Eldorado National Forest, CA; Notice of Intent

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Eldorado National Forest, CA; Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision of notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement.

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SUMMARY: On November 7, 1989, the Forest Service filed a notice of

intent in the Federal Register to prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to analyze management of off-highway vehicle use in the

Rock Creek area, Eldorado National Forest, Georgetown Ranger District,

El Dorado County, California. This notice is being filed to update that

notice of intent and to notify interested parties that the Draft EIS

will soon be available for comment.

ADDRESSES: Raymond LaBoa, District Ranger, Georgetown Ranger District,

Eldorado National Forest, ATTN: Rock Creek EIS, 7600 Wentworth Springs

Road, Georgetown, California 92634.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct questions about the EIS to

Linda Earley, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Georgetown Ranger

District, 7600 Wentworth Springs Road, Georgetown, California 95634;

phone (916) 333-4312.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Work on the EIS began in 1989 with a study

of impacts to the Pacific Deer Herd. Since that time the deer study has

been completed, issues identified, alternative management plans

developed, and extensive data collection and analysis conducted. The

Draft Rock Creek Recreational Trails EIS is now nearly complete and is

expected to be released late in March 1996.

The Draft EIS analyzes alternative management plans for all types

of recreation uses on the trails: hiking, equestrians, mountain bikes,

and OHVs. The need to look at all uses of the trails arose from

concerns that other types of recreation use may have some of the same

impacts as OHVs; as well as concerns about compatibility of uses.

Another concern identified in the analysis is open road densities

which exceed limits established in the Eldorado National Forest Land

and Resource management Plan (LRMP). Because the EIS analyzes road and

trail densities, and because the EIS proposes designation of both open

and closed roads for OHV use, it was decided that proposals for road

closures to meet the LRMP management direction would be also analyzed

in this EIS.

The following issues identified during scoping for this EIS were

used to develop and compare alternative management plans.

1. Erosion: The bare soils on road and trail surfaces create a

potential for erosion. The amount of erosion may be affected by total

miles of roads and trails, soil type, trail location, design,

maintenance, grade, vegetative cover, and use in excessively wet or dry

conditions.

2. Water Quality: Erosion of soils can impact water quality by

adding sedimentation to streams. Sedimentation may be affected by trail

location and design, stream crossings, and proximity of trails to

stream. Another potential impact to water quality from use of trails is

the risk of oil or fuel spills at stream crossings.

3. Wildlife Species: Use of the trails has the potential to impact

wildlife species primarily through disturbance by human presence or

noise. Road and trail densities influence the potential disturbance by

providing increased or decreased access into the area.

4. Air Quality: Air quality may be affected by emissions from

motorized vehicles as well as dust from use of roads and trails.

5. Noise: The sound of OHVs is unacceptable to many people, and

therefore may have a negative impact on adjacent landowners and the

experience of other Forest users. The sound of OHV's may also

contribute to disturbance of wildlife.

6. Opportunity and Quality of the Recreation Experience: The

quality of the recreation experience may be affected by: the condition,

variety, and level of challenge of the trails; the availability of

staging areas and the level of development there; other uses allowed on

the trails; and the aesthetics of the trail experience. Opportunity for

recreation is determined by the trail mileage available and uses

allowed on each; the number and size of recreation

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evens allowed; and the frequency and duration of trail closures.

7. Health and Safety: Safety may be affected by a variety of

factors. Width of trails may affect speeds traveled, and therefore risk

of accidents. Intersections of roads and trails may pose increased

risks of accidents. Combination of equestrian and mountain bike use of

trails may pose a risk since bikes come up quietly and may startle

horses. Two-way traffic poses a risk for OHVs since they cannot hear

each other coming, which could result in a head-on collison.

Chipsealing of road surfaces poses a risk to equestrians due to the

slippery contact between the chipseal and the horseshoes. Trail

structures such as gabions and cinderblocks may also pose a risk to

horses. Health may be affected by availability of drinking water and

sanitation facilities for recreationists; or by impacts to air quality

and water quality.

8. Risk of Fire: Risk of fire is increased by human activity such

as campfires and smoking that may be associated with use of trails.

Internal combustion engines, such as OHVs also increase the risk,

particularly if proper spark arresters are not in place.

9. Funding: Levels of funding available affects the ability to

maintain trails properly, the number of trails that can be maintained,

ability to construct trails, ability to effectively rehabilitate closed

trails, the amount of monitoring that can be conducted, and the level

of law enforcement that can be maintained. These in turn, affect the

ability to implement the management plan and, therefore, to protect the

environment and the quality of the recreation experience.

The following alternatives are analyzed in the Draft EIS:

Alternative 1--No Action:

This alternative would continue the current management of the Rock

Creek Trails. Most trails in the area are multiple use, open to all

four use types: hiking, equestrians, mountain bikes, and OHVs. There

are approximately 140 miles of multiple use routes (roads and trails)

and 5 miles of routes restricted to non-motorized uses. The current

management plan includes clousure of the Critical Deer Winter Range to

OHVs and mountain bikes from November 1 to may 1 each year. Trails are

also closed to OHVs during wet weather conditions.

Alternative 2--No OHV Use: OHV use would be eliminated in this

alternative. There would be approximately 46 miles of non-motorized

routes available. Approximately 31 miles of roads would be closed.

Trails would be closed to equestrians and mountain bikes during wet

weather conditions, and staging areas in the Critical Deer Winter Range

would be closed from February 1 to May 1. Up to two large recreation

events, with up to 300 participants, would be allowed each year for

each non-motorized use type.

Alternative 3--Increased Multiple Use Recreation: This alternative

reduces trail closures and allows the maximum trail density.

Approximately 141 miles of multiple use routes would be available, and

15 miles of non-motorized routes. Approximately 28 miles of roads would

be closed. There would be no closure of the Critical Deer Winter Range.

Wet weather closures would apply to OHVs, equestrians, and mountain

bikes, but an all-season route would be provided that could be used

during those closures. Up to two large recreation events per year, with

up to 500 participants each, would be allowed for each use type.

Alternative 4--Separated Multiple Use Recreation: This alternative

addresses concerns about shared use of trails by different types of

uses. The system would include approximately 84 miles of multiple use

routes, 17 miles of non-motorized routes, 5 miles of hiking only

routes, and 11 miles of hiking and equestrian routes. Approximately 26

miles of roads would be closed. Staging areas in the Critical Deer

Winter Range would be closed from February 1 to May 1. Trails would be

closed to OHVs, equestrians, and mountain bikes during wet weather

conditions. One large recreation event would be allowed per year for

each use type, with up to 300 participants in each.

Alternative 5--Reduced Multiple Use Recreation: This alternative

includes approximately 69 miles of multiple use routes and 29 miles of

non-motorized routes. Approximately 32 miles of roads would be closed.

Routes in the Critical Dear Winter Range would be closed to all uses

from November 10 to May 1 of each year. Roads and trails would be

closed to OHVs, equestrians, and mountain bikes during the Forest

seasonal road closures (generally November through March). Trails would

be closed to OHVs during Forest fire restrictions (generally August and

September). Large recreation events with over 75 people involved would

be prohibited.

Alternative 6--``Carrying Capacity'' Alternative: This alternative

was developed based on a review of effects of other alternatives. The

goal of the alternative is to maximize recreation opportunity while

providing protection of the natural resources. The system would include

approximately 108 miles of multiple use routes, and 13 miles of non-

motorized routes. Approximately 32 miles of roads would be closed.

Routes in the Critical Dear Winter Range would be closed to all uses

from December 1 to May 1 each year, with the exception of an all-season

route which traverses the area. Routes would be closed to OHVs,

equestrians, and mountain bikes during wet weather conditions with the

exception of the all season routes. Up to two recreation events, with

up to 300 participants, would be allowed each year for each type of

use.

Raymond LaBoa, District Ranger, Georgetown Ranger District,

Eldorado National Forest, is the responsible official.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

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

March 1996. At that time the 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

EPA's notice of availability appears in the Federal Register. It is

very important that reviewers participate at that time. To be the most

helpful, comments on the draft EIS should be as specific as possible

and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merits of the

alternatives discussed (see The Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National

Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3). In addition, Federal court

decisions have established that reviewers of draft EIS's must structure

their participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that

it is meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewers' position and

contentions, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,

553 (1978), and that environmental objections that could have been

raised at the draft stage may be waived if not raised until after

completion of the final EIS. Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490

F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this is to ensure

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.

After the comment period ends on the draft EIS, the comments will

be analyzed and considered by the Forest Service in preparing the final

EIS. The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by September 1996. The

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

received (40 CFR 1503.4). The responsible official will consider the

comments, responses, disclosure of environmental

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consequences, and applicable laws, regulations, and policies in making

a decision regarding this proposal. The responsible official will

document the decision and rationale in the Record of Decision. That

decision will be subject to appeal.

Dated: February 23, 1996.

Raymond E. LaBoa,

District Ranger, Georgetown Ranger District, Eldorado National Forest.

[FR Doc. 96-5085 Filed 3-4-96; 8:45 am]

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