Otter Lake Timber Sale(s), Tongass National Forest; Hoonah Ranger District, Alaska

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Otter Lake Timber Sale(s), Tongass National Forest; Hoonah Ranger

District, Alaska

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental

effects of proposed actions within the Otter Lake Project Area. The

proposed action provides for: (1) Harvest of seven units covering 588

acres, from a unit pool of 14 units totalling 849 acres and containing

19.4 million board feet, and regeneration of new stands of trees; (2)

construction of 3.2 miles of specified road and 0.5 miles of temporary

road, as well as reconstruction of 2.5 miles of specified road; and (3)

the use of the existing log transfer facility at Eight Fathom Bight

(terminus of Forest Development Road 8580). This level of development

would result in the harvest of an estimated 12.4 million board feet of

sawlog and utility timber volume over a three year period following the

approval of this document and award of contract(s). The proposed action

is one alternative to achieve the purpose and need for this project. A

map of the unit and road pool, and the proposed action, is available

from the address provided.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received

in writing by August 23, 1999.

LEAD AGENCY: USDA Forest Service, Tongass National Forest.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Otter Lake Planning Team, USDA

Forest Service, 204 Siginaka Way, Sitka, Alaska 99835.

COOPERATING AGENCIES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency will be invited to participate as Cooperating

Agencies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael E. Fox, USDA Forest Service,

204 Siginaka Way, Sitka, Alaska 99835, (907) 747-4328, e-mail at mfox/

[email protected] or FAX at (907) 747-4281.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

This environmental impact statement (EIS) will tier to the Tongass

Land and Resource Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement and

Modified 1997 Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan (April 1999

Record of Decision). The Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan

(TLRMP) provides the overall guidance (Goals, Objectives, Standards,

Guidelines, and Management Area direction) to achieve the desired

condition for the area in which the project is proposed.

The EIS will be prepared by a contractor working under the

supervision of the Forest Service. Work to be done by the contractor

includes the field investigations, development of resource reports,

preparation of a draft EIS, and the preparation of the final EIS. The

Forest Service will prepare the Record of Decision. The Forest Service

will provide oversight and review at all steps of the process.

The Otter Lake Project Area is located about 60 air miles north of

Sitka, Alaska and 12 air miles west of Hoonah, Alaska. The project area

(7,580 acres) is located on north Chichagof Island, just north of Neka

Bay, and north and west of Port Frederick. The project area encompasses

part or all of R 59 E, T 43 S, Sec. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, & 36; R 59 E, T

44 S, Sec. 1 through 18, 20, & 21, and R 60 E, T 45 S, Sec. 6 (Eight

Fathom Bight Log Transfer Facility (LTF) site). The LTF is

approximately 6.5 road miles south of the project area. The Otter Lake

Project Area lies within Value Comparison Unit (VCU) 2010. The project

area is administered by the Hoonah Ranger District, Tongass National

Forest.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

The purpose and need for the project is to implement the direction,

goals, and objectives in the modified 1997 Tongass Land and Resource

Management Plan (TLMPR), dated May 23, 1997 and the Record of Decision,

dated April 13, 1999. The project is planned to move timber stands to a

managed condition resulting in a healthier, faster growing stand, to

increase growth and yield from the managed stands, to reduce volume

loss associated with disease and decay and to recover timber volume

that might otherwise be lost for human use.

The project is planned to contribute an estimated 12 million board

feet of sawlog and utility timber in support of the Tongass National

Forest timber program, in order to meet the direction, in the Tongass

Timber Reform Act, section 101, to ``seek to provide a supply of timber

from the Tongass National Forest which (1) meets the annual market

demand for timber from such forest and (2) meet market demand from such

forest for each planning cycle'' to the extent consistent with multiple

use and sustained yield from

[[Page 38179]]

all renewable forest resources. This environmental impact statement may

result in one or more timber sales under the sale program.

Decisions To Be Made

Fred S. Salinas, Assistant Forest Supervisor, Tongass National

Forest, is the Responsible Official and will decide whether or not to

authorize timber harvest within the Otter Lake Project Area. He will

decide: (1) If the design of the timber sale offerings are consistent

with meeting resource protection standards and guidelines in the

Modified 1997 Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan; (2) how much

timber volume to make available and what the logical sale offerings

are; (3) the location and design of the arterial and collector road

system needed to develop the project area, and the post-sale

transportation options; (4) the location and design of timber harvest

units (including silvicultural prescriptions and logging systems), and

log transfer and camp facilities; (5) mitigation and monitoring

measures for sound resource management; and (6) subsistence

determinations required by Secton 810 of the Alaska National Interest

Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA).

Management Objectives

The project area is in Value Comparison Unit (VCU) 2010, and is

located totally within the Timber Production Land Use Designation

(LUD). An Old-growth Habitat Reserve is located immedately adjacent to

the south and east of the project boundary. The existing Eight Fathom

Bight Log Transfer Facility (LTF), located approximately five air miles

to the south, lies within a Scenic Viewshed LUD.

Management direction that the proposed action is designed to

address include: Desired Condition--Suitable timber lands are managed

for the production of sawtimber and other products on an even-flow,

long-term sustained yield basis. A road system provides access for

timber management activities, recreation, hunting and fishing, and

other administration uses; some roads may be closed seasonally or

permanently to address resource concerns. Management activities will

generally dominate the landscape. Tree stands are healthy and in a

balanced mix of age classes from young stands to trees of harvestable

age, often in 40- to 100-acres stands. Recreation opportunities

associated with roaded settings are available. A variety of wildlife

habitats, predominately in the early to middle successional stages, are

present.

Goals--Manage the timber resource for production of saw timber and

other wood products from suitable timber lands made available for

timber harvest, on an even-flow, long-term sustained yield basis, and

in an economically efficient manner. Provide a diversity of

opportunities for resource uses that contribute to the local and

regional economies of Southeast Alaska.

Objectives--Seek to provide a timber supply sufficient to meet the

annual market demand for Tongass National Forest timber, and the market

demand for the planning cycle. Support a wide range of natural resource

employment opportunities within Southeast Alaska's communities.

Tentative Issues

Scoping has not yet been done for this project; however, issues

identified for the Supplement to the Environmental Impact Statement,

1981-86 & 1986-90 Operating Periods (SEIS) and the Eight Fathom Timber

Sale(s) Project for the same general area are considered to still be

applicable. The issues as expressed below have been modified to reflect

the reduced project area.

Issue 1--Project Effects on Recreation and Tourism: This issue

focuses on how timber harvest and road building would affect

recreational opportunities and the visual character of the landscape.

This includes potential disruptions to fish and wildlife resources that

drive recreation/tourism businesses, extent of additional access for

recreational users via logging roads, and if there would be impacts on

areas of concern such as Neka Bay.

Issue 2--Subsistence Impacts: This issue focuses on whether or not

proposed activities will significantly restrict subsistence use through

effects on wildlife, fish, and plant resources for customary and

traditional uses. Concerns include whether harvest activities would

displace subsistence users, whether additional use from logging

personnel, increased traffic from logging, and increased future

recreation use on new logging roads would displace or reduce abundance

of subsistence resources, including deer.

Issue 3--Potential Economic Impacts: The issue focuses on the

capability of the project area to provide a long-term sustained yield

of timber and other resources, and whether this associated level of

outputs is sufficient to meet the needs of dependent local communities.

These concerns include whether timber production and productivity can

be maximized to achieve positive economic return, whether the short-

term timber obligations will be balanced with long-term maintenance of

other natural resources, whether the economic analysis would consider

the economics of resources other than timber, and whether the road

system for the project would remain in place to facilitate future

harvest and minerals activities.

Issue 4--Protection of Fish and Wildlife Resources: This issue

focuses on the effects of timber harvest and associated road

construction on water quality, fish, and wildlife, including protection

of fish and wildlife habitat during harvest activities, whether

biodiversity and population viability will be affected, whether

sediments from roads and logging will affect salmon production

downstream, and extent of effects on deer, marten, and bear habitats.

Issue 5--Cultural and Historical Resource Protection: This issue

focuses on the protection of heritage resources, and concerns a project

design to avoid damage to cultural or historical resources, and

coordination with the State's Scenic Byway Program to address proposed

projects within areas designated for corridors of scenic, historic,

cultural, recreational, or archaeological significance.

Issue 6--Protection of Caves and Karst Features: This issue focuses

on the potential presence of karst features in the project locale.

Issue 7--Alternatives to Clearcutting: The issue is focused on

public concerns that silvicultural systems other than even-aged

management be considered in the alternatives, and implementation of a

reforestation program to speed recovery after harvest and to reduce the

duration of scenic effects, and the presence of clearcuts in high

public use, highly visible areas.

Proposed Action

The proposed action is the harvesting of seven units of a 14-unit

pool totalling 849 acres with 19.4 million board feet. The total area

harvested, including road right-of-way, is 595 acres yielding an

estimated 12.4 million board feet. Logging systems include three

helicopter units totalling 240 acres for 5.6 million board feet, as

well as four units with a ground-based logging system (skyline or

shovel) with 326 acres yielding 6.2 million board feet. All units are

planned as clearcuts. The proposed road system consists of 3.2 miles of

new specified road construction, 0.5 miles of temporary road

construction, and 2.5 miles of reconstruction of existing specified

road. Road construction right-of-way area is 22 acres, yielding 0.6

million board feet. Nineteen percent of the 3,170

[[Page 38180]]

acres of timber suitable and available for harvest would be harvested

under this scenario. All units and roads will conform to the standards

and guidelines in the TLMPR, including stream buffers, retention of

green trees within units, marten habitat requirements, and the

avoidance of extreme hazard soils and over-steepened slopes.

Permits

To proceed with the timber harvest as proposed, various permits

must be obtained from other agencies. Federal agencies and their

responsibilities are as follows: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the

responsibility for approval of discharge of dredged or fill material

into the waters of the United States (section 404 of the Clean Water

Act), and approval of construction of structures or work in navigable

waters of the United States (section of the Rivers and Harbors Act of

1899); the Environmental Protection Agency has responsibility for the

National Pollution Discharge System review (section 402 of the Clean

Water Act); the U.S. Coast Guard has responsibility for Coast Guard

Bridge Permits (General Bridge Act of 1946) required for all structures

constructed within the tidal influence zone. Other agencies which will

participate are as follows: State of Alaska, Department of Natural

Resources has responsibility for authorization for occupancy and use of

tidelands and submerged lands; State of Alaska, Department of

Environmental Conservation has responsibility for the Solid Waste

Disposal Permit (section 402 of the Clean Water Act, 18 AAC 60.230) and

the Certificate of Reasonable Assurance (section 401 of the Clean Water

Act). Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers will be invited to participate as cooperating agencies in

the preparation of the environmental impact statement.

Process Steps

Preparation of the environmental impact statement will include the

following steps: (1) Public notification and scoping (comments due in

approximately 45 days, beginning with the publication of this Notice in

the Federal Register; (2) identification of significant issues related

to the proposed action to be analyzed in depth; (3) development of a

reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed action which meet the

stated purpose and need for the proposed action and address significant

issues; and (4) identification of the potential environmental effects

of the alternatives.

Scoping announcements will be published during the week of July 12,

1999 in the Juneau Empire and Daily Sitka Sentinel, and copies of the

announcement will be mailed to interested persons. This announcement

will describe the timing and location of public involvement meetings.

Scoping meetings will be held in Hoonah in August 1999. Comments

received from public scoping will be analyzed to determine significant

issues within the scope of this project. Alternatives to the proposed

action will be developed to address significant issues. One of these

will be the ``No Action'' alternative in which there will be no

project-related activities such as timber harvest or road construction.

Other alternatives may consider various levels and locations of

activities in response to issues and other resource objectives. The

direct and indirect effects of each alternative will be analyzed and

documented. Mitigating measures will be identified and their

effectiveness evaluated.

Public Participation Encouraged

In addition to commenting on the proposed action and the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement when it is released, agencies and other

interested persons or groups are invited to contact Forest Service

Officials at any time during the planning process.

The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) in September 2000. The comment period for the

Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be 45 days from the date the

EPA 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

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 but that are not raised

until after completion of the Final Environmental Statement may be

waived or dismissed by the courts; City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d

1016, 1022 (9th Circuit, 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris,

490 F. Supp. 1334 (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 45 day comment period so that substantive comments

and objections are made to the Forest Service at a time when it can

meaningfully consider 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 as specific as possible. It is

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

Draft Environmental Statement. Comments may also address the adequacy

of the Draft Environmental Statement or the merits of the alternatives

formulated and discussed in the document. Reviewers may wish to refer

to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing

the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, 40

CFR 1503.3, in addressing these points.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision is

expected to be released in June 2001. The Assistant Forest Supervisor,

Sitka Assistant Forest Supervisor's Office, Tongass National Forest,

will, as the responsible official for the environmental impact

statement, make a decision regarding this proposal considering the

comments, responses, environmental consequences disclosed in the final

environmental impact statement, and applicable laws, regulations, and

policies. The decision and supporting reasons will be documented in the

record of decision.

Fred S. Salinas,

Assistant Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-18068 Filed 7-14-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M