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Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 204 / Monday, October 21, 1996 / Notices

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Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 204 / Monday, October 21, 1996 / Notices 54608 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 204 / Monday, October 21, 1996 / Notices review of the proposal so that it is suitable lands in response to human The Clearwater National Forest Plan meaningful and alerts an agency to the needs for wood products. provides guidance to management reviewer's position and contentions. This project will tier to the Clearwater activities within the potentially affected Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. National Forest Environmental Impact area through its goals, objectives, NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978), and Statement Land and Resource standards and guidelines, and that environmental objections that could Management Plan and Forest Plan management direction. The areas of have been raised at the draft stage may (1987), which provides overall guidance proposed timber harvest and be waived if not raised until after of land management activities on the reforestation would occur only on completion of the final environmental Clearwater National Forest. Analysis suitable timber land, Management Areas impact statement. Wisconsin Heritages, will also be conducted in compliance E1, A4, A5 and M2. Below is a brief Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 with the Stipulations of Dismissal description of applicable management (E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this is agreed to in the settlement of the direction. to ensure that substantive comments lawsuit between the Forest Service and Management Area E1 and objections are made available to the the Sierra Club, et al. (Signed September Forest Service at a time when it can 13, 1993). Timber ManagementÐProvide meaningfully consider them and The agency invites written comments optimum sustained production of respond to them in the final. and suggestions on the issues and timber products in a cost effective To assist the Forest Service in management opportunities for the area manner while protecting soil and water identifying and considering issues and being analyzed. quality (applies to approximately 15,900 concerns on the proposed action, acres on National Forest System land in comments on the draft environmental DATE: Written comments concerning the the project area). impact statement should be as specific scope of the analysis should be received Management Area A4 as possible. It is also helpful if on or before December 5, 1996. comments refer to specific pages or ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Visual Travel CorridorÐMaintain or chapters of the draft statement. Carmine Lockwood, District Ranger, enhance an aesthetically pleasing, Comments may also address the Palouse Ranger District, 1700 Highway natural appearing Forest setting adequacy of the draft environmental 6, Potlatch, Idaho 83855. surrounding designated roads, trails, impact statement or the merits of the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: and other areas considered important alternatives formulated and discussed in Suzanne Lay, Team Leader, at the same for recreational travel use (applies to the statement. Reviewers may wish to address, (208) 875±1131. approximately 2,900 acres of National refer to the Council on Environmental Forest System land in the project area). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Quality Regulations for implementing Management Area M2 the procedural provisions of the proposed action is designed to restore National Environmental Policy Act at 40 terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem health Riparian AreasÐManage as areas of CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points. and to provide benefits to people within special consideration with distinctive the capabilities of ecosystems. values, and integrate with adjacent Dated: October 10, 1996. Vegetation treatments designed to management areas to the extent that Diane K. Henderson-Bramlette, reintroduce western white pine in the water and other riparian resources are Forest Supervisor. forest cover type will be analyzed. protected (applies to approximately [FR Doc. 96±26924 Filed 10±18±96; 8:45 am] Regeneration and intermediate harvest 2,500 acres of National Forest System BILLING CODE 3410±11±M treatments intended to improve the land in the project area). structure composition and function of PACFISHÐThe Interim Strategies for the forest matrix will be analyzed, along Managing Anadromous Fish-Producing West Fork Potlatch EIS, Vegetation with the use of prescribed fire and Watersheds in Eastern Oregon and Management Analysis, Clearwater mechanical methods to treat fuel Washington, Idaho, and Portions of National Forest, Latch County, Idaho loadings. Intermediate treatments will California (PACFISH), an amendment to AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. be designed to improve forest health the Clearwater Forest Plan, provides conditions by treating overstocked ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an additional guidance in anadromous environmental impact statement. stressed sites while maintaining drainages such as the Palouse River. desirable serial species such as western This EIS will tier to the decisions and SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of white pine, ponderosa pine and western direction provided by the PACFISH EA Agriculture, Forest Service, Clearwater larch. These overstocked stands are and Decision Notice (2/95). National Forest, will prepare an highly susceptible to root rot pathogens, The West Fork Potlatch project area environmental impact statement (EIS) to bark beetles, defoliators, and dwarf lies south of the divide between the disclose effects of alternative decisions mistletoe. Restoration of the aquatic Potlatch River drainage and the St. it may make to manage vegetation, component will focus on eliminating Maries River drainage. It is a roaded restore watersheds, and analyze access sediment delivery sources to aquatic area with intermingled ownership in the management in the vicinity of the West and riparian habitats, restoring stream panhandle of Idaho. The planning area Fork of Potlatch Creek. The area is channels, as well as improving the consists of approximately 34,000 acres located approximately 2 miles north of structural components in riparian areas in located in T.41N., R.1W., T.41N., the town of Bovill, Idaho. The purpose by installing large woody debris where R1E., and T.42N., R.1W., and T.42N., of the project is to implement the it is lacking. Other fish habitat R.1E; Approximately 21,300 acres are on Clearwater Forest Plan within the improvement projects are also included National Forest System land, and context of ecosystem management in this analysis. This project area is in proposed actions are entirely on these principles; improve forest stand intermingled ownership. Much of the lands. The decision to be made is what, composition and health by reducing National Forest System land in the if anything, should be done in the West crown competition; reestablish western project area was acquired from Fork Potlatch project area to (1) white pine as a major component in the Weyerhauser timber company in the maintain or enhance forest health and ecosystem; and provide timber from 1930's after it had been logged. improve the structure and composition Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 204 / Monday, October 21, 1996 / Notices 54609 in overstocked stressed stands, and (2) genetically improved disease resistant surfacing approximately 10 miles of provide multiple benefits to people seedlings would be utilized within existing road with the objective of within the capabilities of ecosystems. regeneration harvest units. correcting existing sediment sources. Public participation will be fully Proposed Action: Road Construction Purpose and Need: The proposed incorporated into preparation of the EIS. and Access: Approximately 27 miles of actions for aquatic ecosystems have the The first step is the scoping process, proposed road construction is an following purposes; (1) improve aquatic during which the Forest Service will be integral part of the proposed action. Key health by adding structural diversity, (2) seeking information, comments, and design features as minimizing road improve aquatic health by providing assistance from Federal, State, and local densities, and use of advanced cover for salmonids, (3) provide agencies, the Nez Perce and Coeur technology in logging systems would additional quality pools, (4) remove D'Alene Tribes, and other individuals or help reduce the impacts of these roads sediment from the system to accelerate groups who may be interested or over the 34,000 acre project area. natural recovery rates, (5) reduce affected by the proposed action. This The Forest Service is proposing to sediment sources to restore a more information will be used in preparing develop a comprehensive access ``natural'' sediment system, (6) provide the EIS. Interested individuals and management plan for the project area. a source of future woody debris to organizations should contact the We intend to seek public input on the ensure long term stability, (7) provide a Palouse Ranger District and request to development of that plan and give source of future shading to reduce be placed on the project mailing list. consideration to the needs of various summer stream temperatures, and (8) Those doing so will receive future forest users as part of the plan. While encourage streams to adjust their form information related to this project and the details of the plan have yet to be to be more stable and efficient. This will notification of public meetings. Scoping worked out, it is anticipated that access reduce stream energy, channel erosion, will include: inviting participation, restrictions would be necessary to and to some extent,
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