Beaver-Woods Vegetation Management Project; Bitterroot National Forest, Ravalli County, MT

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Beaver-Woods Vegetation Management Project; Bitterroot National

Forest, Ravalli County, MT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of prescribed

fire, timber harvest, reforestation, and road construction in the

southern tributary drainages of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River.

A proposal to determine the effects on and response of three sensitive

plant species to prescribed fire is also proposed and will be analyzed.

The area is located approximately 50 miles southwest of Hamilton,

Montana, Bitterroot National Forest, West Fork Ranger District, Ravalli

County, Montana.

The proposal's actions to use prescribed fire, harvest timber,

construct roads, perform reforestation, and monitor the effects of fire

on listed sensitive plant species are being considered together because

they represent either connected or cumulative actions as defined by the

Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1508.25). The purposes of the

project are (1) to maintain or restore ecosystem diversity, function,

and health, (2) to provide raw materials for timber products for the

citizens of the United States, and (3) to monitor the effects of fire

on plants that are currently listed as ``sensitive'' by the Regional

Forester. This project-level EIS will tier to the Bitterroot National

Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) and Final EIS

(September, 1987), which provides overall guidance of all land

management activities on the Bitterroot National Forest.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received May 20,

1994.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposed

management activities or a request to be placed on the project mailing

list to Nora Rasure, District Ranger, West Fork Ranger District,

Bitterroot National Forest, Darby, Montana, 59829.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stuart Lovejoy, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Sula Ranger District,

Bitterroot National Forest, Phone (406) 821-3201.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Prescribed burning and timber harvest are

proposed on approximately 3600 acres and 1600 acres, respectively.

Timber harvest is proposed on lands which have been designated as

suitable for timber management by the Bitterroot Forest Plan, with some

isolated exceptions designed to maintain ponderosa pine on some sites.

This aspect of the proposed action would require a site specific

amendment to the Forest Plan to change the standard for harvest on

unsuitable lands. The timber harvest operations and general

administration of National Forest lands would require construction of

approximately three miles of new road and less than one mile of

temporary road. The study to determine effects caused by fire on three

species of sensitive plants will delineate plant populations to be

exposed to prescribed fire and delineate plant populations of the same

species which would be protected from fire and which would act as

controls.

An analysis of the Beaver Woods area shows a marked change in how

the forest vegetation currently looks and functions compared to the

past. Natural patterns and stand structures have changed, largely due

to effective fire suppression. Forested areas once diverse in age

classes and species are trending toward larger, denser, and more

uniform blocks of climax species. The primary purpose of prescribed

fire and timber harvest in the Beaver Woods area is to respond to the

need to maintain or restore ecosystem diversity, function, and health.

Another purpose of timber harvest is to provide raw materials to the

timber industry and help satisfy the American public's need for timber

products. The purpose of road construction is to facilitate access to

some of the timber stands to be harvested. The purpose of treating some

sensitive plant populations with prescribed fire is to learn more about

these species. They are believed to have developed adaptations to

periodic fire.

The project area encompasses approximately 37,000 acres of National

Forest land located in T3S, R23W, Sec. 15, 20-29, and 33-36; T3S, R22W,

Sec. 3, 9-11, 14-17, and 19-36, T4S, R23W, Sec. 1-3, 11 and 12, and

T4S, R22W, Sec. 1-12, 14-22, 28, and 29, P.M. MT. Proposed activities

are scattered throughout the project area.

The decision to be made in what, if anything, should be done in the

Beaver Woods area to:

(a) Maintain and restore a level of vegetation diversity in the

project area that more closely approximates the historic condition,

(b) Amend the Forest Plan on a site specific basis to allow

improvement cutting on the unsuitable lands, thereby reducing tree

density and providing for the establishment of ponderosa pine,

(c) Develop and manage the road system to facilitate removal of

timber and manage Forest lands, and (d) learn more about how some

plants respond to fire.

The Bitterroot Forest Plan provides guidance for management

activities within the potentially affected area through its goals,

objectives, standards and guidelines, and management area direction.

The area of proposed timber harvest would occur within Management Areas

1, 2, and 3A. Timber harvest would occur primarily on suitable timber

land, with some isolated exceptions which are proposed in order to help

provide for the establishment of ponderosa pine. Prescribed burning is

proposed on lands within Forest Plan Management Areas 1, 2, 3a, 3b and

5. Road construction would occur in Management Area 1. A brief

description of the applicable management direction follows:

Management Area 1--These are areas where timber management, livestock

and big game forage production, and roaded dispersed recreation

activities are emphasized.

Management Area 2--These are areas where elk winter range habitat is

emphasized, timber management is allowed, and roaded dispersed

recreation opportunities are provided.

Management Area 3a--These are areas where visual quality is emphasized,

timber management is allowed, and roaded dispersed recreation

opportunities are provided.

Management Area 3b--These are areas where riparian habitats, water

quality, and water-related recreation are emphasized.

Management Area 5--These are areas where semi-primitive recreation and

elk security are emphasized.

The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of

these will be the ``no action'' alternative, in which none of the

proposed activities would be implemented. Additional alternatives will

examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to

achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues

and other resource values.

The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative

environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and scheduled

activities on both private and National Forest lands will be

considered. The EIS will disclose the analysis of site-specific

mitigation measures and their effectiveness.

Public participation is an important part of the analysis,

commencing with the initial scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7), which will

occur during March and April, 1994. In addition, the public is

encouraged to visit with Forest Service officials at any time during

the analysis and prior to the decision. The Forest Service will be

seeking information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and

local agencies and other individuals or organizations who may be

interested in or affected by the proposed action. No additional public

meetings are scheduled at this time.

Comments from the public and other agencies will be used in

preparation of the Draft EIS. The scoping process will be used to:

1. Identify potential issues.

2. Identify major issues to be analyzed in depth.

3. Eliminate minor issues or those which have been covered by a

relevant previous environmental analysis, such at the Bitterroot Forest

Plan EIS.

4. Identify alternatives to the proposed action.

5. Identify potential environmental effects of the proposed action and

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

6. Determine potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.

Some public comments have already been received in conjunction with

an analysis and associated public involvement to determine existing and

desired conditions for the Beaver Woods area. The following preliminary

issues have been identified:

1. How would the proposed timber harvest change the undeveloped

character of ``defacto'' roadless lands adjacent to the Allen Mountain

Roadless Area (No. 01946)?

2. How would the proposed activities affect Forest Service Region 1

listed sensitive species known to inhabit the area, such as bull trout?

3. How would the proposed activities affect the movement through the

area and potential for habitation by species that no longer inhabit the

area, such as grizzly bears?

4. Can the vegetation diversity and ecological purposes of the project

be met without any further timber harvesting or road building?

5. To what degree would the proposed activities contribute to the

spread of noxious weeds in the area?

Other issues commonly associated with prescribed fire, timber

harvesting, and road construction include: effects on cultural

resources, water quality, soils, old growth, and scenery values. This

list may be verified, expanded, or modified based on public scoping for

this proposal.

The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in August of

1994. At that time, the 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's notice of availability

appears in the Federal Register. It is very important that those

interested in management of the Beaver Woods area participate at that

time. To be most helpful, comments on the Draft EIS should be as site-

specific as possible. The Final EIS is scheduled to be completed in

February, 1995.

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 Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages 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 scoping 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 developing issues and alternatives.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

on the proposed action, comments should be as specific as possible.

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.

I am the responsible official for this environmental impact

statement. My address is Bitterroot National Forest, 1801 N. 1st.,

Hamilton, MT 59840.

Dated: March 21, 1994.

Stephen K. Kelly,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94-8037 Filed 4-4-94; 8:45 am]

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