Conehead-Summit Resource Management Project, Mt. Hood National Forest, Clackamas and Wasco Counties, Oregon

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Conehead-Summit Resource Management Project, Mt. Hood National

Forest, Clackamas and Wasco Counties, Oregon

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare and consider an environmental

impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service will prepare and consider an

environmental impact (EIS) on a Proposed Action to manage second-growth

forest stands by thinning and regeneration harvest. The proposal also

calls for the construction and reconstruction of temporary roads as

well as thinning in the upland portion of riparian reserves. The

projects are within the Stone Creek drainage of the Oak Grove Fork of

the Clackamas River watershed, and the Warm Springs watershed. The

``Conehead'' portion of the planning area is in T. 7 S., and R. 8 &

8\1/2\E. Willamette Meridian. It is west of the Warm Springs Indian

Reservation near West Pinhead Butte. The ``Summit'' portion of the

planning area is in T. 6 S., and R. 8 E. Willamette Meridian. It is

south east of Rock Butte and north east of Peavine Butte. The areas are

approximately 60 air miles south east of Portland, Oregon. These

proposals are tentatively planned for implementation in fiscal years

2000 and 2001. The Mt. Hood National Forest invites written comments

and suggestions on the scope of the analysis in addition to those

comments already received as a result of local public participation

activities. The agency will also give notice of the full environmental

analysis and decision-making process so that interested and affected

people are made aware as to how they may participate and contribute to

the final decision. Presently, there are no plans for a scoping

meeting.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and implementation of the analysis

should be received in writing by August 30, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the

management of this area to Chris Pazzula, Acting District Ranger,

Clackamas River Ranger District, Mt. Hood National Forest, 595 NW

Industrial Way, Estacada, Oregon 97023. E-mail address: clackriv/

[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct questions about the proposed

action and the scope of analysis to Jim Roden, Clackamas River Ranger

District, phone 503-630-8722.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This project will be consistent with the Mt.

Hood National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan as amended by

the Northwest Forest Plan. The Watershed Analysis for the Oak Grove

Fork has been completed and the Watershed Analysis for the Warm Springs

River has not yet been completed. The Land Allocations include C1--

Timber Emphasis, B3--Roaded Recreation, and Riparian Reserve. The

elevation ranges from 4000 to 4400 feet and encompasses second-growth

stands which were established after wildfires. The trees are lodgepole

pine and mixed conifers 80 to 130 years old.

The project area contains stands with declining health and growth

and are experiencing high mortality. Action is needed to move these

stands closer to the desired future conditions specified in higher

level plans including the Mt. Hood Forest Plan, the Northwest Forest

Plan and Watershed Analysis. There is the opportunity to enhance forest

health and to provide wood products to meet the social and economic

needs described in the Northwest Forest Plan. There is also the

opportunity to enhance habitat for Canada lynx, to enhance the

productivity of Big Huckeleberry, to enhance riparian conditions, and

to meet objectives for recreation.

The proposed action includes approximately 1015 acres of thinning

(15 acres of which is in the Riparian Reserve) and approximately 370

acres of regeneration harvesting. Unit shapes, sizes, and post harvest

treatments would be designed to take advantage of opportunities

available to enhance the resources described in the previous paragraph.

The proposed action also calls for the construction of 3.35 miles of

temporary roads and the reconstruction of existing roads.

One issue identified is that temporary road construction and

harvest could change the areas undeveloped character by further

modifying the area so that management activities are more obvious.

There have been few roads built in this area in the past because of the

fire history of this area and the small size of the trees. Another

issue identified concerns the effect of thinning in Riparian Reserves

which may pose a short-term risk to water quality and fish habitat, if

sediment is delivered to streams. A third issue identified concerns the

effect of creating openings to enhance huckleberry and lynx habitats.

The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments and

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

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

the proposed action. This information will be used to determine the

issues significant to the development and analysis of alternatives, to

determine the appropriate range of alternative ways of implementing the

proposed action, and to guide the analysis of effects.

The scoping process will include the following:

Identification of potential issues;

Identification of issues to be analyzed in depth;

Elimination of insignificant issues or those which have

been covered by a relevant previous environmental analysis;

Exploration of alternative ways to implement the proposed

actions based on the issues identified during the scoping process; and

Determination of environmental effects of the proposed

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

and connected actions).

A range of alternatives will be considered including the No Action

alternative. As issues are identified, other potential alternatives

will be developed.

Comments received in response to this notice, including names and

addresses of those who comment, will

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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; however, those who submit anonymous

comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent decision under

36 CFR parts 215 or 217. 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 within a

specified number of days.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by

October, 1999. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from

the date EPA publishes the notice of availability of the draft EIS in

the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers

notice at this early stage of several court rulings related to public

participation in the environmental review process. First, a reviewer of

a draft EIS 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 EIS stage but that are not raised

until after completion of the final EIS 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 comment period so that substantive comments and

objectives are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it

can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the final EIS.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS 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 EIS 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 final EIS is scheduled to be completed in December, 1999. In

the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive

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 the

decision regarding this proposal. The responsible official is the

Forest Supervisor, Gary L. Larsen. As responsible official, he will

document the Conehead-Summit Resource Management Project decision and

rationale in a Record of Decision. That decision will be subject to

Forest Service Appeal Regulations (36 CFR part 215).

Dated: July 26, 1999.

Gary L. Larsen,

Forest Supervisor, Mt. Hood National Forest.

[FR Doc. 99-19844 Filed 8-2-99; 8:45 am]

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