Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Special Use Permits Issuance Environmental Impact Statement, 42374 [2010-17755]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 139 (Wednesday, July 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 42374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-17755]


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                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 139 / Wednesday, July 21, 2010 / 
Notices

[[Page 42374]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, Pack and Saddle 
Stock Outfitter-Guide Special Use Permits Issuance Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revised Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: On June 22, 2005, the USDA, Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee 
National Forest, published a notice of intent to prepare an 
environmental impact statement for Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-
Guide Special Use Permit Issuance in the Federal Register (FR, Vol. 70, 
No. 119, 36112). The purpose of this revised notice of intent is to 
update the Purpose and Need, change the number of service days 
proposed, to describe a proposed forest plan amendment, and to revise 
the planned release date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Zbyszewski, Project Team 
Leader, Methow Valley Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National 
Forest, Forest Service, (509) 996-4021 or Laurie Dowie, Special Use 
Permit Administrator, Methow Valley Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee 
National Forest, (509) 996-4071.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    A part of the original purpose and need in the notice of intent was 
based on a Need Assessment completed in 1996. The Forest Service has 
prepared a new Need Assessment titled ``Determination of Need and 
Extent Necessary for Commercial Service (Outfitters and Guides) in the 
Pasayten Wilderness and the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness'', July 
2010 (Need Assessment) and confirmed that there is a need for pack and 
saddle stock outfitter-guides in these wilderness areas. It evaluated 
the service in terms of wilderness dependency and education of clients 
about wilderness practices, in addition to the public need for the 
service based on skill, equipment, knowledge, safety, and current 
interest and demand.
    The Wilderness Act prohibits commercial services in wilderness 
except to the extent necessary to provide for wilderness appropriate 
activities. The Need Assessment established that the minimum number of 
service days needed to meet this need for pack and saddle stock 
commercial services in the Pasayten and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth wilderness 
areas is 2,720.
    Currently both the Okanogan and Wenatchee Land and Resource 
Management Plans (Forest Plans, 1989, 1990) have inconsistent 
management direction regarding party sizes and maximum vegetation loss 
sizes. The Okanogan Forest Plan currently does not allow vegetation 
loss to exceed 400 square feet (MA15B-22B). The Wenatchee Forest Plan 
allows vegetation loss of up to 1,000 square feet (Table IV-15, page 
IV-77). Both Forest Plans allow party sizes of up to 12 people and 18 
head of stock in these wildernesses. It is physically impracticable to 
fit camps with 12 people and 18 head of stock inside areas of 400 to 
1,000 square feet. Using computations included in the analysis file, 
5,250 square feet was identified as an area in which 12 people and 18 
head of stock could reasonably camp. Due to historical use, including 
large party-sizes and livestock grazing, some existing camps exceed 
5,250 square feet. Continued use and short growing seasons have 
perpetuated some of these camps even though livestock grazing is no 
longer occurring and party size is now limited. There is a need to make 
camp sizes consistent with party sizes in the existing Forest Plans.
    These needs are added to the need published in the original Federal 
Register notice of intent.

Proposed Action

    The USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, is 
changing the total number of service days (including both wilderness 
and non-wilderness) that would be divided between the pack and saddle 
stock outfitter-guides to 4,620 from what was published in the original 
Federal Register notice of intent. These days are specifically divided 
in separate sub-units, and include 2,720 service days in wilderness.
    The Forest is also proposing a non-significant amendment to the 
Forest Plans that would make standards for outfitter-guide campsites 
more compatible with party size limitations and provide for non-
degradation of wilderness conditions as required in the Okanogan Forest 
Plan (MA15B-21D, page 4-91). For the Wenatchee Forest Plan the 
amendment would improve the compatibility of outfitter-guide campsites 
with some `limits of acceptable change' indicators (Table IV-15, page 
IV-77). These amendments would only apply to pack and saddle stock 
outfitter-guides in the Pasayten and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness 
Areas. The following standard and guideline would be added to the 
Okanogan and Wenatchee Forest Plans:
     Pack and saddle stock outfitter-guides shall not be 
allowed to increase the existing amount of barren core (bare, mineral 
soil) in established campsites. In campsites where the existing amount 
of barren core exceeds 5,250 square feet, outfitter-guides shall not 
use more than 5,250 square feet of the barren core. All pack and saddle 
outfitter-guides shall use the same delineated, 5250 square foot area 
for each camp and shall not use any area outside of the delineated 
5,250 square foot area.
    This amendment would require outfitter-guides to jointly identify 
the portion of the impacted area for consistent use. This would be 
included in the Camp Management Plan for each campsite. Areas outside 
of the designated area would not be used, allowing recovery to proceed.

DATES: Due to delays because of other work priorites and the need for 
completion of the Need Assessment, the draft environmental impact 
statement will now be available in August 2010, and the final will be 
available in March 2011.

    Dated: July 14, 2010.
Stuart M. Woolley,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-17755 Filed 7-20-10; 8:45 am]
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