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Navy Timber Sale Environmental Impact Statement
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: January 23, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 14)]
[Notices]
[Page 3454-3455]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23ja06-22]
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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
Navy Timber Sale Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to harvest timber in
the Navy Timber Sale project area on the Wrangell Ranger District,
Tongass National Forest. The Proposed Action for this project is to
harvest 70-80 million board feet from approximately 2,900 acres in one
or more offerings and would construct approximately 33 files of new
temporary and classified road to facilitate access for logging. The
Proposed Action includes harvest units and road construction within
Inventoried Roadless Areas, as identified in the Forest Plan SEIS. The
Proposed Action includes the use of the existing Log Transfer Facility
(LTF) at Anita Bay as well as the construction of a new LTF at the
entrance to Burnett Inlet near Navy Creek. The Proposed Action includes
a non-significant amendment to the Forest Plan to relocate and/or
modify the boundaries of the Mosman and Quiet small old-growth
reserves. The Forest Supervisor will decide if and how much timber
harvest and road building will occur within the project area, as well
as whether to modify the existing small old-growth reserves. The
decision will be documented in a Record of Decision based on the
information disclosed in the EIS.
DATES: A public mailing that outlines the project timeline and public
involvement opportunities (Schedule of Proposed Actions) was
distributed in January 2006. Individuals interested in receiving a
scoping package should contact us at the address listed in the
addresses section within 30 days of the publication of this Notice of
Intent (NOI). Opportunities for comment are available throughout the
process. Comments on this project would be most helpful if received by
February 17, 2006. Additional opportunities for comment will be
provided after release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS). The DEIS is projected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in April 2007 and will begin a 45-day comment
period. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of
Decision are anticipated to be published in October 2007.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Wrangell Ranger District,
Attn: Navy EIS, P.O. Box 51, Wrangell, AK 99929. Electronic comments
can be e-mailed to comments-alaska-tongass-wrangell@fs.fed.us. Please
include the word ``Navy'' in the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamie Roberts, Planning Team Leader,
or Mark Hummel, District Ranger, Wrangell Ranger District, P.O. Box 51,
Wrangell, AK 99929, telephone (907) 874-2323.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy project area is located on central
Etolin Island approximately 22 air miles southwest of Wrangell, Alaska.
The project area is within portions of Value Comparison Units
#464, 465, 466, 467 and 468. Portions of two Inventoried
Roadless Areas, North Etolin #232 and Mosman #233 as
identified in the Forest Plan SEIS, are located within the project
area. Timber harvest and road building is proposed within the
Inventoried Roadless Areas. The project area includes three small old-
growth reserves (Mosman, Quiet and Burnett) as designated in the Forest
Plan. A Forest Plan amendment would be required if a decision is made
to modify any old-growth reserve. The Forest Supervisor will decide if
and how much timber harvest and road building will occur within the
project area, as well as whether to modify the existing small old-
growth reserves. The decision will be based on the information that is
disclosed in the EIS. The Forest Supervisor will consider comments,
responses, the disclosure of environmental effects, and applicable
laws, regulations, and policies in making the decision. The rationale
for the decision will be included in the Record of Decision.
Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose and need for the Navy
timber Sale is: (1) To manage suitable lands to achieve 1997 Forest
Plan goals and objectives in order to reach the desired future
conditions prescribed for the Land Use Designations; (2) to assist in
providing a continuous wood supply to meet society's needs; (3) to
contribute to the job market and the overall economy of southeast
Alaska; and (4) to harvest 50-80 million board feet of timber.
Public participation: Public participation has been an integral
component of the study process and will continue to be especially
important at several points during the analysis. The Forest Service
will seek information, comments and assistance from tribal governments,
federal, state and local agencies, individuals and organizations that
may be interested in or affected by the proposed activities. Written
scoping comments have been solicited through a preliminary scoping
package that was sent to persons on the project mailing list in
November 2005. Additional written scoping comments are being solicited
through a scoping package that will be sent to the project mailing list
concurrent with the publication of this NOI. For the Forest Service to
best use the scoping input, comments should be received by February 17,
2006. If comments have already been submitted during the November 2005
preliminary scoping period, they are being considered and it is not
necessary to re-submit the same comments. Based on the results of
scoping and the resource concerns and capabilities within the project
area, alternatives including a no-action alternative will be developed
for the DEIS. Subsistence hearings, as provided for in Title VIII,
Section 810 of the Alaska National interest Lands Conservation Act
(ANILCA), will be provided, if necessary, during the comment period on
the DEIS.
Electronic Filing Address: Electronic comments can be emailed to
comments-alaska-tongass-wrangell@fs.fed.us. Please include the word
``Navy'' in the subject line.
Preliminary Issues: Tentative issues identified for analysis in the
EIS include the potential effects of the project on and the
relationship of the project to: (1) Timber sale economics, (2) conflicts
[[Page 3455]]
with permitted outfitter/guides and other users of this area, (3)
conflicts with Special Use permit holders in the vicinity of this area,
(4) proximity to the South Etolin Wilderness area, (5) timber harvest
and road building in Inventoried Roadless Areas, (6) economic trade-
offs, and (7) modification of small old-growth reserves.
Range of Alternatives: The range of alternatives that will be
developed to respond to the significant issues, besides no action,
could range from 15-120 million board feet.
Draft environmental Impact Statement: A Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) will be prepared for comment. The comment period on
the DEIS 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
DEIS stage but that are not raised until after completion of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 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 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 FEIS. To assist the Forest
Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on the
proposed action, comments on the DEIS 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 DEIS 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.
Responsible Official: Forrest Cole, Forest Supervisor, Tongass
National Forest, Federal Building, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901, is the
responsible official. The responsible official will consider comments,
responses, the disclosure of environmental effects, and applicable
laws, regulations, and policies in making the decision. The rationale
for the decision will be included in the Record of Decision.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dennis Neill,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 06-555 Filed 1-20-06 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M