Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Programmatic Management Plan, Boise, Bitterroot, Nez Perce, Payette, and Salmon- Challis National Forests; Boise, Custer, Idaho, Lemhi and Valley Counties, ID

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Programmatic

Management Plan, Boise, Bitterroot, Nez Perce, Payette, and Salmon-

Challis National Forests; Boise, Custer, Idaho, Lemhi and Valley

Counties, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to document the analysis. It will disclose the

environmental impacts of proposed actions to develop goals and

objectives, describe desired future condition(s), establish indicators

and standards, delineate management zones, develop management

prescriptions and establish monitoring requirements for the Frank

Church-River of No Return Wilderness, an area of 2,361,767 acres in

Central Idaho. This Wilderness contains both the Middle Fork and Main

Salmon Wild Rivers and the Upper Selway Wild River.

The action will amend the existing Land and Resource Management

Plans as part of the Final Environmental Impact Statement. This new

management direction will apply to projects implemented after site-

specific analysis has been conducted. The coordinated management

direction established by the Record of Decision for the Final

Environmental Impact Statement will be incorporated into all land and

resource management plans within the administrative boundaries of the

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described

in this Notice should be received on or before December 30, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to FC-RONR Wilderness Coordinator,

P.O. Box 729, Salmon, ID 83467.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ken Wotring, Wilderness Coordinator, Frank Church-River of No Return

Wilderness, 208-756-5131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS will update the existing Management

Plans and the Land and Resource Management (Forest) Plans that govern

the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness by developing goals and

objectives, describing Desired Future Conditions, selecting indicators

of wilderness conditions, establishing standards for these indicators,

identifying possible management actions for sites where standards could

be or are being exceeded, delineating management zones, developing

management prescriptions and establishing monitoring requirements for

the Bitterroot, Boise, Nez Perce, Payette and Salmon-Challis National

Forests lands within this wilderness area.

Preliminary issues identified to date include:

What effect will management decisions have on the

Wilderness' ecological values and the preservation of natural

biodiversity?

How will exotic plants and animals be managed?

Will expanding exotic plant and animal populations

significantly affect wilderness values?

Will management actions have an effect on fish habitat,

particularly salmon and steelhead trout?

Will natural fire regimes and fire management practices be

affected?

Will wildlife species and their habitats be impacted by

this action?

How will existing mining claims be affected by this

action?

Will it be possible to establish long term baseline

monitoring of the wilderness resource after implementation of this

decision?

How will research be affected by this decision?

What will be the effects of human waste and litter

impacts?

Will it be possible to minimize user impacts and reduce

crowding to ensure a positive wilderness experience?

How will recreational activities be managed to allow for

use while minimizing impacts to the natural resource and wilderness

experience?

How can the Wilderness' cultural and historical values be

protected and maintained while at the same time be share with the

public?

How will unique qualities and management policies of the

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, such as authorized

motorboats on the main Salmon River and established aircraft use, be

effected by this decision?

How can stock use be managed while minimizing impacts to

the natural resource and wilderness experience?

How will the decision affect consistency and uniformity in

regulations, cooperation among Ranger Districts and accountability in

management?

How can outfitters and guides be encouraged to perpetuate

the wilderness resource and wilderness experience?

How can the state and private inholders be encouraged to

manage their lands in a manner compatible with the surrounding

Wilderness?

How can trails and trailhead facilities be managed to

provide access while minimizing impacts to the resource?

Can river traffic be managed in an equitable manner that

minimizes impacts to the river and the river experience?

What is the appropriate amount, type and level of

development and maintenance for adjacent roads and roadside facilities?

How should aircraft access be managed?

What is the appropriate level of development and

maintenance for airstrips?

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 Service 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 EIS and

Final EIS. For most effective use, comments on potential issues should

be submitted to the Forest Service within 45 days from the date of

publication of this Notice in the Federal Register. Neutrally

facilitated public meetings will be held in Grangeville, McCall, Boise,

Pocatello, and Salmon, Idaho, and Hamilton, Montana, on December 5, 6,

7, 8, 9, and 10, 1994, respectively, for the purpose of identifying

issues, developing Desired Future Conditions and mapping potential

management zones. A response card will be mailed to the persons and

organizations on the ``Frankly Speaking'' mailing list. Similarly

facilitated public meetings will be held in Cascade, Idaho Falls,

Lewiston, and Nampa, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana, to solicit comments

on potential indicators, standards and management prescriptions.

Response cards will again be sent to the ``Frankly Speaking'' mailing

list to solicit input on these topics. Agency-sponsored open house

meetings will be held at the Forest Headquarters offices of the

Bitterroot, Boise, Caribou, Nez Perce, Payette and Salmon-Challis

National Forests to gather comments on the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement. The date, time and location of all of the above meetings

will be published in ``The Idaho Statesman'' (Boise, Idaho), ``The

Missoulian'' (Missoula, Montana), ``The Lewiston Tribune'' (Lewiston,

Idaho), ``The Star News (McCall, Idaho), ``The Post Register'' (Idaho

Falls, Idaho) and ``The Recorder-Herald'' (Salmon, Idaho).

Preparation of the EIS will include the following steps:

1. Define the purpose of and need for action.

2. Identify potential issues, desired future conditions and

management zones.

3. Eliminate issues of minor importance or those that have been

covered by previous and relevant environmental analysis.

4. Select issues to be analyzed in depth.

5. Identify prospective indicators, standards and management

prescriptions.

7. Identify reasonable alternatives to the proposed action.

8. Describe the affected environment.

9. Identify the potential environmental effects of the

alternatives.

10. Select monitoring requirements.

Steps 2, 3, and 4 will be completed through the scoping process.

Steps 5 will consider a range of alternatives developed from the

key issues. One of these will be the ``No Action'' alternative, in

which the existing management direction would be maintained. Other

alternatives will consider various combinations of indicators,

standards, management zones and management prescriptions in response to

issues.

Step 8 will describe the physical, biological and social attributes

of the area to be affected by this proposal, with special attention to

the environmental factors that could be adversely affected.

Step 9 will analyze the environmental effects of each alternative.

This analysis will provide the rationale for amending the Land and

Resource Management (Forest) Plans and will be consistent with National

Forest Management Act requirements. The direct, indirect, and

cumulative effects of each alternative will be analyzed and documented.

In addition, management prescription or management zone specific

mitigation measures will be identified and the effectiveness of these

mitigation measures will be disclosed.

The approximate boundary of the area used for this analysis is the

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness which includes almost the

entire Middle Fork Salmon River drainage, the Main Salmon River

drainage from Wheat Creek downstream to the South Fork Salmon River,

excluding Little Mallard and Robertson Creeks and that portion of the

Main Salmon River downstream from the South Fork Salmon River to Huntz

Gulch on the South side of the river, the Big Creek drainage downstream

from Smith Creek, and the South Fork Salmon River downstream from Knob

Creek. A total of 2,361,767 acres in four counties (Custer, Idaho,

Lemhi and Valley) is included in this Wilderness area. For a map,

please refer to the ``Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (North

Half, South Half), available from the USDA, Forest Service,

Intermountain Region, Ogden Utah 84401.

The proposed management activities would be administered by the

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Headquarters in Lemhi

County, Idaho.

Agency representatives and other interested people are invited to

visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the EIS process.

Three specific time periods are identified for the receipt of formal

comments on the analysis. The three comment periods are, (1) during the

scoping process, (2) during the draft indicators and standards

identification and management prescriptions development phase, and (3)

during the formal review period of the Draft EIS.

The Draft EIS is estimated to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in October

1995. At that time, the EPA will publish an availability notice of the

Draft EIS in the Federal Register.

The comment period on the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the date

the Environmental Protection Agency's notice of availability appears in

the Federal Register. It is very important that those interested in

this proposed action participate at that time. To be most helpful,

comments on the Draft EIS should be as specific as possible and may

address the adequacy of the statement of merits of the alternatives

discussed (see The Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for

implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental

Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3).

In addition, Federal court decisions have established that

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 reviewers' positions and

contentions. ``Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDDC'', 435 U.S.

519, 553 (1978). Environmental objections that could have been raised

at the draft stage may be waived if not raised until after completion

of the final environmental impact statement. ``City of Angoon v.

Hodel,'' (9th Circuit,m 1986 and ``Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v.

Harris,'' 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this

is to ensure 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.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns related to the proposed action, comments on the Draft EIS

should be as specific as possible. Referring to specific pages or

chapters of the Draft EIS is most helpful. Comments may also address

the adequacy of the Draft EIS or the merits of the alternative

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, 40

CFR 1503.3, in addressing these points.

The final EIS is expected to be released December 1, 1995.

The Lead Forest Supervisory for the Frank Church-River of No Return

Wilderness, who is the Responsible Official for the EIS, will then make

a decision regarding this proposal after considering the comments,

responses, and environmental consequences discussed in the Final

Environmental Impact Statement, and applicable laws, regulations, and

policies. The reasons for the decision will be documented in a Record

of Decision.

Dated: November 15, 1994.

Charles C. Wildes,

Lead Forest Supervisor, FC-RONR Wilderness.

[94-30047-Filed 12-6-94; 8:45 am]

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