Squirrel Meadows-Grand Targhee Resort Land Exchange; Targhee National Forest, Teton County, Wyoming

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Squirrel Meadows-Grand Targhee Resort Land Exchange; Targhee

National Forest, Teton County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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

prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document the

analysis and disclose the environmental impacts of a proposed land

exchange with Booth Creek, Inc., dba Grand Targhee Resort.

In this proposed exchange the Targhee National Forest would trade

parcels of National Forest System Lands totaling about 265 acres to

Booth Creek, Inc., for a private parcel totaling approximately 330

acres. The National Forest System lands to be conveyed are located at

the base of the Grand Targhee Resort, 7 miles east of Alta, Wyoming.

The lands to be acquired are located at Squirrel Meadows, 26 miles east

of Ashton, Idaho.

Values of the parcels will be appraised following a process

stipulated for Federal land adjustments. In order for the exchange to

take place, the appraised values of the lands must be equal.

Differences in appraised values may be made up by reducing the acreage

of National Forest System lands offered for exchange, or by including a

cash payment. The cash value may not exceed 25 percent of the appraised

value of the Federal lands to be conveyed.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described

in this notice should be received on or before December 1, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Teton Basin Ranger District, Attn:

Jack Haddox, PO Box 777, Driggs, ID 83422. The responsible official for

this decision is Robert W. Ross, Jr., Director, Recreation and Lands,

USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, 324 25th Street, Ogden, UT

84401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions concerning the proposed action and EIS should be directed to

Patty Bates, Teton Basin District Ranger, Targhee National Forest,

phone: (208) 354-2312.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Targhee National Forest is proposing to

exchange up to 265 acres of National Forest System lands within the

Grand Targhee Resort permit area for 330 acres of private land at

Squirrel Meadows. The final acreage will be decided through an

appraisal process pursuant to the Uniform Federal Appraisal Standards

for land adjustments. Values must be equal in order for the exchange to

proceed. If it becomes necessary to equalize values the National Forest

System acreage may be reduced from the proposed 265 acres. In the event

the values cannot be equalized by the adjustment a cash equalization

payment of up to 25 percent of the appraised value of the Federal lands

may be made by either party.

The decision to be made is whether to proceed with the exchange as

proposed; modify the exchange; or withdraw from the exchange. Public

scoping will be completed through letters, news releases and public

meetings. Dates have not yet been set.

Preliminary issues identified are:

(1) Impacts from potential development of the exchanged lands at

Grand Targhee on the base area and in Teton Valley, Idaho.

(2) Impacts on wildlife in the area of Grand Targhee from potential

development and increased use of the area in general.

(3) Impacts on the Jedediah Smith Wilderness from the potential

increased use and development of the grand Targhee area.

(4) Creation of a private inholding within the boundary of the

Targhee National Forest.

(5) The effects on grizzly bears (listed as threatened under the

Endangered Species Act) and other threatened, endangered and sensitive

species from the potential development of the exchanged lands and

potential development of the lands if they are not exchanged.

Other issues may be identified during the scoping period. Written

suggestions and comments are invited on the issues related to the

proposal and the area being analyzed. Information received will be used

in the preparation of the Draft EIS and Final EIS. For most effective

use, comments should be submitted to the Forest Service within 45 days

from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service is the lead agency. The Forest Service estimates

the draft EIS will be filed in May, 1998, and the final EIS will be

filed in December, 1998.

The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will

be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency's notice

of availability appears in the Federal Register.

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

to give

[[Page 54040]]

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,

533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be revised 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 Circ 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 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

Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

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 15

days.

Dated: October 9, 1997.

Jack A. Blackwell,

Deputy Regional Forester, Intermountain Region, USDA Forest Service.

[FR Doc. 97-27569 Filed 10-16-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M