[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 143 (Monday, July 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40094-40095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19726]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Saveno DeBorgiac Timber Sales and Road Rehabilitation; Superior 
Ranger District, Lolo National Forest; Mineral County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of timber 
harvesting, prescribed burning, road access changes, and watershed 
rehabilitation in a 38,000 acre area near St. Regis, Montana.

DATES: Initial comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be 
received in writing no later than August 26, 1998. Comments received 
during the initial scoping will be considered in the analysis and do 
not need to be resubmitted during this comment time period.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Cindy Chapman Enstrom, District 
Ranger, Superior Ranger District, Box 460, Superior, MT 59872.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ron Mason, Saveno DeBorgiac Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Superior 
Ranger District, as above, or phone: (406) 822-4233.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The responsible official who will make 
decisions based on this EIS is Charles C. Wildes, Forest Supervisor, 
Lolo National Forest, Building 24 Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT 59804. He 
will decide on this proposal after considering comments and responses, 
environmental consequences discussed in the Final EIS, and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies. The decision and reasons for the 
decision will be documented in a Record of Decision.
    The Forest Service proposed to harvest about 33,000 hundred cubic 
feet of timber from about 1700 acres (about 1030 of those acres to be 
burned after harvest), to reconstruct or recondition about 7.5 miles of 
road and stabilize and/or obliterate about 10.3 miles of existing road 
(primarily to mitigate existing water quality and fish habitat 
impacts), and to add new yearlong road closures to about 7.3 miles of 
currently open roads. New road construction would be limited to about 
2.5 miles of permanent road and about 3.4 miles of temporary road.
    Lands affected are within the Twin Creek, Savenac Creek, Timber 
Creek, McManus Creek and Packer Creek drainages, tributary to the St. 
Regis River, between Saltese and DeBorgia, Montana. The project area is 
bounded by Interstate 90 to the south and the divide between Plains/
Thompson Falls and superior Ranger Districts to the north.
    The purpose of this proposal is to carry out the goals and 
direction given in the Lolo National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan with ecosystem management principles. Key elements of 
the purpose and need are:
    (1) Maintain existing elk security habitat;
    (2) Modify stand structures in lodgepole pine to reduce 
susceptibility to mountain pine beetle;
    (3) Accelerate succession in mid seral, moist mixed conifer stands 
where potential exists to develop late seral, multi-storied structures 
with old growth characteristics;
    (4) Replace the ponderosa pine communities which developed from 
poorly adapted seed from other states. The trees were planted in the 
early 1900's. These stands are experiencing extensive mortality from 
diseases, and are also increasingly susceptible to bark beetle attacks. 
These communities are also naturally reproducing, and degrading the 
locally adapted gene pool;
    (5) Develop stand structures that are equivalent to single story, 
moisture limited conditions resembling structures developed from very 
frequent, low intensity ground fires. The resulting stand structures 
will enhance growth and development of ponderosa pine, western larch 
and Douglas-fir stands;
    (6) The St. Regis River is a priority watershed for bull trout 
recovery; we will protect the species and seek opportunities to enhance 
and restore habitat;
    (7) The St. Regis River is a Water Quality Limited Segment (WQLS). 
Increased sediment has resulted in the ``cold water fishery'' to be 
only partially supported. The proposal seeks opportunities to eliminate 
erosion and control sediment sources to improve water quality in the 
streams entering the St. Regis River; and
    (8) Provide forest products in support of forest plan goals.
    The decision to be made is to what extent, if at all, the Forest 
Service should conduct timber harvest, prescribed burning, road 
construction or reconstruction, road reclamation, and road closure in 
the Twin Creek, Savenac Creek, Timber Creek, McManus Creek and Packer 
Creek drainages, given the above purpose and need. This is a site 
specific project decision, not a general management plan nor a 
programmatic analysis.
    Public scoping has been conducted on this proposal and the 
alternatives developed for this proposal.
    While quite a number of issues have been identified for 
environmental effects analysis, the following issues are the one which 
so far have been found significant enough to guide alternative 
development and provide focus for the EIS.
    (1) Water quality and fisheries habitat effects resulting from 
timber harvest and road construction and rehabilitation activities;
    (2) Forest health issues pertaining to even-aged management and 
restoration; and
    (3) Economic effects on local communities resulting from different 
access methods and resulting timber values.
    The proposed action could have both beneficial and adverse effects 
on these resources. In addition to the proposed action, a range of 
alternatives have been developed in response to issues identified 
during scoping. Alternatives planned for detailed study are:
    (1) No action; none of the proposed activities would be 
implemented.
    (2) Restoration of offsite ponderosa pine stands. Mid-seral stands 
will be treated to develop multi-storied stands with large trees, and 
dry sites with a history of high fire frequency will be thinned to 
develop open stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch. 
Approximately 77 percent of the volume will be helicopter yarded, 12 
percent will be tractor yarded and 11 percent will skyline yarded.

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                                                             Approximate
                         Road work                              miles   
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Construction, new roads....................................         0.0 

[[Page 40095]]

                                                                        
Reconstruction, existing roads.............................         2.7 
Reclamation, existing roads................................        12.9 
Construct and obliterate temporary roads...................         0.0 
Reconstruct and reclaim, existing road.....................         0.0 
Change travel management...................................         7.3 
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    (3) Then lodgepole pine stands to make them resistant to mountain 
pine beetle attacks. Harvest from existing roads and from short-term 
and temporary roads on gentle ridgetops and upper sidelopes, harvest 
with no evenaged management cuts. Approximately 1 percent of the volume 
will be helicopter yarded, 64 percent will be tractor yarded and 35 
percent will skyline yarded.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Approximate
                         Road work                              miles   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Construction, new roads....................................         0.0 
Reconstruction, existing roads.............................         2.7 
Reclamation, existing roads................................         8.6 
Construct and obliterate temporary roads...................         3.4 
Reconstruct and reclaim, existing road.....................         4.3 
Change travel management...................................         7.3 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (4) Restoration of offsite ponderosa pine stands. Mid-seral stands 
will be treated to develop multi-storied stands with large trees, and 
dry sites with a history of high fire frequency will be thinned to 
develop open stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch. Thin 
lodgepole pine stands to make them more resistant to mountain pine 
beetle attacks. Approximately 43 percent of the volume will be 
helicopter yarded, 33 percent will be tractor yarded and 24 percent 
will skyline yarded.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Approximate
                         Road work                              miles   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Construction, new roads....................................         2.5 
Reconstruction, existing roads.............................         2.7 
Reclamation, existing roads................................         6.7 
Construct and obliterate temporary roads...................         3.4 
Reconstruct and reclaim, existing road.....................         0.4 
Change travel management...................................         0.0 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (5) Restoration of offsite ponderosa pine stands. Mid-seral stands 
will be treated to develop multi-storied stands with large trees, and 
dry sites with a history of high fire frequency will be thinned to 
develop open stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch. Thin 
lodgepole pine stands to make them more resistant to mountain pine 
beetle attacks. Approximately 20 percent of the volume will be 
helicopter yarded, 45 percent will be tractor yarded and 35 percent 
will skyline yarded.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Approximate
                         Road work                              miles   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Construction, new roads....................................         2.5 
Reconstruction, existing roads.............................         3.2 
Reclamation, existing roads................................         2.6 
Construct and obliterate temporary roads...................         3.4 
Reconstruct and reclaim, existing road.....................         4.3 
Change travel management...................................         0.0 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Public participation is important to the analysis. People may visit 
with Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior 
to the decision. No formal scoping meetings are planned. However, two 
periods are specifically designated for comments on the analysis:
    (1) During this scoping process; and
    (2) During the draft EIS comment period.
    During the scoping process, the Forest Service is seeking 
information and comments from Federal, State, and local agencies and 
other individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected 
by the proposed action. A scoping document will be mailed to parties 
known to be interested in the proposed action. The agency invites 
written comments and suggestions on this action, particularly in terms 
of issues and alternatives.
    The Forest Service will continue to involve the public and will 
inform interested and affected parties as to how they may participate 
and contribute to the final decision. Another formal opportunity for 
response will be provided following completion of a draft EIS.
    The draft EIS should be available for review in March, 1999. The 
final EIS is scheduled for completion in June, 1999.
    The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date 
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of 
availability in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes it is important, at this early stage, 
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 it is 
meaningful and alerts the agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement stage but 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 Heritage v. Harris, 490 F. 
Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it 
is very important those interested in this proposed action participate 
by the close of the 45 day comment period so 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.
    I am the responsible official for this environmental impact 
statement. My address is Lolo National Forest, Building 24, Fort 
Missoula, Missoula MT 59804.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1508.220.

    Dated: July 10, 1998.
Charles C. Wildes,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 98-19726 Filed 7-24-98; 8:45 am]
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