Warm Springs Ridge Vegetation Management Project, Boise National Forest, Boise County, ID

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Warm Springs Ridge Vegetation Management Project, Boise National

Forest, Boise County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Boise National Forest will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental

impacts of a proposed vegetation management project on Warm Springs

Ridge, located within the Lower Grimes Creek, Upper and Middle Mores

Creeks Watersheds.

The Idaho City Ranger District of the Boise National Forest

proposes to treat approximately 14,500 acres of forested lands and

shrublands using timber harvest, silvicultural thinning, and prescribed

fire. Approximately 350 acres of forested lands is under Bureau of Land

Management jurisdiction. Timber harvest would occur on approximately

6,000 acres of overstocked Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine stands

utilizing a combination of silvicultural treatments such as commercial

thinning, shelterwood, seed tree, and sanitation activities.

Noncommercial silviculture thinning treatments would also occur within

portions of the above acres. Yarding systems to implement the harvest

would include tractor/jammer, skyline, and helicopter. In addition,

approximately 2,600 acres of overstocked, noncommercial stands (trees

less than 8 inches in diameter) would be thinned. Cable yarding systems

to remove the material from these stands to existing roads would occur

on approximately 1,300 acres. Prescribed fire activities would occur on

approximately 13,500 acres to reduce fuel loads from timber management

activities, reduce national fuels and the threat of uncharacteristic

fire to the urban interface, and to improve wildlife forage and

habitat. Included in this proposed action are road construction,

reconstruction, and stabilization activities to facilitate timber

harvest and reduce current and long-term sediment delivery from

existing and proposed roads. Approximately 5 miles of new road segments

would be constructed to facilitate timber harvest. Approximately 13

miles of existing roads would be reconstructed to facilitate timber

harvest, and reduce sediment delivery. Approximately 12 miles of

existing roads would be stabilized and/or closed to reduce sediment

delivery.

Comments: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis

described in this Notice should be received by April 26, 1999 to ensure

timely consideration. No scoping meetings are planned at this time.

Send written comments to Kathy Ramirez, Project Coordinator, Idaho City

Ranger District, P.O. Box 129, Idaho City, ID 83631.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions concerning the proposed action and EIS should be directed to

Kathy Ramirez at 208-392-6681.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. The Forest Serivce invites written comments and

suggestions on the issues related to the proposal and the area being

analyzed.

Information received will be used in preparation of the draft and

final EIS. For the most effective use, comments should be submitted to

the Forest Service within 30 days from the date of publication of this

Notice in the Federal Register. The Responsible Official is David D.

Rittenhouse, Forest Supervisor, Boise National Forest. The lead agency

is USDA, Forest Service. The cooperating agency is USDI, Bureau of Land

Management. The decisions to be made are whether timber harvest,

noncommercial thinning, road system management, and prescribed fire

should be implemented on National Forest System and Bureau of Land

Management lands. The preliminary issue identified is increased

sediment levels from the proposal could affect water quality and fish

habitat in Grimes and Mores Creeks which are currently listed under the

State of Idaho Section 303(d) of the Clear Water Act as being water

quality impaired. The pollutant of concern is sediment. The draft EIS

is expected to be available for public review in June 1999, with a

final EIS estimated to be completed in August 1999. The comment period

on the draft EIS 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 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 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 (Ninth Circuit 1986), and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc.

v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these

court rulings, it is important for 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 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 chapter of the draft EIS. Comments

may also address the adequacy of the draft EIS or the merits of the

alternatives formulated and discussed in the draft EIS. 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. Comments

received in response to this solicitation, including names and

addressee of those who comment, will be considered part of the public

record on this proposed action and will be available for public

inspection. Comments submitted

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anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those who submit

anonymous comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent

decision under 36 CFR 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

confidentially should be aware that, under the FOIA, confidentiality

may be granted in only 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 10 days.

Dated: March 12, 1999.

David D. Rittenhouse,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-6795 Filed 3-25-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M