Management of Vegetation Within Electric Utility Rights-of-Way on the Allegheny National Forest in Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren Counties, PA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Management of Vegetation Within Electric Utility Rights-of-Way on

the Allegheny National Forest in Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren

Counties, PA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: A draft and a final environmental impact statement is being

prepared for the management of vegetation on 776 acres of land

associated with 120 miles of electric utility rights-of-way on the

Allegheny National Forest. Herbicide application, mechanical clearing

and manual cutting alone, and in combination, are alternatives that

will be considered.

The herbicides being considered in the analysis include glyphosate

(trade names are RoundupR RodeoR, and AccordR),

metsulfuron methyl (trade names is EscortR), triclopyr (trade

names are Garlon 3AR and Garlon 4R), picloram (trade names

are Tordon KR and AccessR), imazapyr (trade name is

ArsenalR), and fosamine (trade name is Krenite UTR). The

herbicide would be applied in water or mineral oil, depending on the

formulation used and the method of application.

Various manual and mechanical herbicide application methods are

being considered. Manual ground level applications include low volume

basal, low volume foliar and stump treatment. Mechanical ground level

applications include low volume selective foliar and high volume

foliar. The specific herbicide formulation (trade named product),

carrier and method of application will vary with the characteristics of

the site, the components of the vegetation community and other factors.

Aerial application of herbicide is not being considered in this

analysis.

The purpose of these treatments is to ensure safe and reliable

transmission and distribution of electric power across portions of the

Allegheny National Forest. This environmental impact statement will

amend the Allegheny National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan

completed in 1986.

The environmental impact statement will be site specific on

approxiamtely 120 miles of electric utility rights-of-way located on

the Forest. The electric utility lines are owned and operated by the

Pennsylvania Electric Company or West Penn Power Company.

The environmental impact statement is being prepared by

Environmental Consultants, Incorporated, jointly funded by the

Allegheny National Forest and the two electric utility companies. The

decision that will be made in the EIS is to determine the site specific

treatments for vegetation management projects on the specific sites.

The decision will be made with full public participation and is

appealable under 36 CFR part 217.

The Agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope

and substance of the analysis and the environmental impact statement.

In addition, the agency gives notice that the environmental impact

statement preparation process will be conducted so that interested and

affected people are aware of how they may participate in and contribute

to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be

submitted in writing and postmarked by October 31, 1994, to ensure

timely consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Powerline Vegetation Management

Analysis, Allegheny National Forest, 222 Liberty Street, P.O. Box 847,

Warren PA 16365.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob White, Allegheny National Forest

Silviculturist at 814/723-5150 about the Environmental Impact

Statement. For information about vegetation management under power

lines, contact Charles Olenik, Forestry Manager, Pennsylvania Electric

Company at 814/533-8868.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Allegheny National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan completed in 1986, provides for management of

electric power transmission and distribution corridors on parts of the

Forest. Management of vegetation that can interfere with reliable and

efficient transmission and distribution of electric power is needed for

approximately 776 acres of land under approximately 120 miles of power

lines on the Allegheny National Forest. The purpose of this vegetation

management is to produce a plant community that is generally low

growing, will stabilize the site against erosion, will provide a

diversity of wildlife habitat, and will minimize power outages and

costs of management.

A range of alternatives will be considered, including herbicide

application, mechanical clearing and manual cutting alone, and a

combination of these techniques. The ``no action alternative'' is the

method of vegetation management currently in use on a site-specific

basis. Activities carried out on the ground under this alternative vary

from site to site, but will be described and analyzed in the draft and

the final environmental impact statements.

The decision that will be made in the EIS is a site specific

determination of the treatments the power companies may use on each

site. The decision is appealable under 36 CFR part 217. Federal, state

and local agencies, and other individuals and organizations who may be

interested or affected by the decision are invited to participate in

the scoping process. This process will include (1) identification of

potential issues; (2) identification of issues to be analyzed in depth;

and (3) elimination of insignificant issues or those which have been

covered by a previous environmental review.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments should be as specific as

possible. Please include your name, address, and telephone number

(organization represented and your title, if applicable).

Preliminary issues that have been identified are: (1) What is the

fate of herbicides, carriers and inert ingredients in the environment;

(2) what are the effects of herbicides, carriers and inert ingredients

on human health; (3) what are the effects on fish and wildlife; (3)

what are the impacts on water quality; and, (4) what are the costs and

effectiveness of various vegetation management strategies that will

ensure the reliability of electric power service.

The analysis is expected to take about 10 months. The draft

environmental impact statement will be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and will be available for public review in

early July 1995. At that time EPA will publish a notice of availability

of the draft environmental impact statement in the Federal Register.

The comment period on the draft 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 Allegheny National Forest

participate at that time. To be most helpful, comments on the draft

environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible, and

may address the adequacy of the statement or the merits of the

alternatives discussed (see the Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations (CEQ) for implementing the procedural provisions of the

National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3).

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 environmental impact statements must structure their

participation in the environmental review of the proposals so that it

is meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewers position and

contentions, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 45 U.S. 519,

553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the

draft environmental impact statement stage may be waived if not raised

until after completion of the final environmental impact statement,

City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1988), 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 environmental impact

statement.

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 CEQ Regulations for implementing the procedural

provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 is

addressing these points).

After the comment period ends on the draft environmental impact

statement, the comments received will be analyzed and considered by the

Forest Service in preparing the final environmental impact statement.

The final environmental impact statement is scheduled to be completed

in December 1995. In the final EIS the Forest Service is required to

respond to the comments received (40 CFR 1503.4). The responsible

official will consider the comments, responses, environmental

consequences discussed in the environmental impact statement, and

applicable laws, regulations and policies in making a decision

regarding this proposal. The responsible official will document the

decision and reasons for the decision in a Record of Decision. That

decision will be subject to appeal under 36 CFR part 217.

The responsible official is John E. Palmer, Forest Supervisor,

Allegheny National Forest, 222 Liberty Street, P.O. Box 847, Warren PA

16365.

Dated: September 21, 1994.

John E. Palmer,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94-24757 Filed 10-5-94; 8:45 am]

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