Winter Recreation Plan for the Lakes Basin/Sierra Buttes Area, Tahoe National Forest, Sierra County, CA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Winter Recreation Plan for the Lakes Basin/Sierra Buttes Area,

Tahoe National Forest, Sierra County, CA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will

prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a Winter Recreation

Plan for the Lakes Basin/Sierra Buttes Area on the Downieville District

of the Tahoe National Forest. Winter use in the area has been monitored

as required by the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, to

determine management needs. The EIS will analyze several proposed snow

groomer shed construction sites, possible opportunities for resorts and

organizational camps to broaden services to include winter sports

activities, and further develop both snowmobile trails and nordic ski

trails where snowmobiles may be restricted.

The Tahoe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP),

completed March, 1990, proposes to prepare a winter recreation

management plan ``to assure orderly development and management of cross

country skiing and snowmobiling use within the area.''

The agency invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the

analysis. In addition, the agency gives notice of the full

environmental analysis and decision-making process that will occur on

the plan so that interested and affected people are aware of how they

may participate and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the analysis should be received in writing

by March 20, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the project should be directed

to Jean M. Masquelier, District Ranger, Downieville Ranger District,

North Yuba Ranger Station, 15924 Hwy 49, Camptonville, CA 95922.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furney, Dispersed Recreation

Assistant, Downieville Ranger District, North Yuba Ranger Station,

Camptonville, CA 95922, telephone 916 288-3231 or 916 478-6253.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In preparing the environmental impact

statement, the Forest Service will identify and analyze a range of

opportunities in the plan.

Public participation will be important at several points during the

analysis, especially the review of the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement. The first point is during the scoping process. 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. This input will be used in preparation of the draft

environmental impact statement (DEIS). The scoping process includes:

1. Identifying potential issues.

2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.

3. Eliminating insignificant issues or those both which have been

covered by a relevant previous environmental analysis.

4. Exploring additional alternatives.

5. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed action

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

connected actions).

6. Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.

Organizations, and individuals who may be interested in, or

affected by the decision, will be solicited to identify significant

issues. Public participation has been previously solicited through

mailing letters to private land owners, politicians, county

supervisors, continued participation will be emphasized through public

meetings and mailings.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

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

30, 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, 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 [[Page 6696]] 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 EIS 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 the 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 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 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 responsible official, who is the Downieville District Ranger,

Tahoe National Forest, will document the decision and reasons for the

decision in the Record of Decision.

William L. Haire,

Public Service Officer.

[FR Doc. 95-2691 Filed 2-2-95; 8:45am]

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