Mills Creek-Iditarod Trail Hut-to-Hut System Project on the Chugach National Forest, Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK, 23836-23838 [05-8880]
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23836
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 86 / Thursday, May 5, 2005 / Notices
Title: Child and Adult Care Food
Program Regulations.
OMB Number: 0584–0055.
Expiration Date: June 30, 2007.
Type of Request: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: The Rule amends the Child
and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
regulations to implement section
119(d)(1) of the Child Nutrition and
WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Public
Law 108–265, which stipulates that the
agreement between a sponsoring
organization and family or group day
care home participating in the CACFP is
permanent and remains in effect until
terminated by either party. This change,
which was effective on June 30, 2004,
will reduce the administrative workload
and paperwork burden of sponsoring
organizations, by eliminating the
periodic renewal of agreements with
their family or group day care homes.
Estimate of Burden: There are
currently 966 day care home sponsors in
CACFP affected by this .083 reduction
in burden hours. The provisions of 7
CFR 226.15(e) reduces the burden for
the 966 sponsors of family day care
homes. However, the provisions of 7
CFR 226.15(e) do not apply to the
remaining 19,615 independent centers
and sponsors of day care centers. Those
19,615 centers and sponsors still incur
6.083 hours of burden. Therefore, there
is a decrease of 80 hours in the annual
burden.
Number of Respondents: 2,980,467
respondents.
Average Number of Responses per
Respondent: 2.21 response/respondent.
Total Annual Responses: 6,614,371
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: .87
hour.
Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 5,781,950 burden hours.
Dated: April 26, 2005.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 05–8909 Filed 5–4–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Mills Creek—Iditarod Trail Hut-to-Hut
System Project on the Chugach
National Forest, Kenai Peninsula
Borough, AK
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will
prepare an Environmental Impact
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Statement (EIS) on a proposal from the
Alaska Mountain and Wilderness
Alaska Huts (Alaska Huts) to construct
a backcountry hut-to-hut system
traversing over 28 miles of trail and
existing road. Approximately 16 new
miles of trail would be constructed with
this project. The majority of all
components of this project will occur on
Chugach National Forest land in the
Kenai Peninsula Borough.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by June
6, 2005.
The Draft EIS is expected to be filed
with the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and to be available for
public review during the winter of
2005/2006. At that time, EPA will
publish a Notice of Availability of the
Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The
comment period on the Draft EIS will be
45 days from the date the EPA publishes
the Notice of Availability in the Federal
Register. The Final EIS is scheduled to
be completed in the summer of 2006.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments
concerning this notice to the Chugach
National Forest, ATTN: Hut-to-Hut, PO
Box 390, Seward, AK 99664. E-mail
comments may be sent to: commentsalaska-chugach@fs.fed.us [Subject: Hutto-Hut].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Kromrey, Seward Ranger District
Public Services Staff, Chugach National
Forest, (907) 224–4105.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
information presented in this notice is
included to help the reviewer determine
if they are interested in or potentially
affected by the proposed action.
Background
Over the past seven years the Alaska
Mountain and Wilderness Huts
Association, a non profit organization,
has expressed interest to the Chugach
National Forest to establish a remote
system of huts for skiing and hiking in
the backcountry. Through the
development of the Forest Plan a hut-tohut system was determined to be
desirable and incorporated into
management area direction. In June
2002 the Chugach National Forest
received a formal proposal from the
Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts
Association (Alaska Huts) requesting the
issuance of a long term special use
permit authorizing them to construct
and operate four backcountry huts in
the Ptarmigan Lake and Snow River
drainage areas on the Kenai Peninsula.
The Forest Service reviewed their
proposal and through public
involvement and the special uses
screening process their proposed areas
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were eliminated from consideration.
The Alaska Huts submitted a revised
proposal for a hut-to-hut system in the
Mills Creek-Johnson Pass Trail-Center
Creek areas, also on the Kenai
Peninsula. The Forest accepted this
proposal in November 2004.
Purpose and Need for Action
The Chugach National Forest Revised
Land and Resource Management Plan
(RFP) identified Recreational
Opportunities, Access and Facilities as
one of the major areas of emphasis to be
accomplished through implementation
of the RFP (RFP pgs 3–1, 3–7 to 3–9).
This includes a wide range of diverse,
quality, recreational opportunities
including the need to better disperse
recreational capacity be developing new
facilities and trails in response to user
demands. In addition, the RFP
identified the need to provide recreation
opportunities for interpretation and
education through a variety of means
both on and off the Forest (RFP pgs 3–
8 to 3–9).
The purpose and need for this project
is to:
1. Provide additional remote
recreational use facilities (huts) and
trails that would extend the ability of
the Kenai Peninsula to accommodate
increased recreation use by drawing
users away from the established road
system, without diminishing the area’s
natural quality. There is a need to
provide more recreational capacity to
meet the increase demand for developed
recreational facilitates for both summer
and winter uses; provide new trails into
undeveloped areas on the Kenai
Peninsula to encourage recreation use
away from the heavy concentrated use
areas; and allow longer winter
recreation trips to occur.
2. Provide opportunities for
interpretation and education as related
to forest resources in the Mills Creek,
Stormy Pass, Ohio Creek, and Center
Creek areas. There is a need to provide
backcountry recreation users
information, resource interpretation,
and education about the histories about
the Mills Creek, Stormy Pass, and
Center Creek areas. Having overnight
campers concentrated at designated huts
provides the opportunity to reach users
with interpretative and educational
messages. In addition, Outfitted and
Guided hikes into the huts would
provide additional education about the
natural resources of the area.
3. Provide a viable, high quality and
unique recreation experience. There is a
need to provide the permitted operator
with a long-term (20-year) permit so the
proponent can make the investment and
business decisions needed to provide a
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 86 / Thursday, May 5, 2005 / Notices
viable, high quality, and unique
recreation experience.
Proposed Action
The Chugach National Forest
proposes to allow a permitee to
construct a backcountry hut-to-hut
system traversing over 28 miles of trail
and roads between Mills Creek via
Stormy Pass to Johnson Pass to Center
Creek and east to Center Creek Pass.
There would be approximately 16 miles
of new trail constructed with this
project. The new trails would be
designated non-motorized use yearround. The portion of Johnson Pass
Trail that is within the project boundary
would remain open to motorized use
during the winter season. The four
backcountry huts would be strategically
placed 5–8 miles apart allowing visitors
to travel between huts at a comfortable
pace, even in unfavorable weather
conditions. Where feasible, each hut
would be placed off the main trail
system via a spur trail. An emergency
shelter is also proposed on Stormy
Creek Pass to provide shelter during
inclement weather.
The hut facilities would be owned
and operated by a third party under
special use authorization. Each hut
would accommodate a maximum of 20
guests per night. Other facilities
associated with each hut would include
a heating source for warmth
(combination of wood, heating oil or
propane); propane for cooking and some
lights; solar panel for lighting; toilet
facilities (composting and/or pit/vault);
communal fire ring; water; grey water
system; foot paths; and up to four
outbuildings to provide storage for
firewood, propane, heating oil, food;
sauna; and toilet facilities. In addition,
there maybe up to four tent platforms
located near the hut to allow outdoor
sleeping.
The area immediately surrounding
each hut, other facilities, and associated
activities is called the Concentrated Use
Area (CUA). Each CUA would impact an
area approximately 1.5 acres. Efforts
would be made to minimize the removal
of trees and other vegetation. In addition
to the hut related facilities, a helicopter
landing site would be needed solely for
supply restocking purposes and may
affect up to 0.2 acres of vegetation. The
helicopter landing site may not be
within the CUA.
Operations of all the huts would offer
a combination of both full service and
self-service accommodations. Full
service accommodations include hut
keepers on site answering questions and
preparing meals at breakfast and dinner
times. In addition, beverages and trail
lunches would also be provided. Self-
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13:10 May 04, 2005
Jkt 205001
service would provide accommodations
for hikers to use sleeping areas, pots and
pans, cooking utensils, etc. Hikers
would be expected to bring their own
food and beverages with them. Both
systems would require reservations.
All four huts would be re-stocked
using a combination of fixed wing and
helicopters. The major re-supply events
would occur during February, April/
May, and October. A maximum of 15
round trip flights per year per hut for resupply would occur. Each re-supply
event would occur over a period of one–
two days. Depending on maintenance
requirements, an additional six flights
per year may be necessary. These flights
would need to be approved in advance.
Staging areas for re-supply would be
Seward Highway milepost 48.8 gravel
pit, the Granite Creek gravel pit (MP 62),
the Spencer gravel pit along the
railroad, and possibly a site near the
intersection of Portage Glacier Hwy. and
Seward Hwy. Summer supply needs
would be hiked, biked, or flown in via
fixed wing. Fixed wing flights (using
tundra tires or floats) are unrestricted by
the RFP and would not entail or
necessitate airstrip development.
To protect resources near each hut a
Resource Protection Area (RPA) would
be identified based on topography and
or trail location. The PRA’s are designed
to protect resources that surround the
huts from over use, possible
contamination of the water sources, hut
user safety, and the back country hut
recreation experience. The RPA’s also
make the management of the area easier
for the special use permittee to maintain
the area and manage the facilities.
Within the RPA’s there would be some
restrictions that may include the
discharge of firearms, use of pack
animals, hunting, motorized use, dogs,
etc.
Construction of each hut would occur
off-site on non-National Forest System
lands closer to population centers. One
or more of the huts would be
constructed from timber harvested offsite from the Forest. Additional
helicopter flights of 2–3 days would
occur to transport all building materials
to each hut site. Up to a 30 foot diameter
yurt would be placed at each hut to
provide shelter for construction
workers. The yurts would be removed
once the huts and associated facilities
are operational.
Five to six new bridges would be
needed on the new trail segments. Each
bridge would be approximately 40–60
feet long crossing various streams. This
would result in two helicopter trips per
bridge to deliver building materials.
New trail and bridge construction
would be phased in with the
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23837
construction of the applicable hut the
trail is accessing.
Preliminary Issues
Listed below are possible issues that
may be related to this project, but are
not limited to:
• Impacts to the natural processes of
the Mills Creek, Stormy Pass, Ohio
Creek, and Center Creek areas (Center
Creek Valley and Pass).
• Impacts to the mountain goats and
Dall sheep.
• Avalanche dangers to winter
recreation users and hut facilities.
• Impacts to anadromous streams in
the project area.
• Impacts to visual due to placement
of developed facilities in the
backcountry.
• Conflicts with other recreation
users and changes in recreation
experience at hut locations.
Responsible Official
The Forest Supervisor, Chugach
National Forest, is the Responsible
Official. The address is Chugach
National Forest Supervisor’s Office,
3301 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99503.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Supervisor, as Responsible
Official, may decide to: (1) Select the
proposed action, (2) select one of the
alternatives, (3) select one of the
alternatives after modifying the
alternative with additional mitigating
measures or combinations of activities
from other alternatives, or (4) select the
no action alternative and take no action
at this time.
Comment Requested
The Forest Service would like to
know of any issues, concerns, and
suggestions you may have about this
proposal. Comments should be as fully
formed as possible to assist us in the
analysis. If you have any questions, or
if something is unclear, contact Karen
Kromrey at 907.224.4105 before
submitting your comments. Although
comments are welcome at any time,
they will be most effective if received by
June 6, 2005.
Send comments to: Chugach National
Forest, ATTN: Hut-to-Hut, 344 4th Ave.,
P.O. Box 390, Seward, AK 99664.
Alternately, e-mail your comments to:
comments-alaska-chugach@fs.fed.us
[Subject: Hut-to-Hut].
Public Meetings
Below are the public meeting dates
and locations for our scoping meetings:
May 23, 2005
5 p.m.–8 p.m. UAA-Commons Room
106, Anchorage, AK.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 86 / Thursday, May 5, 2005 / Notices
5 p.m.–8 p.m. Edgewater Hotel, 5th &
Railroad Ave., Seward, AK 99664.
May 24, 2005
6 p.m.–8 p.m. Moose Pass School,
Moose Pass, AK 99631.
7 p.m.–9 p.m. Community Hall,
Girdwood, AK 99587.
May 25, 2005
5 p.m.–8 p.m. Community Hall, Cooper
Landing, AK 99572.
June 1, 2005
5 p.m.–8 p.m. Soldotna Sports Center,
Soldotna, AK 99669.
Authorization: National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321–4346);
Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508);
U.S. Department of Agriculture NEPA
Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1b).
Reviewer’s Obligation: 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 draft
environmental impact statements must
structure their participation in the
environmental review of the proposal so
that it is meaningful and alerts the
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
environmental impact stage but that are
not raised until after completion of the
final environmental impact statement
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. Wisc. 1980).
Because of these court rulings, it is very
important that those interested in this
proposed action participate by the close
of the comment period so that
substantive comments and objections
are made available to the Forest Service
at the time when it can meaningfully
consider them and respond to them in
the final environmental impact
statement.
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
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13:10 May 04, 2005
Jkt 205001
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, including the
names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the
public record on this proposal and will
be available for public inspection.
Dated: April 28, 2005.
Jim Barry,
Acting Designated Federal Official.
[FR Doc. 05–8914 Filed 5–4–05; 8:45 am]
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21).
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Dated: April 27, 2005.
Joe L. Meade,
Forest Supervisor, Chugach National Forest.
[FR Doc. 05–8880 Filed 5–4–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Tehama County Resource Advisory
Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Tehama County Resource
Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in
Red Bluff, California. Agenda items to
be covered include: (1) Introductions,
(2) Approval of Minutes, (3) Public
Comment, (4) Status of Funded Projects,
(5) Report on Reno Trip, (6) General
Discussion, (7) County Update, (8) Next
Agenda.
DATES: The meeting will be held on May
12, 2005 from 9 a.m. and end at
approximately 12 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Lincoln Street School, Conference
Room A, 1135 Lincoln Street, Red Bluff,
CA. Individuals wishing to speak or
propose agenda items must send their
names and proposals to Jim Giachino,
DFO, 825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows,
CA 95988.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bobbin Gaddini, Committee
Coordinator, USDA, Mendocino
National Forest, Grindstone Ranger
District, PO Box 164, Elk Creek, CA
95939. (530) 968–5329; e-mail
ggaddini@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
meeting is open to the public.
Committee discussion is limited to
Forest Service staff and Committee
members. However, persons who wish
to bring matters to the attention of the
Committee may file written statements
with the Committee staff before or after
the meeting. Public input sessions will
be provided and individuals who made
written requests by May 10, 2005 will
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
have the opportunity to address the
committee at those sessions.
BILLING CODE 3410–4–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To
Revise and Extend an Information
Collection
National Agricultural Statistics
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104–13) and Office of Management
and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part
1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995),
this notice announces the intention of
the National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS) to seek approval to
revise and extend a currently approved
information collection, the Field Crops
Objective Yield Surveys.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by July 5, 2005, to be assured
of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to
Ginny McBride, NASS Clearance
Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Room 5336 South Building, 1400
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250 or sent
electronically to
gmcbride@nass.usda.gov or faxed to
(202) 720–6396.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carol House, Associate Administrator,
National Agricultural Statistics Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, (202)
720–4333.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Field Crops Objective Yield.
OMB Control Number: 0535–0088.
Expiration Date of Approval: October
31, 2005.
Type of Request: Intent to revise and
extend a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: The primary objective of the
National Agricultural Statistics Service
is to prepare and issue State and
national estimates of crop and livestock
production, prices, and disposition. The
Field Crops Objective Yield Surveys
objectively predict yields for corn,
cotton, potatoes, soybeans, and wheat.
Sample fields are randomly selected for
these crops, plots are laid out, and
E:\FR\FM\05MYN1.SGM
05MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 86 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23836-23838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8880]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Mills Creek--Iditarod Trail Hut-to-Hut System Project on the
Chugach National Forest, Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) on a proposal from the Alaska Mountain and Wilderness
Alaska Huts (Alaska Huts) to construct a backcountry hut-to-hut system
traversing over 28 miles of trail and existing road. Approximately 16
new miles of trail would be constructed with this project. The majority
of all components of this project will occur on Chugach National Forest
land in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by June 6, 2005.
The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review during
the winter of 2005/2006. At that time, EPA will publish a Notice of
Availability of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment
period on the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes
the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The Final EIS is
scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2006.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to the Chugach
National Forest, ATTN: Hut-to-Hut, PO Box 390, Seward, AK 99664. E-mail
comments may be sent to: comments-alaska-chugach@fs.fed.us [Subject:
Hut-to-Hut].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Kromrey, Seward Ranger District
Public Services Staff, Chugach National Forest, (907) 224-4105.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information presented in this notice is
included to help the reviewer determine if they are interested in or
potentially affected by the proposed action.
Background
Over the past seven years the Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts
Association, a non profit organization, has expressed interest to the
Chugach National Forest to establish a remote system of huts for skiing
and hiking in the backcountry. Through the development of the Forest
Plan a hut-to-hut system was determined to be desirable and
incorporated into management area direction. In June 2002 the Chugach
National Forest received a formal proposal from the Alaska Mountain and
Wilderness Huts Association (Alaska Huts) requesting the issuance of a
long term special use permit authorizing them to construct and operate
four backcountry huts in the Ptarmigan Lake and Snow River drainage
areas on the Kenai Peninsula. The Forest Service reviewed their
proposal and through public involvement and the special uses screening
process their proposed areas were eliminated from consideration. The
Alaska Huts submitted a revised proposal for a hut-to-hut system in the
Mills Creek-Johnson Pass Trail-Center Creek areas, also on the Kenai
Peninsula. The Forest accepted this proposal in November 2004.
Purpose and Need for Action
The Chugach National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management
Plan (RFP) identified Recreational Opportunities, Access and Facilities
as one of the major areas of emphasis to be accomplished through
implementation of the RFP (RFP pgs 3-1, 3-7 to 3-9). This includes a
wide range of diverse, quality, recreational opportunities including
the need to better disperse recreational capacity be developing new
facilities and trails in response to user demands. In addition, the RFP
identified the need to provide recreation opportunities for
interpretation and education through a variety of means both on and off
the Forest (RFP pgs 3-8 to 3-9).
The purpose and need for this project is to:
1. Provide additional remote recreational use facilities (huts) and
trails that would extend the ability of the Kenai Peninsula to
accommodate increased recreation use by drawing users away from the
established road system, without diminishing the area's natural
quality. There is a need to provide more recreational capacity to meet
the increase demand for developed recreational facilitates for both
summer and winter uses; provide new trails into undeveloped areas on
the Kenai Peninsula to encourage recreation use away from the heavy
concentrated use areas; and allow longer winter recreation trips to
occur.
2. Provide opportunities for interpretation and education as
related to forest resources in the Mills Creek, Stormy Pass, Ohio
Creek, and Center Creek areas. There is a need to provide backcountry
recreation users information, resource interpretation, and education
about the histories about the Mills Creek, Stormy Pass, and Center
Creek areas. Having overnight campers concentrated at designated huts
provides the opportunity to reach users with interpretative and
educational messages. In addition, Outfitted and Guided hikes into the
huts would provide additional education about the natural resources of
the area.
3. Provide a viable, high quality and unique recreation experience.
There is a need to provide the permitted operator with a long-term (20-
year) permit so the proponent can make the investment and business
decisions needed to provide a
[[Page 23837]]
viable, high quality, and unique recreation experience.
Proposed Action
The Chugach National Forest proposes to allow a permitee to
construct a backcountry hut-to-hut system traversing over 28 miles of
trail and roads between Mills Creek via Stormy Pass to Johnson Pass to
Center Creek and east to Center Creek Pass. There would be
approximately 16 miles of new trail constructed with this project. The
new trails would be designated non-motorized use year-round. The
portion of Johnson Pass Trail that is within the project boundary would
remain open to motorized use during the winter season. The four
backcountry huts would be strategically placed 5-8 miles apart allowing
visitors to travel between huts at a comfortable pace, even in
unfavorable weather conditions. Where feasible, each hut would be
placed off the main trail system via a spur trail. An emergency shelter
is also proposed on Stormy Creek Pass to provide shelter during
inclement weather.
The hut facilities would be owned and operated by a third party
under special use authorization. Each hut would accommodate a maximum
of 20 guests per night. Other facilities associated with each hut would
include a heating source for warmth (combination of wood, heating oil
or propane); propane for cooking and some lights; solar panel for
lighting; toilet facilities (composting and/or pit/vault); communal
fire ring; water; grey water system; foot paths; and up to four
outbuildings to provide storage for firewood, propane, heating oil,
food; sauna; and toilet facilities. In addition, there maybe up to four
tent platforms located near the hut to allow outdoor sleeping.
The area immediately surrounding each hut, other facilities, and
associated activities is called the Concentrated Use Area (CUA). Each
CUA would impact an area approximately 1.5 acres. Efforts would be made
to minimize the removal of trees and other vegetation. In addition to
the hut related facilities, a helicopter landing site would be needed
solely for supply restocking purposes and may affect up to 0.2 acres of
vegetation. The helicopter landing site may not be within the CUA.
Operations of all the huts would offer a combination of both full
service and self-service accommodations. Full service accommodations
include hut keepers on site answering questions and preparing meals at
breakfast and dinner times. In addition, beverages and trail lunches
would also be provided. Self-service would provide accommodations for
hikers to use sleeping areas, pots and pans, cooking utensils, etc.
Hikers would be expected to bring their own food and beverages with
them. Both systems would require reservations.
All four huts would be re-stocked using a combination of fixed wing
and helicopters. The major re-supply events would occur during
February, April/May, and October. A maximum of 15 round trip flights
per year per hut for re-supply would occur. Each re-supply event would
occur over a period of one-two days. Depending on maintenance
requirements, an additional six flights per year may be necessary.
These flights would need to be approved in advance. Staging areas for
re-supply would be Seward Highway milepost 48.8 gravel pit, the Granite
Creek gravel pit (MP 62), the Spencer gravel pit along the railroad,
and possibly a site near the intersection of Portage Glacier Hwy. and
Seward Hwy. Summer supply needs would be hiked, biked, or flown in via
fixed wing. Fixed wing flights (using tundra tires or floats) are
unrestricted by the RFP and would not entail or necessitate airstrip
development.
To protect resources near each hut a Resource Protection Area (RPA)
would be identified based on topography and or trail location. The
PRA's are designed to protect resources that surround the huts from
over use, possible contamination of the water sources, hut user safety,
and the back country hut recreation experience. The RPA's also make the
management of the area easier for the special use permittee to maintain
the area and manage the facilities. Within the RPA's there would be
some restrictions that may include the discharge of firearms, use of
pack animals, hunting, motorized use, dogs, etc.
Construction of each hut would occur off-site on non-National
Forest System lands closer to population centers. One or more of the
huts would be constructed from timber harvested off-site from the
Forest. Additional helicopter flights of 2-3 days would occur to
transport all building materials to each hut site. Up to a 30 foot
diameter yurt would be placed at each hut to provide shelter for
construction workers. The yurts would be removed once the huts and
associated facilities are operational.
Five to six new bridges would be needed on the new trail segments.
Each bridge would be approximately 40-60 feet long crossing various
streams. This would result in two helicopter trips per bridge to
deliver building materials. New trail and bridge construction would be
phased in with the construction of the applicable hut the trail is
accessing.
Preliminary Issues
Listed below are possible issues that may be related to this
project, but are not limited to:
Impacts to the natural processes of the Mills Creek,
Stormy Pass, Ohio Creek, and Center Creek areas (Center Creek Valley
and Pass).
Impacts to the mountain goats and Dall sheep.
Avalanche dangers to winter recreation users and hut
facilities.
Impacts to anadromous streams in the project area.
Impacts to visual due to placement of developed facilities
in the backcountry.
Conflicts with other recreation users and changes in
recreation experience at hut locations.
Responsible Official
The Forest Supervisor, Chugach National Forest, is the Responsible
Official. The address is Chugach National Forest Supervisor's Office,
3301 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99503.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Supervisor, as Responsible Official, may decide to: (1)
Select the proposed action, (2) select one of the alternatives, (3)
select one of the alternatives after modifying the alternative with
additional mitigating measures or combinations of activities from other
alternatives, or (4) select the no action alternative and take no
action at this time.
Comment Requested
The Forest Service would like to know of any issues, concerns, and
suggestions you may have about this proposal. Comments should be as
fully formed as possible to assist us in the analysis. If you have any
questions, or if something is unclear, contact Karen Kromrey at
907.224.4105 before submitting your comments. Although comments are
welcome at any time, they will be most effective if received by June 6,
2005.
Send comments to: Chugach National Forest, ATTN: Hut-to-Hut, 344
4th Ave., P.O. Box 390, Seward, AK 99664.
Alternately, e-mail your comments to: comments-alaska-
chugach@fs.fed.us [Subject: Hut-to-Hut].
Public Meetings
Below are the public meeting dates and locations for our scoping
meetings:
May 23, 2005
5 p.m.-8 p.m. UAA-Commons Room 106, Anchorage, AK.
[[Page 23838]]
5 p.m.-8 p.m. Edgewater Hotel, 5th & Railroad Ave., Seward, AK 99664.
May 24, 2005
6 p.m.-8 p.m. Moose Pass School, Moose Pass, AK 99631.
7 p.m.-9 p.m. Community Hall, Girdwood, AK 99587.
May 25, 2005
5 p.m.-8 p.m. Community Hall, Cooper Landing, AK 99572.
June 1, 2005
5 p.m.-8 p.m. Soldotna Sports Center, Soldotna, AK 99669.
Authorization: National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as amended
(42 U.S.C. 4321-4346); Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40
CFR parts 1500-1508); U.S. Department of Agriculture NEPA Policies and
Procedures (7 CFR part 1b).
Reviewer's Obligation: 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 draft environmental impact statements must
structure their participation in the environmental review of the
proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the 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 environmental impact stage but that are
not raised until after completion of the final environmental impact
statement 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. Wisc. 1980). Because of
these court rulings, it is very important that those interested in this
proposed action participate by the close of the comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at the time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond
to them in the final environmental impact statement.
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
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21).
Dated: April 27, 2005.
Joe L. Meade,
Forest Supervisor, Chugach National Forest.
[FR Doc. 05-8880 Filed 5-4-05; 8:45 am]
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