[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 83 (Monday, May 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 21064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10655]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Control of Diseases, Insects, Other Animals, and Unwanted 
Vegetation at the Humboldt Nursery

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for pest management at the 
Humboldt Nursery, McKinleyville, California. Initial public scoping is 
underway; a public meeting will occur during the DEIS comment period. 
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and be available for public review by June, 1995. The 
final EIS is expected to be filed with EPA by August, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Frankel, Pathologist, Pacific Southwest Region, 630 Sansome St. 
San Francisco, CA 94111. Telephone (415) 705-2651.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In preparing the EIS, the Forest Service has 
identified and is considering a range of alternatives for this project. 
One of those is no action. Other alternatives consider a range of 
methods for the prevention and control of diseases, insects, other 
animals, and unwanted vegetation at the Homboldt Nursery. The methods 
under consideration include biological, chemical, manual, and 
mechanical techniques. The activities that require prevention and 
controls include cover cropping, seed pre-treatment, nursery seedbed 
and greenhouse preparation, sowing, seedling growth from germination to 
lifting, and seedling storage.
    Martha Ketelle, Forest Supervisor, Six Rivers National Forest is 
the responsible official.
    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and be available for public review by June, 
1995. The final EIS is expected to be filed with the EPA by August, 
1995.
    The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date 
in the EPA's notice of availability appears 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.

    Dated: April 24, 1995.
Gilbert J. Espinosa,
Acting Regional Forester.
[FR Doc. 95-10655 Filed 4-28-95; 8:45 am]
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