Trails End Integrated Project

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Trails End Integrated Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact

Statement to disclose the environmental consequences of the proposed

Trails End integrated project. The Forest Service is proposing to

harvest timber on approximately 2000 acres of National Forest land in

the northern portion of the Ridgway Ranger District. Forest health is

the driving concern in this project proposal. Sugar maple decline and

beech-scale necteria are causing growth loss and mortality. Treatments

will consist of clearcuts, overstory removals, salvage, improvement

cuts and thinnings. In addition to harvesting timber, the proposed

action will consider approximately 120 acres of wildlife habitat

improvement. These treatments will consist of vegetative planting to

increase food availability, maintaining existing apple trees, improving

turkey winter habitat, establishing beaver preferred food species,

releasing thermal cover and shrubs plus protecting native trout

streams.

DATES: Public scoping has been completed. A scoping letter was sent to

all interested parties and land owners in or adjacent to the proposed

project area. A notice was also published in the Ridgway Record on

August 18, 1993. Additional comments will be accepted during the

planning process and should reach us by March 31, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope

of the analysis to Leon F. Blashock, District Ranger, Ridgway Ranger

District, RD #1 Box 28A Ridgway, Pa 15853.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Direct questions about the proposed

action and Environmental Impact Statement to Carl Leland,

Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Ridgway Ranger District, Ridgway, Pa.,

phone 814-776-6172.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Allegheny National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan was approved in March 1986. Of the total of

5427 acres in the project area, the plan allocated 400 acres of

Management Area (MA) 6.1 and 5027 acres of MA 3.0. MA 6.1 emphasizes

mature and overmature hardwood forests with the following primary

purposes; (1) maintain or enhance scenic quality, (2) emphasize a

variety of dispersed recreation activities in a semi-primitive

motorized setting, and (3) emphasize wildlife species which require

mature or overmature hardwood forests, such as turkey, bear and cavity

nesting birds and mammals. MA 3.0 has the following primary purposes;

(1) to provide a sustained yield of high-quality Allegheny hardwood

sawtimber though even-aged management, (2) to provide age class or size

class habitat diversity from seedlings through mature timber in a

variety of different types, (3) emphasize deer and turkey in all timber

types and (4) provide a roaded natural setting for all types of

developed and dispersed recreation opportunities with an emphasis on

motorized recreation activities.

A range of alternatives will be considered. One of these will be no

planned activity for the proposed project area. Other alternatives to

the proposed action will consider regeneration areas larger than the

40-acre maximum called for in the National Forest Management Act due to

the health of some of the stands. Landscape corridor designations will

be determined for the project area.

Leon F. Blashock, District Ranger, Ridgway Ranger District,

Allegheny National Forest is the responsible official.

The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency and to be available for public review by June 1994.

At that time the Environmental Protection Agency will publish a notice

of availability of the document in the Federal Register. The comment

period on the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the date of the notice of

availability in the Federal Register.

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 environmental impact statements 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. versus 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 environmental impact statement may

be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon versus Hodel, 803

F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. versus

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.

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.

After the comment period ends on the draft environmental impact

statement, the comments 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 by

September 1994. The decision will be subject to appeal under 36 CFR

part 215.

Dated: February 14, 1994.

Leon F. Blashock,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 94-4600 Filed 2-28-94; 8:45 am]

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