Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Central Prince of Wales Project, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Area, AK

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Central Prince of

Wales Project, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Area, AK

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact

statement.

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SUMMARY: The Tongass National Forest--Ketchikan Area proposes to review

and analyze information on ``falldown'' and to calculate its effect, if

any, on ``sustainable'' timber harvest in the Central Prince of Wales

project area covered in the previous environmental impact statement and

record of decision issued August 6, 1993. The proposed action is to

provide approximately 290 million board feet of timber in support of

the Ketchikan Pulp Company Long-Term Timber Sale Contract, Contract

Number A10fs-1042.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Forest Supervisor, Tongass NF--

Ketchikan Area, Federal Building, Ketchikan, AK 99901.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions concerning the proposed analysis and supplemental

environmental impact statement should be directed to Pete Griffin,

Tongass NF--Ketchikan Area, Federal Building, Ketchikan, AK 99901,

phone: (907) 225-3101.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the project is to provide

approximately 290 million board feet of timber in support of the

Ketchikan Pulp Company Long-Term Timber Sale Contract, Contract Number

A10fs-1042. The purpose of the supplement is to evaluate information

available to the Forest Service with regard to falldown. The effects of

falldown as related to sustainable harvest levels will also be

analyzed. Factors related to falldown include economic, biological, and

physical.

Alternatives to be analyzed will include those alternatives as

described in the CPOW FEIS including the no action alternative.

The following issues have been identified:

1. Falldown.

2. Sustainability.

Scoping was completed for the CPOW project in 1992. Council on

Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4)) do not require

scoping for a supplement. Additional public scoping meetings are not

planned. Public comment during the analysis is welcome and the public

will have an opportunity to comment on the draft supplement when

issued.

The draft supplemental environmental impact statement is expected

to be issued in May 1995. The comment period on the draft supplemental

environmental impact statement will be 45 days from the date the

Environmental Protection Agency 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

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, 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

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 supplemental environmental

impact statement.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft

environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is

also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the

draft statement. [[Page 17313]] Comments may also address the adequacy

of the draft environmental impact statement 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.

Issuance of the final supplemental environmental impact statement

is projected in September 1995. The responsible official for the

decision is the Forest Supervisor, Tongass NF--Ketchikan Area, Federal

Building, Ketchikan, AK 99901.

Dated: March 28, 1995.

David D. Rittenhouse,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 95-8323 Filed 4-4-95; 8:45 am]

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