Clearwater National Forest, ID; Travel Management Plan, 6454-6456 [08-470]
Download as PDF
6454
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 23 / Monday, February 4, 2008 / Notices
State Office, 5353 Yellowstone (P.O.
Box 1828), Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009.
mule deer migration routes in the area
and fragment habitat.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Comment Requested
The Forest Service will determine if
and how the current Forest Plan oil and
gas leasing decision, as it relates to the
44,720 acres, should be changed based
on new information. If a new decision
is determined not to be needed
following preparation of the
Supplemental environmental impact
statement, that determination is not
subject to appeal in accordance with 36
CFR 215.12. The BLM will then decide
whether or not the revised FS NEPA
analysis is adequate, and subsequently
whether to lift the suspension on the
existing leases and whether or not to
issue leases on the other lease parcels.
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process which guides the
development of the supplemental
environmental impact statement.
Early Notice of Importance of Public
Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A Supplemental
DEIS will be prepared for comment. The
comment period on the SDEIS will be
for a perod of 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 a 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 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. Wis. 1980). Because of
these court rulings, it is very important
that those interested in this proposed
action participate by the close of the 45day 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
environmental impact statement. 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. Comments may also address
the adequacy of the DEIS 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.
Scoping Process
Scoping for a supplemental statement
is not required (40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4)),
but due to the length of time since
scoping associated with the current
leasing decision was conducted, the
agencies are soliciting comments
specific to new issues or information.
Letters will be sent to the forest mailing
list of known interested parties. Public
meetings held in 2006 in association
with forest plan revision efforts
generated issues relative to oil and gas
leasing. Comments received during
those meetings will be considered in
this supplemental analysis. The scoping
process will assist the agencies in
identifying specific issues to be
addressed related to the purpose and
need and the scope of the decision. Mail
comments to the addresses given above
for further information. Ongoing
information related to the proposed
action and related analysis will be
posted on the Bridger-Teton National
Forest Web site https://www.fs.fed.us/r4/
btnf.
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
Preliminary Issues
Preliminary issues associated with the
proposed action include:
(1) The drilling and production of
wells subsequent to leasing could
impact air quality and air quality related
values, with emphasis on cumulative
effects due to extensive development in
the Pinedale area.
(2) The T&E listed Lynx, or its habitat,
could be impacted by subsequent
exploration and development activities.
(3) Impacts to water quality due to
subsequent surface disturbing activities
could adversely affect the Colorado
River Cutthroat Trout.
(4) The development of a
transportation system to support field
development could adversely affect
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:15 Feb 01, 2008
Jkt 214001
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21)
Dated: January 25, 2008.
Kniffy Hamilton,
Forest Supervisor, Bridger-Teton National
Forest.
Jane D. Darnell,
Acting Wyoming State Director, Bureau of
Land Management.
[FR Doc. 08–472 Filed 2–1–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Clearwater National Forest, ID; Travel
Management Plan
Forest Service, USDA.
Revised notice; intent to
prepare an environmental impact
statement. The original notice was
published in the Federal Register Vol.
72, No. 228, November 28, 2007/
Notices, pages 67268–67270. A revised
notice was published in the Federal
Register Vol. 72, No. 243, December 19,
2007/Notices, pages 71874–71876.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: On November 28, 2007, the
USDA Forest Service announced its
intent to prepare a travel planning
environmental impact statement (EIS).
The proposed action would designate a
site-specific transportation system and
prohibit indiscriminate cross-country
traffic. The EIS will analyze the effects
of the proposed action and alternatives.
A Revised Notice was published to
extend the due date for scoping
comments to January 11, 2008. This
Revised Notice is being published
because the due date for scoping
comments has been extended to
February 29, 2008. The Clearwater
National Forest invites comments and
suggestions on the issues to be
addressed. The agency gives notice of
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) analysis and decision-making
process on the proposal so interested
and affected members of the public may
participate and contribute to the final
decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by
February 29, 2008. A 45-day public
comment period will follow the release
of the draft environmental impact
statement that is expected in June 2008.
The final environmental impact
statement is expected in January 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send written or electronic
comments to: Lochsa Ranger District,
Kamiah Ranger Station; Attn: Lois
Foster, Interdisciplinary Team Leader;
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 23 / Monday, February 4, 2008 / Notices
Rt. 2, Box 191; Kamiah, ID 83536; Fax
208–935–4275; E-mail commentsnorthern-clearwater@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois
Foster, Interdisciplinary Team Leader,
(208) 935–4258.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose
and Need for Action is to (1) Implement
national OHV Rule direction, (2) Limit
indiscriminate cross-county motorized
travel, (3) Designate selected roads and
trails for motorized travel, (4) Designate
appropriate areas or routes for travel
with oversnow vehicles, (5) Balance
travel opportunities with maintenance
and management capability including
costs, (6) Provide for a better spectrum
of motorized, non-motorized, and nonmechanized travel opportunities across
the CNF in recognition of the need to
retain the character of lands
recommended for Wilderness
designation and the CNF’s ability to
provide for non-motorized recreation
opportunities that are not available on
other land ownerships, (7) Manage
impacts to Forest resources, (8) Improve
clarity and consistency of existing travel
restrictions, and (9) Amend the 1987
Forest Plan as necessary to accomplish
the actions described above.
The need for revision of the Forest
Plan is supported by nationwide
awareness within the Forest Service of
the negative effects of indiscriminate
off-road travel by motorized users.
These concerns led to publication of the
Travel Management final rule on
November 9, 2005 in the Federal
Register, 36 CFR Parts 212, 251, 261,
295 ‘‘Travel Management: Designated
Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle
Use’’ (Federal Register 2005: 79 FR
68264). The rule requires each National
Forest to designate those roads, trails,
and areas that are open to motor vehicle
use. The rule prohibits use of motor
vehicles off the designated system, as
well as use of motor vehicles on routes
and in areas that are not consistent with
the designation. The rule does not
require that over-snow vehicles, such as
snowmobiles, are limited to a
designated system by exempting them
under 121.51, but also states in 212.81
that ‘‘use by over-snow vehicles * * *
on National Forest system lands may be
allowed, restricted, or prohibited.’’ The
CNF chose to include over-snow
vehicles in the analysis.
The Proposed Action would designate
motorized road and trail routes for
summer travel on the Clearwater
National Forest. Existing conditions
include roads and trails identified as
open to motorized travel in the 2005
Travel Guide, plus any error corrections
or project-level NEPA decisions made
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:15 Feb 01, 2008
Jkt 214001
since then. The Proposed Action would
include any changes from existing
conditions, such as road to trail
conversions, designating some roads
previously not thought to be travelable,
and not designating some roads that
were previously thought to be
travelable.
The transportation system for snowfree travel would include:
• 1,623 miles of roads open yearlong
to all highway-legal vehicles (an
increase of 8 miles compared to existing
conditions);
• 509 miles of roads open yearlong to
small vehicles such as ATVs and
motorcycles, but not including UTVs
(an increase of 9 miles);
• 663 miles of roads open seasonally
to all highway-legal vehicles (a decrease
of 13 miles);
• 151 miles of roads open seasonally
to small vehicles (a decrease of 1 mile);
• 93 miles of trails open yearlong to
small vehicles (a change of 0 miles);
• 226 miles of trails open yearlong to
motorcycles (a decrease of 178 miles);
• 75 miles of trails open seasonally to
small vehicles (an increase of 2 miles);
and
• 93 miles of trails open seasonally to
motorcycles (a change of 0 miles).
The proposed action would also
modify the dates of seasonal restrictions
for roads and trails to reduce the variety
of restricted periods, and ultimately
improve the clarity of the Motor Vehicle
Use Map (MVUM). Motorized travel up
to 300 feet off of designated routes to
access established campsites would be
permitted in most areas. In certain areas,
off-route travel would be permitted only
to access specifically designated
campsites.
Existing restrictions for bicycles on all
but one road would be eliminated.
Bicycle restrictions on roads would
drop from a total of 10 miles currently
to only 1 mile, which would be entirely
within the CNF seed orchard. Areas
recommended for wilderness by the
Forest Plan would become off limits to
bicycles. System trails available to
bicycles would drop from 811 miles to
730 miles (a reduction of 81 miles).
Over-snow vehicle use would be
restricted in areas recommended for
wilderness by the Forest Plan. Within
the areas where over-snow vehicle use
would generally be permitted, there
would continue to be some specific
routes where over-snow vehicles would
be restricted. Over-snow vehicle use
would be prohibited forest-wide from
October 1 to November 4. The
transportation system for over-snow
vehicles would include:
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
6455
• 364 miles of groomed snowmobile
routes (no change from existing
conditions);
• 1,322,943 acres generally open to
over-snow vehicles except for certain
restricted routes;
• 3,484 miles of roads where oversnow vehicles would be permitted from
November 5 until snowmelt in the
spring, compared to 3,174 acres
available currently (an increase of 310
acres); and
• 503,057 acres closed to over-snow
vehicles, compared to 302,856 acres
available currently (a decrease of
200,201 acres).
The numbers above are only
approximate at this time.
The existing Forest Plan will be
amended. When the Forest Plan was
completed in 1987, trail vehicles were
few and travel planning was focused
almost completely on roads and
highway vehicles. Motorized use has
increased dramatically since then, and
modern vehicles such as snowmobiles,
ATV’s, and motorcycles have
capabilities that could not have been
envisioned in 1987. The Forest Plan also
contains some conflicting information
regarding the intent for management of
certain areas. Changes may include:
• Better coordination between the
level of motorized travel and the focus
of certain management areas, primarily
those in roadless areas;
• Additions or changes to Forest Plan
standards to permit implementation of
the national Travel Management rule;
and
• Other goals, objectives, and
standards affecting travel management.
Possible Alternatives the Forest
Service will consider include a noaction alternative, which will serve as a
baseline for comparison of alternatives.
The proposed action will be considered
along with additional alternatives that
will be developed to meet the purpose
and need for action, and to address
significant issues identified during
scoping.
The Responsible Official is Thomas K.
Reilly, Clearwater Forest Supervisor,
Clearwater National Forest, 12730
Highway 12, Orofino, ID 83544.
The Decision to be Made is whether
to adopt the proposed action, in whole
or in part, or another alternative; and
what mitigation measures and
management requirements will be
implemented.
The Scoping Period for the EIS is
being extended with this notice. The
scoping process will identify issues to
be analyzed in detail and will lead to
the development of alternatives to the
proposal. The Forest Service is seeking
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
6456
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 23 / Monday, February 4, 2008 / Notices
information and comments from other
Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribal
governments; and organizations and
individuals who may be interested in or
affected by the proposed action.
Comments received in response to this
notice, including the names and
addresses of those who comment, will
be part of the project record and
available for public review. Public
meetings were held on December 18, 19,
and 20, 2007. If additional public
meetings are scheduled, the times, dates
and locations for them will be published
in the Lewiston, Idaho Lewiston
Morning Tribune.
Early Notice of Importance of Public
Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft
environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The second
major opportunity for public input will
be when the Draft EIS is published. The
comment period on the draft
environmental impact statement will be
45 days from the date the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the notice of availability in
the Federal Register. The Draft EIS is
anticipated to be available for public
review in June 2008. 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 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 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
environmental impact statement 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.
Wis. 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 for the Draft EIS 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 environmental impact
statement.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:15 Feb 01, 2008
Jkt 214001
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.
After the comment period for the
Draft EIS ends, the Forest Service will
analyze comments received and address
them in the Final EIS. The Final EIS is
scheduled to be released by January
2009. The Responsible Official (Forest
Supervisor Thomas K. Reilly) will
document the decision and rationale in
a Record of Decision (ROD). The
decision will be subject to review under
Forest Service appeal regulations at 36
CFR Part 215.
Preliminary Issues identified by the
Forest Service interdisciplinary team
include: changing motorized and nonmotorized recreation opportunities,
costs of road and trail management and
maintenance, soil issues, effects on
aquatic environments and species,
effects on wildlife, the spread of
noxious weeds, changes in motorized
access to roads, trails and areas that are
not designated as part of the travel
planning analysis, and motorized access
for people with disabilities.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21)
Dated: January 24, 2008.
Thomas K. Reilly,
Clearwater Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 08–470 Filed 2–1–08; 8:45 am]
Secretary of Agriculture on December
15, 1998 (64 FR 2876), is chartered to
provide advice to the Secretary on
implementing the terms of the Federal
Interagency Partnership on the Lake
Tahoe Region and other matters raised
by the Secretary.
DATES: The meeting will be held
February 15, 2008, beginning at 8:30
a.m. and ending at 10:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the U.S. Forest Service Office, 35
College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA
96150.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arla
Hains, Lake Tahoe Basin Management
Unit, Forest Service, 35 College Drive,
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, (530)
543–2773.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Items to
be covered on the agenda include: (1)
Aquatic Invasive Species update; (2)
SNPLMA Round 9; and, (3) Public
Comment. All Lake Tahoe Basin Federal
Advisory Committee meetings are open
to the public. Interested citizens are
encouraged to attend at the above
address. Issues may be brought to the
attention of the Committee during the
open public comment period at the
meeting or by filing written statements
with the secretary for the Committee
before or after the meeting. Please refer
any written comments to the Lake
Tahoe Basin Management Unit at the
contact address stated above.
Dated: January 25, 2008.
Terri Marceron,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 08–462 Filed 2–1–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Roadless Area Conservation National
Advisory Committee
ACTION:
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory
Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Lake Tahoe Basin Federal
Advisory Committee will hold a
meeting on February 15, 2008 at the
U.S. Forest Service Office, 35 College
Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.
This Committee, established by the
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4703
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
Sfmt 4703
SUMMARY: The Roadless Area
Conservation National Advisory
Committee will meet in Las Vegas,
Nevada. The purpose of the meeting is
to discuss the proposed rule for the
management of roadless areas on
National Forest System lands in the
State of Idaho and to discuss other
related roadless area matters.
DATES: The meeting will be held
February 20 to February 21, 2008, from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m each day.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the University of Nevada Las Vegas
(UNLV), Richard Tam Alumni Center,
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 23 (Monday, February 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6454-6456]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-470]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Clearwater National Forest, ID; Travel Management Plan
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revised notice; intent to prepare an environmental impact
statement. The original notice was published in the Federal Register
Vol. 72, No. 228, November 28, 2007/Notices, pages 67268-67270. A
revised notice was published in the Federal Register Vol. 72, No. 243,
December 19, 2007/Notices, pages 71874-71876.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On November 28, 2007, the USDA Forest Service announced its
intent to prepare a travel planning environmental impact statement
(EIS). The proposed action would designate a site-specific
transportation system and prohibit indiscriminate cross-country
traffic. The EIS will analyze the effects of the proposed action and
alternatives. A Revised Notice was published to extend the due date for
scoping comments to January 11, 2008. This Revised Notice is being
published because the due date for scoping comments has been extended
to February 29, 2008. The Clearwater National Forest invites comments
and suggestions on the issues to be addressed. The agency gives notice
of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and decision-
making process on the proposal so interested and affected members of
the public may participate and contribute to the final decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by February 29, 2008. A 45-day public comment period will follow the
release of the draft environmental impact statement that is expected in
June 2008. The final environmental impact statement is expected in
January 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send written or electronic comments to: Lochsa Ranger
District, Kamiah Ranger Station; Attn: Lois Foster, Interdisciplinary
Team Leader;
[[Page 6455]]
Rt. 2, Box 191; Kamiah, ID 83536; Fax 208-935-4275; E-mail comments-
northern-clearwater@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois Foster, Interdisciplinary Team
Leader, (208) 935-4258.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose and Need for Action is to (1)
Implement national OHV Rule direction, (2) Limit indiscriminate cross-
county motorized travel, (3) Designate selected roads and trails for
motorized travel, (4) Designate appropriate areas or routes for travel
with oversnow vehicles, (5) Balance travel opportunities with
maintenance and management capability including costs, (6) Provide for
a better spectrum of motorized, non-motorized, and non-mechanized
travel opportunities across the CNF in recognition of the need to
retain the character of lands recommended for Wilderness designation
and the CNF's ability to provide for non-motorized recreation
opportunities that are not available on other land ownerships, (7)
Manage impacts to Forest resources, (8) Improve clarity and consistency
of existing travel restrictions, and (9) Amend the 1987 Forest Plan as
necessary to accomplish the actions described above.
The need for revision of the Forest Plan is supported by
nationwide awareness within the Forest Service of the negative effects
of indiscriminate off-road travel by motorized users. These concerns
led to publication of the Travel Management final rule on November 9,
2005 in the Federal Register, 36 CFR Parts 212, 251, 261, 295 ``Travel
Management: Designated Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use''
(Federal Register 2005: 79 FR 68264). The rule requires each National
Forest to designate those roads, trails, and areas that are open to
motor vehicle use. The rule prohibits use of motor vehicles off the
designated system, as well as use of motor vehicles on routes and in
areas that are not consistent with the designation. The rule does not
require that over-snow vehicles, such as snowmobiles, are limited to a
designated system by exempting them under 121.51, but also states in
212.81 that ``use by over-snow vehicles * * * on National Forest system
lands may be allowed, restricted, or prohibited.'' The CNF chose to
include over-snow vehicles in the analysis.
The Proposed Action would designate motorized road and trail
routes for summer travel on the Clearwater National Forest. Existing
conditions include roads and trails identified as open to motorized
travel in the 2005 Travel Guide, plus any error corrections or project-
level NEPA decisions made since then. The Proposed Action would include
any changes from existing conditions, such as road to trail
conversions, designating some roads previously not thought to be
travelable, and not designating some roads that were previously thought
to be travelable.
The transportation system for snow-free travel would include:
1,623 miles of roads open yearlong to all highway-legal
vehicles (an increase of 8 miles compared to existing conditions);
509 miles of roads open yearlong to small vehicles such as
ATVs and motorcycles, but not including UTVs (an increase of 9 miles);
663 miles of roads open seasonally to all highway-legal
vehicles (a decrease of 13 miles);
151 miles of roads open seasonally to small vehicles (a
decrease of 1 mile);
93 miles of trails open yearlong to small vehicles (a
change of 0 miles);
226 miles of trails open yearlong to motorcycles (a
decrease of 178 miles);
75 miles of trails open seasonally to small vehicles (an
increase of 2 miles); and
93 miles of trails open seasonally to motorcycles (a
change of 0 miles).
The proposed action would also modify the dates of seasonal
restrictions for roads and trails to reduce the variety of restricted
periods, and ultimately improve the clarity of the Motor Vehicle Use
Map (MVUM). Motorized travel up to 300 feet off of designated routes to
access established campsites would be permitted in most areas. In
certain areas, off-route travel would be permitted only to access
specifically designated campsites.
Existing restrictions for bicycles on all but one road would be
eliminated. Bicycle restrictions on roads would drop from a total of 10
miles currently to only 1 mile, which would be entirely within the CNF
seed orchard. Areas recommended for wilderness by the Forest Plan would
become off limits to bicycles. System trails available to bicycles
would drop from 811 miles to 730 miles (a reduction of 81 miles).
Over-snow vehicle use would be restricted in areas recommended for
wilderness by the Forest Plan. Within the areas where over-snow vehicle
use would generally be permitted, there would continue to be some
specific routes where over-snow vehicles would be restricted. Over-snow
vehicle use would be prohibited forest-wide from October 1 to November
4. The transportation system for over-snow vehicles would include:
364 miles of groomed snowmobile routes (no change from
existing conditions);
1,322,943 acres generally open to over-snow vehicles
except for certain restricted routes;
3,484 miles of roads where over-snow vehicles would be
permitted from November 5 until snowmelt in the spring, compared to
3,174 acres available currently (an increase of 310 acres); and
503,057 acres closed to over-snow vehicles, compared to
302,856 acres available currently (a decrease of 200,201 acres).
The numbers above are only approximate at this time.
The existing Forest Plan will be amended. When the Forest Plan was
completed in 1987, trail vehicles were few and travel planning was
focused almost completely on roads and highway vehicles. Motorized use
has increased dramatically since then, and modern vehicles such as
snowmobiles, ATV's, and motorcycles have capabilities that could not
have been envisioned in 1987. The Forest Plan also contains some
conflicting information regarding the intent for management of certain
areas. Changes may include:
Better coordination between the level of motorized travel
and the focus of certain management areas, primarily those in roadless
areas;
Additions or changes to Forest Plan standards to permit
implementation of the national Travel Management rule; and
Other goals, objectives, and standards affecting travel
management.
Possible Alternatives the Forest Service will consider include a
no-action alternative, which will serve as a baseline for comparison of
alternatives. The proposed action will be considered along with
additional alternatives that will be developed to meet the purpose and
need for action, and to address significant issues identified during
scoping.
The Responsible Official is Thomas K. Reilly, Clearwater Forest
Supervisor, Clearwater National Forest, 12730 Highway 12, Orofino, ID
83544.
The Decision to be Made is whether to adopt the proposed action, in
whole or in part, or another alternative; and what mitigation measures
and management requirements will be implemented.
The Scoping Period for the EIS is being extended with this notice.
The scoping process will identify issues to be analyzed in detail and
will lead to the development of alternatives to the proposal. The
Forest Service is seeking
[[Page 6456]]
information and comments from other Federal, State, and local agencies;
Tribal governments; and organizations and individuals who may be
interested in or affected by the proposed action. Comments received in
response to this notice, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be part of the project record and available for public
review. Public meetings were held on December 18, 19, and 20, 2007. If
additional public meetings are scheduled, the times, dates and
locations for them will be published in the Lewiston, Idaho Lewiston
Morning Tribune.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The second major opportunity for public input
will be when the Draft EIS is published. The comment period on the
draft environmental impact statement will be 45 days from the date the
Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in
the Federal Register. The Draft EIS is anticipated to be available for
public review in June 2008. 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 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 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 environmental impact statement 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. Wis. 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 for the Draft EIS 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 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.
After the comment period for the Draft EIS ends, the Forest Service
will analyze comments received and address them in the Final EIS. The
Final EIS is scheduled to be released by January 2009. The Responsible
Official (Forest Supervisor Thomas K. Reilly) will document the
decision and rationale in a Record of Decision (ROD). The decision will
be subject to review under Forest Service appeal regulations at 36 CFR
Part 215.
Preliminary Issues identified by the Forest Service
interdisciplinary team include: changing motorized and non-motorized
recreation opportunities, costs of road and trail management and
maintenance, soil issues, effects on aquatic environments and species,
effects on wildlife, the spread of noxious weeds, changes in motorized
access to roads, trails and areas that are not designated as part of
the travel planning analysis, and motorized access for people with
disabilities.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: January 24, 2008.
Thomas K. Reilly,
Clearwater Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 08-470 Filed 2-1-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M