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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 148 (Thursday, August 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42376-42378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3771]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Colville National Forest; Washington; Republic Ranger Station 
Excess Residence Sale

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Colville National Forest, USDA Forest Service, will 
prepare an EIS (environmental impact statement) on a proposal to sell a 
0.4-acre parcel of land with a residential building, located on the 
Republic Ranger District administrative compound, within the City of 
Republic, Ferry County Washington. The parcel and Building are no 
longer needed to meet public service of Forest Service mission 
requirements. The Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement 
Act of 2005 authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to sell 
administrative sites that are no longer needed for National Forest 
System purposes. Project implementation is scheduled for Fiscal Year 
2008. This project is not associated with the proposed Secure Rural 
Schools Land Sale Initiative. The Colville National Forest invites 
written comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis. The 
agency will give notice of the full environmental analysis and 
decision-making process so interested and affected people may 
participate and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by August 31, 2007. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected in November 2007 and the final environmental impact statement 
is expected in January 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Rick Brazell, Forest Supervisor, 
Colville National Forest, 765 South Main, Colville, WA 99114 (phone 
509-684-7000). Comments may be submitted electronically to [email protected]. Comments may also be sent by fax 
to (509) 775-7401. Include your name and mailing address with your 
comments so documents pertaining to this project may be mailed to you.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed Shaw, Reality Specialist, Colville

[[Page 42377]]

National Forest, 765 South Main, Colville, WA 99114 (phone 509-684-
7129), or Jim Parker, EIS Project Leader, Republic Ranger District, 650 
East Delaware, Republic WA 99166 (phone 509-775-7462).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    One of the key findings of the Colville National Forest Facilities 
Master Plan is that the Colville National Forest maintains more 
facility space than it needs to perform its mission. The Colville 
National Forest needs to remove unneeded buildings from the Forest's 
facility inventory in order to eliminate the cost of maintaining 
unneeded facilities.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to sell 0.4 acres of land with a residential 
building, located on the Republic Ranger District administrative 
compound, located in Republic, Ferry County, Washington. The property 
legal description is: A portion of the SW\1/4\NW\1/4\ Section 6, T36N, 
R33E, WM. The site is located within the city limits of Republic, 
Washington. The land was acquired by the Forest Service in 1934.
    The site has one residential building. The mineral estate would be 
reserved by the government. Water and sewer are provided by a community 
system.
    This property may be sold directly to an identified purchaser or 
may be sold under competitive bidding procedures. The method of sale 
will be determined at a later date. If the property is offered for sale 
under competitive bidding procedures, an Invitation for Bid will 
provide specific information, including a minimum bid price, the 
scheduled starting date for bidding, approximate bid closing date, 
requirements and instructions for bidding, payment and other closing 
procedures. An Offer to Sell will be released after all environmental 
studies and other required analysis ar completed and a final decision 
to sell the property is made.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official is Rick Brazell, Forest Supervisor, 
Colville National Forest, 765 South Main, Colville, WA 99114.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will decide whether or not to proceed with 
sale of Republic Ranger Station residence and property, including any 
outstanding interests or conditions to be conveyed. The decision and 
rationale for the decision will be documented in the Record of 
Decision, which will be subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations 
(36 CFR Part 215).

Scoping Process

    The scoping process will identify and clarify issues, identify key 
issues to be analyzed in depth, explore alternatives based on themes 
derived from key issues recognized during the scoping process, and 
identify potential environmental effects associated with the proposed 
action. A No Action alternative will be considered.

Preliminary Issues

    Only one key issue was identified in preliminary project 
assessment: The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Revised, 
requires that Federal agencies evaluate properties for historic 
significance under Section 106. The residential structure has been 
found eligible to the NHRP (National Register of Historic Places), with 
the Washington State Historic Preservation Office concurring on this 
finding. Conveyance of the property from Federal ownership will be an 
adverse effect because of NRHP eligibility based on the following 
criteria: The property may represent a significant contribution to the 
American history (Criterion A), is associated with the lives of 
significant persons in our past (Criterion B), displays distinctive 
characteristics of type or period (Criterion C), or may be likely to 
yield information important to history (Criterion D). The NRHP 
eligibility for the structure is based on a national significance of 
context in association with the Depression-era Civilian Conservation 
Corps. Eligibility is also based on national and regional significance 
of context associated with distinctive architectural characteristics. 
The property also contains a deposit of prehistoric lithic material 
which would also be eligible for listing on the NRHP; however, the 
Forest Service intends to conduct a data recovery excavation of the 
site. Data will be professionally recorded, and artifacts recovered 
will be curated at an approved curation facility.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest 
Service is seeking information, comments, and assistance from other 
agencies, organizations, Indian Tribes, and individuals who may be 
interested in or affected by the Proposed Action. This input will be 
used in preparation of the Draft EIS. Your comments are appreciated 
throughout the analysis process.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be 
prepared for comment. 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 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 but that 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, 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.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

[[Page 42378]]

    Dated: July 26, 2007.
Rick Brazell,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07-3771 Filed 8-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
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