Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Notices 67173

803f. 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.

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

completed in March 2002. In the final

EIS, the Forest Service is required to

respond to substantive comments

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.

John Berry, Forest Supervisor,

Eldorado 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 Part 215).

Dated: December 19, 2001.

Susan A. Rodman,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–31906 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Interior Wetlands Environmental

Impact Statement; Hiawatha National

Forest, Chippewa County, MI

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will

prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to analyze and disclose

the environmental impacts of proposed

land management activities, and

corresponding alternatives, within the

Interior Wetlands project area. The

project is located on the Sault Ste. Marie

Ranger District, Hiawatha National

Forest, Chippewa County, Michigan,

approximately 35 miles southwest of

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The project

area is approximately 30,600 acres and

management activities are being

proposed on less than 15 percent of the

area.

Jack pine stands experience a cyclical

outbreak of jack pine budworm. Older

trees are more susceptible to defoliation

which can lead to mortality and dead

tops. In the Interior Wetlands project

area much of the jack pine is more than

60 years old. The jack pine in the

project area experienced budworm

defoliation during the 1991/1992

outbreak and is showing some

defoliation during the outbreak that

began in 2001. The Forest Service is

evaluating the options available to

develop a more evenly distributed ageclass and to improve the vigor of jack

pine stands in order to minimize the

impacts of budworm defoliation. In

addition to proposing jack pine salvage

and regeneration in Interior Wetlands,

the Forest Service evaluated some other

management opportunities within the

entire project area to implement the

Hiawatha National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan (Forest

Plan, 1986). The proposed action

includes salvage and regeneration of

jack pine, timber harvesting and

regeneration of other species, changes to

the transportation system, changes to

the old growth system, timber stand

improvement projects, and wildlife and

fisheries habitat improvement projects.

Overall guidance of land management

activities on the Hiawatha National

Forest is provided by the Forest Plan. In

order to meet the objectives and desired

future conditions set forth in the Forest

Plan, the following purpose and need

has been identified for the Interior

Wetlands project area: (1) Reduce the

impacts of the jack pine budworm by

creating a more evenly distributed ageclass structure (which also improves

habitat for sandhill crane, merlin,

northern harrier, and other species),

improving vigor, and increasing growth

rates in jack pine stands. (2) Regenerate

older aspen and mixed balsam fir/

aspen/paper birch stands to maintain

these forest types; provide habitat for

white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse,

snowshoe hare, and other species;

improve vigor, and increase growth

rates. (3) Regenerate older black spruce

stands to improve vigor and to increase

growth rates. (4) Remove some trees in

some jack pine, aspen, balsam fir/aspen/

paper birch, northern hardwoods, paper

birch, black spruce, red pine, white

pine, and cedar to either concentrate

growth on the remaining trees or to

provide space for new trees to become

established. (5) Provide useable wood

products to local markets and improve

timber age-class distribution, vigor, and

growth rates on merchantable stems to

ensure a more even flow of wood

products in the future. (6) Prepare areas

where jack pine and black spruce are

being regenerated by reducing the slash

and exposing mineral soil for a seedbed.

(7) Manage an efficient transportation

system through construction,

reconstruction, maintenance, and

decommissioning of roads. (8) Improve

the quality and survival of some white

pine stems damaged by white pine

weevil and blister rust. (9) Evaluate

stands currently in the old growth

system and other stands to determine if

there is a different arrangement of

stands that could provide better existing

old growth characteristics and better

placement across the landscape. (10)

Adjust wildlife opening system by

creating openings or maintaining

existing openings by removing woody

encroachment to provide habitat for

sandhill crane, black bear, ruffed grouse,

and other species. (11) Improve fish

habitat (primarily brook trout) by adding

log bank cover and placing spawning

gravel. (12) Design projects and/or

develop mitigation measures, as

appropriate, to minimize impacts to the

resources to acceptable levels defined

by laws, regulations, or policies.

A roads analysis for the project area

will be conducted in conjunction with

the EIS. The roads analysis is not a

decision document but is necessary to

make an informed decision. At a

minimum, the roads analysis will

identify: needed and unneeded roads;

road associated environmental and

public safety risks; site-specific

priorities and opportunities for road

improvements and decommissioning;

areas of special sensitivity, unique

resource values, or both; and any other

information that may be needed to

support project-level decisions.

Adjacent landowners, citizens groups,

State, local, and Tribal governments,

and other Federal agencies are invited to

comment on the transportation system.

The Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (DEIS) will analyze the direct,

indirect, and cumulative environmental

effects of the alternatives. Past, present,

and projected activities on National

Forest system lands will be considered.

The DEIS will disclose the analysis of

site-specific mitigation measures and

their effectiveness. The DEIS is expected

67174 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Notices

to be filed with the EPA and available

for public review by November 2002.

DATES: Comments concerning the

proposed action and scope of the

analysis should be received by January

28, 2002 to receive timely consideration

in the DEIS. A public meeting about this

project will be held on December 4,

2001 at 6:30 pm.

ADDRESSES: Mail written comments to

Stevan J. Christiansen, District Ranger,

St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie Ranger

Districts, 1798 West US–2, St. Ignace,

MI 49781. The public meeting for this

project will be held at the Trout Lake

Town Hall on the main street of Trout

Lake (M–123).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Martha Sjogren, Team Leader, St. Ignace

Ranger District. Phone: (906) 643–7900

ext. 133. Email: msjogren@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

information presented in this notice is

included to help the reviewer determine

if they are interested in or potentially

affected by the proposed land

management activities. The information

in this notice is summarized. Contact

the person identified in the For Further

Information Contact section to obtain

additional information about desired

future condition, purpose and need,

proposed action, design criteria and/or

mitigation measures, and maps. The

information packet and color maps are

also available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/

r9/hiawatha.

The project area is approximately

30,600 acres and is located near the

town of Trout Lake, Chippewa County,

Michigan. Proposed activities within the

project area include portions of the

following areas: T44N, R4W, Sections

19, 31; T44N, R5W, Sections 2–11, 13–

27, 35, 36; T44N, R6W, Sections 1–18,

21–24; T45N, R5W, Sections 8–10, 15–

17, 19–22, 27–33; T45N, R6W, Sections

23, 25, 26, 31, 32, 34–36.

To meet the purpose and need, this

project proposes:

1. To salvage (through clearcut

harvest) and regenerate approximately

2,216 acres of mature and overmature

jack pine.

2. To harvest (clearcut) and regenerate

approximately 289 acres of mature and

overmature aspen, balsam fir/aspen/

paper birch, and black spruce stands.

3. To harvest (clearcut) and regenerate

approximately 119 acres of mature black

spruce stands.

4. To harvest some trees (partial

removal cuts) on approximately 508

acres in jack pine, aspen, balsam fir/

aspen/paper birch, northern hardwoods,

black spruce, red pine, white pine, and

cedar.

5. To harvest (commercially thin)

about 148 acres in northern hardwoods

and paper birch.

6. Prepare sites for jack pine

regeneration by rollerchopping about

1,400 acres and prescribed burning

about 400 acres.

7. To adjust the transportation system

by: constructing approximately 1.7

miles of classified roads, 1.5 miles of

temporary roads on existing unclassified

road corridors and then decommission,

and 23.1 miles of temporary roads;

changing the classification of

approximately 2.8 miles from

unclassified to classified; performing

road maintenance on approximately 7.8

miles of classified roads, and 2.8 miles

unclassified roads changed to classified

roads; reconstructing approximately 0.1

mile of classified road; and

decommissioning approximately 0.3

miles of classified roads and

approximately 3.2 miles of unclassified

roads.

8. To prune approximately 40 acres of

weevil and blister rust damaged white

pine saplings.

9. To adjust the old growth system by

removing from the existing system about

348 acres with limited existing old

growth conditions or in unfavorable

locations and adding to the system

about 223 acres with some existing old

growth conditions or in more favorable

locations.

10. To create wildlife openings on

about 9 acres and maintain openings on

about 157 acres by removing woody

encroachment.

11. To improve fish habitat in Biscuit

Creek by adding log bank cover along

approximately 750 feet and placing 75

square yards of spawning gravel in the

stream.

12. To develop design criteria and/or

mitigation measures to reduce the

impacts of management activities on

resources. Specifically, design projects

and/or mitigation measures to control

road use; protect threatened,

endangered and sensitive species;

protect plant habitat; protect wildlife

and protect and/or improve scenic

integrity; protect heritage resources;

provide safe snowmobiling in area of

timber harvest; provide good seed

source jack pine cones; and protect soil

and hydrology.

Range of Alternatives

The Forest Service will consider a

range of alternatives. One of these will

be the ‘‘no action’’ alternative in which

none of the proposed activities will be

implemented. Additional alternatives

will examine varying levels and

locations for the proposed activities to

achieve the proposal’s purposes in

response to the issues identified during

public involvement.

Preliminary Issues

The public has had several previous

opportunities to comment on these

proposed actions. The original Interior

Wetlands EA (circa 1997) was included

in the NEPA quarterly, scoping letters

were sent out, and public meetings were

held. The public commented again

during the 30-day public comment

period (April 1999), and when the EA

was appealed. In September 2000, the

Forest Service released the Revised

Interior Wetlands Project Set EA for

another 30-day public comment period.

From the public comments received

from 1997–2000, preliminary issues that

may be addressed in this EIS are as

follows:

1. There is too much timber harvest

proposed in the area, there is too much

clearcutting proposed, and other resources

(e.g. wildlife, wetlands, soils, and hydrology)

would be negatively impacted.

2. There is too much road construction to

accommodate the timber harvest, there are

too many temporary roads proposed, and

other resources (e.g. wildlife, wetlands, soils,

and hydrology) would be negatively

impacted by the construction and by

ineffective closure and obliteration of

temporary roads.

3. There is too much focus on providing

timber products and not enough focus on

restoring the ecosystem to more natural

conditions.

Decisions To Be Made

The St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie

District Ranger will decide the

following:

1. Whether or not to salvage and harvest

timber and if so, the selection and sitespecific location of appropriate timber

management practices (silvicultural

prescription, logging system, fuels treatment,

and reforestation); road construction/

reconstruction/maintenance/

decommissioning necessary to provide access

and protect resources; and appropriate

mitigation measures.

2. Whether or not to make adjustments to

the old growth system.

3. Whether or not to maintain existing

wildlife openings and create new ones.

4. Whether or not to modify fish habitat by

adding log bank cover and placing spawning

gravel.

5. What, if any, specific project monitoring

requirements would be needed to ensure

mitigation measures are implemented and

effective.

Public Involvement and Scoping

The public is encouraged to attend the

public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on

December 4, 2001 at the Trout Lake

Town Hall. Forest Service officials will

be available at that time to present an

overview of the purpose and need and

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Notices 67175

proposed action. It is also an

opportunity for the public to comment

on the project.

Public participation is an important

part of the analysis. The public may

visit Forest Service officials at any time

during the analysis and prior to the

decision. Public scoping has been

ongoing for the Interior Wetlands

project. The Forest Service will be

seeking additional information,

comments, and assistance from Federal,

State, and local agencies, as well as

local Native American tribes and other

individuals or organizations that may be

interested in or affected by the proposed

action. This input will be used in

preparation of the draft and final EIS.

The scoping process will:

Identify potential issues.

Identify issues to be analyzed in depth.

Identify alternatives to the proposed

action.

Explore additional alternatives that will be

derived from issues recognized during

scoping.

Identify potential environmental effects of

this project and alternatives (e.g. direct,

indirect, and cumulative effects and

connected actions).

Estimated Dates for Filing

The DEIS is expected to be filed with

the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) and to be available for public

review by November 2002. At that time

EPA will publish a Notice of

Availability of the DEIS in the Federal

Register. The comment period on the

DEIS will be 45 days from the date the

EPA publishes the Notice of Availability

in the Federal Register. It is very

important that those interested in the

management of this area participate at

that time.

The final EIS is scheduled to be

completed by February 2003. 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 DEIS and

to applicable laws, regulations, and

policies considered in making a

decision regarding the proposal.

Reviewer’s Obligations

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 draft

environmental impact statements must

structure their participation in the

environmental review of the proposal so

that it is meaningful and alerts the

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 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 and

respond to them in the final EIS.

To be most helpful, comments on the

DEIS should be as specific as possible

and may address the adequacy of the

statement or the merit of the alternatives

discussed. 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.

Responsible Official

The District Ranger of the St. Ignace

and Sault Ste. Marie Ranger Districts,

Hiawatha National Forest, 1798 West

US–2, St. Ignace, MI 49781, is the

Responsible Official. As the Responsible

Official, he will decide if the proposed

project will be implemented. He will

document the decision and reasons for

the decision in the Record of Decision.

Authority: National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969 as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321–

4346); Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500–1508); U.S.

Department of Agriculture NEPA Policies

and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1b).

Dated: November 7, 2001.

Clyde Thompson,

Forest Supervisor, Hiawatha National Forest,

2727 North Lincoln Road, Escanaba, MI

49829.

[FR Doc. 01–31894 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Blue Fire Forest Recovery Project,

Lassen and Modoc Counties, CA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The Forest Service, Modoc

National Forest, Warner Mountain

Ranger District (Forest Service) will

prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to disclose the

environmental consequences of the

proposed Blue Fire Forest Recovery

Project, and alternatives to the proposal.

The decision to be made, is to select this

proposed action or one of the

alternatives to this proposal. The

alternatives to this proposal will include

a no-action alternative.

The Blue Fire Forest Recovery Project

area is located approximately 20 miles

southeast of Alturas CA and 9 miles east

of Likely, CA, within Lassen and Modoc

Counties, CA. The total project area is

approximately 33,500 acres, all of which

are National Forest System lands.

The Forest Service proposes to move

wildland resource conditions within the

Blue Fire (August 2001) towards the

desired conditions described by the

Modoc National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan (MLRMP),

as amended by the Sierra Nevada Forest

Plan Amendment Record of Decision—

Jan 2001 (SNROD), and to implement

Standards and Guidelines described by

MLRMP as amended by SNROD. Within

the Blue Fire, but outside the South

Warner Wilderness (SWW), and outside

of Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs),

the Forest Service proposes to take

actions. The areas where actions are

proposed are identified as Old Forest

Emphasis Area and General Forest, in

the SNROD. Actions proposed within

the Old Forest Emphasis Area are

designed to benefit landscape

conditions for old forest structure and

function. Where the Blue Fire has killed

at least 75% of the trees in a timber

stand, the Forest Service is proposing to

provide long-term watershed protection

by reestablishing timber stands with

appropriate mixes of native tree species

and by reducing the threat of

catastrophic wildfire losses in these

plantations. The Forest Service proposes

to remove heavy fuels created by the

Blue Fire through implementation of

salvage timber sales. Salvage timber

sales are the proposed method of fuels

removal because now, and for a short

time into the future, these heavy fuels

have a commercial value that will

support the costs of their removal and

contribute to subsequent reforestation

and environmental restoration work. If

these trees are not harvested, they will

deteriorate over time, fall down and

result in fuel loadings that will not meet

Standards and Guidelines of the

MLRMP or SNROD. In these timber

stands where salvage harvest is

proposed, planting and subsequent

activities crucial to plantation survival

are proposed. Other activities are

proposed to meet the direction of

MLRMP and SNROD.

Following is a brief summary of

activities proposed: (1) No salvage

harvest will occur in the South Warner