East Big Red Timber Sale, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District, Routt County, Colorado

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

East Big Red Timber Sale, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest,

Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District, Routt County, Colorado

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Medicine

Bow-Routt National Forest, Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District will

prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess and disclose

the environmental effects of the proposed East Big Red Timber Sale.

Estimated dates for filing the draft EIS is November, 1997, followed by

the final decision in February, 1998. The area location is

approximately 34 miles north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, in

sections 13, 23, 25, & 36 of T11N, R85W, sections 7, 8, 16, 17, 18, 19,

20, 30, 31, & 32 of T11N, R84W, sections 5 & 6 of T10N, R84W.

All lands within the project area are currently allocated to

Management Area 7E, as described in the current Forest Land Management

and Resource Plan for the Routt National Forest, approved in 1983.

Forested lands within this management area are designated as suitable

for timber production by the forest plan. Following is a summary of the

general forest plan direction for the area.

Management Area 7E-Timber Production: Emphasis is placed on wood

fiber production and utilization of a size and quality suitable for

sawtimber. Timber harvest must meet a Visual Quality Objective (VQO) of

partial retention in foregoing areas as seen from open arterial and

collector roads as well as main trails. A VQO of modification applies

to all other areas.

The Forest Plan is being revised as required by the National Forest

Management Act. The preferred alternative for the forest plan revision

(alternative C as described in the DEIS) allocates the majority of the

project area to management area 5.13, which is to be managed for the

production of commercial wood products. This allocation includes most

of the stands proposed for harvest. A few smaller areas allocated to

management area 5.11, provides for a mix of forest products, forage,

wildlife habitat and recreation.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions on the draft Environmental

Impact Statement should be received on or before the 45 day period 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 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 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. 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.

ADDRESSES: The Responsible Official is Jerry E. Schmidt, Forest

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

Laramie, Wyoming 82070-6535. Written comments and suggestions

concerning the scope of the analysis should be sent to Sherry Reed,

District Ranger, Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District, P.O. Box

771212, Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80477.

Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names

and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the

public record on this proposed action and will be available for public

inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and

considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have

standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR Parts 215 or

217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request

the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing

how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality.

Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that, under the

FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very limited

circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest Service

will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding the

request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the

agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the

comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within 10

days.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kirby Self, Interdisciplinary Team

Leader, Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District. Phone: (970) 879-1870.

[[Page 40048]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Action

The proposal is to harvest and manage approximately 880 acres of

mature sawtimber stands within the analysis area. The proposal includes

the following activities:

Treatment by harvesting approximately 8.0 MMBF of

commercial timber using both even and uneven-aged silvicultural

systems. Approximate acres to be treated:

380 acres--shelterwood & group selections

470 acres--clearcut

25 acres--commercial thin

Construction of approximately 18 miles of specified road

and 2 \1/2\ miles of road reconstruction.

Post sale work could include, but is not limited to;

regeneration and stocking surveys to assure proper reforestation of

harvested stands; noxious weed spraying; and thinning of past harvest

areas.

Other Opportunities

Remedy road maintenance and erosion problems on road

500.1D by relocating. Obliteration of existing road to eliminate

trespass concerns and maintenance problems.

Reduce sediment production from the Hare Trail (FDT 1199)

by relocating or eliminating trail.

Reduce fuel loading in the head of the Middle Fork Little

Snake River.

All proposed activities would take place within the East Big Red

analysis area, and are planned for implementation starting in 1999.

Decision to Be Made

The Medicine Bow-Routt Forest Supervisor will need to make an

informed decision about the selection of one alternative among several.

The issues and alternatives developed by the IDT members and public

commenters must be analyzed and displayed clearly. From the project

record alone, the Forest Supervisor and others who may review the

decision, must be able to fully understand the consequences of

implementating the selected alternative.

Preliminary Issues

Effects of timber harvest and road construction on

watershed condition and thus water quality.

Effects of timber harvest on wildlife habitat with

potential reduction of big game hiding cover along open roads and

around meadows from timber harvest, and also the loss of old growth and

goshawk habitat.

Effects on range management.

Impacts on recreation facilities such as trails and

dispersed camp sites.

Effects on visual quality primarily from forest roads 550

and 505, and those roads and units which are adjacent to trails 1199,

1203, and 1204.

Effects on roadless character. Several units and roads are

proposed within the Dome Peak Roadless Area.

Scope of the Analysis

This environmental analysis shall consider the environmental

consequences of the proposed action, as well as alternatives reasonably

implemented, while meeting the purpose and need of the action.

Dated: July 11, 1997.

Jerry E. Schmidt,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97-19590 Filed 7-24-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-GM-M