Salmon River Corridor Management Project, Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Sawtooth National Forest, Custer County, Idaho

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Salmon River Corridor Management Project, Sawtooth National

Recreation Area, Sawtooth National Forest, Custer County, Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact

statement to disclose the effects of proposed management direction for

use and facilities on the upper main Salmon River corridor, located in

Custer County, Idaho.

The project area involves approximately thirty miles of the upper

main Salmon River. The project area starts south of the community of

Stanley, Idaho, at the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery and continues to the

eastern boundary of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA). The

north and south boundaries of the project area generally parallel the

river, approximately \1/4\ mile from the water's edge. A few exceptions

to this width occur in the canyon in areas of flatter topography, where

the project area widens to the toe of the slope.

DATES: The agency expects to file the DEIS with the Environmental

Protection Agency and make it available for public comment in October

1995. The agency expects to file the final EIS in December, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information contact Salli Rinella, project coordinator

at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Star Route, Ketchum, ID

83340, (208) 727-5000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Salmon River corridor, with its outstanding natural features is

eligible as a ``recreation river'' within the National Wild and Scenic

River System. Currently there is no capacity identified for recreation

use. Although this narrow corridor contains less than two percent of

the SNRA's total land base, it currently receives almost 15 percent of

the entire recreation use for the area. It is expected that demand for

recreation opportunity will continue to increase. There is a need to

identify and manage for a recreation capacity that is compatible with

the natural resources in the area.

There are currently eight developed campground facilities within

the project area, with capacity of 131 camping units. Some of the

developed facilities are outdated and in need of repair. Most of the

existing campground spurs and turn-around areas were not designed for

today's larger vehicles. Many sites and most of the existing toilets

within the project area are not designed to provide a barrier-free

opportunity as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some of

the developed sites lie within riparian areas. The use that is

occurring within the areas and some of the facilities themselves are

causing resource impacts.

Disperse camping is allowed anywhere on the SNRA except in

developed campgrounds or in areas signed ``No Camping Allowed''. Many

of the dispersed campsites are impacting riparian areas and streambank

stability. Vehicular movement for dispersed camping also is causing

loss of vegetation and possible soil compaction.

In the past, Idaho Fish and Game has fed wintering elk in emergency

situations within the corridor. Elk wander onto the highway creating

safety hazards to motorists. Additional safety problems occur as

visitors traveling along the highway slow down or stop along the

highway to view the wildlife. Large concentrations of elk have also

caused vegetation loss and soil compaction at the emergency feed sites.

Past Biological Opinions from consultation with National Marine

Fisheries Service (NMFS) indicates that river-oriented activities may

effect the threatened Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon.

Activities may also be limiting the habitats of threatened, endangered

or sensitive fish, wildlife and plant species.

On August 22, 1972 Congress passed Public Law 92-400 establishing

the SNRA. The intent of establishing the SNRA was to protect the areas

primary values of natural beauty, fish and wildlife resources, pastoral

and historical values, and recreation attributes.

There is a need to identify a river capacity level to ensure the

area's primary values are protected and a need to update existing

facilities to reduce impacts and accommodate today's user needs. There

is also a need to address elk feeding in the corridor to reduce impacts

and address safety.

Proposed Action

The Sawtooth National Forest proposes to develop FLRMP standards

and guidelines identifying limits of acceptable change that will

determine when carrying capacity for recreation activities on the upper

main Salmon River have been met, and to prohibit surfing on this

section of the river.

The Forest also proposes to issue six five-year special use

outfitter-guide floatboating permits, one five-year year-round special

use fishing permit, four five-year special use walk and wade fishing

permits, and to allow the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to continue

to feed wintering elk in emergency situations on National Forest System

lands at two locations within this project area. The Forest proposes to

rehabilitate existing facilities at Salmon River, Riverside, Upper

O'Brien, Holman Creek, and Mormon Bend Campgrounds; Snyder Spring

Picnic Area; Yankee Fork floatboat launch site; and Buckhorn Bridge

Picnic Site. Areas of impact at developed recreation sites will also be

revegetated or otherwise protected or improved. The Forest further

proposes: to remove thirteen camp sites and portions of the road at

Basin Creek Campground, four sites at Holman Creek Campground, and one

unit at Morman Creek Campground and to reclaim associated riparian and

floodplain areas; to expand Sunny Gulch Campground to accomdate those

developed sites lost at Basin Creek, Holman Creek Campgrounds; to

manage undeveloped camping and river access by a combination of vehicle

restrictions, permanent or temporary closures, and allowing undeveloped

camping at areas

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designated with signs and permanent fire grills; to provide improved

river access facilities at Basin Creek and Four Aces; to improve/

define/develop pullouts along Highway 75 to make them safer and provide

educational and interpretation information at some of them; and to

utilize seasonal closures at Lower Holman and Riverside Campgrounds,

Buckhorn Bridge Picnic Site, and other areas along the river to reduce

impacts to spawning salmon and/or their habitat.

Decision To Be Made

Based on the analysis in the EIS, two levels of decision must be

made by the Forest Supervisor. The Forest Supervisor must decide what

additional standards and guidelines, if any, must be incorporated into

the Sawtooth National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (FLRMP)

to ensure recreation uses within the Salmon River Corridor are managed

in such as fashion to allow for protection of the primary values of the

SNRA, as established by PL92-400. This ``programmatic'' level of

decision may result in an amendment to the FLRMP. The Forest Supervisor

also must make ``site specific'' decisions as the the level of use that

will be allowed to occur on the upper main Salmon River and what

modifications if any are needed to both developed and dispersed

recreation sites to ensure protection of the primary values of the

SNRA, as established by PL 92-400.

Issues Identified to Date

Past scoping and public participation for some of these projects

have helped identify preliminary issues for this project.

1. Recreation use may be causing impacts to sensitive, threatened,

and endangered fish, wildlife and plants, and their associated habitat.

2. Recreation use may be causing the loss of vegetation and soil

compaction.

3. Modifying current use and facilities may impact visitors

recreation experience.

4. Modifying current use and facilities may impact the economy of

local communities and businesses.

5. Use within the corridor may impact heritage resources.

6. Concentrations of elk during emergency winter feeding may be

impacting resources and causing safety problems on Highway 75.

7. Condition of current facilities may be impacting visitors

experiences.

Possible Alternatives

Alternative A--No Action. This alternative maintains the current

location and management of developed and dispersed recreation sites. No

special use permits would be issued for walk and wade, fishing, and

floatboating. No river carrying capacity would be developed. Surfing

would continue to occur and winter emergency elk feeding by Idaho

Department of Fish and Game would continue to be reviewed on an as

needed basis.

Alternative B--In this alternative, undeveloped camping and river

access would be managed by a combination of vehicle restrictions,

permanent or temporary closures, and allowing undeveloped camping at

areas designated with signs and permanent fire grills. Numbers of sites

available for undeveloped camping would generally remain the same.

Eighteen sites would be removed from developed campgrounds and would be

``replaced'' by 18 new sites at Sunny Gulch Campground. Camping and

day-use facilities in need of upgrading would be replaced. Number of

river floatboat access sites would be reduced, but facilities at

remaining river access sites would be improved. Seasonal closures would

be utilized at Lower O'Brien and Riverside Campgrounds. All of Lower

O'Brien and the lower portion of Riverside would be closed from August

1 to June 15. Pullouts occurring along Highway 75 that provide parking

space for day use (fishing, sightseeing, picnicking, etc.) would be

managed as much as practicable by utilizing barriers and/or designated

trails to the river. Signs would be utilized when necessary to educate

and/or notify visitors of any restrictions, such as seasonal access

closures to protect spawning salmon and redds, or other resource needs.

The portion of the upper Salmon River from the Fish Hatchery to the

SNRA boundary would be closed to surfing. The six special use outfitter

guide floatboating permits, the one special use year-round fishing

permit, and four special use walk and wade permits would be issued for

five years. Mitigation measures similar to what is currently being used

would be included to minimize impacts to spawning salmon and their

redds. A river floatboat carrying capacity would be determined. This

capacity would allow for use and the enjoyment of the river that is

compatible with the resources. Two areas would be approved for use by

Idaho Fish and Game for emergency winter elk feeding.

Alternative C--In this alternative, undeveloped camping and river

access would be managed by a combination of vehicle restrictions,

permanent or temporary closures, and allowing undeveloped camping at

areas designated with signs and permanent fire grills. Numbers of sites

available for undeveloped camping would be reduced. Eighteen sites

would be removed from developed campgrounds and would not be

``replaced''. Camping and day-use facilities in need of upgrading would

be replaced. Number of river floatboat access sites would be reduced,

but facilities at remaining river access sites would be improved.

Seasonal closures would be utilized at Lower O'Brien and Riverside

Campgrounds. All of Lower O'Brien and the lower portion of Riverside

would be closed from August 1 to June 15. Pullouts occurring along

Highway 75 that provide parking space for day use (fishing,

sightseeing, picnicking, etc.) would be managed as much as practicable

by utilizing barriers and/or designated trails to the river. Signs

would be utilized when necessary to educate and/or notify visitors of

any restrictions, such as seasonal access closures to protect spawning

salmon and redds, or other resource needs. The portion of the upper

Salmon River from the Fish Hatchery to the SNRA boundary would be

closed to surfing. The six special use outfitter guide floatboating

permits, the one special use year-round fishing permit, and four

special use walk and wade permits would be issued for five years.

Mitigation measures more restrictive than what are currently required

would be included to minimize impacts to spawning salmon and their

redds. A river floatboat carrying capacity would be determined. This

capacity would generally be less than in Alternative B, but would allow

for use and enjoyment of the river that is compatible with the

resources. Two areas would be approved for use by Idaho Fish and Game

for emergency winter elk feeding.

Scoping Process

This Notice of Intent formally initiates the scoping process for

the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). The Forest Service

invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis to be

included in the DEIS. In addition, the Forest Service gives notice that

it is beginning a full environmental analysis and decision-making

process for this proposal so that interested or affected people may

know how they can participate in the environmental analysis and

contribute to the final decision. Public comments on the proposal are

welcome and should be submitted in writing to Paul Ries, Area Ranger,

Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Star Route, Ketchum, ID 83340.

Comments will be most useful to the analysis team if they are received

by August 31, 1995. The Forest Service

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intends to hold public meetings on the proposal but the meetings have

not been scheduled at this time.

There are no known permits or licenses required to implement the

proposed actions. Several agencies and organizations will be invited to

participate as cooperating agencies.

As previously stated, the Forest Service expects to publish the

DEIS by mid-October 1995. The comment period on the DEIS will be 45

days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 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, reviewers of

DEIS must structure their participation in the environmental review of

the proposal so that it is meaningful and alters 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 DEIS 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 Wisconsion 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 DEIS 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 DEIS 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.)

Please note that comments you make on the DEIS will be regarded as

public information.

Thomas L. Tidwell, Acting Forest Supervisor, Sawtooth National

Forest, is the responsible official.

Dated: July 24, 1995.

Thomas L. Tidwell,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 95-18553 Filed 7-27-95; 8:45 am]

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