From: Subject: FR Doc 07-4552 Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:38:56 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/07-4552.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 FR Doc 07-4552 
[Federal Register: September 14, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 178)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 52540-52542]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14se07-25]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

=20
Intermountain Region, Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth National=20
Forests; Amendment to the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plans

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact=20
statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact=20
Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of proposed=20
nonsignificant amendments to the three Southwest Idaho Ecogroup (SWIE)=20
2003 Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans). Amendments to=20
the 2003 Forest Plans for the Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth National=20
Forests will add, and/or modify existing, management direction, as=20
needed, to implement a comprehensive, Forest Plan-level, wildlife=20
conservation strategy (WCS). This WCS will identify both short- and=20
long-term management strategies and priorities for maintaining and=20
restoring habitats associated with terrestrial wildlife species. The=20
proposed nonsignificant amendments will provide management direction=20
and guidance that focuses on those habitats, and their associated=20
species, identified in the WCS as being of greatest conservation=20
concern during the current planning period (i.e., next 10-15 years).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received=20
within 30 days following the date of publication of this NOI. The Draft=20
EIS is expected to be available in mid- to late-winter 2008 for a 90-
day comment period. The single Final EIS and three RODs, one for each=20
Forest Plan, are expected to be completed by late summer 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Randall Hayman, Forest Planner,=20
Boise National Forest; 1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200; Boise, Idaho=20
83709; or by fax at 208-373-4111; or you may hand-deliver your comments=20
to the Boise Forest Supervisor's Office, located at 1249 South Vinnell=20
Way, Suite 200, Boise, during normal business hours from 7:30 a.m. to=20
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.=20
Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an e-mail=20
message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc) to: =

comments-intermtn-boise@fs.fed.us.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Randall Hayman, Forest Planner, Boise=20
National Forest at the address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Separate RODs for revised Forest Plans were=20
issued in July 2003 for each of the SWIE National Forests (Boise,=20
Payette, and Sawtooth). The RODs implemented Alternative 7, as=20
identified in the single FINAL EIS that disclosed the environmental=20
effects of the seven alternative Forest Plan strategies considered for=20
these three National Forests. Implementation of the three revised=20
Forest Plans began in September 2003.
    Analyses supporting Forest Plan Revision identified wildlife=20
habitats that had declined from historical conditions and associated=20
these habitats with species of conservation concern (2003 Final EIS,=20
pp. 3-255 to 3-289). Based on an update to the 2003 multi-scale=20
analysis initiated in 2005, the Forest Supervisors for the three=20
Forests are in

[[Page 52541]]

the process of identifying priorities for maintaining and restoring=20
habitats during the current 10-15 year planning period, as part of the=20
comprehensive WCS. The WCS will also identify priorities for longer-
term maintenance and restoration for other habitats that have=20
experienced varying levels of decline.
    The analysis supporting the revised Forest Plans, and subsequent=20
updates to this multi-scale analysis, were developed using the=20
principles and scientific methods generated during the Interior=20
Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (Boise Forest Plan, p. II-
41; Payette Forest Plan, p. II-41; Sawtooth Forest Plan, p. II-38). The=20
updated analysis also incorporates new information generated after the=20
Forest Plans were revised in July 2003, including best available=20
science as of this date. New information includes mid-scale assessments=20
such as the 2005 Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies for the=20
States of Idaho and Utah, respectively, and the 2006 Conservation Plan=20
for the Greater Sage Grouse in Idaho.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The SWIE revised Forest Plans identified the need to include=20
management direction to focus restoration activities in habitats for=20
species of concern (Boise and Payette Forest Plans, p. II-10 and,=20
Sawtooth Forest Plan, p. II-9). However, while the 2003 Forest Plans=20
include general direction that addresses this need, they do not include=20
specific direction that spatially prioritizes one habitat area over=20
another at scales smaller than Forest Plan management areas.=20
Recognizing the importance of completing this task, the Responsible=20
Official included, in each of the 2003 Plans, Forest Plan wildlife=20
objective (WIOB03), which calls for prioritizing wildlife habitat to be=20
restored at a mid- or Forest-scale using information from sources such=20
as species habitat models and fine scale analyses.
    Therefore, the purpose of this action is twofold: (1) To amend=20
management direction and/or other components of the SWIE Forest Plans=20
to reflect findings and priorities identified in the WCS as needed to=20
guide Forest Plan implementation for the remainder of this planning=20
period; and (2) to update the wildlife assessments pertaining to 36 CFR=20
219.19 (1982) as needed to reflect findings in updated analyses, as=20
well as outcomes anticipated from implementing the amended Forest=20
Plans.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to implement nonsignificant Forest Plan=20
amendments that will include new or modified management direction and/
or other components of the three Forest Plans, as needed, to reflect=20
findings and priorities identified in the WCS to guide Forest Plan=20
implementation for the remainder of this planning period.

Responsible Officials

    The Responsible Officials are the three Forest Supervisors for the=20
Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth National Forests:
    Richard A. Smith, Forest Supervisor for the Boise National Forest,=20
USDA--Forest Service; 1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200, Boise, Idaho=20
83709.
    Suzanne C. Rainville, Forest Supervisor for the Payette National=20
Forest, USDA--Forest Service; 800 West Lakeside Avenue, McCall, Idaho=20
83638.
    Jane P. Kollmeyer, Forest Supervisor for the Sawtooth National=20
Forest, USDA--Forest Service; 2647 Kimberly Road East, Twin Falls,=20
Idaho 83301.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Officials will review the Final EIS and determine=20
if the 2003 Plan for his/her respective Forest should be amended and/or=20
modified, or if the current Forest Plan should remain unchanged.

Scoping Process

    Written comments must be received within 30 days from the day=20
following publication of this NOI in the Federal Register. Providing=20
comments within this time period ensures that they will be available to=20
the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them=20
during preparation of the specific proposed amendments and Draft EIS.
    Additional opportunities for public participation will be provided=20
following completion of specific proposed amendments, prior to release=20
of the Draft EIS. Information and status updates of this amendment=20
process, including specific proposed amendments, will begin to be=20
posted on the Web site, http:=
//frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&=
log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.fs.fed.us/r4/boise/, by early =
winter=20

2007.

Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent=20
Environmental Review

    A legal notice will be published in the newspaper of record for=20
each National Forest and a Notice of Availability (NOA) will be=20
published in the Federal Register to inform the public when the Draft=20
EIS is available for review and comment. The Draft EIS will be=20
distributed to all parties who respond during the scoping process, or=20
who otherwise notify the agency at some point following publication of=20
this NOI of their interest to continue to receive information=20
pertaining to this proposal.
    The comment period on the Draft EIS will end 90 days from the date=20
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the NOA in the Federal=20
Register.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important=20
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public=20
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of=20
Draft EISs must structure their participation in the environmental=20
review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to=20
the reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power=20
Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, environmental objections=20
that could be raised at the Draft EIS stage but that are not raised=20
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may=20
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.=20
2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris,=20
490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court=20
rulings, it is very important that those interested in this proposed=20
action participate by the close of the 90-day comment period so that=20
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest=20
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to=20
them in the final environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues=20
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the Draft EIS should=20
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to=20
specific pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also=20
address the adequacy of the Draft EIS or the merits of the alternatives=20
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer=20
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing=20
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at=20
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who=20
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal=20
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook=20
1909.15, Section 21)


[[Page 52542]]


    Dated: September 7, 2007.
Richard A. Smith,
Forest Supervisor, Boise National Forest.
[FR Doc. 07-4552 Filed 9-13-07; 8:45 am]

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