[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 106 (Friday, June 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29763-29765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13732]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Fish Creek Watershed Projects, Umpqua National Forest, Douglas 
County, OR

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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[[Page 29764]]

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for a variety of connected and similar resource 
projects within the Fish Creek watershed planning area of the Diamond 
Lake Ranger District. These projects include several timber sales, the 
construction of temporary roads, rock source development, spring 
rehabilitation, trailhead relocation, wildlife enhancement, site 
preparation, planting, fuels hazard reduction, road decommissioning, 
precommercial thinning, instream wood placement, and soil restoration. 
The planning area is located approximately 65 miles east of Roseburg, 
Oregon. If the proposed alternative or another action alternative is 
selected, projects within the selected action are expected to be 
implemented sometime during 2003 through 2008. The agency gives notice 
of the full environmental analysis and decision-making process that 
will occur on the proposal so that interested and affected people may 
become aware of how they can participate in the process and contribute 
to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
in writing, by June 29, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning this 
proposal to John Ouimet, District Ranger, Diamond Lake Ranger District, 
2020 Toketee Ranger Station Road, Idleyld Park, OR 97447-9704.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Direct questions about the proposed actions, 
or EIS to Pat Williams, ID Team Leader/Timber Sale Planner, Diamond 
Lake Ranger District, 2020 Toketee Ranger Station Road, Idleyld Park, 
OR 97447-9704, or (541) 498-2531.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The area being analyzed in the Fish Creek 
Watershed Projects EIS encompasses approximately 53,578 acres of 
National Forest land on the Diamond Lake Ranger District. The planning 
area is located south of the North Umpqua River, north of the Rogue-
Umpqua Divide, east of Copeland Creek, and west of Mount Bailey, within 
Douglas County, Oregon.
    Timber sale harvest activity proposals are based on the need to 
achieve the objectives for matrix lands within Management Areas 10 and 
11 of the planning area, as described in the 1990 Umpqua National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP), as amended by the 1994 
Record of Decision (ROD) for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of 
Land Management Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern 
Spotted Owl. Objectives for matrix lands are described on page B-1 of 
the ROD. The ROD states, ``Production of timber and other commodities 
is an important objective for the Matrix.'' The ROD also states on Page 
B-2 and B-6 that one of the objectives of matrix is to provide 
ecological diversity at the landscape scale in the form of early-
successional habitat through commercial timber harvest. The main 
objective for Management Area 10 is to supply timber to local and 
regional economies on a cost efficient, sustainable basis. The 
objectives for Management Area 11 are to provide big game winter range 
habitat and timber production consistent with other resource objectives 
for wildlife habitat, riparian habitat and water quality, visual 
quality, and recreation.
    Fish Creek Watershed Projects proposed actions are also based on 
the need to achieve the desired conditions for the planning area 
recommended in the 1999 Fish Creek Watershed Analysis. Timber harvest 
proposals are based on the need to maintain a high level of vegetative 
diversity in both structure and pattern within the watershed over time, 
by approximating large and small scale natural disturbance processes 
and patterns through even and uneven aged silvicultural treatments. 
Proposed natural fuels prescriptions are based on the need to move the 
planning area from a high severity fire regime towards a moderate 
severity fire regime. Rehabilitation of soils through sub-soiling is 
based on the need to improve the long term site productivity and water 
infiltration within managed stands that have been adversely affected by 
past management practices. Relocation of three trailheads is based on 
the need to provide adequate parking for forest visitors that are using 
trail systems. Spring rehabilitation is based on the need to improve 
the hydrologic function of the area and reduce potential soil erosion 
in the area. Wildlife enhancement projects are based on the need to 
improve wildlife habitat conditions within the watershed. Instream wood 
placement is based on the need to improve aquatic habitat where large 
woody debris has been removed or is otherwise absent or deficient. Pre-
commercial thinning is based on the need to increase stand growth and 
vigor of overstocked managed stands. Road reconstruction/maintenance 
and decommissioning is based on the need to reduce the risk to the 
aquatic resources from road related erosional processes. Expansion of 
existing rock sources within the Fish Creek watershed is based on the 
need to have available rock resources for reconstructing or maintaining 
existing road systems in the area.
    Timber sale related activities include: regeneration harvest on 422 
acres, with 15% green-tree retention in the form of leave groups and 
dispersed mature trees; and intermediate harvest in the form of 
commercial thinning on 834 acres; uneven aged management in the form of 
partial cutting and small group harvest (2-5 acres) on 145 acres; 
reforestation and seedling protection on 498 acres; site preparation/
fuels reduction on 1,401 acres; reconstruction/maintenance of 61 miles 
of existing roads; construction of 16 miles of temporary roads with 
subsequent obliteration; construction of 12 permanent helicopter 
landings; and the expansion of two existing rock pits by 2 acres. The 
acreage proposed for harvest is estimated to yield 33.1 million board 
feet of timber. If the proposed action ultimately becomes the preferred 
alternative, harvest of the total acreage (1,401) is likely to be 
accomplished via five timber sales. The areas prescribed for harvest 
will require a combination of helicopter, skyline and ground-based 
harvesting equipment.
    Restoration related activities include: 35.2 miles of road 
decommissioning; three trailhead relocations; spring/riparian zone 
rehabilitation; construction of 5 artificial den structures for small 
mammals; 61 acres of big game winter range forage enhancement and 
noxious weed control; reduction of conifer encroachment on seven 
meadows totaling 110 acres; construction of nesting structures in 8 
trees for great gray owls; construction of rock dens for small mammals 
and reptiles at 4 depleted rock quarries; recruitment of large woody 
material within timber sale harvest units; 1100 acres of site 
productivity restoration; 11.6 miles of instream log placement; 2,400 
acres of precommercial thinning; and fuels hazard reduction on 1,230 
acres. Most of these activities will be funded through the Knutson-
Vandenberg Program timber sale collections.
    As part of the environmental analysis process under the National 
Environmental Policy Act, the Umpqua National Forest has begun the 
scoping process for this project. Preliminary issues identified to date 
include the following: How will the public respond to reduced travel 
and trail access within the watershed? How will the public respond to 
the harvest of old growth stands within the watershed?
    The scoping effort is intended to identify issues, which may lead 
to the

[[Page 29765]]

development of alternatives to the proposed actions. One of the 
purposes of this notice of intent is to solicit input from the public 
as part of the overall scoping effort. In addition to this notice, the 
public has been notified of the environmental impact statement through 
the Umpqua National Forest's April 2001 Schedule of Proposed Actions 
(SOPA). Scoping for this project will also include a public field trip 
in the Fish Creek watershed on June 9, 2001. Based on the preliminary 
issues, the Responsible Official has determined that it is appropriate 
to proceed with an environmental impact statement.
    Public comments are appreciated throughout the analysis process. 
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and be available for public review by December 2001. The 
comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA 
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register. The final 
EIS is scheduled to be available in March 2002.
    The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers 
notice of this early stage of public participation and of several court 
rulings related to public participation in the environmental review 
process. First, reviewers of a draft EIS 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 have been raised 
at the draft stage may be waived or dismissed by the court if not 
raised until after completion of the final EIS. 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 substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider and respond to them 
in the final EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed actions, comments on the draft EIS 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 of 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.)
    In the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to 
substantive comments and responses received during the comment period 
that pertain to the environmental consequences discussed in the draft 
EIS and applicable laws, regulations, and policies considered in making 
a decision regarding the proposal. The Responsible Official is Don 
Ostby, Forest Supervisor for the Umpqua National Forest. The 
Responsible Official will document the decision and rationale for the 
decision in a Record of Decision. The decision will be subject to 
appeal regulations (36 CFR part 215).

    Dated: May 22, 2001.
Don Ostby,
Forest Supervisor, Umpqua National Forest.
[FR Doc. 01-13732 Filed 5-31-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M