Thunder Mountain Fire Recovery and Salvage, Okanogan National Forest, Okanogan County, Washington, Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Thunder Mountain Fire Recovery and Salvage, Okanogan National

Forest, Okanogan County, Washington, Intent To Prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the USDA, Forest Service, will

prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposal to

implement connected projects for the purpose of speeding recovery of

the Thunder Mountain Fire burned area. Forest Service proposed projects

includes: Timber sale of dead and fire damaged trees within the fire

perimeter; rehabilitation of riparian areas and channels damaged by

fire; and control of livestock to maintain pre-fire pristine character

of streams and meadows. The EIS will develop and evaluate a range of

alternatives for management of the resources within the fire perimeter.

The alternatives will include a no action alternative, involving no

timber harvest or road construction, and additional alternatives in

response to issues identified during the scoping process. The proposed

projects are consistent with the direction in the 1989 Okanogan

National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) which

provides the overall guidance for management of the area. The entire

burned area and proposed project are within the Long Swamp Roadless

Area. Implementation of proposed projects is scheduled for Fiscal Year

1995. The Long Swamp Roadless Area is located approximately 25 miles

west of Tonasket, Washington. 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 decision making process.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and implementation of this

proposal must be received by October 11, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope

of the analysis to Don Rose, Project Coordinator, Tonasket Ranger

District, P.O. Box 466, Tonasket, Washington 98855.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions about the proposed action and environmental analyses

to Don Rose, Project Coordinator, Tonasket Ranger District, P.O. Box

466, Tonasket, Washington 98855, telephone: (509) 486-5110.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Thunder Mountain Fire was started by

lightning on July 23, 1994 and was not declared controlled until August

30. During that time, the fire burned through 8,950 acres of lodgepole

pine, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir forest. Within the fire

perimeter, it is estimated that approximately 4,500 acres of trees were

killed by the flames and heat of the fire. The remainder of the area

within the fire perimeter either burned to a lesser degree (and may

experience further dying of trees) or did not burn at all. Fire control

was hampered by the roadless nature of the area which limited access.

The proposed action is to salvage dead and fire damaged trees on

approximately 25 percent of the area within the fire perimeter.

Approximately half of the area to be salvaged will be logged using

helicopter yarding and the other half will be logged using cable and

tractor systems. Approximately 3 miles of road will be constructed to

improve access to the center of the area. The roads would be on three

or four ridgetops running west from the main road in the area.

This area has recently been analyzed in both the Meadows Integrated

Resource Analysis, which concentrated on issues associated with

management of North American lynx, and the Chewuch Watershed Analysis,

which analyzed historical disturbance patterns and how existing

resource conditions differ from historical conditions. To date, the

major issues identified are: Management of the roadless area; effects

on lynx habitat; effects on anadromous fish habitat within the Chewuch

River; future fire risk; and long term health of the soils and water

within the burned area. Public meetings will be held in Tonasket and

the Methow Valley (Washington) to review existing information and

facilitate public scoping.

This EIS will tier to the Forest Plan, as amended by the Eastside

Screening Environmental Assessment. The Forest Plan provides forest-

wide standards and guidelines, management area standards and

guidelines, and desired future conditions for the various lands on the

Forest. This direction is provided for management practices that will

be utilized during the implementation of the Forest Plan.

The Thunder Analysis Area contains about 8,950 acres. All of this

is in the Long Swamp Roadless Area, which is 70,200 acres in size. The

Analysis Area is allocated to the following Management Areas (MA):

--Approximately 90 percent is in MA 12 which is designed to provide

habitat to support a stable lynx population over the long term while

accessing the area for the purpose of growing and producing

merchantable wood fiber.

--Approximately 9 percent is in MA 5 which is designed to provide

opportunities for recreation and viewing scenery in a roaded natural

setting.

--Approximately 1 percent is in MA 8 which is designed to preserve

naturally occurring physical and biological units as Research Natural

Areas.

The analysis will develop a range of alternatives--from no-action,

(with no timber harvest or road construction) to an alternative that

proposes harvest (no road construction), to an alternative that

considers timber harvest with road construction and a lesser amount of

helicopter yarding.

Public participation will be especially important at several points

during the analysis. The Forest Service will be seeking information,

comments, and assistance from other Federal, State, local agencies, and

tribes, and other individuals or organizations who may be interested in

or affected by the proposed project. This input will be used in

preparation of the draft EIS. the scoping process includes:

--Identifying potential issues.

--Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.

--Identifying issues which have been covered by a relevant previous

environmental analysis.

--Exploring additional alternatives based on themes which will be

derived from issues recognized during scoping activities.

--Identifying potential environmental effects of this project and

alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and

connected actions).

--Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.

--Notifying interested members of the public of opportunities to

participate through meetings, personal contacts, or written comment.

Keeping the public informed through the media and/or written material

(e.g. newsletters, correspondence, etc.).

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by

December, 1994. Your comments and suggestions are encouraged and should

be in writing. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from

the date the EPA publishes the notice of availability in the Federal

Register.

The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers

notice of this early stage of public participation and 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 stage but that are not raised until after the 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 be meaningfully considered and

responded to in the final EIS.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft

environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is

also helpful if comments refer to specific pages 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 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 by March, 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 a decision

regarding the proposal. Sam Gehr, Forest Supervisor, is the responsible

official. The responsible official will document the decision and

rationale for the decision in the Record of Decision, which will be

subject to Forest Service appeal regulations 36 CFR Part 215.

Dated: September 15, 1994.

Sam Gehr,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94-23439 Filed 9-21-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M