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Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District Small Sales Final EIS Revision, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Idaho

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

 [Federal Register: January 12, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2874-2875]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12ja01-46]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District Small Sales Final EIS
Revision, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Kootenai and Shoshone
Counties, Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare a revised final environmental impact
statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a revised final environmental
impact statement (FEIS) to further analyze and disclose the cumulative
environmental effects of utilizing timber harvest in numerous small,
specific areas of the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District. The intent
of the project is to salvage merchantable timber in stands damaged by
ice storms, insect infestation and disease, and to reduce the level of
fire risk to the National Forest and to private lands adjacent to
National Forest lands.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the revision should be received
in writing by February 12, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Coeur d'Alene River Ranger
District, 2502 East Sherman Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 83814-5899.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Rehnborg (Project Team Leader) or
Kerry Arneson (NEPA Coordinator) at (208) 769-3000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A final environmental impact statement and
record of decision were issued in July 2000. The decision was appealed.
Upon review, the Appeal Deciding Officer reversed the decision, citing
inadequate documentation of cumulative effects analysis. The intent of
the revised FEIS is to provide the necessary documentation of
cumulative effects in relation to the Small Sales project.

[[Page 2875]]

    While public participation in this analysis is welcome at any time,
comments received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will
be especially useful in the preparation of the revision, which is
expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency and
available for public review in February 2001. The comment period on the
revised FEIS will end 45 days from the date the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability of the revised
FEIS in the Federal Register. In addition, the public is encouraged to
visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and
prior to the decision.
    A new decision is anticipated in April 2001. The decision will
identify if, when, how and where to schedule activities to meet these
goals. The USDA Forest Service is the lead agency for this proposal.
Acting District Ranger Jose Castro is the responsible official.
    The Forest Service believes it is important at this early stage to
give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers
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. NRDS, 435 U.S. 519, 533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that
are not raised until after completion of the final environmental impact
statement may be waived or dismissed by the courts. 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.
    Comments on the revised FEIS should be as specific as possible. It
is also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters.
Comments may also address the adequacy of the revised FEIS or the
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the revised
FEIS. 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: January 2, 2001.
Jose Castro,
Acting District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 01-1003 Filed 1-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M

 
 

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