Interim Strategy for Managing Anadromous Fish-Producing Watersheds on Federal Lands in Eastern Oregon and Washington, Idaho, and Portions of California

[[Page 11655]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

[4310-84]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Interim Strategy for Managing Anadromous Fish-Producing

Watersheds on Federal Lands in Eastern Oregon and Washington, Idaho,

and Portions of California

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA; Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of decision and availability of environmental assessment

and finding of no significant impact.

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SUMMARY: On February 24, 1995, the Chief of the Forest Service and the

Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management signed a decision

adopting an interim strategy for managing anadromous fish-producing

watersheds on lands administered by the Forest Service and Bureau of

Land Management in Eastern Oregon and Washington, Idaho, and portions

of California. The decision amends Regional Guides and Forest land and

resource management plans that guide the management of National Forest

System lands and where compatible, provides management direction

consistent with Bureau of Land Management land use plans and, thereby,

establishes interim goals, objectives, and standards and guidelines for

these anadromous fish-producing watersheds. The intended effect of this

decision is to provide additional protective management to the

watersheds in the affected areas so as to avoid limiting the choice of

reasonable alternatives that may be developed in the geographically

specific environmental analyses of long-term management strategies are

being conducted.

EFFECTIVE DATE: For the Forest Service, this decision is effective on

March 9, 1995. For the Bureau of Land Management, this decision is

effective on April 3, 1995.

ADDRESSES: The decision documents, Finding of No Significant Impact,

and Environmental Assessment may be reviewed at the Office of the

Wildlife, Fish, and Rare Plants Staff, Forest Service, USDA, Auditors

Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC. Single

copies of these documents are available by request from this office as

well as from Forest Service regional offices and national forests or

Bureau of Land Management state offices in the affected areas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Harv Forsgren (Forest Service) at (202) 205-1791, or Richard Hardt

(BLM) at (202) 452-5074. To request a copy of the decision document,

Finding of No Significant Impact, and Environmental Assessment by

phone, call (202) 205-1791.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service and Bureau of Land

Management have developed an ecosystem-based interim management

strategy for Pacific anadromous fish (i.e., salmon, steelhead, and sea-

run cutthroat trout) in response to large declines in anadromous fish

populations and widespread degradation of habitat conditions. For the

Forest Service the decision amends the Regional Guides for the Forest

Service's Northern, Intermountain, Pacific Southwest, and Pacific

Northwest Regions and 15 National Forest land and resource management

plans (forest plans) to incorporate explicit goals and riparian

objectives, and identify those areas where the new interim standards

and guidelines will apply. For the Bureau of Land Management, the

decision incorporates management direction consistent with seven Bureau

of Land Management land use plans to arrest the degradation and begin

restoration of anadromous fish-producing watersheds.

Alternative 4 was selected as the interim management direction from

five alternatives analyzed in the March 1994 environmental assessment.

Notice of the availability of the environmental assessment was

published in the Federal Register on March 25, 1994 [58 FR 14356].

Comments received from the general public as well as other Federal

agencies and state and local government were considered in arriving at

a final decision to adopt Alternative 4, which applies additional

protective measures to all new activities and ongoing activities that

are likely to adversely affect listed salmon or contribute to the need

to list additional anadromous fish species under provisions of the

Endangered Species Act. The direction is to be in place for an 18-month

period while geographically-specific environmental analyses of long

term management strategies are being conducted.

Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management biologists have

prepared a biological evaluation and assessment, analyzing the

potential effects of the alternatives on species listed under the

Endangered Species Act and those species identified as sensitive by the

agencies. The biologists determined the selected alternative ``may

effect'' listed species and designated critical habitat within the

anadromous fish-producing watersheds covered by the decision. Pursuant

to that finding, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management

have consulted with the Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife

Service, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries

Service. The Fish and Wildlife Service, through a letter of

concurrence, has indicated that the proposed decision would have a

neutral or beneficial effect on listed species under their

jurisdiction. The National Marine Fisheries Service, through a

biological opinion, has determined that the proposed decision is not

likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species under

their jurisdiction or result in destruction or adverse modification of

critical habitat.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(2) of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality Guidelines (40 CFR

1508.27), the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management hereby give

notice that the actions allowed under Alternative 4 (as adopted) are

not a major Federal action and will not significantly affect, either

individually or cumulatively, the quality of the human environment.

Therefore, an environmental impact statement is not being

prepared. [[Page 11656]]

For the Forest Service, this decision may be appealed in accordance

with the provisions of 36 CFR 217.7(a) by filing a written notice of

appeal with the Secretary of Agriculture, in duplicate, within 45 days

of the date of publication of this notice of availability. Review by

the Secretary is discretionary. For the Bureau of Land Management, this

decision may be appealed to the Department of the Interior, Board of

Land Appeals, in accordance with the provisions of 43 CFR 4.20 to 4.31

and 43 CFR 4.400 to 4.415, by filing a written notice of appeal. The

notice must be filed with the Director of the Bureau of Land Management

within 30 days of the date of publication of this legal notice of

availability.

Dated: February 24, 1995.

For the Forest Service:

Jack Ward Thomas,

Chief, USDA Forest Service.

Dated: February 24, 1995.

For the Bureau of Land Management:

Mike Dombeck,

Acting Director, USDI Bureau of Land Management.

[FR Doc. 95-5149 Filed 3-1-95; 8:45 am]

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