Pendola Fire Restoration Project, Tahoe National Forest, Yuba County, CA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Pendola Fire Restoration Project, Tahoe National Forest, Yuba

County, CA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Tahoe

National Forest, will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for proposed timber salvage, wildlife habitat improvement, and non-

native and invasive plant control projects within the 2,600-acre

National Forest System land portion of the Pendola Fire Restoration

Project analysis area located just north of Bullards Bar Reservoir and

west of the town of Camptonville, California, near the Pendola Ranch.

The project area is located within all or portions of T18N, R07E; T18N;

R08E; T19N, R07E; and T19N, R08E MDB&M.

The agency invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the

analysis. In addition, the agency gives notice of the full

environmental analysis and decision-making 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.

DATES: Comments should be made in writing and postmarked by January 7,

2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the project should be directed

to U.S.F.S., Tahoe National Forest, Downieville Ranger District, ATTN:

Dennis Stevens, 15924 Highway 49, Camptonville, CA 95922.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeane Masquelier, District Ranger, or

Dennis Stevens, Project Manager, Downieville Ranger District,

Camptonville, CA 95922 at (530) 288-3231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 16, 1999, the Pendola wildfire

started just north of Bullards Bar Reservoir. Before being controlled,

the fire consumed over 4,565 acres of land on the northeast side of the

reservoir, with approximately 2,600 of these acres being National

Forest System lands. These 2,600 acres of National Forest System lands

are being analyzed for projects within the Pendola Fire Restoration

analysis area. The analysis area incorporates land within the Upper

Mill Creek, Lower Mill Creek, Bridger Creek, North Yuba Arm of Bullards

Bar Reservoir, and the Willow Creek Arm of Bullards Bar Reservoir

watersheds, all of which drain into the North Yuba River, on which

Bullards Bar Reservoir is situated. Located west of Camptonville,

California, and north of and immediately adjacent to the reservoir at

around 2,000 to 2,500 feet in elevation, the area is dominated by mixed

conifer and hardwood forest, of which over 70 percent burned with

moderate to high intensity, leaving scattered live tress, small patches

of live trees, and many

[[Page 71407]]

areas that completely burned. The remaining 30 percent burned with a

lower intensity, leaving partially burned or lightly underburned areas.

This loss of vegetation has resulted in large areas of exposed soils,

large amounts or new fuels, and the loss of standing timber. The fire

also affected other important resources, such as wildlife habitat,

visual quality, historic and prehistoric sites, fisheries, sensitive

plant and animal species, and water quality.

In preparing the Environmental Impact Statement, the Forest Service

will identify and analyze a range of alternatives that address the

issues developed for this area. One of the alternatives will be no

treatment. An ecological approach will be used to achieve multiple-use

management of the Pendola Fire area. It also means that the needs of

people and environmental values will be blended in such a way that this

area's desired condition would represent a diverse healthy, productive,

and sustainable ecosystem.

Public participation will be important during the analysis,

especially during the review of the draft Environmental Impact

Statement. The Forest Service is seeking information, comments, and

assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and other

individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected by

the proposed action. We have already initiated consultation with the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the bald eagle and the

California red-legged frog. This input will be used in preparation of

the draft Environmental Impact Statement. The scoping process includes:

1. Identifying potential issues.

2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.

3 Eliminating insignificant issues or those which have been covered

by a relevant previous environmental analysis.

4. Exploring additional alternatives.

5. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed

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

and connected actions).

6. Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.

Comments from other Federal, State, and local agencies,

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

by, the decision are encouraged to identify other significant issues.

Public participation will be solicited through mailing letters to

mining claim owners, private land owners, and special use permitees

within the Downieville Ranger District boundaries; posting information

in local towns; and mailing letters to local timber industries,

politicians, school boards, county supervisors, and environmental

groups. A public meeting is scheduled for January 6, 2000, at the

Downieville District Ranger Station office, in Camptonville, CA, from 2

pm until 5 pm.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency and be available for public review in February, 2000.

The comment period on the draft Environmental Impact Statement 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 very

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 Impact Statement 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 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 of 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 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 final Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be

available by April, 2000. The responsible official, the Forest

Supervisor of the Tahoe National Forest, 631 Coyote St., Nevada City,

CA 95959, will document the decision and reasons for the decision in

the Record of Decision.

Dated: December 13, 1999.

Steven T. Eubanks,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-32953 Filed 12-20-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M