[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 103 (Friday, May 26, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34139-34141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13027]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Plantation Lakes Project; Ottawa National Forest, Houghton 
County, Michigan

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA-Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Plantation Lakes Project to disclose the 
effects of timber harvest, site preparation for natural and artificial 
regeneration, planting, road management including: road construction, 
reconstruction, temporary road construction, obliteration, and 
motorized vehicle closure; dispersed parking area installation and 
improvement, trail construction, maintenance of permanent openings for 
wildlife habitat, and classification of old growth, in the Frost 
Opportunity Area on the Ontonagon Ranger District, and the Connors, 
Kenton, Plantation Lakes, and Richard Lake Opportunity Areas on the 
Kenton Ranger District, located approximately 7 air miles northeast of 
Kenton, Michigan. The purpose and need for action is to: (1) Promote 
and maintain processes which would enhance natural species diversity, 
manage to reduce insect and disease potential below epidemic levels, 
and decrease fire hazard in the long term while providing a supply of 
wood products for regional and local needs to help support a stable 
economic base within the dependent geographical area. (2) Maintain and 
enhance habitat capable of sustaining long-term populations of a 
variety of wildlife species. (3) Maintain a road system that allows for 
management of National Forest lands and provides for public access 
while meeting other resource needs, and (4) Provide dispersed 
recreation opportunities to meet public needs.
    The DEIS is expected to be filed with the EPA and available for 
public review by September, 2000.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before 
June 26, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the scope of the 
analysis should be sent to Leanne Marten, District Ranger, Ontonagon 
District, 1209 Rockland Road, Ontonagon, MI 49953.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Allen Nicholson, 
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Iron

[[Page 34140]]

River Ranger District, Phone: (906) 265-5139.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project area contains approximately 
17,700 acres within the Ottawa National Forest, Houghton County, 
Michigan. The legal location of the National Forest lands within the 
project area are: all or portions of Section 4-10, 15-22, 27-30, 33, 
T48N R36W; Sections 1, 12, 24, 25, T48N R37W; Sections 29-34, T49N 
R36W; Sections 22, 23, 26, 27, 34-36, T49N R37W, Michigan Meridian.
    The Forest Service proposes to harvest approximately 111,000 
hundred cubic feet (equivalent to approximately 60 million board feet, 
MMBF) of timber through a variety of harvest methods on approximately 
7,080 acres of forest land. Silviculture systems include approximately 
1830 acres of salvage-modified clearcut, 1070 acres of salvage/
sanitation harvest, 3,250 acres of selection harvest, 200 acres of 
shelterwood preparation harvest, and 730 acres of commercial thinning. 
Connected actions include: approximately 2120 acres of mechanical site 
preparation for natural and artificial regeneration, and supplemental 
planting on approximately 140 acres. An estimated 2.5 miles of new 
system road construction, 8.0 miles of system road reconstruction, and 
4.0 miles of temporary road construction would be needed to access 
timber harvest areas. Temporary roads would be evaluated based on the 
proposed national transportation policy and would be either obliterated 
following completion of sale activities or added to the classified road 
system in the Maintenance Level 1 closed category. The proposal also 
includes an estimated 3.5 miles of system road decommissioning, 
permanent closure or obliteration of approximately 16 miles of 
unclassified roads currently closed, and permanent closure or 
obliteration of approximately 7.5 miles of unclassified roads currently 
open. Approximately 0.5 additional miles of Forest Road 1338, currently 
open, would be managed as closed to highway vehicles. A dispersed 
parking/camping area would be provided at this new road closure. 
Approximately 400 feet of new trail and a canoe access at Echo Lake 
would be constructed, about 100 feet of trail would be resurfaced at 
Penegor Lake, and improvements made to small parking areas at Penegor 
and Echo Lakes.
    The proposal also includes maintaining approximately 110 acres of 
permanent openings for wildlife habitat and the classification of 
approximately 1660 acres of old growth.
    The Ottawa Forest Plan provides guidance for management activities 
within the potentially affected area through its goals, objectives, 
standards and guidelines, and management area direction. The proposed 
projects include activities in management areas (MAs) 1.1,2.1,3.1, and 
4.1. This proposal includes 11 openings greater than 40 acres (size 
range is approximately 50 to 480 acres), to treat high-risk stands of 
jack pine (Regional Forester approval for exceeding the forty acre 
regeneration and salvage/sanitation harvest would be required prior to 
signing the Record of Decision).

Range of Alternatives

    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative in which none of the 
proposed activities will be implemented. Additional alternatives will 
examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to 
achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues 
and other resource values.
    The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and projected 
activities on both private and National Forest lands will be 
considered. The EIS will disclose site-specific mitigation measures, if 
needed, and their effectiveness.

Preliminary Issues

    Tentatively, several preliminary issues of concern have been 
identified. These issues are briefly described below:
    Transportation System: Implementation of the proposed action would 
permanently close or obliterate roads not needed for the transportation 
system, and manage an additional segment of road as closed to some 
types of motorized use. This may affect the public's ability to use 
traditional access routes.
    Vegetation: There are large areas of mature and declining jack pine 
that are at high risk of loss to insects, disease, or fire. When 
proposed harvest areas are added to adjacent recently harvested areas 
(10-15 years ago) several temporary open areas exceeding 40 acres will 
be created.
    Canada Lynx: Effective April 24, 2000, the lynx was listed as a 
threatened species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The lynx will 
be addressed in the EIS.

Decisions To Be Made

    The Ottawa Forest Supervisor will decide the following:
    <bullet> Whether or not to harvest timber and, if so, identify the 
selection of, and site-specific location of, appropriate timber 
management practices (silvicultural prescription, fuels treatment, site 
preparation, and reforestation), road construction, reconstruction, and 
temporary road construction necessary to provide access to accomplish 
treatments, and appropriate mitigation measures.
    <bullet> Whether or not to permanently close or obliterate roads 
and restrict motorized access, and if so, where and how.
    <bullet> Whether or not to maintain permanent openings, and, if so, 
the location and size of openings to be maintained.
    <bullet> What facilities, if any, should be constructed to enhance 
dispersed recreation opportunities.
    <bullet> What, if any, specific project monitoring requirements 
would be needed to assure mitigation measures are implemented and 
effective.
    Public Involvement and Scoping: In February 1996, initial scoping 
was done for the Trophy Barr timber sale, now one of the projects 
included in the Plantation Lakes analysis. Comments received regarding 
the Trophy Barr sale project proposal prior to this notice will be 
included in the documentation for the EIS. The public is encouraged to 
take part in the process by communicating or visiting with Forest 
Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior to the 
decision. The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, and 
assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as other 
individuals or organizations who may be interested in, or affected by, 
the proposed action. This input will be used in preparation of the 
draft and final EIS. The scoping process will include:
    <bullet> Identifying potential issues.
    <bullet> Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.
    <bullet> Identifying alternatives to the proposed action.
    <bullet> Identifying potential environmental effects of this 
proposed action and the alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and 
cumulative effects and connected actions).
    Estimated Dates for Filing. While public participation in this 
analysis is welcome at any time, comments received within 30 days of 
the publication of this notice will be especially useful in the 
preparation of the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for 
public review by September, 2000. At that time EPA will

[[Page 34141]]

publish a Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal 
Register. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the 
date the EPA publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register. It is very important that those interested in the management 
of this area participate at that time.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by March, 2001. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments and 
responses received during the comment period that pertain to the 
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies considered in making a decision 
regarding the proposal.
    Reviewer's Obligations: 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 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 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 draft environmental impact statement stage may 
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F2d 
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 objectives are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider and respond to them 
in the final EIS.
    To be most helpful, comments on the draft EIS should be as specific 
as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merit 
of the alternatives discussed. 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 fl503.3 in addressing these points.
    Responsible Official: Phyllis A. Green, Forest Supervisor, Ottawa 
National Forest, E6248 U.S. 2, Ironwood, MI 49938, is the Responsible 
Official. As the Responsible Official she will decide if the proposed 
project will be implemented. She will document the decision and reasons 
for the decision in the Record of Decision. I have delegated the 
responsibility to prepare the EIS to Leanne Marten, District Ranger, 
Ontonagon Ranger District.

    Dated: May 17, 2000.
Phyllis A. Green,
Forest Supervisor, Ottawa National Forest.
[FR Doc. 00-13027 Filed 5-25-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M