Clearwater National Forest, Idaho County, Idaho; JJ Vegetation Restoration

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Clearwater National Forest, Idaho County, Idaho; JJ Vegetation

Restoration

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The JJ Vegetation Restoration Planning Area is located west of

the Powell Ranger Station, Lochsa Ranger District, Clearwater National

Forest, Idaho County, Idaho. Proposed activities are located in the

Lochsa River drainage. The purpose of the project are: (1) To design

and implement vegetation treatments using ecosystem management

principles within the forest stands that are at high risk of change in

the next decade, (2) to restore forest health in timber stands being

affected by Douglas-fir bark beetles and root rot disease, and (3) to

restore and maintain aquatic ecosystem structure and function to

provide historic habitat conditions for aquatic species.

The Lochsa Ranger District (Powell Ranger Station) will begin

public scoping on the JJ Vegetation Restoration project with the

publication of this Notice. This area was identified in the Lost

Postman Watershed Analysis as a high priority for treatment to improve

the tree species composition and structure. Fire suppression over the

last fifty years has permitted shade tolerant grand fir and Douglas-fir

trees to grow into the forest under the overstory ponderous pine and

large fire resistant Douglas-fir trees. This has created an

overstocked, two-story forest that is susceptible to root rot and

Douglas-fir back beetle. The tree mortality and subsequent fuel

buildup, including ladder fuels, has created a forest condition at high

risk for catastophic change. Silvicultural action at this time can

restore the healthy productivity and natural ecologic condition of this

forest.

Therefore, the Powell Ranger Station of the Lochsa Ranger District

is proposing to prepare the JJ Vegetation Restoration Analysis to

evaluate the environmental effects of using timber harvest and

prescribed fire to reduce tree density and restore a more natural tree

species composition and structure. Timber harvest and prescribed fire

is proposed on approximately 700 acres. Helicopter logging units using

a combination of improvement cuts and shelter-wood regeneration methods

are planned. This would yield about 7 mmbf of timber for commercial

sale. No new roads would be constructed. Existing helicopter landing

sites along Highway 12 would be used. The JJ's Analysis will also

consider a reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed action.

This project will be designed to reduce the density of forest

vegetation on this overstocked, south facing hillside as outlined in

the Lost Postman Watershed Analysis. The subsequent reduction in

biomass and fuels will reduce the risk of a lethal, stand replacement

wildfire. The proposal will also be designed to reduce the effects of

Douglas-fir bark beetles and root rot disease on tree mortality. This

will have the added benefit of maintaining the scenic quality of the

forest as viewed from the Lochsa River (a Wild and Scenic River) and

Highway 12. Enhancement of wildlife habitat for species such as the

flammulated owl, black-backed woodpecker, fisher and elk is also a

benefit of the proposed action.

This project level EIS will tier to the Clearwater National Forest

Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) and Final EIS

(September 1987), which provides overall guidance of all land

management activities on the Clearwater National Forest.

Analysis will be conducted in compliance with the Clearwater Forest

Plan lawsuit Stipulation of Dismissal agreement between the Forest

Service and the Sierra Club, et al (signed September 13, 1993).

DATES: Comments in response to this Notice of Intent should be received

in writing on or before November 23, 1998 to receive timely

consideration in the preparation of the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is

planned to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency in March

1999. The Final EIS and Record of Decision are expected to be issued in

December 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions on the proposed action

or requests for a map of the proposed action or to be placed on the

project mailing list to Dennis Elliott, Deputy District Ranger, Powell

Ranger Station, Clearwater National Forest, Lolo, Montana 59847.

Responsible Official: James L. Caswell, Forest Supervisor,

Clearwater National Forest, will be the Responsible Official for this

project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dennis Elliott, Deputy District Ranger, Powell Ranger Station,

Clearwater National Forest, (208) 942-3113.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1997, the Lost Postman Watershed

Assessment was completed. This assessment recommended a variety of

management actions designed to restore forest health. Because of the

wide range of actions and their dispersed locations, it was elected not

to propose and analyze all of the recommendations in one single

project. Instead, a logical array of smaller individual projects which

are not connected actions have been proposed. The JJ Vegetation

Restoration proposal is one of the recommended actions.

Preliminary issues include the following:

How will the proposed action and alternatives maintain or

enhance the long-term sustain-ability of these ecosystems through

vegetation management? How will they address vegetation structure and

composition, insects and diseases, maintenance of wildlife habitat and

production of wood products?

How will the proposed action and alternatives protect the

quantity and quality of water and aquatic habitat?

How will the proposed action and alternatives provide high

quality recreation opportunities, especially maintaining the use and

enjoyment of the Lolo Trail and Lochsa Wild and Scenic River Corridors?

How will the views from the Lolo Trail and the Lochsa River corridors

be protected?

How will the proposed action and alternatives be designed

to produce goods and services yet minimize impacts to other resources?

Will the

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actions pay for themselves without resulting in a deficit timber sale?

These issues will be refined and developed in detail as scooping

proceeds. Comments on the issues and suggestions for additional issues

are welcome in response to this Notice of Intent.

Public scoping and involvement will begin with the publication of

this notice. A scoping letter that describes the proposed action and

preliminary issues will be mailed to members of the Powell NEPA mailing

list. The interdisciplinary team will be working to develop a range of

alternatives to the proposed action and to assess the environmental

effects of the alternatives. One of the alternatives will be the ``No

Action'' alternative. Other alternatives will examine varying levels

and locations for the proposed activities to achieve the proposal's

purposes, as well as to respond to the environmental issues and other

resource values. Comments concerning the range of alternatives or

possible environmental effects would be useful to the team in

completing their analysis.

The Clearwater National Forest Land Management Plan provides the

land management direction for the JJ's Planning Area. Forest Plan

Management Areas in the JJ's analysis include the following:

E1-Timber producing land managed for healthy forests and optimum

tree growth.

A7-Recreation River Corridor managed for dispersed recreation,

water quality and visual resources.

C4-Big game winter range managed for browse and timber production.

It is anticipated that the environmental analysis and preparation

of the draft and final environmental impact statements will take about

one year. The draft environmental impact statement can be expected in

March 1999 and a final environmental impact statement can be expected

in December 1999.

A 45 day comment period will be provided for the public to make

comments on the draft environmental impact statement. This comment

period will be in addition to scoping and will begin when the

Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability of the Draft

EIS appears in the Federal Register. A Record of Decision will be

prepared and filed with the final environmental impact statement. A

forty-five day appeal period will be applicable.

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. To be most helpful,

comments on the draft environmental statement should be as specific as

possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merits of

the alternatives discussed (see Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National

Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3).

In addition, Federal court decisions have established that

reviewers of draft environmental impact statements must structure their

participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that is

meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewers' position and

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC 435 US 519, 553

(1978). Environmental objections that could have been raised at the

draft stage may be waived if not raised until after completion of the

final environmental impact statement. City of Angoon v. Harris, 490 F.

Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this is to ensure

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.

Comment received in response to this solicitation, including names

and address 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.

I am the responsible official for this environmental impact

statement. My address is Clearwater National Forest, 12730 Highway 12,

Orofino, ID 83544.

Dated: September 29, 1998

Douglas E. Gochnour,

Acting Forest Supervisor, Clearwater National Forest.

[FR Doc. 98-27116 Filed 10-8-98; 8:45 am]

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