6942 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 31 / Friday, February 14, 1997 / Notices

Road, Carson, Washington 98610 or

telephone 509–427–3200.

Dated: February 7, 1997.

Ted C. Stubblefield,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–3728 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

Dry Smith Timber Sale, Gifford Pinchot

National Forest, Lewis County,

Washington

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Cancellation of an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: On February 22 , 1991, a

Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS)

for the Dry Smith Timber Sale on the

Packwood Ranger District of the Gifford

Pinchot National Forest was published

in the Federal Register (56 FR 7336). A

draft EIS was released for public

comment November 1993. A Notice of

Availability for the draft EIS was

published in the Federal Register on

November 19, 1993 (58 FR 61090).

Forest Service has decided to cancel the

environmental analysis process. There

will be no final EIS for the Dry Smith

Timber Sale. The NOI is hereby

rescinded.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this

cancellation to Bill Uyesugi, Intergrated

Resource Planning Assistant, Packwood

Ranger District, 13068 US Highway 12,

Packwood, Washington 98361 or

telephone 360–497–1100.

Dated: February 7, 1997.

Ted C. Stubblefield,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–3729 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

McCoy Timber Sales and Related

Projects, Gifford Pinchot National

Forest, Lewis and Skamania Counties,

Washington

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Cancellation of an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: On May 8, 1991, a Notice of

Intent (NOI) to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS)

for the McCoy Timber Sales and Related

Projects on the Randle Ranger District of

the Gifford Pinchot National Forest was

published in the Federal Register (56

FR 21352). A draft EIS was released for

public comment December 1993. A

Notice of Availability for the draft EIS

was published in the Federal Register

on December 3, 1993 (58 FR 63954).

Forest Service has decided to cancel the

environmental analysis process. There

will be no final EIS for the McCoy

Timber Sales and Related Projects. The

NOI is hereby rescinded.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this

cancellation to Buddy Rose, Integrated

Resource Planner, Randle Ranger

District, PO Box 670, Randle,

Washington 98377 or telephone 360–

497–1100.

Dated: February 7, 1997.

Ted C. Stubblefield,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–3730 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

Meadow Timber Sales and Associated

Activities; Kootenai National Forest,

Lincoln County, MT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service,

will prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to disclose the

environmental effects of timber harvest,

prescribed fire, road closures, road

obliteration, construction of temporary

and specified roads in the western

portions of the Tobacco River drainage.

The Tobacco River drainage is located

approximately 38 air miles northeast of

Libby, Montana, near the communities

of Fortine and Eureka, Montana.

The proposed actions to harvest and

reforest timber stands, construct and

reconstruct roads, prescribe burning,

and restrict roads are being considered

together because they represent either

connected or cumulative actions as

defined by the Council on

Environmental Quality (40 CPR

1508.25). The purposes of the project

are to provide timber to support local

communities, regulate disturbance

patterns and natural cycles to provide

forest structure to maintain habitat for

viable populations, and manage access

to protect important wildlife habitat and

provide recreational opportunities.

The EIS will tier to the Kootenai

National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan and Final EIS of

September, 1987, which provides

overall guidance for forest management

of the area. All activities associated with

the proposal will be designed to

maintain high quality wildlife, fisheries,

and watershed objectives.

DATES: Written comments and

suggestions should be received on or

before March 17, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The Responsible Official is

Edward C. Monnig, District Ranger,

Fortine Ranger District, P.O. Box 116,

Fortine, Montana, 59918. Written

comments and suggestions concerning

the scope of the analysis may be sent to

him at that address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joleen Dunham, Project Coordinator,

Fortine Ranger District. Phone: (406)

882–4451.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

decision area contains approximately

21,500 acres within the Kootenai

National Forest in Lincoln County,

Montana. All of the proposed projects

would occur on National Forest lands in

the western portion of the Tobacco

River drainage near Eureka, Montana.

The legal location of the decision area

is as follows: Sections 8–10, 14–29, and

33–36 of Township 36 North, Range 27

West; Sections 29–33 of Township 36

North, Range 26 West; Sections 4–9, 15–

36 of Township 35 North, Range 26

West; Sections 1–3, 10–15, 23–26, and

35–36 of Township 35 North, Range 27

West; Sections 1–25 of Township 34

North, Range 26 West; Sections 1, 2, 11,

12, 13, 14, and 24 of Township 34

North, Range 27 West; and Sections 18,

19, and 30 of Township 34 North, Range

25 West, Principal Montana Meridian.

All proposed activities are outside the

boundaries of any roadless area or any

areas considered for inclusion to the

National Wilderness System as

recommended by the Kootenai National

Forest Plan or by any past or present

legislative wilderness proposals.

The Forest Service to harvest

approximately 14 million board feet of

timber through application of a variety

of harvest methods on approximately

3,026 acres of forest land. An estimated

0.8 miles of temporary road and 3.8

miles of specified road construction

would be needed to access timber

harvest areas. Approximately 2.4 miles

of this new specified road construction

would be managed with yearlong

restriction to motorized use. An

estimated 31 miles of road

reconstruction would also be needed to

access timber harvest areas. All

temporary roads would be obliterated

following completion of sale activities.

An additional 24 miles of road no longer

in use would be obliterated by various

methods which include rehabilitation of

stream crossings, recontouring, ripping

and seeding, and installment of barriers

resulting in abandonment. The type of

method would be based on site specific

conditions. An estimated 33 miles of

existing road would be restricted year

round to improve watershed conditions,

minimize future road maintenance