White Pine Creek Project; Kootenai National Forest, Sanders County, MT

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

White Pine Creek Project; Kootenai National Forest, Sanders

County, MT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA- Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) for the White Pine Creek Project to disclose the

effects of timber harvest, prescribed fire, road management including

construction, reconstruction and obliteration, fish habitat

improvement, steam channel reconstruction, trailhead parking area

improvement, and aspen restoration, in the White Pine and Little Trout

Creek drainages located approximately 5 air miles south of Trout Creek,

Montana. The purpose and need for action is to: (1) Enhance and

maintain vegetative communities within the project area that promote

overall forest health. Focus management activities on stands which have

high levels of mortality due to root disease and white pine blister

rust. Focus on stands that need management activities in order to

perpetuate old growth ponderosa pine ecosystems. Create forage openings

for big game animals and other wildlife; (2) Maintain habitat for big

game, specifically wildlife security; (3) Maintain, enhance and restore

hydrologic function and fisheries habitat, within the White Pine

Project Area; (4) Maintain or enhance visual resources as seen from

critical viewpoints within the Trout Creek community; and (5) Provide a

transportation system that maintains road and trail access to meet

recreational and other public needs.

The DEIS is expected to be filed with the EPA and available for

public review by September, 1999.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before

June 1, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the scope of the

analysis should be sent to James I. Mershon, District Ranger, Cabinet

Ranger District, 2693 Hwy 200, Trout Creek, Montana, 59874.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Dave Clay, Interdisciplinary

Team Leader, Cabinet Ranger District, Phone: (406) 827-3533.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The decision area contains approximately

40,000 acres within the Kootenai National Forest in Sanders County,

Montana. All of the proposed projects are located in the White Pine and

Little Trout Creek drainages, which are tributaries to the Clark Fork

River, near Trout Creek, Montana. The legal location of the National

Forest lands within the decision area are as follows: all or portions

of Section 4-5, T22N, R32W; Sections 3-11, 14-24, 27-30, T23N, R31W;

Section 1-3, 10-17, 20-29, 31-34, T23N, R32W; Sections 31-33, T24N,

R31W; Section 24-26, 35-36, T24N, R32W, Principal Montana Meridian.

The Forest Service proposes to harvest approximately 33,000 hundred

cubic feet (equivalent to 15 million board feet, MMBF) of timber

through the application of a variety of harvest methods on

approximately 2,300 acres of forest land. Approximately 1,200 acres

would be logged with a helicopter, 700 acres with a skyline yarder, and

400 acres by a tractor. Silviculture systems include 1,200 acres of

regeneration harvest and 1,100 of commercial thinning. Vegetation

management also includes approximately 5 acres of aspen regeneration.

An estimated 5 miles of new permanent road, 12 miles of new temporary

roads and 33 miles of road reconstruction would be needed to access

timber harvest areas. All temporary roads would be obliterated

following completion of sale activities. The proposal also includes

prescribed burning on approximately 1,000 acres to reduce natural fuels

and enhance wildlife habitat. An estimated 19 miles of road would be

obliterated by the timber purchaser and another 31 miles of road would

be obliterated with watershed funding by rehabilitation of stream

crossings, recontouring, scarification and seeding. The Forest Service

also proposes to improve fish habitat through the placement of instream

structures and large woody debris on 4 miles of White Pine Creek,

stabilize stream channels in 6.7 miles by placing large woody debris

and large rock structures in damaged sections to protect the stream

channel and provide fish habitat. Reconstruct the stream channel in 2.7

miles of White Pine Creek and plant riparian vegetation along

streamcourses. The watershed and fisheries work would be based on site

specific conditions and is contingent on the availability of funding.

Improvement in trailhead parking along the White Pine Creek Road

#215 is proposed for both the Reader Gulch trail #749 and the Grays

Gulch trail #756. Trailhead work would include providing suitable

parking and signing.

Lynx habitat would also be created by small regeneration units in

high elevation lodgepole pine stands on approximately 10 acres.

The Kootenai Forest Plan provides guidance for management

activities within the potentially affected area through its goals,

objectives, standards and guidelines, and management area direction.

The proposed projects includes activities in several management areas

(MAs): 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, and 19. A portion of the Trout

Creek Inventoried Roadless Area #664, is included within the project

area. No activities are proposed within this roadless area. This

proposal includes 4 openings greater than 40 acres (size range is 60 to

150 acres), to treat and regenerate areas experiencing heavy root

disease induced mortality (Regional Forester approval for exceeding the

forty acre regeneration harvest would be required prior to signing the

Record of Decision); and three Forest Plan project specific amendments

for: (1) open road density in MA 12 (big game summer range); (2)

removal of snag habitat in MA 10 (big game winter range); and (3)

timber harvest in MA 13 (old growth). Forest Plan amendments are

allowed when it is determined during project design that the best way

to meet the goals of the Forest Plan conflicts with a Forest plan

standard (Forest Plan Volume II-20).

White Pine Creek has been designated by the State of Montana as a

Water Quality Limited Segment (WQLS), because of stream alterations due

to agricultural uses.

Range of Alternatives

The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of

these will be the ``no action'' alternative in which none of the

proposed activities will be implemented. Additional alternatives will

examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to

achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues

and other resource values.

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The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative

environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and projected

activities on both private and National Forest lands will be

considered. The EIS will disclose the analysis of site-specific

mitigation measures, if needed, and their effectiveness.

Preliminary Issues

Tentatively, several preliminary issues of concern have been

identified. These issues are briefly described below:

Transportation Systems

The implementation of the proposed action would change the overall

transportation system within the White Pine Analysis Area which may

affect the public's ability to use traditional access routes.

Visual Resources

Implementation of the proposed action may alter the existing scenic

resource within the project area. Even though the proposed action is

planned to improve the visuals of the past harvest activities, some

members of the public may feel that it will have additional scenic

impacts.

Watershed

Past management activities and those associated with the

implementation of the Proposed Action may result in increased peak

flows and sediment production.

Wildlife

The proposed action could potentially reduce security for wildlife

species by constructing new roads in wildlife security areas and the

reopening of existing roads.

Old Growth

The implementation of the Proposed Action may have short term

effects on old growth characteristics, specifically the snag components

of those stands.

Decisions To Be Made

The Kootenai Forest Supervisor will decide the following:

Whether or not to harvest timber and, if so, identify the

selection of, and site-specific location of, appropriate timber

management practices (silvicultural prescription, logging system, fuels

treatment, and reforestation), road construction/reconstruction

necessary to provide access and to achieve other resource objectives,

and appropriate mitigation measures.

Whether or not water and fish rehabilitation projects

(including road obliteration) and other project area improvements

(including trailhead parking area enlargement and control of noxious

weeds, etc.) should be implemented and, if so, to what extent.

Whether or not wildlife enhancement projects (including

prescribed burning) should be implemented and, if so, to what extent.

Whether road access restrictions or other actions are

necessary to meet big game wildlife security needs.

Whether or not project specific Forest Plan amendments for

MA 10, 12 and 13 are necessary to meet the specific purpose and need of

this project, and whether those amendments are significant under NFMA.

What, if any, specific project monitoring requirements

would be needed to assure mitigation measures are implemented and

effective.

Public Involvement and Scoping

In December of 1998 and April of 1999, preliminary efforts were

made to involve the public in looking at management opportunities

within the White Pine Creek area. Comments received prior to this

notice will be included in the documentation for the EIS. The public is

encouraged to take part in the process and is encouraged to visit with

Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior to

the decision. The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments,

and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and other

individuals or organizations who may be interested in, or affected by,

the proposed action. This input will be used in preparation of the

draft and final EIS. The scoping process will include:

Identifying potential issues.

Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.

Identify alternatives to the proposed action.

Explore additional alternatives which will be derived from

issues recognized during scoping activities.

Identify potential environmental effects of this project

and alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and

connected actions).

Estimated Dates for Filing

While public participation in this analysis is welcome at any time,

comments received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will

be especially useful in the preparation of the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS

is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

and to be available for public review by September, 1999. At that time

EPA will publish a Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the

Federal Register. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days

from the date the EPA publishes the Notice of Availability in the

Federal Register. It is very important that those interested in the

management of this area participate at that time.

The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by January, 2000. In the

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

responses 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 a decision

regarding the proposal.

Reviewer's Obligations

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 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 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 very important

that those interested in this proposed action participate by the close

of the 45 day commend 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 EIS.

To be most helpful, comments on the draft EIS should be as specific

as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merit

of the alternatives discussed. 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.

Responsible Official

Bob Casteneda Forest, Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest, 1101 US

Highway 2 West, Libby, MT 59923 is the Responsible Official. As the

Responsible Official he will decide if the proposed project will be

implemented. He will document the decision and reasons for the decision

in the Record of Decision.

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I have delegated the responsibility to prepare the EIS to James I.

Mershon, District Ranger, Cabinet Ranger District.

Dated: April 17, 1999.

Bob Castenada,

Forest Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest.

[FR Doc. 99-10808 Filed 4-29-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M