Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 77 / Thursday, April 21, 2011 / Notices 22361 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Superior National Forest 

will prepare an environmental impact 

statement for the Boundary Waters 

Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) Nonnative Invasive Plant (NNIP) 

Management Project. In order to 

maintain and improve aquatic and 

terrestrial wildlife habitat, to maintain 

healthy, resilient native plant 

communities, and to maintain the 

character and ecological integrity of the 

BWCAW, the Superior National Forest 

proposes to use an integrated pest 

management approach to treat NNIP, 

beginning with treatments on a total of 

approximately 13 acres of invasive 

plants at sites scattered across the 

wilderness and possibly expanding up 

to 20 acres over the next 10 years. The 

proposed activities would eradicate or 

control existing NNIP populations and 

respond rapidly to new infestations in 

order to prevent the further spread of 

NNIP. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by May 

23, 2011. The draft environmental 

impact statement is expected September 

2011 and the final environmental 

impact statement is expected January 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Jim Sanders, Forest Supervisor, Attn: 

BWCAW NNIP Management Project, 

318 Forestry Rd., Aurora, MN 55705. 

Comments may also be sent via e-mail 

to comments-eastern-superiorlaurentian@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 

(218) –229–8821. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack 

Greenlee, Project Leader, at (218) 229– 

8817, or jackgreenlee@fs.fed.us. 

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 

maintain and improve aquatic and 

terrestrial wildlife habitat, to maintain 

healthy, resilient native plant 

communities, and to maintain the 

character and ecological integrity of the 

BWCAW. To accomplish these 

objectives, there is a need to implement 

an integrated pest management 

approach that eradicates or controls 

existing NNIP infestations and provides 

for a rapid response to new infestations. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action would 

implement NNIP management activities, 

including manual and herbicide control 

methods, over a ten-year period in the 

BWCAW. A total of approximately 13 

acres of NNIP infestations at 

approximately 1,000 known sites 

scattered across the BWCAW would be 

controlled or eradicated using either 

manual methods or herbicides. To allow 

for a rapid response to new infestations, 

up to 7 additional acres could be 

treated. To protect water resources, 

visitor safety, and the environment, spot 

application methods using low use-rate, 

low toxicity, short persistence 

herbicides would be employed. Most 

NNIP infestations occur on campsites, 

portages or trails, along shorelines, at 

old resort/cabin sites, or in burned 

areas. Manual treatments would be 

accomplished by pulling, digging, or 

cutting the plants. Treatments would 

generally occur during the growing 

season, from late May to mid-October. 

Responsible Official 

Superior National Forest Supervisor. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decision to be made is whether or 

not to implement an integrated pest 

management strategy to control nonnative invasive plants in the BWCAW. 

The decision will include: 

• What actions will be approved to 

address the purpose and need. 

• Where will those actions take place. 

• Are any mitigation measures 

needed to further limit effects of 

approved actions. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. Written comments 

will be solicited through a notice that 

will be sent to interested individuals 

and organizations. Further details about 

the project, including maps and 

appendices, are available on the 

Superior National Forest Web site. Visit 

the Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/ 

superior and see ‘‘Projects’’ under ‘‘Land 

and Resources Management’’. Look for 

‘‘BWCAW Non-native Invasive Plant 

Management Project’’. 

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 

respondent with standing to participate 

in subsequent administrative review or 

judicial review. 

Dated: April 15, 2011. 

James W. Sanders, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9675 Filed 4–20–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Lakeview-Reeder Fuels Reduction, 

Idaho Panhandle National Forests, 

Idaho, Bonner County 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a 

supplemental environmental impact 

statement. 

SUMMARY: The Priest Lake Ranger 

District of the Idaho Panhandle National 

Forests will prepare a Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the Lakeview-Reeder Fuel Reduction 

Project. The Notice of Availability of the 

draft EIS for the Lakeview-Reeder Fuels 

Reduction Project was published in the 

Federal Register (74 FR 5652) on 

January 30, 2009 and the notice of the 

final EIS (74 FR 28045) was published 

on June 12, 2009. Following the release 

of the final EIS, two pre-decisional 

objections were lodged against the 

project under 36 CFR part 218. Under 

administrative review, the project was 

found to be in compliance with existing 

laws, regulations and policy. Two 

separate records of decision were 

issued. The Roads Record of Decision 

(ROD) was signed on December 3, 2009. 

This authorized selected roadwork 

activities analyzed in Alternative 2 that 

needed to be accomplished before fuels 

reduction activities could be 

implemented. The Hazardous Fuels 

Reduction ROD was signed on May 10, 

2010 and authorized the activities 

analyzed in Alternative 2 that were 

deferred in the Roads ROD. A complaint 

for injunctive and declaratory relief 

against the Fuels Reduction ROD was 

filed in the United States District Court 

for the District of Idaho on October 6, 

2010. On December 3, 2010, the Fuels 

Reduction ROD was withdrawn to 

address issues raised by the decision in 

Native Ecosystems Council v. Tidwell, 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
22362 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 77 / Thursday, April 21, 2011 / Notices 

599 F.3d 926 (9th Cir. 2010). A 

supplemental EIS will be prepared to 

address management indicator species, 

recently designated critical habitat for 

bull trout, and newly designated 

Sensitive species. Treatment acres, 

harvest prescriptions and mitigation for 

grizzly bears are slightly changed from 

that presented in the proposed action of 

the final EIS due to ongoing 

collaborative efforts. 

DATES: Scoping is not required for 

supplements to environmental impact 

statements (40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4)). There 

was extensive public involvement in the 

development of the proposed action, the 

2009 draft EIS, and the 2010 final EIS. 

The Forest Service is not inviting 

comments at this time. The draft 

supplemental EIS is expected to be 

available in July 2011 and the final 

supplemental EIS is expected 

September 2011. The comment period 

for the draft SEIS will be 45 days from 

the date the EPA publishes the notice of 

availability in the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Priest Lake Ranger District, 

32203 Hwy 57, Priest Lake, Idaho 

83856. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Albert Helgenberg, IDT Leader, USDA 

Forest Service, Sandpoint Ranger 

District, 208–263–5111. 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 Forest 

Supervisor selected Alternative 2 with 

modifications as documented in the 

May 2010 Lakeview-Reeder Fuels 

Reduction Project Record of Decision 

(ROD). The ROD authorized 

approximately 3,559 acres of vegetation 

treatment. To improve access to fuel 

reduction treatment areas, the ROD 

authorized approximately 1.9 miles of 

road reconstruction, 19.5 miles of road 

maintenance, 2.4 miles of system road 

construction and 0.7 miles of temporary 

road construction. The supplemental 

EIS will contain additional information 

about management indicator species, 

recently designated critical habitat for 

bull trout, and newly designated 

Sensitive species. Any modifications 

that come out of the ongoing 

collaborative effort will also be 

incorporated into the supplemental EIS. 

The mailing list for this project will 

include those individuals, agencies and 

organizations on the mailing list for the 

2009 Draft EIS. The comment period for 

the draft SEIS will be 45 days from the 

date the EPA publishes the notice of 

availability in the Federal Register. The 

Idaho Panhandle National Forests 

Supervisor will make a decision on this 

project after considering comments, 

environmental consequences, and 

applicable laws, regulations, and 

policies. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The project is needed to reduce 

hazardous forest fuels to decrease the 

risk of a wildfire negatively impacting 

the communities in the project area, 

public and firefighter safety, public 

infrastructure, private and National 

Forest System lands and resource 

values, and to restore, enhance and 

protect forest ecosystem components to 

improve forest health, increase 

biological diversity and to reduce 

threats from stand replacing wildfires 

and insect and disease infestations. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action as described in 

the FEIS includes approximately 2,319 

acres of fuel reduction treatment that 

involve commercial timber harvest and 

approximately 1,179 acres of ecosystem 

burn prescriptions that do not involve 

harvest. Road work includes 

approximately 19.5 miles of road 

maintenance, 1.9 miles of road 

reconstruction, 2.4 miles of new road 

construction, and 0.7 miles of temporary 

road construction. 

Responsible Official 

The Forest Supervisor of the Idaho 

Panhandle National Forests is the 

Responsible Official. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decison for the Lakeview-Reeder 

Fuels Reduction Project will identify the 

land management activities to be 

implemented in the project area 

including acres, types, and locations of 

vegetative treatments including timber 

harvest and fuel treatments, as well as 

miles and locations of road 

maintenance, construction, 

reconstruction and storage activities. 

The supplemental EIS is intended to 

provide additional evaluation of 

management indicator species, recently 

designated critical habitat for bull trout, 

and newly designated Sensitive species 

and provide that information to the 

public. 

Scoping Process 

Scoping is not required for 

supplements to environmental impact 

statements (40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4)). There 

was extensive public involvement in the 

development of the proposed action, the 

2009 Draft EIS, and the 2010 Final EIS. 

The Forest Service is not inviting 

comments at this time. 

Comment Requested 

The comment period on the draft 

environmental impact statement will be 

45 days from the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes the notice of availability in 

the Federal Register. 

The Forest Service believes, at this 

early state, it is important to give 

reviewers notice of several court rulings 

related to public participation in the 

environmental review process. First, 

reviewers of draft environmental impact 

statements must structure their 

participation in the environmental 

review of the proposal so that it is 

meaningful and alerts an agency to the 

reviewer’s positions and contentions. 

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. 

NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, 

environmental objections that could be 

raised at the draft environmental impact 

statement stage but that are not raised 

until after completion the final 

environmental impact statement may be 

waived or dismissed by the courts. City 

of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 

1022 (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 draft environmental 

impact statement 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 draft environmental 

impact statement 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. 

Dated: April 15, 2011. 

Ranotta K. McNair, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9655 Filed 4–20–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES