Pilot Creek Environmental Impact Statement, Six Rivers National Forest, Humboldt County, CA; Revised Notice of Intent

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Pilot Creek Environmental Impact Statement, Six Rivers National

Forest, Humboldt County, CA; Revised Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to

prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in the Federal Register

(56 FR 3068) on January 15, 1991 for the proposed timber management

project in the Pilot and Torrey Compartments of the Mad River Ranger

District. The draft EIS was delayed due to a change in project

objectives. A revised NOI was published in the Federal Register (57 FR

30715) on June 19, 1992. The objectives of the project were modified to

implement a strategy that would accelerate the development of late

seral habitat characteristics and result in timber production. The

draft EIS was expected to be available for public review in June 1993.

The draft EIS was delayed due to anticipated changes resulting from

President Clinton's Forest Conference held in April of 1993.

As a result of the Forest Conference, The Record of Decision for

Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning

Documents Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl (ROD) was signed

on April 13, 1994. Subsequently, as required by the ROD, a Watershed

Analysis for the Pilot Creek watershed was developed. Survey protocol

requirements were also completed for marbled murrelet within the Pilot

Creek project area.

The objectives of the Pilot Creek project have been modified to

bring the project in line with ecosystem management concepts and to be

consistent with direction contained within the ROD and the Six Rivers

National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP), scheduled for

implementation April 1995.

The revised project objectives are to:

1. Maintain existing late seral conifer stands.

2. Accelerate the development of late seral characteristics within

conifer stands.

3. Restore currently degraded conditions which pose risks to

riparian and aquatic ecosystems.

4. Maintain or enhance oak woodland habitat.

5. Reduce the risk of catastrophic loss due to wildfire.

6. Contribute to the short-term demand for timber and the socio-

economic well-being of local communities.

Substantial scoping has been conducted on this project and includes

public meetings, written correspondence, field trips and one-on-one

discussions. The driving issues that were used to develop project

alternatives focused on water quality and the released roadless area.

Five alternatives were developed that will be redesigned to incorporate

the expanded objectives and brought into consistency with the ROD and

LRMP.

The project area has been expanded to encompass the entire Pilot

Creek watershed and now covers 25,442 acres. The project area is within

the Hayfork Adaptive Management Area which, as described in the ROD, is

designed for the development, testing, and application of forest

management practices.

The draft EIS is now expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in June 1995.

At that time the EPA will publish a notice of availability of the draft

EIS in the Federal Register. The final EIS is now scheduled to be

completed in November 1995.

The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will

be 45 days from the date the EPA's Notice of Availability appears 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

a Draft EIS 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 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 these court rulings, it is very

[[Page 13111]] 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 statement. Comments may also

address the adequacy 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marcia Andre, District Ranger, Mad

River Ranger District, Star Route Box 300, Bridgeville, California

95526 or telephone Janice Stevenson, Project Planner (707) 574-6233.

Dated: February 22, 1995.

Harold J. Slate,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 95-5840 Filed 3-9-95; 8:45 am]

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