Tie Camp Project, Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest, Carbon County, Wyoming and Jackson County, Colorado

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Tie Camp Project, Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest, Carbon

County, Wyoming and Jackson County, Colorado

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement to analyze and disclose the environment effects of a site-

specific proposal to harvest timber in the Coon Creek area of the

Hayden Ranger District of the Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest within

Carbon County, Wyoming and Jackson County, Colorado. The proposal could

have impacts on the Coon Creek ``roadless area.'' The National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires an early and open process for

determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying the

significant issues related to the proposed action.

The Forest Service is soliciting comments during the scoping phase

of the environmental analysis process from other Federal, State, and

local agencies, Indian Tribes, and organizations and individuals who

may be interested or affected by the decision. The analysis process

will include:

1. Identification of the issues to be addressed.

2. Identification of the issues to be analyzed in detail.

3. Elimination of non-significant issues, issues addressed by

previous environmental analyses, and issues not within the scope of

this decision.

DATES: Comments related to the scope of the analysis should be received

by April 15, 1996. Comments may be either written or oral.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Don G. Carroll, District Ranger,

Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District, P.O. Box 187, Encampment, Wyoming

82325. Oral Comments can be made by calling (307) 327-5481.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andy Cadenhead, Project Coordinator, (307) 327-5481.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Medicine Bow National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan (Appendix A) identifies three potential timber

sales in the Tie Camp analysis area: Commisary Park, Rim Road, and

Damfino Creek. The Routt National Forest Land and Resource Management

Plan lists the Dinner Park Timber Sale as a potential project in the

analysis area. The proposed action is consistent with both the Medicine

Bow and Routt National Forest Plans, and is intended to implement both

Plans and also achieve the desired future condition for the area.

The decisions to be made consist of how to best manage the area,

and whether to implement the proposed activities, including measures

designed to mitigate any adverse environmental effects. A reasonable

range of alternatives, including ``no action,'' which would result in

no development of the area, and the ``proposed action,'' will be

considered. Other alternatives may be formulated in response to

``scoping,'' and may consider various combinations of designs for

implementing the proposed activities.

The Responsible Official will be Jerry E. Schmidt, Forest

Supervisor, Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest, 2468 Jackson Street,

Laramie, Wyoming, 82070.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is expected to be

available during mid-1997 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement

(FEIS) available during September, 1997.

A 45-day public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement will commence on the day the Environmental Protection Agency

publishes a ``Notice of Availability'' in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers an

early 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 during the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement stage, but 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). As a result of these previous court

rulings, it is very 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 Environmental Impact Statement.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns related to the proposed action, comments on this 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 document. Comments may also address the adequacy of the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement or the merits of the alternatives

displayed in the document. Reviewers should refer to the Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations at 40 CFR 1503.3 for implementing the

procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act for

addressing these points. Please note that any comments that are

submitted in relation to this DEIS will be considered as public

information.

Dated: March 6, 1996.

Jerry E. Schmidt,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 96-6758 Filed 3-20-96; 8:45 am]

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