[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 110 (Thursday, June 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30686-30687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14368]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Holmes/Chipmunk Timber Sale Environmental Impact Statement

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 the Holmes/Chipmunk Area. The 
Record of Decision will disclose how the Forest Service has decided to 
manage approximately 34,000 acres of Federal land. The proposed action 
would provide approximately 25 to 35 million board feet of timber to 
local and regional timber markets, final harvest approximately 4,000 
acres of 60+ year old aspen experiencing substantial mortality from 
blow down, decay, and old age, treat approximately 500 acres of red and 
white pine communities through prescribed burning and hand release 
treatments, and provide access to non-federally owned lands within the 
project boundaries. A range of alternatives responsive to significant 
issues will be developed, including a no-action alternative. The 
proposed project is located on the LaCroix Ranger District, Cook MN, 
Superior National Forest. In addition, the LaCroix Ranger District may 
create temporary openings greater than 40 acres under 36 CFR 
219.27(d)(ii).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this project should be received 
by July 27, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to: LaCroix Ranger District, 
Superior National Forest, Attn: Holmes/Chipmunk EIS, 320 N HWY 53, 
Cook, MN 55723.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Constance Chaney, District Ranger, or 
John Galazen, Team Leader, LaCroix Ranger District, Superior National 
Forest, 320 N HWY 53 Cook, MN 55723, telephone (218) 666-0020.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public participating will be an integral 
component of the study process and will be especially important at 
several points during the analysis. The first is during the scoping 
process. The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, and 
assistance from Federal, State and local agencies, individuals, and 
organizations that may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed 
activities. The scoping process will include: (1) Identification of 
potential issues, (2) identification of issues to be analyzed in depth, 
and (3) elimination of insignificant issues or those which have been 
covered by a previous environmental review. Written comments will be 
solicited through a scoping package that will be sent to the project 
mailing list and to the local newspaper. For the Forest Service to best 
use the scoping input, comments should be received by July 23, 2001. 
Issues identified for analysis in the EIS include the potential effects 
of the project on and the relationship of the project to: age class 
distribution, species composition, reforestation, Shipstead Newton 
Nolan areas, temporary roads, Proposed Management Area 8.4 (inventoried 
candidate special management complexes), and others.
    Based on the results of scoping and the resource capabilities 
within the Project Area, alternatives, including a no-action 
alternative, will be developed for the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is 
projected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 
May 2002. The Final EIS is anticipated in November 2002.
    The comment period on the Draft EIS will be a minimum of 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 
Draft EISs 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)). Environmental 
objections that could have been raised at the Draft EIS stage may be 
waived or dismissed by the courts (City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2nd 
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 they can be meaningfully considered and 
responded to in the Final EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns of the Proposed Action, comments during scoping and on the 
Draft EIS should be as specific as possible and refer to specific pages 
or chapters. Comments may address the adequacy of the Draft EIS or the 
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed. 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 in 40 CFR 1503.3. 
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and 
addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public 
record on this Proposed Action and will be available for public 
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered. Pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request the 
agency to withhold a submission, from the public record, by showing how 
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality. 
Requesters should be aware that, under 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

[[Page 30687]]

decision regarding the request for confidentiality. If the requester 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 seven days.
    Permits/Authorizations: The proposed action may create temporary 
openings greater than 40 acres. A 60-day public notice and review by 
the Regional Forester would be needed for such action.
    Responsible Official: Constance Chaney, LaCroix District Ranger, 
Superior National Forest, is the responsible official. In making the 
decision, the responsible official will consider the comments, 
responses, disclosure of environmental consequences, and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies. The responsible official will state 
the rationale for the chosen alternative in the Record of Decision.

    Dated: May 29, 2001.
Constance Chaney,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 01-14368 Filed 6-6-01; 8:45 am]
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