Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Fremont County, ID, Big Bend Vegetation Management Project
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[Federal Register: April 17, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 74)]
[Notices]
[Page 18945-18946]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17ap03-30]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Fremont County, ID, Big Bend
Vegetation Management Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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Revision of the Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement for the Big Bend Ridge Vegetation Management Project, as
published in the Federal Register page 40876 to 40877 on July 31, 1998
(Vol. 63, No. 147). This revision includes a change of project schedule
and treatment acres.
SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service is preparing an Environmental Impact
Statement of document the analysis and disclose the environmental
impacts of the proposed Big Bend Vegetation Management Project, a
timber sale and vegetation treatment. This revised Notice of Intent is
to document some minor changes in the process.
In the original NOI, the tentative date for filing the Draft EIS
was December of 1998 and the Final EIS was scheduled for March, 1999.
Due to scheduling changes, the Draft EIS is now expected to be
available for review in April, 2003. The final EIS is scheduled to be
completed about July 2003.
The original NOI proposed approximately 1800 acres of prescribed
burning to rejuvenate maple and aspen, reduce fuels in the wildland
urban interface, improve big game winter range and test methods of
Douglas-fir regeneration. The proposed action now proposes a total of
123 acres of prescribed burning. The objective of the 123 acres of
burning is to promote aspen and shrubs in a high use big game wintering
area. The rejuvenation of maple and the majority of big game winter
range improvement were determined to be unnecessary. Timber harvest is
now being proposed to accomplish aspen regeneration, big game browse
improvement and fuels reduction. A nearby 2001 wildfire is being used
to evaluate Douglas-fir regeneration from fire.
The original NOI proposed approximately 2500 acres of commercial
thinning with 70 percent of it helicopter or cable harvest and 30
percent done with crawler tractor. The proposed action now includes
3023 acres of commercial thinning, improvement cutting and sanitation
salvage with 40 percent helicopter harvest and 60 percent ground based
harvest.
[[Page 18946]]
Dated: April 10, 2003.
Jerry B. Reese,
Caribou-Targhee National Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-9420 Filed 4-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
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