[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 156 (Wednesday, August 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43312-43314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21345]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Range Standards and Guidelines to Amend the Land and Resource 
Management Plans of the Eldorado and Tahoe National Forests

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for amendments to the Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plans (LRMP) for the Eldorado National Forest and the Tahoe 
National Forest in accordance with the requirements of 36 CFR 219.19. 
The amendments will modify existing LRMP grazing standards and 
guidelines for management with the objective to maintain and improve 
rangeland ecosystems on both Forests.

DATES: Comments concerning the analysis should be received in writing 
by September 29, 1997.


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ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Attn: RANGE AMENDMENT, c/o Susan A. 
Rodman, ID Team Leader, Land Management Planning, Eldorado National 
Forest, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan A. Rodman, Range Amendment ID Team Leader, Land Management 
Planning, (916) 621-5298.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental impact statement will 
amend existing standards and guidelines for managing grazing by 
domestic livestock within the boundaries of the Eldorado and Tahoe 
National Forests in accordance with the requirements of 36 CFR 219.19, 
amend existing term grazing permits, and provide a framework for site-
specific NEPA analysis of individual allotments.
    The Eldorado and Tahoe National Forests manage livestock grazing on 
approximately 1,043,000 acres of public rangelands, with an average 
total production of 26,000 animal unit months (AUMs) of livestock 
grazing.
    On November 10, 1994, the Regional Forester for the Pacific 
Southwest Region directed all Sierran Forests in the region to evaluate 
the range standards and guidelines (S&Gs) contained in their LRMPs, and 
to amend the LRMPs as to provide more appropriate standards and 
guidelines if needed. A review of the range S&Gs in both the Eldorado 
and Tahoe Forest LRMPs indicated to the supervisors of each Forest that 
an amendment to the Forest LRMPs is necessary to provide clear, 
specific and measurable S&Gs for effective ecosystem management of 
rangelands on the two Forests. This amendment to the LRMPs will provide 
direction to integrate ecosystem management with the management of 
livestock grazing in order to provide for the health of riparian and 
upland ecosystem types in conjunction with other S&Gs found in the 
LRMPs. The objectives of the grazing amendment to the LRMPs are to:
    (1) Develop ecological goals to maintain or improve rangelands in 
both upland areas (out of a direct water influence zone) and riparian 
areas (streamside and lakeside zones, moist areas).
    (2) Provide S&Gs that clarify direction of managing livestock. S&Gs 
will provide direction for managing livestock impacts to the major 
components of the ecosystem: soil, water, and vegetation.
    (3) Provide direction for livestock management so that livestock 
use of woody riparian vegetation (including willows), threatened and 
endangered (T&E) species habitats, stream banks and lakeshores, aquatic 
species habitats, and non-T&E wildlife habitats maintains or improves 
those areas.
    (4) Develop a repeatable process with measurable environmental 
indicators to determine existing ecological conditions and track 
changes in ecological conditions. Management direction is then based on 
that ecological condition and responds to the different conditions and 
trends in soil, water, and vegetation.
    After the LRMP amendment is completed, these S&Gs will be used to 
determine how grazing allotments will be managed. It is expected that 
grazing permits on both Forests will need to be modified to implement 
the new S&Gs. Because the Eldorado and Tahoe National Forests are 
similar, amendments to LRMP standards and guidelines will be the same 
for both Forests. The current S&Gs will remain in effect until the 
amendment is complete and adopted as a result of this current process.
    The Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) developed a Proposed Action based 
on issues gathered from members of the public, Forest Service 
personnel, and other agencies. The Proposed Action (PA) was released 
for public comment in October 1996, and the initial comment period was 
extended to January 10, 1997 at the request of several groups and 
members of the public. Based on scoping comments received on the PA, 
the Forest Supervisors decided to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement.
    Preliminary issues connected with the proposal to amend LRMP 
grazing S&Gs identified through scoping include:
    (1) Riparian areas are ecologically important and complex; 
environmental indicators are needed that are representative of this 
complexity. These indicators must be measurable and repeatable over 
time to enable the Forest Service to monitor and assess riparian and 
aquatic ecosystem health.
    (2) The level of plant utilization by livestock may not maintain or 
improve the ecological health of the Forests' rangelands.
    (3) Information gathered during monitoring to detect change may not 
be sensitive enough to provide the necessary information to prevent 
irreversible damage and to determine whether ecological health is being 
maintained or restored.
    (4) Grazing by livestock can decrease the foraging habitat of voles 
needed as prey by great gray owls.
    (5) Livestock grazing can decrease browse and hiding cover needed 
by deer along migration routes and in both fawning areas and winter 
ranges.
    (6) Willow flycatcher nesting success can be negatively impacted by 
livestock grazing, movement, and bedding in willow clumps used for 
nesting by the willow flycatcher.
    (7) Additional standards and guidelines may not be economically 
viable for permittees to implement, which may lead to the sale of 
ranchlands in the foothills for housing developments.
    (8) Permittees do not want to be penalized for resource damage 
caused by other users.
    (9) Fences are expensive to build and maintain, and they are 
barriers to wildlife and other forest users.
    Alternatives that may be considered include continued use of the 
standards and guidelines adopted in the Eldorado and Tahoe Forests' 
LRMPS; and revised S&Gs to address vegetative species composition, 
woody riparian vegetation, aquatic resources, soil condition, and 
habitat for willow flycatcher, deer, and great grey owl. These 
alternatives may include management direction dependent on specific 
ecological indicators and measurements from those ecological 
indicators. Additional alternatives may also include landscape-level 
strategies for wildlife habitat and aquatic resources. An alternative 
which discontinues livestock grazing may be considered also.
    The IDT is composed of personnel from both Forests with program 
responsibilities for range, wildlife, ecology, botany, hydrology, and 
aquatic resources. The IDT has been directed to develop alternatives to 
amend the standards and guidelines for both Forests' LRMPs.
    Integration of grazing standards and guidelines with other 
provisions of the affected LRMPs will take place through subsequent 
allotment management plans required for each allotment as part of the 
normal LRMP implementation and monitoring process.
    Written comments from the public should be submitted as indicated 
at the beginning of this notice. Comments would be most useful if sent 
by the date specified and if they clearly address the issues and 
alternatives related to the proposed action--amending grazing standards 
and guidelines for the Eldorado and Tahoe National Forests.
    The comment period on the draft EIS will be 90 days from the date 
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of 
availability in the Federal Register. Public meetings used as a method 
of public involvement during preparation and review of the draft EIS 
will be announced in newspapers of general circulation in the

[[Page 43314]]

geographic area of such meetings well in advance of scheduled dates.
    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 90-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 
EIS 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.
    The responsible officials for this environmental impact statement 
and decision are John H. Skinner, Forest Supervisor, Tahoe National 
Forest, P.O. Box 6003, Nevada City, CA 95959-6003 and John Phipps, 
Forest Supervisor, Eldorado National Forest, 100 Forni Road, 
Placerville, CA 95667.
    A draft environmental impact statement is expected to be available 
for agency and public review by November 1997, and a final 
environmental impact statement should be available by March 1998.

    Dated: July 30, 1997.
John Phipps,
Forest Supervisor, Eldorado National Forest.

    Dated: August 1, 1997.
John H. Skinner,
Forest Supervisor, Tahoe National Forest.
[FR Doc. 97-21345 Filed 8-12-97; 8:45 am]
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