Long Prong Project, Boise National Forest, Idaho

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Long Prong Project, Boise National Forest, Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement

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SUMMARY: The Cascade Ranger District of the Boise National Forest will

prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for an integrated

resource management project in the headwaters of Clear Creek, a

tributary of the North Fork Payette River below Cascade Reservoir. The

project area is located 10 miles east of Cascade, Idaho, and about 100

miles north of Boise, Idaho.

The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope of

the analysis. The agency also hereby gives notice of the environmental

analysis and decision-making process that will occur on the proposal so

interested and affected people are aware of how they may participate

and contribute to the final decision. At this time, no public meetings

to discuss the project are planned.

Proposed Action: Five primary objectives have been identified for

the project: (1) Improve timber stand health so that stands are more

resilient to damaging forest insects and diseases, and uncharacteristic

wildfires; (2) improve long-term stand growth to or near levels

indicative of sustainable forest; (3) provide wood products to support

local economies and stumpage receipts sufficient to yield a significant

positive return to the U.S. Treasury and trust funds; (4) reduce

management-induced sediment by closing and/or rehabilitating roads that

are not needed for long-term resource management, and: (5) where

consistent with other project objectives, pursue opportunities to

enhance aspen stands.

The Proposed Action would treat a total of 2,203 acres in the

67.637-acre Gold Fork/Clear Creek Management Area (MA 53). An estimated

13.0 MMBF of timber would be harvested using ground-based (857 acres),

skyline (495 acres), and helicopter (851 acres) yarding systems. The

Proposed Action would employ a variety of silvicultural prescriptions

including clearcut with reserve trees (389 acres), commercial thin/

sanitation (833 acres), final removal shelterwood (90 acres),

sanitation/improvement (490 acres), seed cut shelterwood (110 acres),

and commercial thin/final removal (291 acres). The existing

transportation system would be improved to facilitate log haul and

reduce sedimentation with individual sections of 2.6 miles of road

being reconstructed. An estimated 1.4 miles of specified road and 0.4

mile of temporary road would be constructed to facilitate harvest. In

addition, 1.6 miles of road not needed for the long-term management of

the area would be decommissioned and 1.5 miles closed year-round to

motorized use with the exception of snowmobiles.

Three 30-acre units would be treated to enhance aspen regeneration.

All competing coniferous trees less than 20 inches in diameter would be

cut down and the areas burned with a helitorch. Mature aspen may also

need to be felled to create sufficient fuels to sustain the burn. No

construction of fireline would be necessary on these sites.

Prescribed fire would be used on an area roughly 750 acres in size

to reduce natural fuels, with a secondary objective of enhancing aspen

rejuvenation. No construction of fireline would be necessary on this

site.

Preliminary Issues: Preliminary concerns with the proposed action

include: (1) potential loss of pileated woodpecker and boreal owl

nesting habitat; (2) possible degradation of fisheries habitat,

particularly in the East Fork of Clear Creek; (3) adverse impacts on

recreational access, and; (4) impacts on the visual quality of the

area.

Possible Alternatives to the Proposed Action: Three alternatives to

the proposed action have been discussed thus far: (1) a no action

alternative; (2) an alternative to mitigate potential impacts on

pileated woodpecker and boreal owl nesting habitat, and; (3) an

alternative that would mitigate increases in sediment delivery to the

East Fork of Clear Creek. Other alternatives may be developed as issues

are identified and information received.

Decisions to be Made: The Boise National Forest Supervisor will

decide the following: Should roads be built and timber harvested within

the Long Prong Project Area at this time, and if so; where within the

project area, and how many miles of road should be built; and which

stands should be treated and what silvicultural systems should be used?

What mitigation/watershed enhancement measures should be applied to the

project? Should the decommissioning of portions of roads 405B and 405B2

and/or other existing roads be implemented at this time? Should

prescribed fire be used in the project area at this time, and if so;

where within the project area? Should aspen rejuvenation treatments be

implemented in the project area at this time, and if so; where within

the project area?

DATES: Written comments concerning the proposed project and analysis

are encouraged and should be postmarked on or before May 17, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Steve Patterson, Cascade

Ranger District, P.O. Box 696, Cascade, ID 83611. Comments received in

response to this request will be available for public inspection and

will be released in their entirety if requested pursuant to the Freedom

of Information Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further information can be obtained

from Steve Patterson at the address mentioned above or by calling 208-

382-7430.

Schedule: Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), June 1999,

Final Environmental Impact Statement, August 1999.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A similar proposed action was scoped in

November 1998 with the intention of preparing an environmental

assessment (EA). In addition to public announcements in the ``The Idaho

Statesman'' (November 21, 1998) and the ``The Long Valley Advocate''

(November 25, 1998), a scoping package describing the proposed action

was mailed to 34 individuals and/or groups. In response to those

scoping efforts, written comments were received from 10 interested

parties. Comments received from those efforts will be incorporated into

this analysis.

[[Page 18599]]

The comment period on the DEIS 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

the DEIS 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 DEIS stage but are not raised until after

completion of the FEIS may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City

of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1002 (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 DEIS

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. 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.

Responsible Official

David D. Rittenhouse, Forest Supervisor, Boise National Forest,

1249 South Vinnel Way, Boise, ID 83709.

Dated: April 7, 1999.

David D. Rittenhouse,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-9385 Filed 4-14-99; 8:45 am]

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