Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 22 / Thursday, February 3, 2005 / Notices 5603

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent 

to: Emerald Creek Garnet Area EIS, St. 

Joe Ranger District, 222 S 7th Street 

Suite 1, St. Maries, ID 83861.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tracy Gravelle, St. Joe Ranger District, 

Avery Office, HC Box 1, Avery, ID 

83861, 208–245–6207. 

Other Agency Permits: Project 

implementation within floodplains 

would require Corps of Engineers 

Permits (404 permits).

Dated: January 28, 2005. 

Ranotta K. McNair, 

Forest Supervisor, Idaho Panhandle National 

Forests.

[FR Doc. 05–2046 Filed 2–2–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Warren County, PA; Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service, Allegheny 

National Forest, Bradford Ranger 

District, will prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement to 

disclose the environmental 

consequences of the proposed West 

Branch of Tionesta Project. The Forest 

Service is proposing actions that would 

move the West Branch of Tionesta 

Project Area from the existing condition 

towards the Desired Future Condition 

(DFC) and would maintain the DFC in 

situations where it has been attained. 

The DFC is described in the Allegheny 

National Forest Land and Resource 

Management Plan (Forest Plan). 

Proposed activities to meet the 

Desired Future Condition fall into four 

main categories. (1) Timber harvest and 

reforestation treatments consist of: 

shelterwood seedcut/removal cut, 

shelterwood removal cut, salvage 

removal cut, salvage shelterwood seed 

cut/removal cut, single tree selection, 

group selection, commercial thinning, 

intermediate thinning, pre-commercial 

thinning, improvement cutting, manual 

site preparation and release, herbicide 

application, fertilization, fencing, 

controlled burning, scarification, and 

tree planting. (2) Wildlife habitat 

improvement treatments consist of: 

noncommercial thinning, oak/hickory/

shrub underplanting, pruning and 

release of apple trees, release of white 

pine trees, hawthorn release, 

constructing new openings, opening 

maintenance, planting/fencing shrubs in 

openings, mowing, topdressing, seeding 

with wildflowers and grass, 

constructing nest/roost boxes. (3) 

Transportation treatments consist of: 

road decommissioning, road 

maintenance, road construction, road 

resurfacing, expanding and developing 

stone pits, and changing road access. (4) 

Watershed treatments consist of: Stream 

restoration and enhancement, obliterate 

and restore illegal stream crossings, 

enclose open top bridges, apply 

limestone surfacing within 300 feet of 

streams, and restore the natural flow of 

the stream.

DATES: Comments and suggestions 

concerning the scope of the analysis 

should be submitted (postmarked) by 

March 4, 2005 to ensure timely 

consideration.

ADDRESSES: Submit written, oral, or email comments by: (1) Mail: ‘‘West 

Branch of Tionesta Project,’’ ID Team 

Leader, 29 Forest Service Drive, 

Bradford, PA 16701; (2) phone: (814) 

362–4613; (3) e-mail: comments-easternallegheny-bradford@fs.fed.us (please 

note: when commenting by e-mail be 

sure to list West Branch of Tionesta EIS 

in the subject line and include a U.S. 

Postal Service address so we may add 

you to our mailing list). For further 

information contact O’Dell E. Tucker, 

project team leader, Bradford Ranger 

District, at (814) 362–4613 or mail/email correspondence to addresses listed 

above. The scoping letter and maps for 

the West Branch of Tionesta EIS are 

posted on the ANF Web site: http://

www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Allegheny National Forest Land and 

Resource Management Plan (Forest 

Plan) sets site-specific goals for the 

management of forest resources. The 

West Branch of Tionesta Project 

includes portions of Management Area 

(MA) 3.0, which emphasizes timber 

harvesting as a means to make desired 

changes to forest vegetation and satisfy 

the public demand for wood products. 

The project area also includes portions 

of MA 6.1, which emphasizes providing 

habitat for wildlife, attractive scenery, 

and opportunities for semi-primitive 

motorized recreation; and portions of 

MA 8.0, which emphasizes protection of 

unique ecosystems for scientific 

purposes and dispersed recreation. 

Finally, the project area contains 

portions of MA 9.1, which emphasizes 

forest area to be managed with minimal 

investments only to protect the 

environment and the incidental forest 

users. 

Preliminary Issues were identified 

based on past projects in the area 

(environmental assessments), issues 

developed for similar projects, and sitespecific concerns raised by the resource 

specialists. These issues, listed below, 

will provide a framework that the Forest 

Service will use to analyze a range of 

alternatives, including No Action for the 

Project Area. 

(1) Roads—The West Branch of 

Tionesta project area contains heavily 

roaded areas due to extensive oil and 

gas developments in the northwestern 

and eastern portions of the project area. 

Water quality and stream flow regimes 

are the primary concerns of heavy road 

densities. Sedimentation of streams and 

riparian areas is also a concern from 

roads due to impacts to stream channel 

morphology and aquatic habitat. The 

West Branch of Tionesta Roads Analysis 

Project (RAP) team will continue 

evaluating these and other road related 

issues, and will present their findings in 

a RAP document that will be available 

to the public. 

(2) Special Designation Waters—

Wildcat Run and Arnot Run are 

designated ‘‘Exceptional Value 

Watersheds’’ by the Pennsylvania 

Department of Environmental 

Protection. Slater Run, while not a State 

special designated water, flows directly 

into the Allegheny River where 

threatened, endangered, and sensitive 

species are located. The special status of 

waterways in these watersheds will 

increase sensitivity towards land 

disturbing activities such as vegetation 

and road management. 

(3) Biological Diversity and Wildlife 

Habitat—The area is dominated by fiftyone to one hundred and ten year ageclasses. There is a shortage of habitat 

provided by younger age classes and old 

growth. Existing younger age classes 

will develop into older age classes in 

the next decades as they mature. Certain 

wildlife species require different ages of 

vegetation. Other wildlife species need 

a variety of forest types positioned near 

each other or perhaps near water. 

Management practices should reflect a 

balance of activities that assure 

biological diversity is maintained or 

enhanced. Concepts of biological 

diversity suggest that land management 

should encourage a variety of habitats. 

(4) Proposed Special Emphasis 

Areas—There are proposed management 

activities within the project area 

identified by Allegheny Defense Project 

for special management. Proposed 

vegetation management activities in 

these areas follow current forest plan 

direction.

Project Area and Roads Analysis 

Project Public Meeting: The public 

meeting for the project area and the RAP 

for WBTPA has been scheduled for 

Saturday, February 19, 2005 at 10 a.m. 

to 2 p.m. We will meet at the Bradford 

5604 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 22 / Thursday, February 3, 2005 / Notices 

Ranger District Office at the junction of 

State Route 321 and State Route 59 

South, Marshburg, PA. (R.S.V.P by 

calling 814–362–4613). There will also 

be an opportunity for the public to ask 

questions and make suggestions to the 

ID Team. 

Comment Requested: This notice of 

intent initiates the scoping process, 

which guides the development of the 

environmental impact statement. Your 

comments will help the Forest Service 

refine and enhance the list of issues that 

are considered when analyzing 

alternatives to the proposed action. 

When this analysis is nearly complete, 

the Draft EIS will be filed with the 

Environmental Protection Agency and 

become available for public review 

(expected by November 2005). At that 

time the Environmental Protection 

Agency will publish a Notice of 

Availability of the document in the 

Federal Register (this will begin the 45-

day comment period on the Draft EIS). 

After the comment period ends on the 

Draft EIS, the comments will be 

analyzed and considered by the Forest 

Service in preparing the final 

environmental impact statement. The 

Final EIS and Record of Decision are 

scheduled for release in May 2006. 

Comments received, including names 

and addresses of those who comment, 

will be considered part of the public 

record and may be subject to public 

disclosure. 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. 

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 

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 stage may be waived 

or dismissed by the courts City of 

Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2nd 1016, 1022 

[9th Cir. 1986] and MDSU Wisconsin 

Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 

1334, 1338 [E.D. Wis. 1980]). 

Because of the above 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 are made 

available to the Forest Service at a time 

when they can be meaningfully 

considered and responded to in the final 

environmental impact statement. 

Comments on the draft environmental 

impact statement should be as specific 

as possible. It is also helpful if 

comments refer to specific pages, 

sections, 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 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. 

This decision will be subject to appeal 

under 36 CFR 215. The responsible 

official is John R. Schultz, Bradford 

Ranger District, 29 Forest Service Drive, 

Bradford, PA 16701.

Dated: January 27, 2005. 

Kevin B. Elliott, 

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 05–2005 Filed 2–2–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Mendocino Resource Advisory 

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Mendocino County 

Resource Advisory Committee will meet 

February 18, 2005, (RAC) in Willits, 

California. Agenda items to be covered 

include: (1) Approval of minutes, (2) 

Public Comment, (3) Sub-committees, 

(4) Discussion/approval of projects, (5) 

Old Business, (6) Matters before the 

group-discussion only, and (7) Next 

agenda and meeting date.

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

February 18, 2005, from 9 a.m. to 12 

noon.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Mendocino County Museum, 

located at 400 E. Commercial St., 

Willits, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roberta Hurt, Committee Coordinator, 

USDA, Mendocino National Forest, 

Covelo Ranger District, 78150 Covelo 

Road, Covelo CA 95428. (707) 983–

8503; e-mail rhurt@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting is open to the public. Persons 

who wish to bring matters to the 

attention of the Committee may file 

written statements with the Committee 

staff by May 18, 2004. Public comment 

will have the opportunity to address the 

committee at the meeting.

Dated: January 24, 2005. 

Blaine Baker, 

Designated Federal Official.

[FR Doc. 05–2030 Filed 2–2–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Tehama County Resource Advisory 

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Tehama County Resource 

Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in 

Red Bluff, California. Agenda items to 

be covered include: (1) Introductions, 

(2) Approval of Minutes, (3) Public 

Comment, (4) Restructure of SubCommittees, (5) Project Proposals, (6) 

Review of Projects Funded to Date, (7) 

General Discussion, (8) County 

Supervisor’s Update, and (9) Next 

Agenda.

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

February 10, 2005 from 9 a.m. and end 

at approximately 12 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Lincoln Street School, Conference 

Room A, 1135 Lincoln Street, Red Bluff, 

CA. Individuals wishing to speak or 

propose agenda items must send their 

names and proposals to Jim Giachino, 

DFO, 825 N. Humboldt Avenue, 

Willows, CA 95988.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bobbin Gaddini, Committee 

Coordinator, USDA, Mendocino 

National Forest, Grindstone Ranger 

District, PO Box 164, Elk Creek, CA 

95939. (530) 968–5329; e-mail 

ggaddini@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting is open to the public. 

Committee discussion is limited to 

Forest Service staff and Committee 

members. However, persons who wish 

to bring matters to the attention of the 

Committee may file written statements 

with the Committee staff before or after 

the meeting. Public input sessions will 

be provided and individuals who made 

written requests by February 8, 2005 

will have the opportunity to address the 

committee at those sessions.