Squaw/Pole II Timber Sale, Boise National Forest, Gem County, ID

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Squaw/Pole II Timber Sale, Boise National Forest, Gem County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Boise National Forest will prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental

impacts of a proposed timber sale in the Second and Third Fork

drainages on the Emmett Ranger District. The proposed timber sale lies

within the Snowbank Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA).

Under this proposal, 313 acres of suitable timber land would be

harvested, producing about 4.3 million board feet (MMBF) of sawtimber.

A total of 188 acres would be harvested through shelterwood methods; 55

acres would be commercially thinned; 36 acres would be harvested

through seed-tree methods; 20 acres would be harvested through

sanitation salvage methods; and 14 acres would be clearcut. A total of

178 acres would be helicopter yarded; 125 acres would be tractor

skidded; and 10 acres would be skyline yarded. A total of 188 acres

would be planted. To facilitate natural regeneration and planting

success, 120 acres would be underburned, and 20 acres would be

mechanically scarified.

Stands to be treated would be accessed by existing roads. Included

are two short road segments of 0.37 and 0.22 mile, respectively,

constructed in the Snowbank IRA in the fall of 1997. This month (July

1998), these road segments will be treated to block vehicle access at

the IRA boundary, using a combination of gates and earth barriers. The

road surface will also be disked for about 100 feet behind the gate.

Consequently, the proposed action would include removal of the earth

barriers, and blading of the disked surface, to facilitate access for

harvest activities.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described

in this notice should be received by August 17, 1998, to ensure timely

consideration. No scoping meetings are planned at this time.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Morris Huffman, Emmett District

Ranger, Boise National Forest, 1805 Highway 16, Emmett, ID 83716.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed

action and EIS should be directed to Morris Huffman at 208-365-7000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In August 1995, Deputy Forest Supervisor

Cathy Barbouletos made a decision to implement the Squaw/Pole timber

sale in an area that encompassed about 5,500 acres on the Emmett Ranger

District. The environmental assessment for the Squaw/Pole timber sale

stated that no activities were planned for the Snowbank IRA as part of

this project.

In the fall of 1997, it was discovered that incorrect maps had been

used in the original analysis regarding the location of the IRA

boundary, and that 313 acres of ground-based and helicopter harvest

units had been located within the IRA, and 0.59 mile of new road had

been constructed within the IRA. Because the roads within the IRA have

already been constructed, they are considered part of the existing

condition and will be analyzed as such; however, the no-action

alternative will include obliteration of the road segments.

Based on this new information, the Boise National Forest determined

the proposal may have a significant effect on the roadless resource and

decided to prepare an EIS. The proposal may result in the reduction of

approximately 885 acres of the Snowbank IRA from the National Forest

System. The IRA currently encompasses 35,541 acres. Proposals that may

substantially alter the undeveloped character of an IRA require the

preparation of an EIS.

Initial analysis has identified one preliminary issue; namely, the

effect of the proposal on the undeveloped character and wilderness

attributes of the Snowbank IRA. Other potential issues may be

identified during the current scoping period.

The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from

Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as individuals and

organizations who may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed

action. The Forest Service invites written comments and suggestions on

the issues related to the proposal and the area being analyzed.

Information received will be used in preparation of the draft EIS

and final EIS. For the most effective use, comments should be submitted

to the Forest Service within 30 days from the date of publication of

this notice in the Federal Register.

The Responsible Official is David D. Rittenhouse, Forest

Supervisor, Boise National Forest, Boise, Idaho. The decision to be

made is whether to harvest and replant timber stands in the project

area and, if so, how should these activities be carried out. The draft

EIS is expected to be available for public review in November 1998,

with a final EIS estimated to be completed in March 1999. The comment

period on the draft EIS will be 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 EIS's 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 contention (Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power

Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (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.

[[Page 38367]]

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 EIS.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should

be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to

specific pages or chapter of the draft EIS. Comments may also address

the adequacy of the draft EIS or the merits of the alternatives

formulated and discussed in the draft EIS. 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 Part 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 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 10 days.

Dated: July 8, 1998.

Allan B. McCombie,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 98-19002 Filed 7-15-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M