Northern Sierra Forest Plan Amendment EIS; Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; Carson City, Douglas, and Washoe Counties, Nevada; Alpine, Eldorado, Nevada, Sierra, Lassen, and Toulumne Counties, California

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Northern Sierra Forest Plan Amendment EIS; Humboldt-Toiyabe

National Forest; Carson City, Douglas, and Washoe Counties, Nevada;

Alpine, Eldorado, Nevada, Sierra, Lassen, and Toulumne Counties,

California

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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

SUMMARY: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS) to consider amending the Toiyabe

National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The

amendment will be comprehensive, covering a wide variety of issues

needed to update the Forest Plan for the Northern Sierra area.

Decision to be made: The Forest Service will decide whether or not to

amend the Forest Plan for the Northern Sierra area, which coincides

with the Carson Ranger District. The amendment will consider improving

the management direction of portions of the Forest Plan and affirm

continuation of other aspects of the Forest Plan's management direction

for the next 10-15 years. No irreversible or irretrievable commitment

of resources (site specific actions) will be taken as a result of this

decision.

DATES: The public is asked to provide any information they believe the

Forest Service should consider and to submit any issues regarding

alternatives or potential impacts by January 23, 1999. The agency

expects to file the draft EIS with the Environmental Protection Agency

and make it available for public comment in November, 1999. The agency

expects to file the final EIS in June, 2000.

Meetings: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will hold four public

meetings to present information gained from the implementation of the

current Forest Plan and discuss the proposed Forest Plan amendment.

Comments from the public, other agencies and tribal councils are

welcomed. Tentative dates and locations for these meetings are:

December 11, 1998, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm at the Sierra Room, Carson City

Community Center, Carson City, NV; December 15, 1998, 4:00 pm-7:00 pm

at the Old Schoolhouse, Bartley Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch

Drive, Reno, NV; Dec. 17, 1998, 4:00 pm-7:00 pm at Turtle Rock Park,

Markleeville, CA; and January 12, 1999 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the

Douglas County Administration Building Courtroom, 1616 8th St., Minden,

NV.

COMMENTS: Written comments on the information presented here should be

submitted to the Northern Sierra Planning Team, Attn. Dave Loomis, USDA

Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 1536 South Carson

St., Carson City, NV 89701. Comments should be received by January 23,

1999.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For additional information contact Dave Loomis,

Forest Planner, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 1536 South Carson

St., Carson City, NV 89701, (702) 884-8132.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: The Regional Forester for the Intermountain

Region located at 324 25th Street, Odgen Utah 84401 is the responsible

official for this action.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed amendment will address

management of National Forest System lands in the Northern Sierra area,

which includes portions of Lassen, Sierra, Nevada, Eldorado, and Alpine

Counties in California and portions of Washoe, Carson City, and Douglas

Counties in Nevada. This area is part of the Sierra Nevada mountain

range. A framework for conservation and collaboration for National

Forest System lands in the Sierra Nevada is currently under

development. The EIS for the Northern Sierra Plan Amendment will be

developed in coordination with the EIS for the Sierra Framework.

The substantive changes that will be addressed in the amendment of

the Forest Plan are described in the regulations implementing the

National Forest Management Act (NFMA). The amendment process begins

with monitoring and evaluation of Forest Plan implementation (36 CFR

219.12(k)). It includes public involvement in monitoring and

identification of opportunities for improvements to improve management.

This NOI signals the development of an EIS for the amendment of the

Forest Plan. Based upon monitoring and evaluation results and the

information obtained in the Analysis of the Management Situation (AMS),

the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is proposing to make several

improvements to the long-term management direction for the Northern

Sierra area. The public is invited to comment on the preliminary

alternatives which have been identified.

Proposed Action

The proposed action is to amend the Toiyabe Land and Resource

Management Plan to improve management direction. The purpose of the

proposed action is to provide long

[[Page 63024]]

term management direction for the Northern Sierra area. The proposed

action is needed because existing guidance is more than a decade old.

That guidance does not reflect the substantial additions to the

National Forest System in the area, the rapidly growing and

diversifying population, or the advances in science that have occurred

over the last decade. Four alternatives have been prepared to address

the topics outlined below. A preferred alternative will be selected

during the preparation of the drafts EIS based on public comments from

this scoping process and the analysis of environmental impacts of the

alternatives.

Amendment Topics

Based on the analysis of the existing direction, monitoring and

evaluation of resource conditions, and public comments, the following

topics have been identified as having a need for change in management

direction. Heritage Resources, American Indian Religious and Cultural

Use, Watershed Protection, Species and Ecosystem Viability, Roadless/

Wilderness Area Management, Wild and Scenic River Suitability, Access,

Transportation, Recreation, Visual Resources, Fire and Smoke

Management, Forest Products Management, Livestock Grazing Management,

Mining, and Land Adjustment.

Potential Alternatives

These alternatives are preliminary only and will be refined through

the public scoping process. While alternatives may vary in emphases,

management activities would occur within the framework of the Forest

Service Natural Resources Agenda. The agenda emphasizes watershed

protection, ecosystem management, recreation and road management.

Alternative A emphasizes public recreational access to Forest

System lands. It protects scenic quality as a backdrop that enhances

the quality of life for residents and visitors. Alternative B

emphasizes public access, commercial services, and high diversity of

multiple uses. It provides for local economic diversity through forest

product development, forage utilization, outfitter guides, recreational

facilities, and motorized recreational opportunities. Alternative C

emphasizes ecological restoration including the protection,

maintenance, and restoration of watershed, riparian areas, and

ecosystem viability. Alternative D emphasizes sustainable multiple use

to meet current and future needs and expectations of local communities

and the American public. It encourages cooperative partnerships and

collaborative stewardship of the National Forest.

Public Comments on the Draft EIS

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be

available for public review and comment in November, 1999. The comment

period on the draft environmental impact statement will be at least 90

days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the

notice of availability in the Federal Register.

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. 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 very

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.

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. 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 reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont

Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978).

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, 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 important that those interested in this proposed action

participate by the close of the comment period so that substantive

comments are made available to the Forest Service 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 specific and refer to specific

pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also address the

adequacy of the draft statement or the merits of the alternatives

discussed in the 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.

Dated: November 4, 1998.

Gloria E. Flora,

Forest Supervisor, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

[FR Doc. 98-30062 Filed 11-9-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M