[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51-52]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-32171]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


South Deep Management Project, Colville National Forest, Stevens 
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) on a proposal to conduct vegetation and road 
management, and implement riparian and wetlands management. The 
Proposed Action will be in compliance with the 1988 Colville National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) as amended, 
which provides the overall guidance for management of this area. The 
Proposed Action is within portions of the South Deep Creek, Little 
Smackout Creek, Meadow Creek, Rocky Creek, Kolle Creek, Clinton Creek, 
Rogers Creek, Kenny Creek, and Scott Creek subwatersheds on the Three 
Rivers Ranger District and scheduled for implementation in fiscal year 
2003. 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 so 
interested and affected people may be able to participate and 
contribute in the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be 
postmarked by February 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the 
management of this area to Sherri Schwenke, District Range, 255 West 
11th, Kettle Falls, Washington, 99141. Comments may also be sent by FAX 
(509-738-7701). Include your name and mailing address with your 
comments so documents pertaining to this project may be mailed to you.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the Proposed Action 
and EIS should be directed to Sherri Schwenke, District Ranger, or to 
Tom Pawley, Planning Assistant, 255 West 11th Ave, Kettle Falls, 
Washington 99141 (phone: 509-738-7700).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action includes vegetation 
management using commercial and precommercial thinning on approximately 
6,100 acres. Prescribed Fire may be applied on up to 6,500 acres. The 
road management projects will include local governments and adjacent 
landowners in the evaluation and development of a road strategy for 
these drainages. Part of that strategy will include both building and 
closing roads.

[[Page 52]]

This proposal includes construction of approximately 19 miles of new 
roads. Research studies are proposed as a part of the South Deep 
Management Project in conjunction with the University of Washington, 
Washington State University, the University of Idaho, and the U.S. 
Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station. Studies concerning 
soil compaction, erosion, sedimentation resulting from active stream 
corridor treatments, silviculture, harvesting systems, and use of a 
computerized landscape management system are included in the project 
design.
    The project would be located approximately 15 miles northeast of 
Colville, Washington, along the Aladdin Highway. The South Deep 
Management Project is proposed within the South Deep Creek, Little 
Smackout Creek, Meadow Creek, Rocky Creek, Kolle Creek, Clinton Creek, 
Rogers Creek, Kenny Creek, and Scott Creek subwatershed on the Three 
Rivers Ranger District. This analysis will evaluate a range of 
alternatives for implementation of the project activities. The area 
being analyzed is approximately 38,300 acres, of which 29,740 acres are 
National Forest System lands. The other ownership areas are included 
only for analysis of effects. The project area does not include any 
wilderness, RARE II, or other inventoried roadless land.
    The preliminary issues that have been identified include: water 
quality and watershed restoration; forest stand density; uses of 
unroaded areas; forest road management and maintenance; and soil 
stabilization. A range of alternatives will be considered, including a 
no-action alternative
    Initial scoping began in October, 1998. The scoping process will 
include the following: identify and clarify issues; identify key issues 
to be analyzed in depth; explore alternatives based on themes which 
will be derived from issues recognized during scoping activities; and 
identify potential environmental effects of the Proposed Action and 
alternatives. The Forest Service is seeking information, comments, and 
assistance from other agencies, organizations, Indian 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.
    Comments received in response to this notice, 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, however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR Part 215. 
Additionally, 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. 
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that 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 draft EIS is to be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by September, 2002. 
The 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. At that 
time, copies of the draft EIS will be distributed to interested and 
affected agencies, organizations, Indian Tribes, and members of the 
public for their review and comment.
    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 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 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 to be available by December, 2002. In 
the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive 
comments received during the comment period for the draft EIS. The 
Responsible Official is Colville National Forest Supervisor, Nora 
Rasure. She will decide which, if any, of the alternatives will be 
implemented. Her 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 part 215).

    Dated: December 17, 2001.
Nora B. Rasure,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-32171 Filed 12-31-01; 8:45 am]
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