Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement Regarding Proposed Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit to Crown Pacific for Forest Management and Timber Harvest in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, Washington

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[I.D. 012299C]

Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

Regarding Proposed Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit to Crown

Pacific for Forest Management and Timber Harvest in Whatcom and Skagit

Counties, Washington

AGENCIES: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce; Fish and Wildlife Service

(FWS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, this notice

advises the public that NMFS and FWS (the Services) intend to prepare

an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) related to the proposed

approval of a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) and an issuance of an

incidental take permit (Permit) to take endangered and threatened

species in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (Act). The Permit applicant is Crown Pacific, Ltd., and the

application is related to forest management and timber harvest on a

portion of the Hamilton Tree Farm located in Whatcom and Skagit

Counties, Washington.

Crown Pacific intends to request a Permit for the northern spotted

owl (Strix occidentalis), marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus),

gray wolf (Canis lupus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), bald

eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos).

It may also request a permit for 22 currently unlisted species of

concern (including anadromous and resident fish), should these species

be listed under the Act in the future.

The Services are furnishing this notice in order to advise other

agencies and the public of our intentions and to announce that a draft

EIS is expected to be available for public review and comment during

the first quarter of 1999.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and requests for information to: Brian

Bogaczyk, Fish and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive, SE, Suite 102,

Lacey, Washington 98503, telephone (360) 753-5824; or Matt Longenbaugh,

National Marine Fisheries Service, 510 Desmond Drive, SE, Suite 103,

Lacey, Washington 98503, telephone (360) 753-7761.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Crown Pacific, Ltd., owns and manages the

Hamilton Tree Farm, located in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, Washington.

The proposed Plan area is composed of several parcels of the Hamilton

Tree Farm, totaling 84,664 acres, and is located north and south of

State Highway 20, roughly between Sedro-Woolley and Marblemount,

Washington. Management activities on the tree farm include forest

management and timber harvest. A portion of the proposed Plan area,

Arlecho Creek, is in the process of being transferred to the Nature

Conservancy and the Lummi Indian Nation, with the understanding that

the property will be managed indefinitely as a natural and cultural

area. The transfer is expected to be completed in late 1999.

Some timber management activities have the potential to impact

species subject to protection under the Act. Section 10 of the Act

contains provisions for the issuance of Permits to non-Federal land

owners for the take of endangered and threatened species, provided the

take is incidental to otherwise lawful activities and will not

appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of the

species in the wild. In order to receive a Permit, the applicant must

prepare and submit to the Services for approval a Plan containing a

strategy for minimizing, monitoring, and mitigating all take associated

with the proposed activities to the maximum extent practicable. The

applicant must also ensure that adequate funding for the Plan will be

provided. If approved, the Permit and Plan would be in effect for 100

years.

Activities proposed for Permit coverage include the following: Tree

site preparation; tree planting; harvesting and yarding of timber;

construction, maintenance and use of logging roads and landings;

quarrying of stone and

[[Page 5776]]

gravel for use in those roads and landings; and cellular phone and

radio repeater tower sites.

Previous announcements relating to this project indicated that an

environmental review (EIS or Environmental Assessment) would be

conducted. The Services have now concluded that an EIS should be

prepared. The EIS will analyze the proposal and the reasonable

alternatives, as well as the associated impacts of each. Development of

initial alternatives involved internal and public scoping. Public input

into the environmental review of this proposal was obtained during a

public scoping period conducted from August 20 to September 21, 1998,

and was announced in a previous Federal Register notice (63 FR 44634,

August 20, 1998). That public scoping period will be used to fulfill

scoping requirements under 40 CFR 1501.7, consistent with 46 FR 18026

(March 23, 1981), as amended by 51 FR 15618 (April 25, 1985).

Four alternatives have been proposed thus far and will be

considered for detailed analysis in the EIS. Under Alternative A (no-

action alternative) no Permit would be issued and take would be avoided

for any and all threatened and endangered species on the property.

Alternative B (preferred alternative) involves issuing a Permit for six

threatened and endangered species on the property with provisions for

approximately 22 unlisted species (covered species). The Plan would

have minimization and mitigation measures for each of the covered

species on the property. Alternative C involves issuing a Permit for

northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet only, with provisions for

approximately 9 unlisted species (covered species). The Plan would have

minimization and mitigation measures for each covered species.

Alternative D involves a Candidate Conservation Agreement with

minimization and mitigation measures for anadromous salmonids and bull

trout and take avoidance for all threatened and endangered species.

The environmental review of this project will be conducted in

accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and implementing

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508), other appropriate Federal

laws and regulations, and policies and procedures of the Services for

compliance with those regulations. It is estimated that the draft EIS

will be available for public review and comment during the first

quarter of 1999.

Date: January 19, 1999.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Fish and Wildlife Service,

Portland, Oregon.

Date: February 1, 1999.

Kevin Collins,

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-2795 Filed 2-4-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F, 4310-55-F