Box Canyon, Papoose, and Squaw Creek Timber Sales; Targhee National Forest, Bonneville County, ID

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Box Canyon, Papoose, and Squaw Creek Timber Sales; Targhee

National Forest, Bonneville County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Forest Supervisor of the Targhee National Forest gives

notice of the agency's intent to prepare an environmental impact

statement for the Box Canyon, Papoose, and Squaw Creek Timber Sales.

The proposed actions would harvest 1.8 million board feet of timber

from 600 acres. Three miles of temporary roads would be built. Easement

across private property would be required to access the Papoose and

Squaw Creek Sales. The Box Canyon timber sale is located three miles

south of Irwan, Idaho and the Papoose and Squaw Creek sales are located

three miles southwest of Swan Valley, Idaho. Alternatives will include

the proposed action, no action, and any alternatives that respond to

significant issues generated during the scoping process. A more

detailed description is available from the Palisades Ranger District;

see ADDRESSES below.

DATES: Send written comments and suggestions on the issues concerning

the proposed action by June 12, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Richard D. Dickemore, District

Ranger, Palisades Ranger District, 3659 East Ririe Highway, Idaho

Falls, Idaho 83401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dee Sessions, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, phone (208) 624-3151.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Targhee National Forest Revised Land

Management Plan was approved in 1997. One of the decisions in the

revised Plan was to allow for the production and utilization of wood

fiber from certain areas of the Forest. The geographic areas where the

proposed actions would take place have primarily a prescription of

timber management with emphasis on no clear cutting, urban interface

fire management (5.1.3b) and elk summer range (5.4c). A prescription

for other lands in the area is described below.

Elk and Deer Winter Range (2.7a)--Management emphasis is directed

at providing quality elk and deer winter habitat. Habitats are managed

for multiple land use benefits, to the extent these land uses are

compatible with maintaining or improving elk and deer winter habitat.

Initial public involvement will include mailing maps and project

descriptions to interested parties to solicit comments on the proposal.

Preliminary issues include: Roadless area, threatened, endangered, and

sensitive plant and animal species, recreational traffic, easement

across private lands, big game habitat, water quality and aquatic

influence zones.

Additional opportunity to comment on the projects will occur on the

draft Environmental Impact Statement (draft EIS). The draft EIS is

expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency and

available for public review in September 1998.

The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date

the Environmental Protection Agency's notice of availability appears in

the Federal Register. At the same time, copies of the draft EIS will be

distributed to interested and affected agencies, organizations, tribes,

and members of the public for their review and comment. It is very

important that those interested in the proposed action participate at

that time.

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 reviewers' position and

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S.

519,553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could have been

raised at the draft 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, (9th Circuit, 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. 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 final EIS is scheduled to be completed in December 1998. In the

final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments

received during the comment period that pertain to the environmental

consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable laws,

regulations, and policies considered in making the decisions on this

proposal.

Responsible Official

Jerry B. Reese, Forest Supervisor, is the responsible official. As

responsible official, he will document the selected alternative for the

Box Canyon, Papoose, and Squaw Creek Timber Sales EIS and his rationale

in a Record of Decision.

The decision for the Box Canyon, Papoose, and Squaw Creek Timber

Sales project will be subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations (36

FR part 215).

Dated: May 6, 1998.

Jerry B. Reese,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 98-13036 Filed 5-14-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4031-99-M