey Campo Resource Management Project, Boise National Forest, Elmore County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

SUMMARY: The proposed action for the Whiskey Campo Resource Management Project has changed. (The original notice of intent appeared in the Federal Register on January 5, 1998, pp. 200-201.) The fish passage improvement activities in the original Whiskey Campo proposed action are being implemented under Trinity Fish Passage Restoration Project Decision Memo signed July 22, 1999. The Mountain Home Ranger District of the Boise

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National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the remaining portions of the resource management project in the Whiskey Campo project area, located approximately 5 miles west of Featherville, Idaho, in the middle to upper elevation of the Trinity Creek watershed. The project area encompasses about 12,870 acres of National Forest System land. Approximately 5,500 acres of the project area are located within the Whiskey Jack Inventoried Roadless Area (RARE No. 02009), and about 900 acres of the project area are located within the Rainbow Inventoried Roadless Area (RARE No. 02008). Access is by Forest Development Road (FDR) 172. The project area is located about 130 road miles east of Boise, Idaho.

The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis. The agency also hereby gives notice of the environmental analysis and decisionmaking process that will occur on the proposal so that interested and affected people are aware of how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

Proposed Action

The proposed action is nearly the same as that published in the Federal Register January 5, 1998. It does not contain the fish passage restoration activities, which are being implemented under the Trinity Fish Passage Restoration Project Decision Memo. The proposed action also has more specific activity-related numbers than the original.

Timber Stand Management Activities--Approximately 1,890 acres of forested land would be commercially thinned and underburned with low severity prescribed fire. Some salvage harvest of large diameter, beetle-infested Douglas-fir would occur in these stands. On approximately 4,580 acres of forested land, bark beetle infested and severely dwarf mistletoe infected trees would be salvage harvested.

Helicopter yarding would be done on approximately 5,910 acres. Skyline yarding would be done on approximately 180 acres. A combination of tractor and off-road jammer (excavator) yarding would be done on approximately 780 acres. Approximately 2 miles of road would be constructed to access timber stands proposed for treatment. The newly constructed roads would be closed to all motorized use and revegetated following the project. One small culvert on FDR 172N would be replaced. Three helicopter landings would be constructed and revegetated. Ten existing helicopter landings would be used and revegetated.

Aspen Stand Rejuvenation--On approximately 400 acres of aspen stands dispersed throughout the project area, prescribed fire and/or harvest of invading conifer trees would be used to rejuvenate decadent stands or maintain vigorous, young stands. These activities would promote regeneration of aspen suckers and saplings and prevent conversion to conifer stands.

Elk Habitat Improvement--Approximately 3.5 miles of road in the Spring Creek drainage would be decommissioned (closed and removed from the transportation system for future use). Approximately 5.4 miles of road in the Spring Creek drainage would be modified from seasoned to year-long closure. Such closures would bring the elk habitat effectiveness of the Spring Creek drainage into compliance with the Forest Plan.

Fish Habitat Improvements--Approximately 13.7 miles of FDR 172 would be graveled. Graveling of the road surface would help retain the fine sediment particles on the road surface.

Travel Safety Modifications to FDR 172--Approximately 25 ``blind'' curves and narrow road sections would be modified to improve sight distance and provide sufficient safe passing opportunities.

Preliminary Issues

Two preliminary issues have been identified.

Timber harvest would develop a portion of the Rainbow and Whiskey Jack Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRA's), changing the wilderness attributes on those portions. The developed portion would not be given future consideration for wilderness designation under current Forest Service guidelines.

Constructing roads in inventoried roadless areas is of great concern to some publics. This is based on landscape and/or watershed level concerns of an irreversible or irretrievable nature associated with wildlife refugia, watershed stability, recreational opportunity, and overall ecological concerns that are partially addressed by other issues and effects but not in total. These landscape and watershed level concerns are the impetus behind the Forest Service temporary suspension of roadbuilding in inventoried roadless areas.

Possible Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Three alternatives to the proposed action have been identified. One alternative is the no action alternatives. The issue regarding timber harvest developing inventoried roadless areas generated an alternative that includes the proposed action's activities except that no activities would occur in the inventoried roadless areas except for prescribed fire in the Whiskey Jack Inventoried Roadless Areas. The issue regarding road construction in inventoried roadless areas generated an alternative that includes the proposed action's activities except that no new road construction or ground-based logging systems would be used in the Whiskey Jack or Rainbow Inventoried Roadless Areas.

Decisions To Be Made

The Boise National Forest Supervisor will decide the following: (1) Whether to conduct timber management and harvest activities now or to defer them until a later time; (2) if now, which acres to treat and which logging systems to use; (3) what, if any, acres to treat with prescribed fire; (4) what, if any, road graveling to do; (5) what, if any, road obliteration and/or road closure to do; and (6) what, if any, road reconstruction or construction to do.

Schedule

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), September 1999. Final, January 2000.

Public Involvement

Scoping was initiated in January 1998 with a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, a legal notice in The Idaho Statesman, and a letter to individuals, groups, and agencies who have expressed an interest in this type of project. Comments were used to determine relevant issues and analysis needs. The same individuals, groups, and agencies were notified about the decision to revise the Whiskey Campo proposed action, and they received a copy of the Trinity Fish Passage Restoration Project Decision Memo.

Comments

Written comments concerning the revised project and analysis are encouraged and should be postmarked within 30 days following publication of this announcement in the Federal Register. Comments received in response to this notice will be released in their entirety if requested pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. Mail comments to Jane Beaulieu, District Planner, Mountain Home Ranger District, 2180 American Legion Boulevard, Mountain Home, ID 83647. For further information, contact Frank Marsh, Project Leader, at 208-587-7961.

The comment period on the DEIS will be 45 days from the date the

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Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of DEIS's must structure their participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the DEIS stage but are not raised until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1002 (9th Cir., 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important that those interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the final environmental impact statement.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the DEIS or the merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points. Comments received on the DEIS will be released in their entirety if requested pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

Responsible Official

David D. Rittenhouse, Forest Supervisor, Boise National Forest, 1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200, Boise, ID 83709.

Dated: August 12, 1999. David D. Rittenhouse, Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-21675Filed8-24-99; 8:45 am]

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