[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 52 (Friday, March 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14418-14419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6628]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

First Creek Basin Restoration Project, Wenatchee National Forest, 
Chelan County, WA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to analyze and disclose the environmental impacts of a 
site-specific proposal for the First Creek Basin Restoration Project. 
The proposed action is partially located within the original Slide 
Ridge Roadless Area, approximately 15 miles northwest of the town of 
Chelan, in the First Creek, Baldy, and Granite Falls Creek drainages on 
the Chelan Ranger District of the Wenatchee National Forest. The 
purpose of the EIS will be to develop and evaluate a range of 
alternatives for ecosystem restoration activities within the First 
Creek Basin. Alternatives may include fuel reduction activities, 
seeding, reforestation, slope stabilization, wildlife habitat 
restoration, stream channel stabilization, timber harvest, road/trail 
construction, and road/trail obliteration.
    The alternatives will include a no action alternative, and at least 
one alternative that maintains the unroaded character of the proposed 
project area. Other alternatives will be designed to respond to 
relevant issues. The proposed project will be consistent with direction 
given in the Wenatchee National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan, as amended by the April 13, 1994, Record of Decision for 
Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning 
Documents Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl. This Forest 
Service proposal is scheduled for implementation in 1995-1997. 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.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must be received by April 28, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope 
of the analysis to Al Murphy, District Ranger, Chelan Ranger District, 
PO Box 189, Chelan, Washington 98816.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions and comments about this EIS should be directed to Lisa Gowe 
or John Lampereur, Interdisciplinary Team Leaders, Chelan Ranger 
District, PO Box 189, Chelan, Washington 98816; phone 509-682-2576.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the summer of 1994, part of the 135,000 
acre Tyee Complex wildfire burned through the analysis area, leaving 
[[Page 14419]] thousands of acres of intensely-burned vegetation, 
altered soils, and increased fuel loads. The slopes in the area are 
steep and subject to severe erosion. This analysis was initiated to 
identify treatments that will lessen long-term losses in productivity 
and increase the rate of recovery of the ecosystems in the area. The 
analysis area is approximately 14,210 acres in size. About 280 acres of 
the area are unoccupied spotted owl habitat, with approximately 100 
acres of this habitat being within a Late Successional Reserve. In 
addition, about 6,400 acres of the analysis area is unroaded.
    The proposed action is to treat: (1) Approximately 4,700 acres in 
the ponderosa pine zone; (2) approximately 1,600 acres in the mesic 
Douglas-fir zone; and (3) approximately 340 acres in the high elevation 
zone. Treatments will be made through a combination of activities 
including: fuel disposal through the use of prescribed fire; harvest of 
dead and damaged trees; thinning; and slope stabilization. This 
proposal will include helicopter yarding as the preferred method of 
tree removal, but may require the construction of approximately 3 miles 
of temporary access roads. A transportation plan for the unroaded 
portion of the project area would also be developed.
    To date, the following key issues have been identified:

Roadless Area management
Late Successional Reserves
Public safety and property
Economics
Cultural resources
Control of noxious weeds
Channel protection/restoration
Access management
Forest fuel management
Scenic quality
Recreation opportunities
Wildlife habitat
Revegetation
Water quality
Biodiversity/forest health
Fish/water/soil stability

    The decision to be made through this analysis is where, how, and to 
what extent should the various vegetation management, fuels reduction 
and slope stabilization treatments be implemented within the First 
Creek analysis area, and what roading, if any, should occur within the 
currently unroaded area.
    A range of alternatives will be considered, including a no action 
alternative, and an alternative that maintains the unroaded character 
of the area. Other alternatives will be developed in response to issues 
received during scoping. All alternatives will need to respond to 
specific conditions in the First Creek Basin.
    Public participation will be especially important at several points 
during the analysis. The Forest Service will be seeking information, 
comments, and assistance from Federal, State, tribes, and local 
agencies, as well as individuals or organizations who may be interested 
in or affected by the proposed actions. This information will be used 
in preparation of the draft EIS. The scoping process includes:
    1. Identifying potential issues.
    2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
    3. Eliminating non significant issues or those which have been 
covered by a relevant previous environmental process.
    4. Exploring additional alternatives.
    5. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed 
action and alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative effects 
and connected actions).
    6. Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.
    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review in June, 
1995. At that time, copies of the draft EIS will be distributed to 
interested and affected agencies, organizations, tribes, and members of 
the public for their review and comment. EPA will publish a notice of 
availability of the draft EIS in the Federal Register.
    The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date 
the EPA notice appears in the Federal Register. It is very important 
that those interested in the management of the Wenatchee National 
Forest participate at that time.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, 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 EIS. 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 at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing those points).
    At this early stage, the Forest Service believes it is important to 
give reviewers notice 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 be raised at the draft EIS stage but that are not 
raised until after 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 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 EIS.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed in August 1995. 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 the decision 
regarding this proposal. Sonny O'Neal, Forest Supervisor, Wenatchee 
National Forest, is the responsible official. As the responsible 
official he 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 215).

    Dated: March 9, 1995.
Mark Morris,
Administrative Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-6628 Filed 3-16-95; 8:45 am]
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