Clean Slate Ecosystem Management Project; Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho County, ID

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Clean Slate Ecosystem Management Project; Nez Perce National

Forest, Idaho County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to analyze and disclose the environmental effects of

applying ecosystem management techniques across the landscape in Main

Slate and North Fork Slate Creek drainages. The area is located

approximately 19 air miles south of Grangeville, Idaho. Some activities

are planned within the North Fork Slate Creek (#1850) Roadless Area.

This EIS will tier to the Nez Perce National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan and EIS, which provide overall guidance for achieving

the desired forest condition of the area. The purpose of the proposed

action is to improve overall vegetative conditions and diversity,

restore impacted aquatic resources, and provide goods and services to

the public.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received by April 7,

1997 to receive timely consideration in the preparation of the Draft

EIS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions on the proposed

action, requests for a map of the proposed action, or requests to be

placed on the project mailing list to Jack Carlson, District Ranger,

Salmon River Ranger District, HC 01, Box 70, White Bird, Idaho 83554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mike McGee, Planner, Salmon River Ranger District, Nez Perce National

Forest, HC 01, Box 70, White Bird, Idaho 83554, Phone (208) 839-2211.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following activities are proposed in the

Main Slate and North Fork Slate Creek drainages to: Treat approximately

1,100 acres through the use of helicopter, tractor, and cable logging

systems, which will produce approximately 8 million board feet (MMBF)

of timber; introduce fire for the treatment of both activity generated

and natural fuels; use precommercial thinning of saplings and small

poles; provide commercial post and pole material; improve watershed

conditions by implementing actions such as cutslope revegetation, ditch

rocking, culvert replacement, improvement of road drainage and

surfacing, partial or complete obliteration on many sections of road,

and improvement of the trail system; implement wildlife habitat

improvements; implement practices to manage undesirable exotic

vegetation; modify existing fish habitat structures in

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Slate Creek; analyze and implement access management prescriptions for

the existing road and trail system; develop and enhance dispersed

recreation sites; and provide interpretive sites for the public.

No new permanent roads would be constructed. Some new construction

of temporary roads and helicopter log landings would occur and some re-

construction of existing roads would occur. Temporary roads that are

constructed or re-constructed will be recontoured after use.

A watershed analysis, called the Slate Creek Implementation Area

Assessment, was recently undertaken for the entire Slate Creek

watershed. The Clean Slate project is located within the Slate Creek

watershed. One of the primary purposes of this watershed analysis was

to collect and display historic conditions and processes and document

how management activities have influenced the current conditions of the

watershed. From this, management opportunities were identified that

would best fit with the natural character and processes of the

watershed. This proposal is moving forward with some of the

recommendations made in the Slate Creek Watershed Assessment.

The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives to the

proposed action. One of these will be the ``no action'' alternative, in

which none of the proposed action will be implemented. Additional

alternatives will examine varying levels and locations for the proposed

activities, including entry into the Roadless Area, to achieve the

proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues and other

resource values.

Public participation is an important part of the project,

commencing with the initial scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7), which

starts with publication of this notice and continues for the next 30

days. In addition, the public is encouraged to visit with Forest

Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior to the

decision. The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, and

assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies, the Nez Perce

Tribe, and other individuals or organizations who may be interested in

or affected by the proposed action.

Comments from the public and other agencies will be used in

preparation of the Draft EIS. The scoping process will be used to:

1. Identify potential issues.

2. Identify major issues to be analyzed in depth.

3. Eliminate minor issues or those which have been covered by a

relevant previous environmental analysis, such as the Nez Perce

National Forest Plan EIS.

4. Identify alternatives to the proposed action.

5. Identify potential environmental effects of the proposed action

and alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects).

While public participation in this analysis is welcome at any time,

comments received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will

be especially useful in the preparation of the draft EIS, which is

expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency and

available for public review in May, 1997. A 45-day comment period will

follow publication of a Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the

Federal Register. The comments received will be analyzed and considered

in preparation of a final EIS, which is expected to be filed in [July,]

1997. A Record of Decision will be issued not less than 30 days after

publication of a Notice of Availability of the final EIS in the Federal

Register.

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

give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public

participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of

draft EISs must structure their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to

reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.

v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 513 (1978). Also, environmental objections that

could be raised at the draft EIS stage but that are not raised until

after completion of the final EIS 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 available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully

consider them and respond to them in the final EIS.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments should be as specific as

possible. 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.

I am the responsible official for this environmental impact

statement.

Dated: January 31, 1997.

Coy G. Jemmett,

Forest Supervisor, Nez Perce National Forest, Route 2, Box 475,

Grangeville, ID 83530.

[FR Doc. 97-5543 Filed 3-5-97; 8:45 am]

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