Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 108 / Tuesday, June 5, 2001 / Notices 30159

under the FOIA, confidentiality may be

granted in only very limited

circumstances, such as to protect trade

secrets. The Forest Service will inform

the requester of the agency’s decision

regarding the request for confidentiality,

and where the request is denied, the

agency will return the submission and

notify the requester that the comments

may be resubmitted with or without

name and address within a specified

number of days.

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 EIS’s must structure

their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so that 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, 553 (1978). Also,

environmental objections that could be

raised at the draft EIS stage but that are

not raised until completion of the final

EIS 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 the 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 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 EIS or 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).

The final EIS is scheduled for

completion July 2002. In the final EIS,

the Forest Service is required to respond

to 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 Forest Service is the lead agency.

Jean Lavell, District Ranger, is the

Responsible Official. As the Responsible

Official, she will decide which, if any,

of the proposed plans will be

implemented. She will document the

decision and reasons for the decision in

the Record of Decision. That decision

will be subject to Forest Service Appeal

Regulations (36 CFR Part 215).

Dated: May 30, 2001.

Karyn L. Wood,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–14049 Filed 6–4–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Reconstruction of Meadows Road #205

and Issuance of a Road Easement for

Access to Private Land

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement in

conjunction with issuance of a road

easement and reconstruction of the

Meadows Road #205 through an

inventoried roadless area Dolores

County, Colorado.

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will

prepare an environmental impact

statement in conjunction with a

proposal to issue a road easement to a

private landowner and the reconstruct

an existing classified roadway, the

Meadows Road #205, across a portion of

an inventoried roadless area to access

the landowners property.

This notice describes known issues

with the proposed road reconstruction

project, estimated dates for filing the

environmental impact statement,

information concerning public and

tribal participation, and the names and

addresses of the agency officials who

can provide additional information.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope

of the analysis should be received in

writing by July 6, 2001. The agency

expects to file a draft environmental

impact statement with the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

and make it available for public, agency,

and tribal government comment in late

summer of 2001. A final environmental

impact statement is expected to be filed

in November of 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to:

James Powers, Forest Planner, San Juan

National Forest, 15 Burnett Court,

Durango, CO 81301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

Reidinger, Forester, Mancos-Dolores

Ranger District, P.O. Box 210 Dolores,

Co. 81323 (970–882–7296).

Responsible Official: Rick Cables,

Rocky Mountain Regional Forester at

P.O. Box 25127, Lakewood, CO 80225–

0127.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to part 36 Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR) 219.10(g), the Regional Forester

for the Rocky Mountain Region gives

notice of the agency’s intent to prepare

an environmental impact statement for

road reconstruction and issuance of an

easement across such road in an

inventoried roadless area for the

purpose of providing the applicant

access to non-federally owned lands

within the boundaries of the National

Forest System.

The Regional Forester gives notice

that the Forest is initiating an

environmental-analysis and decisionmaking process for this proposed action

so that interested or affected people can

participate in the analysis and

contribute to the final decision.

Opportunities will be provided to

discuss the road reconstruction and

easement issuance proposal openly with

the public. The public is invited to help

identify issues and define the range of

alternatives to be considered in the

environmental impact statement.

Written comments identifying issues for

analysis and the range of alternatives

will be encouraged.

The public has already identified a

number of issues. Additional issue

identification (scoping) will continue in

the summer of 2001. Requests to be on

the mailing list should be sent to: John

Reidinger, Forest, P.O. Box 210, Dolores,

Co. 81323 (970) 882–7296.

This project is being undertaken to

provide access to a private, nonfederally owned land as required by the

Alaska Native Interest Lands

Conservation Act (Pub. L. 96–487).

Private land inholders are to be

provided access across National Forest

System land to private land that is

adequate to secure the owners thereof of

reasonable use and enjoyment of their

land. The private landowner has

proposed use of the existing road across

the inventoried roadless area to meet

their access needs.

Major Issues

Lizard Head Roadless Area

This RARE II area is an area of

approximately 4,940 acres that is

immediately south of the Lizard Head

Wilderness and north of Colorado

Highway 145. It has a low wilderness

attribute rating because of its proximity

to the highway and the West Dolores

road and was excluded from the Lizard

30160 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 108 / Tuesday, June 5, 2001 / Notices

Head wilderness when it was created in

1983. The existing Meadows road #205

crosses a portion of this inventoried

roadless area.

Wetlands

The existing roadway crosses a

several small areas of wetlands.

Geological Hazards

The only alternative to the Meadows

Road that provides access to the private

lands is another existing two-track road

that is unsafe and is closed by

landslides.

Involving the Public

The Forest Service is seeking

information, comments, and assistance

from individuals, organizations, tribal

governments, and federal, state, and

local agencies that are interested in or

may be affected by the proposed action.

The range of alternatives to be

considered in the DEIS will be based on

public issues, management concerns,

resource management opportunities,

and specific decisions to be made.

Public participation will be solicited

by notifying in person and/or by mail

known interested and affected local

government agencies. News releases

will be used to give the public general

notice.

Release and Review of the EIS

We expect the DEIS to be filed with

the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) and to be available for public,

agency, and tribal government comment

in summer of 2001. At that time, the

EPA will publish a notice of availability

for the DEIS in the Federal Register. The

comment period on the DEIS will be 45

days from the date the EPA publishes

the notice of availability 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 the DEIS must participate

in the environmental review of the

proposal in such a way that their

participation 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 DEIS stage

but are not raised until after completion

of the Final Environmental Impact

Statement (FEIS) may be waived or

dismissed by the courts: City of Angoon

v. Hodel, 803 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir.

1986) and Wisconsin Hertages, 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 comment

period, so that substantive comments

and objectives are made available to the

Forest Service at a time when it can

meaningfully consider them and

respond to them in the FEIS.

To assist the Forest Service in

identifying and considering issues and

concerns relating to the proposed

actions, comments on the DEIS 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 DEIS or the merits of

the alternatives formulated and

discussed in the statements. In

addressing these points, 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.

After the comment period on the DEIS

ends, comments will be analyzed,

considered, and responded to by the

Forest Service in preparing the Final

EIS. The FEIS is scheduled to be

completed in the fall of 2001. The

responsible official will consider the

comments, responses, environmental

consequences discussed in the FEIS,

and applicable laws, regulations, and

policies in making decisions regarding

these revisions. The responsible official

will document the decisions and

reasons for the decisions in a Record of

Decision. The decision will be subject to

appeal in accordance with 36 CFR part

251.

Dated: May 29, 2001.

Calvin N. Joyner,

Forest Supervisor, San Juan National Forest.

[FR Doc. 01–13991 Filed 6–4–01; 8:45 am]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Eastern Washington Cascades

Provincial Advisory Committee and

Yakima Provincial Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Eastern Washington

Cascades Provincial Advisory

Committee and the Yakima Provincial

Advisory Committee will meet on

Friday, June 8, 2001, at the Wenatchee

National Forest headquarters main

conference room, 215 Melody Lane,

Wenatchee, Washington. The meeting

will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until

3 p.m. During this meeting we will

finalize advice on Dry Forest Strategy

management implementation on the

Okanogan and Wenatchee National

Forests, develop advice on noxious

weed management, and share

information on the implementation of

the Northwest Forest Plan. All Eastern

Washington Cascades and Yakima

Province Advisory Committee meetings

are open to the public. Interested

citizens are welcome to attend.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this meeting

to Paul Hart, Designated Federal

Official, USDA, Wenatchee National

Forest, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee,

Washington 98801, 509–662–4335.

Dated: May 21, 2001.

Sonny J. O’Neal,

Forest Supervisor, Okanogan and Wenatchee

National Forests.

[FR Doc. 01–13992 Filed 6–4–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

John Day/Snake Resource Advisory

Council, Hells Canyon Subgroup

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Hells Canyon Subgroup

of the John Day/Snake Resource

Advisory Council will meet on June 15–

16, 2001 at the Wallowa Mountains

Visitors Center, 88401 Hwy 82,

Enterprise, OR 97828. The meeting will

begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 5

p.m. the first day and day 2 will begin

at 8 a.m and will be a field trip to the

Buckhorn Lookout Area. Agenda items

to be covered include: (1) Update on

CMP (2) Review of the fires on the NRA

in 2000. Public comments will be

received June 15, 2001 at 1:30 p.m. at

the Wallowa Mountains Visitors Center.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this meeting

to Kendall Clark, Area Ranger, USDA,

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area,

88401 Highway 82, Enterprise, OR

97828, 541–426–5501.

Dated: May 30, 2001.

Karyn L. Wood,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–14048 Filed 6–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M