Keystone-Quartz Ecosystem Management Project, Beaverhead- Deerlodge National Forest, Beaverhead County, Montana

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Keystone-Quartz Ecosystem Management Project, Beaverhead-

Deerlodge National Forest, Beaverhead County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact

statement to document the analysis and disclose the environmental

impacts of a proposed action to manipulate forest and range vegetation

on about 1200 acres. This area lies at the northern end of the Pioneer

Mountains, three miles south of Wise River, Montana.

The proposed action would thin about 1042 acres of Douglas-fir

forest to improve wildlife habitat, release about 85 acres of aspen/

shrub communities to restore wildlife habitat, thin about 21 acres of

dense lodgepole pine to improve overall forest health, and restore

about 43 acres of shrub/grass habitat that has been lost to conifer

succession.

DATES: Initial comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be

received in writing no later than April 26, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The responsible official is Cynthia A. Tencick, District

Ranger, Wise River Ranger District, PO Box 100, Wise River, MT 59762.

Send written comments to the responsible official.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Quinn, Interdisciplinary Team

Leader, Wise River Ranger District, or phone: (406) 683-3900.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: About 65% of the Douglas-fir thinning will

be done using slashing and prescribed fire, and 35% using wood product

removal and prescribed fire. Aspen/shrub restoration will be done using

commercial timber harvest. Lodgepole pine thinning will be done by the

sale of fence materials. Shrub/grass restoration will be done using

slashing and prescribed fire.

The project area is located in the Keystone, Spring, Titan, Lime

Kiln and Quartz Hill drainages (T1S, R11W, Sections 10, 11, 12 and 14;

and T1S, R10W, Sections 16, 17, 20, 29 and 30). The scope of this

proposal is limited to specific forest thinning, timber harvest,

prescribed burning and other stand treatments, area improvements and

related mitigation requirements lying within the affected area.

Public participation is important to this analysis. Part of the

goal of public involvement is to identify additional issues and to

refine the general, tentative issues. A scoping notice describing the

project was mailed to those who requested information on timber harvest

and burning activities on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been involved in

the development of this proposal and will be consulted through the

analysis and decision making process. The United States Fish and

Wildlife Service will be consulted concerning effects to threatened and

endangered species.

Preliminary issues identified by Forest Service specialists include

effects to vegetation, wildlife habitat, and the existing character of

inventoried roadless areas. Timber harvest and

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prescribed fire are proposed in Inventoried Roadless Area 1-010. No

road building is proposed in an inventoried roadless area. The analysis

will consider all reasonably foreseeable activities, including proposed

actions on adjacent BLM lands.

People may visit with Forest Service officials at any time during

the analysis and prior to the decision. Two periods are specifically

designated for comments on the analysis: (1) During the scoping process

and (2) during the draft EIS period.

During the scoping process, the Forest Service is seeking

additional information and comments from Federal, State and local

agencies and other individuals or organization who may be interested in

or affected by the proposed action. The agency invites written comments

and suggestions on this action, particularly in terms of identification

of issues and alternative development.

The draft EIS should be available for review in April, 1999. The

final EIS is scheduled for completion in June, 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.

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

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

The responsible official who will make the decision on this

proposal after considering comments and responses, environmental

consequences discussed in the final EIS, and applicable laws,

regulations, and policies. The decision and reasons for the decision

will be documented in a Record of Decision.

Dated: March 29, 1999.

Cynthia A. Tencick,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 99-8896 Filed 4-8-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M