Little Boulder Harvest and Fire Restoration Project; Butte and Jefferson Ranger Districts; Little Boulder Harvest and Fire Restoration Project; Butte Field Office; Jefferson County, MT

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Little Boulder Harvest and Fire Restoration Project; Butte and

Jefferson Ranger Districts; Little Boulder Harvest and Fire Restoration

Project; Butte Field Office; Jefferson County, MT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA and Bureau of Land Management, USDI.

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

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will

prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to disclose the

environmental impacts of a proposed action to manipulate forest and

range vegetation on about 12,950 acres. The manipulation includes

timber harvest and prescribed burning. The Forest Service will be lead

agency for this EIS (40 CFR 1501.5). The purpose is to restore and

maintain aspen, open Douglas-fir forests, and shrub/grass cover. The

proposed action includes approximately 58 acres of regeneration

harvest, 4,815 acres of commercial tree thinning (some followed by

burning and some not), 7,303 acres of prescribed burning without timber

harvest, and 775 acres of conifer removal around aspen clones.

DATES: Initial comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be

received in writing no later than July 9, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Mike Paterni, Acting Forest

Supervisor, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, 1820 Meadowlark,

Butte, MT 59701.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lee Harry, Environmental Analysis Team Leader, Butte Ranger District,

1820 Meadowlark, Butte, MT 59701, or phone: (406) 494-2147.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest Service and BLM goals are to

restore aspen, open-grown Douglas-fir forests, and shrub/grass

vegetation. Prescribed burning would be applied on a total of 10,173

acres, both as a single treatment (7,303 acres), and following timber

harvest (2,870 acres). Of the total of 4,870 acres of harvest, 2,000

acres of harvest would not be followed by underburning. Commercial

thinning in lodgepole, Douglas-fir and around aspen clones would be the

primary harvest technique. A small part of the harvest would be for

regeneration of lodgepole pine, and one proposed unit of

[[Page 30304]]

regeneration harvest would exceed 40 acres.

The analysis area lies between Butte, Boulder, and Whitehall,

Montana. It includes several tributaries to Boulder River. Some

included tributaries are: Bison Creek; Kleinsmith Gulch; Galena Gulch;

Little Galena Gulch; North Fork Little Boulder River; and Little

Boulder Creek. (T4N,R5W; T5N,R4W; T5N,R5W; T5N,R6W; T6N,R4W; T6N,R5W;

T6N,R6W). The project area encompasses approximately 69,000 acres.

Potential issues identified are the effects of the proposal on

watershed function, visual quality, fish and wildlife, noxious weeds,

and roadless character.

Public participation is important to the analysis. Part of the goal

of public involvement is to identify additional issues and to refine

the general, tentative issues identified above. People may visit with

Forest Service and BLM officials at any time during the analysis and

prior to the decision. Two periods are specifically designated for

comments on the analysis: (1) During the scoping process and (2) during

the draft EIS comment period.

During the scoping process, the Forest Service and BLM are seeking

information and comments from Federal, State, and local agencies and

other individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected

by the proposed action. The agencies invite written comments and

suggestions on this action, particularly in terms of identification of

issues and alternative development.

Analysis of this proposed action began in an environmental

assessment (EA). Public involvement for the EA started in October 1998

with a scoping letter to interested parties and legal notice in the

Montana Standard. Since then, the public has participated in

formulating issues and developing alternatives through responding to

large mailings and attending periodic public meetings and field trips.

The Forest Service and BLM will continue to jointly involve the

public and will inform interested and affected parties as to how they

may participate and contribute to the final decision. Another formal

opportunity for response will be provided following completion of a

draft EIS.

The draft EIS should be available for the review in December, 1999.

The final EIS is scheduled for completion in March, 1999.

The comment period on the draft EIS will be 60 days from the date

the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of

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

interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the 60-

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 environmental impact

statement.

To assist the Forest Service and BLM in identifying and considering

issues and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft

environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is

also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the

draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft

environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives

formulated and 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.

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Supervisor and the Butte Field

Manager are the responsible officials who will make the decision. They

will decide on this proposal after considering comments and responses,

environmental consequences discussed in the Final EIS, and applicable

laws, regulations, and policies. The decision and reasons for the

decision will be documented in a Record of Decision.

Dated: June 1, 1999.

Mike Paterni,

Acting Forest Supervisor, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

Dated: June 1, 1999.

Merle Good,

Field Manager, BLM Butte Field Office.

[FR Doc. 99-14296 Filed 6-4-99; 8:45 am]

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