[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 247 (Monday, December 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81210-81211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32416]



[[Page 81210]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Wrangell Ranger District; Alaska; Wrangell Island Project 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Wrangell Island Project 
located on Wrangell Island, part of the Wrangell Ranger District of the 
Tongass National Forest. This proposal is a multi-year stewardship 
opportunity involving a variety of timber harvest, road construction, 
and forest restoration and enhancement activities. The proposed project 
will use the contracting opportunities (timber sales and stewardship 
contracts) available to the Forest Service to implement the decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by January 26, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected in September 2011 and the final environmental impact statement 
is expected in January 2012.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: SWCA, 317 Forest Park Drive, 
Ketchikan, AK 99901, Attn: Wrangell Island Project EIS. Comments may be 
hand-delivered to the Wrangell Ranger District, 525 Bennett Drive, 
Wrangell, AK 99929, Attn: Wrangell Island Project EIS. Comments may 
also be sent via webform to: http://www.wrangellislandprojecteis.com/comment, or via facsimile to 907-279-7944, Attn: Wrangell Island 
Project EIS. In all correspondence, please include your name, address, 
and organization name if you are commenting as a representative of an 
organization.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Piazza, Team Leader, Federal 
Building, Ketchikan, AK 99901, (907) 228-6318 or Austin O'Brien, 
Wrangell Ranger District, P.O. Box 51, Wrangell, AK 99929, (907) 874-
2323. 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 and need for the Wrangell Island Project is to 
implement the Forest Plan, aligned with the Tongass National Forest 
transition strategy and the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) Strategic Plan FY 2010-2015. In the USDA Strategic Plan, key 
priorities and desired outcomes such as the goals of rural prosperity, 
and preservation and maintenance of forests are identified, as well as 
means and strategies to achieve them. This project will help to provide 
an economically viable, reliable, long-term supply of timber that will 
support jobs for the communities of Southeast Alaska and facilitate the 
transition to a sustainable forest industry based on young-growth 
management. Forest restoration and enhancement activities on Wrangell 
Island will be included to further accomplish the goals of the 
Strategic Plan.

Proposed Action

    The Forest Service is proposing a multi-year stewardship project 
involving a variety of timber harvest, road construction, and forest 
restoration and enhancement activities. The proposed action would 
harvest timber from up to 7,489 acres of forested land using various 
sizes of timber sales, offered over a period of years, within the 
roaded land base on Wrangell Island. Up to 21 miles of National Forest 
System road would be constructed and about 12 miles of existing road 
would be reconstructed. Preliminary analysis shows that up to an 
estimated 91 million board feet of sawtimber and utility wood could be 
made available to industry for harvest. Existing log transfer 
facilities will be used as needed.
    Harvest would include helicopter, ground based, and cable-yarding 
systems and include even-aged and uneven-aged harvest prescriptions to 
achieve stand objectives. All proposed activities would meet the 
standards and guidelines of the Tongass Forest Plan.
    In conjunction with proposed timber harvest, restoration and 
stewardship opportunities could include roads and transportation 
activities (for example, repairing ``red pipes'' or bridges, erosion 
control, vegetation removal, or road relocation); recreation activities 
(for example, campground and trails improvements, picnic sites, or 
vegetation management); and wildlife and fisheries habitat improvement 
projects (for example, beach fringe thinning, or placement of large 
woody debris in streams).

Possible Alternatives

    The proposed action includes an estimated harvest of up to 91 
million board feet from up to 7,489 acres within the roaded land base 
on Wrangell Island. Scoping comments will be used by the Forest Service 
to develop a range of alternatives in response to significant issues. A 
no-action alternative will be analyzed.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for the decision on this project is the 
Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest, Federal Building, 648 
Mission Street, Ketchikan, Alaska, 99901.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will decide whether or not to authorize 
forest restoration and enhancement activities, timber harvest, and 
associated road construction on Wrangell Island.

Preliminary Issues

    Preliminary potential issues which may be analyzed in the EIS 
include the potential effects of the project on the timber supply, 
supporting the timber industry through the transition from old-growth 
harvest to young-growth management, road management, economic and rural 
stability, subsistence, and inventoried roadless areas.

Permits or Licenses Required

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
    <bullet> Review Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan. 
State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation:
    <bullet> Certification of Compliance with Alaska Water Quality 
Standards (401 Certification);
    <bullet> Storm water discharge permit/National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System review under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act 
(402);
    <bullet> Solid Waste Disposal Permit. State of Alaska, Department 
of Natural Resources (DNR):
    <bullet> Authorization for occupancy and use of tidelands and 
submerged lands.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. A scoping 
document has been posted on the Tongass National Forest public Web site 
at http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/projects/projects.shtml. and a 
scoping letter will be mailed out in late December. Individuals who 
want to be on the project mailing list should contact the Wrangell 
Ranger District at the address above. The scoping package will be 
available at future public open

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house meetings planned to be held in Wrangell, Alaska and Petersburg, 
Alaska in January 2011. These meetings will be announced in local 
newspapers and on local radio stations.
    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 become part of the public 
record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered, however.

    Dated: December 16, 2010.
Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-32416 Filed 12-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P