Birch Creek/Worm Creek Proposed Timber Sale; Cache National Forest (Administered by the Caribou National Forest), Franklin County, ID

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Birch Creek/Worm Creek Proposed Timber Sale; Cache National

Forest (Administered by the Caribou National Forest), Franklin County,

ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement to document the analysis and disclose the environmental

impacts of proposed actions to harvest timber, build roads, and

regenerate new stands of trees in the Birch Creek/Worm Creek area of

the Cache National Forest. The project is located in Franklin County,

ID in the Birch Creek, Worm Creek and South Canyon drainages,

administered by the Montpelier Ranger District of the Caribou National

Forest. The need for the proposal is to treat stands of timber to

enhance sustainable productivity as outlined in the Caribou National

Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Treatment would be designed

to address

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silvicultural condition of the affected timber stands.

The Montpelier Ranger District of the Caribou National Forest

proposes to harvest an estimated 3300 MBF (thousand board feet) of

commercial timber in 28 timber stands on approximately 658 acres. One

15-acre stand would be clearcut and planted. The remaining stands would

be partially cut using either a sanitation/salvage cut or a shelterwood

method. Thirteen stands would be logged by tractor and fifteen stands

would be logged by helicopter. Approximately 5.5 miles of new road

would be built, and 3.8 miles of road would be relocated to access the

stands for logging. All new roads and 3.4 miles of relocated roads

would be closed to vehicle travel after logging. The timber would be

offered for sale in 1999. For a map of the proposed project area,

please contact the Montpelier Ranger District, 431 Clay Street,

Montpelier, ID 83254, (208) 847-0375.

DATE: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described

in this Notice should be received on or before March 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Caribou National Forest, Montpelier

Ranger District, 431 Clay Street, Montpelier, ID 83254.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions concerning the proposed action and EIS should be directed to

T.W. Smith, Forester, Caribou National Forest, Montpelier Ranger

District (Telephone: (208) 847-0375.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS will tier to the final EIS for the

Caribou National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest

Plan). The Caribou Forest Plan provides the overall guidance (Goals,

Objectives, Standards, and Management Area direction) to achieve the

Desired Future Condition for the area being analyzed and contains

specific management area prescriptions for the entire Forest. The

specific objective of this proposal is to contribute to the sustained

yield of timber assigned the Caribou National Forest in the Forest's

Land and Resource Management Plan.

Possible alternatives to the proposal are to cut no timber or to

cut only some of the stands at this time.

Public scoping letters have been sent to individuals, and news

articles regarding the project have appeared in local newspapers.

Initial scoping comments indicated concerns about the project's

environmental impacts on water quality, fish habitat, and roadless area

characteristics. The Caribou National Forest determined impacts could

be significant and will complete an Environmental Impact Statement to

address these concerns. At this time, no public scoping meetings have

been planned.

Issues/Concerns

Tentative issues and concerns identified to date are:

1. Birch Creek is a section 303(d) Water Quality Limited stream.

Beneficial uses, which include beneficial uses for fisheries, must be

protected and regulatory water quality standards met.

2. Steep slopes limit tractor logging in some stands and helicopter

logging is proposed in these instances. Cable systems may be considered

as another means of logging steep slopes, because they are less

expensive to operate and would make the sale available to more timber

operators; however, they require more roads than helicopters.

3. Stands in the Worm Creek drainage are accessible by

approximately 3.4 miles of road that would require relocation. Road

relocation would be expensive, raise logging costs, and make the area

more accessible while the road was open.

4. Regeneration would be difficult in many stands that have an

understory of shrubs. Tractor logging reduces shrubs and exposes

mineral soil allowing tree seedlings to germinate and grow. Helicopter

logging does not disturb the ground, and therefore, tree regeneration

would be difficult to establish in helicopter units.

5. The Birch Creek Road is rocky, making maintenance difficult.

Lack of maintenance causes ruts and increases erosion. The Birch Creek

Road would be used to haul logs from the sale area. The proposal

creates an opportunity to improve the road and reduce surface runoff

into Birch Creek.

6. Birch Creek is a tributary of Mink Creek. Mink Creek contains

Bonneville Cutthroat Trout. The proposal could adversely affect fish

habitat in both streams.

7. Birch Creek Road is groomed for snowmobile use in the winter and

provides access to winter play areas. Winter logging would require

plowing the road. The narrow canyon would not allow snowmobiling off

the plowed road. Snowmobile use on the plowed road would create a

public safety hazard.

8. The proposed project is located in the Station Creek Roadless

Area, #04178. The environmental analysis will need to determine how the

proposed action would affect existing roadless characteristics.

9. The proposed project area contains wildlife habitat used by deer

and elk. Harvest activities and road-building could make these animals

more vulnerable to hunters.

10. Permitted cattle grazing occurs in Birch Creek and Worm Creek.

Tree regeneration, occurring as a result of this proposal, would

require protection from damage by cattle.

11. Douglas-fir and subalpine fir trees in the project area have

been attacked and killed by bark beetles over the past ten years. Since

the trees are of an age and density that invite continued attacks,

mortality can be expected to continue. The project offers an

opportunity to harvest recently killed trees for timber products.

A Biological assessment of threatened, endangered and sensitive

species will be completed as part of the environmental analysis.

A Cultural Resource Survey of the area will be completed as part of

the environmental analysis, and any cultural resources found would be

protected.

No permits or licenses are required to implement the proposed

action.

The tentative date for filing the Draft EIS is June 1997. The

tentative date for filing the final EIS is September 1997. The comment

period on the draft environmental impact statement will be open for 45

days 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 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 of the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement 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

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the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Agency representatives and

other interested people are invited to visit with Forest Service

officials at any time during the EIS process.

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. 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.

The USDA, Forest Service is the lead agency in preparing the

Environmental Impact Statement for this proposal. The responsible

official is Paul R. Nordwall, Supervisor, Caribou National Forest, 250

South Fourth Avenue, Pocatello, ID 83254.

Dated: February 12, 1997.

Paul R. Nordwall,

Forest Supervisor, Caribou National Forest.

[FR Doc. 97-4631 Filed 2-24-97; 8:45 am]

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