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Forest Plan Amendments for Grizzly Bear Habitat Conservation for the Greater Yellowstone Area National Forests
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: July 16, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 136)]
[Notices]
[Page 41999-42000]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jy03-42]
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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.
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Forest Plan Amendments for Grizzly Bear Habitat Conservation for
the Greater Yellowstone Area National Forests
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the
Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to
analyze the environmental effects of amendments to land and resource
management plans (forest plans) for the Beaverhead, Custer, and
Gallatin National Forests located in the state of Montana; the Targhee
National Forest located in the states of Idaho and Wyoming; and the
Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests located in the state of
Wyoming. This notice describes a proposal to amend six forest plans to
provide additional programmatic direction for management of grizzly
bear habitat security, developed sites, and livestock within the
Grizzly Bear Recovery Area.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
on or before August 15, 2003. The agency expects to file a draft EIS
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and make it available
for public, agency, and tribal government comment in October 2003. The
final environmental impact statement is expected to be filed in
February 2004.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Dave Cawrse, Team Leader, Grizzly
Bear Habitat Amendments, Shoshone National Forest, 808 Meadow Lane
Avenue, Cody, WY 82414-4549.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Cawrse, Team Leader, telephone
(307) 527-6241.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 1604(f)(4) and 36 CFR
219.10(f), the Forest Supervisors give notice that the USDA Forest
Service is beginning an environmental analysis and decision making
process for this Proposed Action so that interested or affected people
can participate in the analysis and contribute to the final decision.
The Forest Service is seeking comments from individuals, organizations,
tribal governments, and federal, state, and local agencies who are
interested in or may be affected by the Proposed Action. The public is
invited to help identify issues and define the range of alternatives to
be considered in the environmental impact statement. Written comments
identifying issues for analysis and the range of alternatives are
encouraged.
Purpose and Need for Action
The management of grizzly bear habitat on national forests in the
GYA (Greater Yellowstone Area) is a dynamic process. Experience
provides the public and land managers with new understanding and
insights regarding the conservation of grizzly bear habitat. Scientific
research continues to bring forth new theories, observations, and
findings relevant to the management of these resources. This learning
is continuous. Most importantly, the Yellowstone grizzly bear
population has increased over the past 25 years. As a result, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service intends to review the status of the
Yellowstone grizzly bear population under the Endangered Species Act.
The forest plans for the GYA national forests were approved at
various times between 1986 and 1997. Since their approval, the Forest
Service has amended these plans. A few of these amendments relate
directly to the management of grizzly bear habitat. As a result,
existing forest plan direction regarding grizzly bear habitat
management varies between six GYA national forests. In addition, the
age of forest plan direction regarding grizzly bear habitat management
varies from forest to forest.
There is a need to improve the coordination and consistency of
forest plan direction in the GYA regarding grizzly bear habitat
management, and to update this direction to reflect new management
insight, the latest scientific information, and the changing
characteristics of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population. Direction
for managing the grizzly bear was recently developed through a nine-
year inter-agency effort documented in the ``Final Conservation
Strategy for The Grizzly Bear in the Greater Yellowstone Area''
(``Conservation Strategy''). This ``Conservation Strategy'' was
developed to be the document guiding management and monitoring for the
Yellowstone grizzly bear population and its habitat upon recovery and
delisting. Additionally, there is a need to clarify the applicability
of forest plan grizzly bear habitat management direction if there is a
change in the Yellowstone grizzly bear population's status under the
Endangered Species Act, and to ensure the long-term recovery and
conservation of Yellowstone grizzly bears regardless of their listing
as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
There is a need for national forests in the GYA to maintain or
improve habitat conditions as of 1998, as measured within each subunit
within the Recovery Area, while maintaining options for resource
management activities at approximately the same level as existed in
1998. The grizzly population achieved all demographic recovery goals by
1998 with this management regime in place.
The purpose of these amendments is to (1) ensure conservation of
habitat within the Recovery Area to support continued recovery of the
grizzly bear population, (2) update the management and monitoring of
grizzly bear habitat to incorporate recent interagency recommendations
and agreements, and (3) provide consistency among Greater Yellowstone
Area national forests in managing and monitoring grizzly bear habitat.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service proposes to amend the forest plans for the
Beaverhead, Bridger-Teton, Custer, Gallatin, Shoshone, and Targhee
National Forests to provide additional programmatic direction for
management of grizzly bear habitat security, developed sites, and
livestock grazing within the Grizzly Bear Recovery Area. The Proposed
Action includes a forest-wide goal, standards, and monitoring
requirements. The forest-wide goal promotes the continued recovery of
the Yellowstone grizzly bear population. Forest-wide standards are (1)
maintain
[[Page 42000]]
secure habitat at 1998 levels through management of motorized access
routes, with short-term deviations allowed under specific conditions,
(2) do not exceed the number of commercial livestock allotments and the
number of permitted domestic sheep Animal Months (AMs) from the 1998
level, and (3) manage developed sites at 1998 levels, with some
exceptions for administrative and maintenance needs.
All standards apply only to the Recovery Area. Monitoring
requirements in the Proposed Action include monitoring adherence to the
above standards and monitoring changes in motorized access route
density and habitat effectiveness.
Possible Alternatives
A range of alternatives that responds to issues developed during
scoping will be considered. A reasonable range of alternatives will be
evaluated and reasons will be given for eliminating some alternatives
from detailed study, if that occurs. A no action alternative (forest
plans would not be amended) will be considered. Written comments on the
range of alternatives and their effects will be requested and
considered with the draft EIS is released.
Responsible Officials
The Responsible Officials for this decision will be Thomas Reilly,
Forest Supervisor, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, 420 Barrett
Street, Dillon, MT 59725-5372; Nancy Curriden, Forest Supervisor,
Custer National Forest, 1310 Main Street, Billings, MT 59105-1786;
Becki Heath, Forest Supervisor, Gallatin National Forest, PO Box 130,
Bozeman, MT 59771-0130; Jerry Reese, Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee
National Forest, 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83401-2100;
Kniffy Hamilton, Forest Supervisor, Bridger-Teton National Forest, PO
Box 1888, Jackson, WY 83001-1888; and Rebecca Aus, Forest Supervisor,
Shoshone National Forest, 808 Meadow Lane Avenue, Cody, WY 82414-4549.
Rebecca Aus has been delegated the authority to direct the preparation
of the environmental analysis.
Scoping Process
Public participation will be solicited by notifying people by mail.
The first formal opportunity to comment is during the scoping process,
which begins with the issuance of this notice of intent. Comments
concerning the scope of the analysis must be received on or before 30
days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. All
comments, including the names and addresses when provided, will be
placed in the record and will be available for public inspection and
copying at the Shoshone National Forest Supervisor's Office, 808 Meadow
Lane Avenue, Cody, WY. The Forest Service will work with tribal
governments to address issues concerning Indian tribal self-government
and sovereignty, natural and cultural resources held in trust, Indian
tribal treaty and Executive Order rights, and any issues that
significantly or uniquely affect their communities.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review
A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared for
comment. The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement
will be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice 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 stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final 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 on 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.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: July 20, 1003.
Rebecca Aus,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-17941 Filed 7-15-03; 8:45 am]
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