Helicopter Landing Tours on the Juneau Icefield EIS 2000, Tongass National Forest, Chatham Area, Juneau Ranger District, Juneau, Alaska

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Helicopter Landing Tours on the Juneau Icefield EIS 2000, Tongass

National Forest, Chatham Area, Juneau Ranger District, Juneau, Alaska

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental

impacts of authorizing helicopter landing tours on the icefield

adjacent to Juneau, Alaska. The proposed action is to issue special use

permits (2000-2004) authorizing helicopter tour companies to land on

the Juneau Icefield at specified locations and conduct tours. In

addition to the regular glacier tours, this EIS will also analyze the

effects of dogsled tours, glacier trekking tours, and a combined fixed-

wing/helicopter tour that would land at the lake at Antler Glacier. The

majority of use would occur between May and September of each year.

Tours would originate at private heliports and helicopter flight paths

would transit a variety of private and municipal lands prior to

entering the National Forest.

The proposed action would maintain the authorized helicopter

landings on the Juneau Icefield at the 1999 level of 19,039 landings.

The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from Federal,

State, and local agencies as well as individuals and organizations who

may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed action.

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

in writing by March 9, 1999. A public meeting will be held at the

Juneau Ranger District on February 25 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

District staff will be available at this open house to explain the

project, accept your comments, and answer questions.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the analysis

should be sent to Roger Birk, Environmental Coordinator, Juneau Ranger

District Office, 8465 Old Dairy Road, Juneau, Alaska 99801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Birk, Environmental Coordinator,

Juneau Ranger District Office, 8465 Old Dairy Road, Juneau, Alaska

99801, (907) 586-8800, fax number (907) 586-8808. Email may be sent to

rbirk/[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose and need for the proposed action

is to meet public demand for quality guided services which provide safe

access to remote locations on the Juneau Icefield. Meeting this demand

includes providing for visitor safety and an appropriate balance

between commercial guided recreation opportunities and non-commercial,

non-guided recreation opportunities without unacceptable impacts to

other forest users and resources.

Peter Griffin, Juneau District Ranger, Tongass National Forest,

Chatham Area, is the deciding official. The decision to be made is

whether or not to issue special use permits for helicopter landing

tours as requested, and if permits are issued, decide the levels to be

authorized and the mitigation measures, if any, that will be required.

The no action and proposed action alternatives will be considered

in the EIS as well as other alternatives which address significant

issues and satisfy the purpose and need for the action.

Preliminary issues that have been identified include helicopter

noise disturbance to residential areas, wildlife, and ground-based

recreation users.

In 1992 an environmental assessment and in 1995 an environmental

impact statement were prepared to analyze the effects of these tours.

Comments from the EA and EIS were used to identify issues for this EIS.

Comments will be accepted throughout the EIS process but, to be most

useful, should be received by March 9, 1999.

The draft environmental impact statement should be available for

review by August 1, 1999. The comment period of 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 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,

#533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the

draft environmental impact statement stage that are not raised until

after the 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. 1335, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,

it is very important that those interested in this proposed action

participate at 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 meaningful 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 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 statement. Comments may also

address the adequacy 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 EIS and Record of Decision is expected to be released in

November, 1999. The Juneau District Ranger, Chatham Area, Tongass

National Forest will, as the responsible official for the EIS, make a

decision regarding this proposal considering the comments, responses,

and environmental consequences discussed in the Final EIS, and

applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The decision and

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supporting reasons will be documented in the Record of Decision.

Dated: February 3, 1999.

John H. Favro,

Acting District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 99-4091 Filed 2-18-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M