Middle Fork Weiser River Watershed Project, Payette National Forest, Adams County, Idaho

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Middle Fork Weiser River Watershed Project, Payette National

Forest, Adams County, Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Payette National Forest is proposing timber harvest,

prescribed fire, and road removal to enhance forest and watershed

conditions in the Middle Fork Weiser River Watershed on the Council

Ranger District. The 50,000 acre watershed extends from No Business

Mountain to the confluence of Fall Creek and the Middle Fork Weiser

River about 6 miles southeast of Council, Idaho.

DATES: The Forest Service expects to release a Draft Environmental

Impact Statement for the Middle Fork Weiser River Watershed Project in

December 1998. A Final EIS and Record of Decision are expected in

February 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or requests for the above documents can be

sent to David Alexander, Forest Supervisor, Payette National Forest,

P.O. Box 1026, McCall, Idaho 83638.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed project

should be directed to Sue Douglas, Team Leader (208) 253-0169; or John

Baglien, Acting Council District Ranger, (208) 549-4201.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action (Alternative B) would

harvest timber on approximately 2,900 acres. On an estimated 1,190

acres, understory trees would be selectively removed, favoring the

retention of ponderosa pine, western larch, and Douglas-fir. Large

overstory trees of these species would generally be retained. About 790

acres of immature forests would be selectively thinned to accelerate

the growth of the remaining trees, allowing these forests to reach a

larger size sooner. Approximately 880 acres of lodgepole pine,

subalpine fir, or grand fir would be converted to younger-aged forests

through harvest and planting.

Most of the area would be logged using ground-based systems. An

estimated 200 acres would be logged using helicopters and 500 acres

would be logged with skyline systems.

Timber harvest would require 7 miles of new road construction. No

road building or harvest activities would occur in the Council Mountain

roadless area. Approximately 19 miles of roads would be decommissioned

and 9 stream crossings removed or improved to benefit watershed

conditions and fish and wildlife habitat as part of the timber sale

contract. An additional 60 miles of road would be decommissioned with

appropriated money or as part of the nonessential Knudsen-Vandenberg

(KV) projects.

Broadcast burning on 700 acres and piling and burning of logging

slash on 500 acres would reduce existing and created fuels or prepare

the site for planting. Planted or natural regeneration, primarily of

ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, or western larch, would occur on an

estimated 900 acres.

In addition, prescribed fire activities would occur on 500 acres of

open ponderosa pine forests, 300 acres of dry Douglas fir forests,

1,400 acres of aspen communities, and 2,000 acres of grass/shrubland to

enhance plant growth and diversity.

Standard INFISH Riparian Habitat Conservation Area (RHCA) buffers

would be established throughout the project area. Areas identified as

RHCAs would be excluded from timber harvest. Key wildlife habitats,

including northern goshawk post-fledgling areas, flammulated owl

habitat, and elk travel corridors would be maintained.

Members of the public, organizations, and government agencies were

involved in the watershed analysis through meetings and field reviews.

This scoping document provides another level of involvement. The Forest

Service is conducting scoping for issues the environmental analysis

should address.

During the preliminary analysis the team identified two issues to

explore further. (1) Will thinning old trees improve the resilience of

the remaining old structure trees? Is the economic benefit of thinning

old trees essential to pay for other desired improvements? (2) Is it

possible to enhance near term economics and benefit the watershed as a

whole through longer return intervals by treating additional acres at

this time? These issues, in addition to others brought forward through

the scoping process will be more fully developed in evaluating the

proposed action. If appropriate, alternatives will be developed to

address them in the analysis process.

Comments

Comments on the Proposed Action and the analysis should be received

in writing on or before October 5, 1998. Send comments to Forest

Supervisor, Payette National Forest, P.O. Box 1026, McCall, ID 83638;

telephone (208) 634-0700; FAX (208) 634-0744.

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 and 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 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, 1002 (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 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 and respond to them

in the final environmental impact statement.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

raised by the Proposed Action, comments should be as specific as

possible.

Responsible Official: David F. Alexander, Forest Supervisor,

Payette National Forest, P.O. Box 1026, 106 West Park, McCall, ID

83638.

[[Page 46751]]

Dated: August 29, 1998.

David F. Alexander,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 98-23651 Filed 9-1-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M