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Long Rail Project; Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest; Florence and Forest Counties, WI
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: June 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 109)]
[Notices]
[Page 33442-33444]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08jn05-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Long Rail Project; Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest; Florence
and Forest Counties, WI
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest,
Eagle River-Florence Ranger District intends to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental
consequences of a vegetation and transportation management project. In
the EIS the USDA Forest Service will address the potential
environmental impacts associated with the proposed land management
activities and corresponding alternatives.
The Long Rail Project Area is approximately 74,800 acres in size
and is located in Forest and Florence Counties, 17 miles west of
Florence, Wisconsin. National Forest System lands comprise about 54,300
acres within the project area boundary. The approximate legal
description for the area is as follows: T38N R13E Sections 1, 12, 13;
T38N R14E Sections 1-11, 18; T38N R15E Sections 1-12, 14-17, 20-22;
T39N R13E Sections 1, 12-13, 24-25, 36; T39N R14E Sections 1-36; T39N
R15E Sections 4-7, 18-22, 25-36; T40N R13E Sections 25, 36; T40N R14E
Sections 29-32, 24-26, 35-36; T40N R15E Sections 2-4, 7-11, 14-23, 25-
33; T41N R15E Sections 22-23, 26-27, 34-35 see the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for the purpose and need for the action.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received
within 30 days following publication of this notice to receive timely
consideration in the preparation of the draft EIS. The draft EIS is
expected April 2006 and the final EIS is expected September 2006.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Anne Archie, c/o Christine Brunner,
NEPA Coordinator, Eagle River-Florence Ranger District, 1247 E. Wall
Street, Eagle River, WI 54521. Send electronic comments to:
comments-eastern-chequamegon-nicolet-eagle@fs.fed.us.See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for information on how to send electronic comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Kidd, Eagle River-Florence
Ranger District, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, USDA Forest
Service: telephone 715-479-2827. See above under ADDRESSES. Copies of
documents may be requested at the same address. Another means of
obtaining information is to visit the Forest Web page at
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/ 
click on ``Natural Resources,''
then ``Long Rail Project.''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action--The overall purpose of the Long Rail
Project is to implement land management activities consistent with the
direction in the 2004 Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan (2004 Forest Plan) and to respond to the
specific needs that were identified during opportunity area and
transportation system analyses.
One purpose for this proposal is to maintain or restore upland forest
[[Page 33443]]
communities and openings to their desired conditions as described in
Chapter 3 (Forest Plan Objective 1.4a) by addressing the following
needs: (1) Improve aquatic ecosystems; (2) maintain short-needled
conifer habitat; (3) maintain continuous uneven-aged northern hardwood
forests; (4) maintain forest types; (5) maintain permanent openings;
(6) improve northern hardwood forest structure; (7) reduce northern
hardwood and conifer stocking density; and (8) improve aspen age class
distribution.
The second purpose for this proposal is to provide an efficient
road system that meets the long-term transportation needs. This would
be accomplished by addressing the need to reduce average open and total
road densities by decommissioning 46.8 miles of open road, closing and
maintaining 1.5 miles of road, and converting 3 miles of road to
sections of connecting snowmobile trails.
Proposed Action--The following actions have been identified to
address the above needs. (1) Increase the amount of long-lived conifer
adjacent to Class I and II trout streams by removing the overstory on
40 acres of balsam fir and aspen to release the white pine understory,
and underplanting white pine; (2) promote white spruce, balsam fir and
jack pine understories on 168 acres by removing the overstories to
maintain short-needled conifer habitat for Regional Forester's
Sensitive Species; (3) maintain northern hardwood continuity by
converting 122 acres of mature aspen, balsam fir and paper birch to
northern hardwood through the use of overstory removal; (4) maintain
current forest composition within the Forest Plan objective ranges by
shelterwood harvesting 102 acres of white pine and 15 acres of paper
birch, and clearcutting 586 acres of aspen; (5) maintain desired levels
and improve the quality of permanent openings on 549 acres by hand
brushing, mowing, burning, and planting fruit trees and shrubs along
northern edges; (6) increase age and size diversity of 6,250 acres of
northern hardwood through selection harvest; (7) reduce the density of
red pine, white spruce, and red oak stands by lowering stocking levels
to the levels described in the Forest Plan by thinning 1,268 acres of
red pine, white spruce, and red oak; (8) improve aspen age class
distribution by regenerating 586 acres of aspen (same acres described
in item 4) in different age classes, converting 243 acres of mature
aspen to other forest types discussed under items 1-3; and regenerating
40 acres of balsam fir/aspen to aspen; (9) reduce open and total road
densities by decommissioning 46.8 miles of open road, closing and
maintaining 1.5 miles of road, and converting 3 miles of road to
sections of connecting snowmobile trails.
Responsible Official--Anne Archie, Forest Supervisor of the
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is the Responsible Official who
will make the project-level decisions on the Long Rail Project.
Nature of Decision To Be Made--The decision will be limited to
answering the following questions based on the environmental analysis:
(1) What actions would be used to address the purpose and need; (2)
where and when will these actions occur; and (3) what mitigation
measures and monitoring requirements would be required.
Scoping Process--The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest will scope
for information by contacting persons and organizations on the
District's mailing list, by publishing notices in the local newspapers,
and by holding at least one public meeting in the Long Rail Project
area. The present solicitation is for comments on this Notice of Intent
and scoping materials available elsewhere, such as on the Forest's Web
page.
Electronic Access and Filing AddressesInformation is available
electronically on the Forest Web page: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/
click on ``Natural Resources'' and then on ``Long Rail Project.''
Send electronic comments to:
comments-eastern-chequamegon-nicolet-eagle@fs.fed.us.
When submitting electronic comments, please reference
the Long Rail Project on the subject line. In addition, include your
name and mailing address.
Comment Requested--This notice of intent initiates the scoping
proces which guides the development of the environmental impact
statement. Comments in response to this solicitation for information
should focus on (1) the proposal described in numbers 1-9 of the
proposed action; (2) possible alternatives for addressing issues
associated with the proposal, and (3) any possible impacts associated
with the proposal based on the individual's civil rights (race, color,
national origin, age, religion, gender, disability, political beliefs,
sexual orientation, or marital or family status). We are especially
interested in information that might identify a specific undesired
result of implementing the proposed action. Comments received in
response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those
who comment, will be considered part of the public record on this
proposed action and will be available for public inspection. Comments
submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those
who submit anonymous comments will not have standing to appeal the
subsequent decision under 36 CFR parts 215 and 217.
Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request the
agency to withold a submision from the public record by showing how the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality. Persons
requesting such confidentiality should be aware that, under FOIA,
confidentiality may be granted in only very limited circumstances. The
Forest Service will inform the requester of the agency's decision
regarding the request for confidfentiality and, should the request be
denied, return the submission and notify the requester that the
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within 90
days.
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
[[Page 33444]]
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. 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: May 31, 2005.
Anne F. Archie,
Forest Supervisor, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the
Federal Register on June 3, 2005.
[FR Doc. 05-11364 Filed 6-7-05; 8:45 am]
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