Tusayan Land Exchange, Kaibab National Forest, Coconino County, AZ

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Tusayan Land Exchange, Kaibab National Forest, Coconino County,

AZ

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) on a proposed land exchange in the Kaibab National

Forest. The EIS will examine the environmental impacts of implementing

the proposed action and alternatives, including no-action.

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

in writing by May 30, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Tusayan Exchange, Kaibab National

Forest, 800 South Sixth Street, Williams, Arizona 86046.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: Forrest Carpenter, Deputy Regional Forester for

Resources, Southwestern Region, 517 Gold Avenue SW, Albuquerque, New

Mexico 87102, is the Responsible Official.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions about the EIS should be directed to Dennis Lund, Forest Lands

Staff Officer, (602) 635-2681.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The nature and scope of the decision to be

made is to determine whether or not to exchange certain selected

Federal lands in the Tusayan Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest,

for certain offered private parcels within the Tusayan Ranger District,

Kaibab National Forest.

Some of the selected Federal lands considered for exchange are not

designated in the Kaibab Forest Plan as base-for-exchange (lands

available for private ownership through exchange). The proposed action

would require the designation of additional base-for-exchange lands

which will require an amendment to the Kaibab Forest Plan.

The proposed action involves the following lands:

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Approximate location Acres

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Offered Private Lands within the Kaibab National Forest:

T28N, R3E, Section 15.................................... 150.00

T28N, R4E, Sections 5 and 8.............................. 120.00

T28N, R6E, Section 23.................................... 160.00

T29N, R6E, Sections 5, 6 and 8........................... 279.15

T30N, R3E, Sections 28, 29, 33 and 34.................... 173.54

T29N, R3E, Sections 3 and 4.............................. 21.12

T30N, R5E, Sections 29 and 30............................ 146.31

T30N, R2E, Sections 14 and 23............................ 160.00

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Total Offered Private Lands............................ 1,210.10

Selected Federal Lands within the Kaibab National Forest:

T29N, R2E, Sections 1 and 2.............................. 720.00

T30N, R2E, Sections 25, 35 and 36........................ 640.00

T29N, R3E, Section 32.................................... 40.00

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Total Selected Federal Lands........................... 1,400.00

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The Forest Service and the exchange proponent have jointly

described a parcel of Federal land comprising approximately 1,360 acres

(selected Federal lands in T29N, R2E and T30N, R2E) from which a final,

smaller sized parcel of land of approximately 640 acres will be

selected as exchange property. The precise acreage will be determined

by appraisal.

The EIS will consider a range of alternatives, including the

proposed action and no-action alternative. Other alternatives could

include various combinations of offered private lands and selected

Federal lands.

Public participation, or scoping (40 CFR 1501.7), will be important

throughout the analysis. The Forest Service, as lead agency, will be

seeking information, comments and assistance from Federal, State and

local agencies, as well as other individuals and organizations who may

be interested in or affected by the proposed land exchange. The Forest

Service will notify interested publics of opportunities to participate

through meetings, personal contacts and written comment. The scoping

process will include preparation of an informational mailing,

solicitation of written comments and public scoping meetings, according

to the following schedule:

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Date Time Location

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Saturday, March 19 10 am-2 pm............... Havasupai School, Supai,

Arizona.

Wednesday, March 2 pm-6 pm................ Cameron Chapter House,

23. Cameron, Arizona.

Thursday, March 24 10 am-Noon............... Hopi Civic Center, Second

Mesa, Arizona.

Tuesday, March 29. 4 pm-8 pm................ Hualapai School, Peach

Springs, Arizona.

Monday, March 28.. 2 pm-6 pm................ Tuba City Chapter House,

Tuba City, Arizona.

Tuesday, April 19. Noon-8 pm................ Little America, 2515 East

Butler, Flagstaff,

Arizona.

Wednesday, April Noon-8 pm................ Moqui Lodge, Highway 64/

20. 180, Tusayan, Arizona.

Tuesday, April 26. Noon-8 pm................ Holiday Inn Express, 831

W. Bill Williams

Avenue., Williams,

Arizona.

Wednesday, April Noon-8 pm................ Embassy Suites Hotel,

27. 1515 North 44th Street,

Phoenix, Arizona.

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Input received at the public scoping meeting and from the

informational mailing will be used in preparation of the draft and

final EIS to:

1. Identify potential environmental issues, including significant

issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS;

2. Identify alternatives to the proposed action that will address

the significant environmental issues;

3. Identify environmental effects of the proposed action and

alternatives that will require analysis in the EIS, and;

4. Determine potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.

Preliminary issues which have been identified include the

socioeconomic impacts of the proposed exchange on surrounding

communities, as well as at the county and State levels, the

availability of water for development of the selected Federal lands and

the impact of any proposed development on existing water users, impacts

on the management of and visitation to Grand Canyon National Park,

impacts to National Forest resources and management including fire,

recreation, cultural, wildlife and threatened and endangered species.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

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

1995. At that time, EPA will publish a notice of availability of the

draft EIS in the Federal Register. 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 final EIS is expected to be completed by October 1995. In the

final EIS, the Forest Service will respond to comments and responses

received during the comment period on the draft EIS. The Responsible

Official will decide which, if any, of the alternative will be

implemented. The Responsible Official will document the decision and

reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That decision will

be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations in 36 CFR part 215.

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. 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 environmental impact statement may

be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d

1016, 1022 (9th Cor. 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 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.

Dated: March 2, 1994.

William M. Lannan,

Forest Supervisor, Kaibab National Forest.

[FR Doc. 94-5236 Filed 3-7-94; 8:45 am]

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