Environmental Impact Statement, Crystal Creek Timber Harvest on the Petersburg Ranger District, Stikine Area, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg, Alaska

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Environmental Impact Statement, Crystal Creek Timber Harvest on

the Petersburg Ranger District, Stikine Area, Tongass National Forest,

Petersburg, Alaska

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Stikine Area of the USDA Forest Service proposes to

harvest approximately 16 million board feet of timber in the Crystal

Creek project area, which is near Thomas Bay on the Southeast Alaska

mainland. A variety of harvest methods and silvicultural prescriptions

will be used. This project would include the necessary road

construction for transport of timber. The existing log transfer site

would be reconstructed at Thomas Bay.

The purpose and need for this project is to make available for

harvest approximately 16 million board feet of timber. This will:

1. Implement direction in the Tongass Land Management Plan,

2. Contribute to providing a sustained volume of wood to meet local

and national demand, and

3. Provide local and regional employment opportunities.

There may also be opportunities to maintain or enhance forage for

moose habitat to sustain a huntable population in the area. Activities

such as commercial and pre-commercial thinning of second growth stands,

and geographically distributing timber harvest over time and habitat

will be considered toward achieving this goal.

A variety of resources and values will be maintained through the

application of ecosystem management principles in the design of the

project.

A range of alternatives will respond to environmental and social

issues. The no-action alternative will not harvest timber in the area.

The Thomas Bay log transfer facility will be reconstructed and required

roads will be constructed or reconstructed as needed.

The decision to be made is:

1. Whether or not timber harvest will occur in the Crystal Creek

project area;

2. How much timber will be harvested;

3. Location and design of harvest units;

4. Location and design of road construction and reconstruction; and

5. What mitigation measures and monitoring will be implemented.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The Draft Environmental Impact Statement should be

available for public review by June, 1997. The final Environmental

Impact Statement is scheduled to be completed by November, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions, written comments, and suggestions

concerning the analysis should be sent to Bruce Sims, Team Leader,

Petersburg Ranger District, P.O. Box 1328, Petersburg, AK 99833, phone

(907) 772-3871, fax (907) 772-5995.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All appropriate agencies will be contacted

and all required permits will be received before the proposed action is

implemented. The following permits are anticipated in order to

implement the proposed action:

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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval under Section 404 of

the Clean Water Act,

State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources tideland

permit and lease or easement, and

State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation

authorization under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

Public Comment

Federal, State, and local agencies, potential contractors, and

other individuals or organizations who may be interested in, or

affected by, the decision are invited to participate in the scoping

process. This process will include:

1. Identification of potential issues;

2. Identification of issues to be analyzed in depth;

3. Determination of potential cooperating agencies and assignment

of responsibility; and

4. Examination of various alternatives.

The Forest Supervisor will hold public meetings during the planning

process. Interested people are invited to comment. The comment period

on the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the Notice of

Availability appears in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important

to give reviewers notice of several draft environmental impact

statements must structure their participation in the environmental

review process. First, reviewers of the draft environmental impact

statements must structure their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so 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, 533 [1978]). Also, environmental objections that

could have been raised at the Draft EIS stage may be waived if not

raised until after the completion of the final environmental impact

statement 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 substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest

Service at the time when we 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

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

environmental impact 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 Environment

Policy Act in 40 CFR 1503.3 while addressing these points.

The responsible official for the decision is Abigail R. Kimbell,

Forest Supervisor, Stikine Area, Tongass National Forest, Alaska

Region, Petersburg, Alaska.

Dated: January 13, 1997.

Abigail R. Kimbell,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97-2120 Filed 1-28-97; 8:45 am]

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