Proposed West Fork Weiser Watershed Projects, Payette National Forest, Idaho

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Proposed West Fork Weiser Watershed Projects, Payette National

Forest, Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) for the proposed West Fork Weiser Watershed Projects,

New Meadows Ranger District, Payette National Forest, Idaho. The

proposed action would harvest timber, obliterate roads to reduce

sediment, close other roads to reduce wildlife vulnerability, control

noxious weeds, and construct a developed campground near Lost Valley

Reservoir. A range of alternatives, including the no action

alternative, will be developed as appropriate to address issues.

The agency invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the

analysis to be included in the draft environmental impact statement

(DEIS). In addition, the agency gives notice of the full environmental

analysis and decision making process that is beginning on the proposal

so that interested and affected people know how they may participate

and contribute to the final decision.

DATE: Comments on the scope of the analysis must be received by April

10, 1999.

ADDRESS: Submit written comments and suggestions concerning the scope

of the analysis to Chris Hescook, West Fork Weiser Watershed Projects

Team Leader, New Meadows Ranger District, Payette National Forest,

Drawer J, New Meadows, Idaho 83654.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action

should be directed to Chris Hescook, phone (208) 634-0608.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Payette National Forest Plan (1988)

provides Forest-wide direction for management of the resources of the

Payette National Forest, including timber. The environmental impact

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statement for the Forest Plan (1988) analyzed a range of alternatives

for management of the West Fork Weiser watershed. The Plan allocated

this area to general forest, including timber management, and assigned

it to Management Area #4. The area has had previous entries for timber

harvest.

As well as Forest-wide direction, the plan gives specific direction

for this management area. It requires integrated protection of multiple

resources including fish, wildlife, range, soil and water, timber, and

fire/fuels.

Public participation will be especially important at several points

during the analysis, particularly during scoping of issues and review

of the DEIS. The first opportunity in the process is scoping, which

includes:

1. Identifying potential issues.

2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in detail.

3. Eliminating insignificant issues or those covered by a

relevant previous environmental analysis.

4. Determining potential cooperating agencies and responsibilities.

The Forest Service will consult with the National Marine Fisheries

Service, Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Department of Interior, or potential impacts to threatened and

endangered species.

Preliminary issues include effects on fisheries, wildlife,

recreation, water quality, and economics.

The second major opportunity for public input is with the DEIS. The

DEIS will analyze a range of alternatives to the proposed action,

including the no-action alternative. The DEIS is expected to be filed

with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for

public review in September, 1999. EPA will then publish a notice of

availability of the DEIS in the Federal Register. Public comments are

invited at that time.

The comment period on the DEIS 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

DEISs must structure their participation in the environmental review of

the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency to the

reviewers 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 DEIS stage but that are not raised until after

completion of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) 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 FEIS.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS 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 DEIS 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.

In the FEIS the Forest Service is required to respond to comments

received (40 CFR 1503.4). The responsible official will consider the

comments, responses, environmental consequences discussed in the FEIS,

and applicable laws, regulations, and policies in making the final

decision regarding this proposal. The responsible official will

document the decision and reasons for it in the Record of Decision.

That decision will be subject to appeal under 36 CFR 215.

David F. Alexander, Forest Supervisor of the Payette National

Forest, McCall, Idaho, is the responsible official for this EIS.

Dated: March 5, 1999.

David F. Alexander,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-6036 Filed 3-10-99; 8:45 am]

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