Jump to main content.

Jasper Fire Value Recovery EIS--Black Hills National Forest

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: November 9, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 218)]
[Notices]
[Page 67346]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09no00-41]

========================================================================
Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.

========================================================================

[[Page 67346]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Jasper Fire Value Recovery EIS--Black Hills National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Black Hills National Forest will prepare an environmental
impact statement on a proposal to recover value from fire-killed timber
within the Jasper Fire perimeter. The Jasper Fire burned approximately
83,500 acres in August and September 2000. Fire-killed ponderosa pine
in the Black Hills is highly susceptible to damage from insects and
fungus. Expectations are that wood quality within the fire area will
decline at a moderate rate until mid-summer 2001. Wood quality is
expected to decline rapidly after that point. The Forest Plan goals and
objectives that will be met include minimizing public safety hazards
through hazard tree removal, maintaining soil productivity and
minimizing soil erosion, managing fuel loading, and capturing economic
values associated with restoration treatments. The EIS will be designed
to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act,
42 U.S.C. Sections 4321-4370a, and the National Forest Management Act,
16 U.S.C. 1600-1614, and their respective implementing regulations.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received
on or before 30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal
Register.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Mike Lloyd, District Ranger, Hell
Canyon Ranger District, Black Hills National Forest, 330 Mt. Rushmore
Road, Custer, SD 57730.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Honors, EIS Team Leader, (605)
673-4853.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to recover value from
timber killed by the Jasper Fire. Specifically this includes removing
up to 60 million board feet of timber, concentrating in areas with high
volume per acre; removing timber in areas with high and moderate
intensity burns only (trees 100% scorched or totally devoid of needles)
except incidental removal of green trees where necessary to access
harvest units; no new specified road construction (temporary roads may
be utilized for access but would be closed post-harvest); and lastly,
concentrating value recovery from areas with low susceptibility to soil
erosion, compaction and water runoff. Resource protection measures are
included as part of the proposed action. Mitigation measures will be
included to protect resources such as mountain grasslands, snags,
soils, heritage resources, water quality and wildlife.

Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Service will prepare an EIS. The Forest Supervisor of
the Black Hills National Forest will decide whether or not to implement
this project, and if so, in what manner.

Responsible Official

    John Twiss, Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest, North
Highway 385, Custer, South Dakota 57730 is the Responsible Official for
this decision. He will document his decision in a Record of Decision.

Estimated Dates for Filing

    The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by
December 15, 2000. 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. It is very
important that those interested in the management of this area
participate at that time.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by March 2001. In the
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments and
responses received during the comment period that pertain to the
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable
laws, regulations, and policies considered in making a decision
regarding the proposal.

The Reviewers Obligation To Comment

    The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers
notice at this early stage 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 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 45-day 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 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.

    Dated: November 3, 2000.
John C. Twiss,
Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest.
[FR Doc. 00-28766 Filed 11-8-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M

 
 

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.