Cannon Gulch Project, Boise National Forest, ID

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Cannon Gulch Project, Boise National Forest, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Mountain Home Ranger District of the Boise National Forest

will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a timber

salvage project in the Cannon Gulch project area, located immediately

southwest of Pine, Idaho. Access is via Forest Highway 61. The project

area encompasses approximately 1,100 acres of National Forest System

land and is located 60 road miles northeast of Mountain Home and about

100 road miles east of Boise, Idaho.

The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of

the analysis. The agency also hereby gives notice of the environmental

analysis and decisionmaking process that will occur on the proposal so

that interested and affected people are aware of how they may

participate and contribute to the final decision.

Proposed Action

The proposed action would commercial thin and salvage harvest

approximately 500 acres. Prescribed fire would be used on approximately

240 acres (40 acres of site preparation for tree planting, an

additional 100 acres to take advantage of natural fuel breaks, and 100

acres to rejuvenate aspen). Logs would be yarded with a helicopter

using one helicopter landing south of the Pine schoolhouse. Conifer

seedlings would be planted on 40 acres. The activities would occur from

2000 to 2001.

Preliminary Issues

One significant issue has been identified with the proposed action

which is that timber harvest would develop a portion of the Rainbow

Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA), changing the wilderness attributes on

that portion. The developed portion would not be given future

consideration for wilderness designation under current Forest Service

guidelines.

Possible Alternatives to the Proposed Action

One alternative to the proposed action identified is the no action

alternative. Other alternatives may be developed as issues are raised

and information is received.

Decisions To Be Made

The Boise National Forest Supervisor will decide whether to conduct

timber management and harvest activities now or to defer them until a

later time. If he chooses to conduct timber management and harvest

activities now, he will decide which acres to treat and which logging

systems to use; what, if any, acres to treat with prescribed fire; and

what mitigation and/or monitoring measures to implement to meet Forest

standards and minimize resource conflicts.

Schedule

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), August 1999. Final,

November 1999.

Public Involvement

Scoping was initiated in January 1998. A scoping letter was sent to

over 60 individuals, groups, organizations, and agencies. Comments

received from these public involvement efforts will be incorporated

into the analysis process.

Comments

Written comments concerning the proposed project and analysis are

encouraged and should be postmarked within 30 days following

publication of this announcement in the Federal Register. Mail comments

to Jane Beaulieu, Mountain Home Ranger District, 2180 American Legion

Boulevard, Mountain Home, ID 83647; telephone 208-587-7961. Further

information can be obtained at the same location.

The comment period on the DEIS will be 45 days from the date the

Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in

the Federal Register.

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

DEIS's 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 DEIS stage but 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 very 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 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 DEIS 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 DEIS 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.

Responsible Official

David D. Rittenhouse, Forest Supervisor, Boise National Forest,

1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200, Boise, ID 83709.

Dated: June 10, 1999.

Jack E. Williams,

Deputy Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-15371 Filed 6-17-99; 8:45 am]

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