Long-Term Ecosystem Productivity (LTEP) Research Project, Willamette National Forest, Lane County, OR

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Long-Term Ecosystem Productivity (LTEP) Research Project,

Willamette National Forest, Lane County, OR

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Forest Service will prepare an

environmental impact statement on a proposal to implement a Long-Term

Ecosystem Productivity research project. This project will result in

establishing conditions across a gradient of successional stages and

organic matter levels on the forest floor according to the Long-Term

Ecosystem Productivity Program Integrated Research Sites, Governing

Research Plan (PNW, Susan Little and others, 10/16/91). Creating these

conditions will require harvesting approximately 180 acres of 70 to 80

year old Douglas fir forest by clearcutting and 90 acres of partial

cutting. Other proposed activities include weather station siting,

reforestation, fuel control, and snag creation.

The Willamette National Forest invites additional written comments

and suggestions on the scope of the analysis. Comments have already

been received as the result of local public participation activities.

The agency will also give notice of the full environmental analysis and

decision-making process so that interested and affected people are made

aware as to how they may participate and contribute to the final

decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received

in writing by December 19, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Lynn Burditt, District Ranger, Blue

River Ranger Station, PO Box 199, Blue River OR, 97413.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions about the proposed action and environmental impact to

Karen Geary, Planning Assistant or Jim Overton, Site Manager, (503)

822-3317.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Long-Term Ecosystem Productivity

planning area is located in the East Fork of Deer Creek drainage in

portions of T17S, R3E, Sections 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 35. This

research site is one of six in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska designed

for long-term ecosystem productivity research. The Integrated Research

Sites are established as a network of research and monitoring sites to

look at topics which are long-term, which are complex, and which demand

the integration of scientific disciplines. These sites will be studied

over a period of 200 years to test the hypothesis that long-term

ecosystem productivity is directly affected by successional patterns

and the level of down woody debris.

The nature and scope of the decision is to implement the research

project. This EIS will tier to the Willamette National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan (1990) as amended by the Record Of Decision

and Standards and Guidelines for Management of Habitat For Late

Successional and Old-Growth Forest Related Species within the Range of

the Northern Spotted Owl.

On June 25, 1992 an amendment to the Willamette National Forest

Plan made an allocation change of this Isolation Block from Management

Area 14a (General Forest) to a newly created allocation, Management

Area 3b (Integrated Research Site) and established Management Area (MA)

standards and guidelines for MA 3b.

Initial scoping began in February of 1991. Issues that were

identified include water quality, soil productivity, wildlife habitat,

we area protection, and economics of helicopter harvesting needed for

research objectives and design.

Preliminary analysis and alternative formulation have resulted in

the proposed action. This proposed action meets the objectives of the

Governing Research Plan and proposes to implement the research plan by

treating approximately 180 clearcut acres and 90 partial cut acres of

70 to 80 year old Douglas fir forest. There are 3 study blocks, each

containing 6 treatment units and 1 control area, resulting in a total

of 18 treatment units and 3 control areas. Each treatment unit would be

approximately 15 acres in size. Helicopter yarding would be used for

removal of the trees. The research plan has been scaled down and

refined to minimize environmental effects. At its fullest extent, the

original research concept would have included 36 treatment units and 4

control areas. Alternative 2 is the No Action alternative.

A scoping meeting will be held in early December. If you are

interested in this meeting, please notify us for the location and time.

The Forest Service will be seeking additional information, comments and

assistance from Federal, State and local agencies and other individuals

or organizations who may be interested or affected by the proposed

project. Additional information will be used to further identify key

issues or develop other alternatives. This input will be used in

preparation of the draft EIS.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

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

1995. 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 at this early stage of several court rulings related to public

participation in the environmental review process. First, a reviewer of

a 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 that are not raised

until after completion of the final environmental impact statement 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 objectives 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 statement. 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 by May 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 the decision

regarding this proposal. The responsible official will document the

decision and rationale for the decision in the Record of Decision. That

decision will be subject to Forest Service appeal Regulations (36 CFR

217).

Dated: November 8, 1994.

Darrel L. Kenops,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94-28373 Filed 11-16-94; 8:45 am]

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