Little RiverDemonstration of Ecosystem Management Options (DEMO)Timber Sale, Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County, OR

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Little River--Demonstration of Ecosystem Management Options

(DEMO)--Timber Sale, Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County, OR

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) for a proposal to harvest timber in the Little River

DEMO Planning Area. This proposal will implement the Demonstration of

Ecosystem Management Options Study Plan. The EIS will document the

environmental analyses and effects of a range of alternatives,

including a no-action alternative. This proposal is in accordance with

direction set forth in the 1990 Umpqua National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan, as amended, which provides for timber

management within applicable standards, guidelines, and management

prescriptions and the 1988 Final Environmental Impact Statement for

Managing Competing and Unwanted Vegetation. The agency invites written

comments on the scope of this project. In addition, the agency gives

notice of this analysis so that interested and affected parties are

aware of how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and analysis of this proposal must

be received by June 1, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope

of the analysis to Ned Davis, District Ranger, North Umpqua Ranger

District, 18782 North Umpqua Highway, Glide, Oregon 97443.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions and comments about this EIS should be directed to Barbara

Fontaine, Resource Planning Assistant, North Umpqua Ranger District,

18782 North Umpqua Highway, Glide, Oregon 97443.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed timber sale will partial

harvest an estimated 160 acres producing 5.0 million board feet of

timber and will construct several helicopter landing sites. Logging

systems will be helicopter based. Silvicultural prescriptions will

follow those prescribed in the DEMO Study Plan and will consist of

several levels of green tree retention (15 percent, 40 percent, and 75

percent), with green trees left in aggregates or dispersed across the

landscape.

The Little River DEMO Planning Area encompasses portions of the

Emile Creek and the Upper Little River area located in the Little River

Watershed, approximately 30 air-miles East of Roseburg, Oregon. The

Emile area encompasses 8,718 acres north of Little River Road and the

main-stem Little River. The Upper Little River area encompasses 10,408

acres and includes the main-stem and headwaters of Little River.

To date, the preliminary issues identified relate to the effects on

the following: old-growth structure in terms

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of its value to society; interior forest habitat; late-seral species;

Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive species, and survey and manage

species; water quality; aquatic habitat; current and future

recreational opportunities; archaeological sites from landing

construction and road reconstruction; and introduction and dispersal of

noxious weeds and aggressive non-native species.

The 1990 Umpqua National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan,

as amended, allocates the Little River Watershed into an Adaptive

Management Area (AMA). The Forest Plan's overall objective for AMA's is

to learn how to manage on an ecosystem basis in terms of both technical

and social challenges, and in a manner consistent with applicable laws.

For Little River specifically, the emphasis is placed on ``development

and testing of approaches to integration of intensive timber production

with restoration and maintenance of high quality riparian habitat ''.

Public participation has consisted of open houses, field trips, and

scoping conducted during the environmental assessment process. Numerous

comments have been received and have been incorporated and reflect in

the issues described above. Additional public comments will be received

until June 1, 1996. The information collected will be used in

preparation of the draft EIS. The scoping process includes the

following:

1. Identification of issues.

2. Identification of key issues.

3. Elimination of insignificant issues, issues which have been

covered by a relevant previous environmental process, and issues that

could be successfully mitigated.

4. Exploration of additional alternatives based on the key issues

identified during the scoping process.

5. Identification of potential environmental effects of the

proposed action and alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative

effects and connected actions).

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

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

November, 1996. At that time, copies of the draft EIS will be

distributed to interested and affected agencies, organizations, and

members of the public for their review and comment. EPA will publish a

Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal Register.

The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date

the EPA notice appears in the Federal Register. It is very important

that those interested in the management of the Umpqua National Forest

participate at that time.

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

the draft EIS's must structure their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency

to the reviewers 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 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 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. Comments may also address

the adequacy of the draft EIS or the merits of the alternatives

formulated and discussed in the statement.

The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by February, 1997. In

the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments

and responses received during the comment period that pertain to the

environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS, as well as

applicable laws, regulations, and policies considered in making the

decision regarding this proposal. The lead agency is the Forest

Service. Don Ostby, Forest Supervisor, Umpqua National Forest, is the

responsible official. As the responsible official, he will document the

decision and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That

decision will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR

Part 217).

Dated: April 25, 1996.

Don Ostby,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 96-11029 Filed 5-2-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M