[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 52 (Friday, March 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14417-14418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6627]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

North Sherman and Fritz Timber Sales, Colville National Forest, 
Ferry County, WA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) on a proposal to harvest and regenerate timber and to 
construct and reconstruct roads. The proposed projects will be in 
compliance with the 1988 Colville National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (The Plan) which provides the overall guidance for 
management of this area for the next ten years. The projects are 
proposed within portions of the Sherman Creek and South Fork Sherman 
Creek drainages on the Kettle Falls Ranger District in fiscal year 
1996. The Colville National Forest invites written comments and 
suggestions on the scope of the analysis. The agency will give notice 
of the full environmental analysis and decision making process that 
will occur on the proposal so as to provide interested and affected 
people awareness as to how they may participate and contribute in the 
final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
in writing by April 30, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the 
management of this area to Meredith Webster, District Ranger, 225 W. 
11th, Kettle Falls, Washington 99141.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed project work and EIS should be directed to 
Ralph Egan, Planning Assistant, 225 W. 11th, Kettle Falls, Washington 
99141 (phone: 509-738-6111).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action includes harvesting 
timber and constructing roads on North Sherman and Fritz timber sales.
    The timber sales are proposed within the Sherman Creek and South 
Fork Sherman Creek drainages on the Kettle Falls Ranger District. This 
analysis will evaluate a range of alternatives for implementation of 
the timber sales. The area being analyzed is 69,557 acres.
    The North Sherman timber sale would be located north of Washington 
State Highway 20 with the proposed harvest centered between McGahee and 
Elbow Creeks. The majority of the harvest would be landscape scale 
selection harvest. The proposed sale would harvest 10.0 MMBF from 2,000 
acres.
    The Fritz timber sale would be located south of Washington State 
Highway 20 with the proposed harvest centered around upper Fritz Creek, 
Scalawag Ridge and Paradise Peak. The majority of the harvest would be 
landscape scale selection harvest. The proposed sale would harvest 10.0 
MMBF from 2,000 acres.
    The Draft EIS will be tiered to The Plan. The Plan's Management 
Area direction for this analysis area is approximately 4.1 percent Old 
Growth Dependent Species Habitat, 8.3 percent Recreation, 30 percent 
Scenic/Timber, 1.3 percent Scenic/Winter Range, 22.1 
[[Page 14418]] percent Wood/Forage, 5.3 percent Winter Range, 3.5 
percent Semi-Primitive, Motorized Recreation, 19 percent Semi-
Primitive, Non-Motorized Recreation and 6.4 percent other ownerships.
    No harvest will be proposed within the Semi-Primitive, Motorized 
Recreation, Semi-Primitive, Non-Motorized Recreation Management Areas 
or other ownership areas. These areas are included only for analysis of 
effects. The proposed action includes portions of the Profanity, Bald 
Snow, South Huckleberry, and Bangs Roadless Areas which were considered 
but not selected for Wilderness designation.
    Preliminary issues identified include: unroaded areas, recreation, 
sensitive plants and animals, visuals, water quality, timber 
production, and noxious weed control.
    A range of alternatives will be considered, including a no-action 
alternative. Based on the issues gathered through scoping, alternatives 
will vary in (1) the amount and location of acres considered for 
treatment, (2) the amount of road constructed for access, (3) the 
silvicultural and post-harvest treatment prescribed, and (4) the 
number, type and location of other integrated resource projects.
    Initial scoping began in March 1995. Scoping will include 
identifying issues, determining alternative driving issues, and 
identifying the objectives for the alternatives. An informal public 
meeting will be held at the Kettle Falls Ranger District office on 
April 18, 1995. The Forest Service is seeking information, comments, 
and assistance from other agencies, organizations, Tribes and 
individuals who may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
action. This input will be used in preparation of the draft EIS. Your 
comments are appreciated throughout the analysis process. The draft EIS 
is to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be 
available for public review by November 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 important that those interested in the management of the Colville 
National Forest participate at that time.
    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 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 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 45-day 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.
    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 these points.)
    The final EIS is scheduled for completion by February 1996. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive 
comments received during the comment period for the draft EIS. Edward 
L. Schultz, Forest Supervisor, is the Responsible Official. He will 
decide which, if any, of the alternative will be implemented. His 
decision and rationale for the decision will be documented in the 
Record of Decision, which will be subject to Forest Service Appeal 
Regulations (36 CFR 215).

    Dated: March 7, 1995.
George T. Buckingham,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 95-6627 Filed 3-16-95; 8:45 am]
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