This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

22513

Vol. 66, No. 87

Friday, May 4, 2001

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Lake Project; Manti-La Sal National

Forest, Emery and Sanpete Counties,

Utah

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare

Environmental Impact Statement.

Authority: The National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42

U.S.C. 4321–4346); Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations, Title 40,

Code of Federal Regulations, parts 1500–1508

(40 CFR parts 1500–1508); and U.S.

Department of Agriculture NEPA

Regulations, Part 1b (7 CFR 1b).

SUMMARY: Epidemic populations of

spruce beetle are found on the Wasatch

Plateau. Many susceptible spruce-fir

stands have been infested, and it is

anticipated that many more will soon be

infested with spruce beetle populations.

Obviously, the beetle populations could

collapse due to natural factors, but at

this time the populations remain viable

and continue to spread. Scattered 5–10

tree pockets of spruce beetle caused

mortality are present in the south end of

the Lake project analysis area and if the

current level of beetle activity continues

without check, it is probable that most

of the spruce-fir component on the

Wasatch Plateau would be lost. The

beetles have already caused severe

impacts on several thousand acres of

spruce-fir stands adjacent to and south

of the analysis area. As a consequence,

most spruce trees over eight inches in

diameter in the area to the south are

dead or dying. The insects are

continuing to move in a northward

direction and it is anticipated they will

continue to invade, infest, and kill most

of the spruce trees eight inches or large

in diameter throughout this analysis

area, as was the case in the adjacent

spruce-fir stands to the south.

The Forest Service will prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

to document the analysis and disclose

the environmental impacts of proposed

actions to salvage dead, insect infested

and dying trees, commercially thin live

high risk trees, manage natural and

prescribed burning, and restock some

stands of trees located in the Spring,

Rolfson, and the north and south forks

of Lake Canyon drainages within the

project analysis area. The project area is

located on public lands administered by

the Ferron/Price Ranger District

approximately 20 miles northwest of

Huntington, Utah. It is bordered on the

north by State highway 31 located in

Huntington Canyon, on the west by

Skyline Drive, FDR 150, on the east by

the Millers Flat road, FDR 014, and on

the south at the divide between Rolfson

and Staker canyons. The need for the

proposal is to:

• Restore and/or maintain

composition, structure, and diversity of

the landscape by providing for tree

species and stand density levels that

will improve resistance to insects and

disease;

• Facilitate rapid reestablishment of

Englemann spruce through replanting of

spruce;

• Enhance the aspen communities

that are being lost due to conifer

invasion/encroachment and lack of

natural fire;

• Contribute to a timber source that

helps meet National demands for forest

products and recover some of the

economic loss of the resource from the

dead, dying, insect infested and highrisk green trees;

• Improve public safety by removing

hazard trees from roadsides and from

dispersed camping areas within the

project area.

Portions of the Rolfson-Staker

Inventoried Roadless Area are located

within the analysis area but are not

included in the Proposed Action. The

No Action is one alternative that will be

considered. Additional alternatives will

be formulated based on public issues,

and response analysis. The proposed

action involves harvesting/salvaging

approximately 3.4 MMBF (Million

Board Feet) of dead, dying, insect

infected and high-risk green trees from

approximately 783 acres within an

analysis area of about 5,000 acres.

Harvest of trees would be by both aerial

(helicopter) and ground based methods.

Of the 783 acres to be treated, about 574

acres (73%) would be by helicopter, and

approximately 209 acres (25%) by

tractor. Sixty percent of the treated acres

(470) are planned for artificial

reforestation (hand planting of

seedlings) and 40% (323) acres by

natural regeneration. Approximately 3.5

miles of road maintenance, and 2 miles

of road construction on existing road

prisms would be needed for the project.

One half mile of the two miles

constructed would be reclaimed. The

proposed action does not include road

construction, reconstruction or logging

in the inventoried roadless area.

DATES: Written comments concerning

the scope of the analysis described in

this Notice should be received on or

before June 4, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

Manti-La Sal National Forest, 599 West

Price River Drive, Price, Utah 84501.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions concerning the proposed

action and EIS should be addressed to

Don Fullmer, Ecosystems Staff, MantiLa Sal National Forest, phone (435)

637–2817.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS

will tier to the final EIS for the MantiLa Sal National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan (Forest

Plan). The Manti-La Sal Forest Plan

provides the overall guidance (Goals,

Objectives, Standards, and Management

Area Direction) to achieve the Desired

Future condition for the area being

analyzed, and contains specific

management area prescriptions for the

entire Forest.

The Forest Service is seeking

information and comments from

Federal, State, and local agencies as

well as individuals and organizations

that may be interested in, or affected by

the proposed action. The Forest Services

invites written comments and

suggestions on the issues related to the

proposal and the area being analyzed.

Information received will be used in

preparation of the Draft EIS and Final

EIS. For most effective use, comments

should be submitted to the Forest

Service within 30 days from the date of

publication of this Notice in the Federal

Register.

The Ferron/Price Ranger District of

the Manti-La Sal National Forest in

Emery and Sanpete Counties in the state

of Utah would administer the proposed

management activities for this analysis.

22514 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 87 / Friday, May 4, 2001 / Notices

Agency representatives and other

interested people are invited to visit

with Forest Service officials at any time

during the EIS process. Two specific

time periods are identified for the

receipt of formal comments on the

analysis. The two comment periods are:

(1) During the scoping process, the next

30 days following publication of this

Notice in the Federal Register, and (2)

during the formal review period of the

Draft EIS.

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 it is important to give reviewers

notice at this early stage 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

reviewers’ position and intentions.

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 Circuit, 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 statement.

Comments may also address the

adequacy of 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 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, 40

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

It is projected the final release of the

EIS to be March 4, 2002. The Forest

Supervisor for the Manti-La Sal National

forest is the responsible official for the

EIS. After considering the comments,

responses, and environmental

consequences discussed in the Final

Environment Impact Statement, and

applicable laws, regulations, and

policies a decision by this official will

be made regarding the proposal. The

reasons for the decision will be

documented in a Record of Decision.

The Forest Supervisor’s office of the

Manti-La Sal National Forest is located

at 599 West Price River Drive, Price,

Utah 84501, phone: 435–637–2817.

Dated: April 27, 2001.

Elaine J. Zieroth,

Forest Supervisor, Manti-La Sal National

Forest.

[FR Doc. 01–11213 Filed 5–3–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

I–90 Wilderness Study for the

Wenatchee National Forest, Kittitas

County, WA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a

Legislative Environmental Impact

Statement.

SUMMARY: Title VI of the Omnibus

Consolidated and Emergency

Supplemental Appropriations Act for

Fiscal Year 1999 (also known as the

Interstate 90 Land Exchange Act)

directed the Secretary of Agriculture to

review an area of land comprising

approximately 15,000 acres, as generally

depicted on an October 1998 map

entitled ‘‘Alphine Lakes Wilderness

Study Area’’, for its suitability for

preservation as wilderness. This study

is to be completed no later than three

years after the date of enactment of the

Act. As directed by section 610 of the

Interstate 90 Land Exchange Act, the

Forest Service is undertaking the I–90

Wilderness Study in accordance with

the process outlined in 40 CFR 1506.8.

This process includes development of a

legislative environmental impact

statement (EIS) to provide a basis for the

Secretary’s recommendations as to

suitability of specific lands for

wilderness designation by Congress.

This is a non-ground disturbing action

that may result in a land management

allocation change and Wenatchee

National Forest Plan amendment. The

agency invites written comments on the

scope of this project. In addition, the

agency gives notice of this analysis so

that interested and affected people are

aware of how they may participate and

contribute to the final decision.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

and suggestions to the Cle Elum Ranger

District, Attn: Floyd Rogalski, Project

Manager, 803 West 2nd Street, Cle

Elum, WA 98922.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Floyd Rogalski, Project Manager, Cle

Elum Ranger District 803 West 2nd

Street, Cle Elum, WA 98922, (509) 674–

4411.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency

Supplemental Appropriations Act for

Fiscal Year 1999 (Pub. L. 105–277, 122

Stat. 2681) included special Title VI

legislation known as the Interstate 90

Land Exchange Act of 1998. Section 610

of this act provides that:

In furtherance of the purposes of the

Wilderness Act, if the land exchange directed

by this Act is consummated, the area of land

comprising approximately 15,000 acres, as

generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Alpine

Lakes Wilderness Study Area,’’ dated

October 1998, shall be reviewed by the

Secretary of Agriculture as to its suitability

for preservation as wilderness. The Secretary

shall submit a report and findings to the

President, and the President shall submit his

recommendation to the United States House

of Representatives and United States Senate

no later than three years after the date of

enactment of this Act.

As a result of the passage of this Act,

the Forest Service is undertaking the

preparation of a legislative EIS to

support the recommendation to be made

to Congress in accordance with 40 CFR

1506.8. Enactment of the I–90 Exchange

Act occurred with the exchange of

deeds between the Forest Service and

their partners in the exchange, Plum

Creek Timber Company, L.P. on

December 28, 1999. Accordingly, the

EIS and subsequent wilderness

recommendations must be presented to

Congress no later than December 28,

2002.

The area subject to this study is

comprised of Forest Service System

lands adjacent to the existing Alpine

Lakes Wilderness boundary north of the

I–90 corridor on the Cle Elum Ranger

District. The major issues that have been

identified to date include: the impacts

on the mineral potential of the lands in

the study area; the impacts to existing

recreation uses and to existing special

use permittees; identification of those

lands having the characteristics that

would make them valuable as

designated wilderness; and the nature

and effect of the management

restrictions or opportunities that would

exist with respect to any lands allocated

as wilderness. Based on these and other

issues, a range of alternatives will be