[Federal Register: November 12, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 219)]
[Notices]
[Page 66837-66838]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12no08-35]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Genesis, Inc. Exploration Drilling Project Kootenai National
Forest, Lincoln County, MT
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revised Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact
statement.
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SUMMARY: Genesis, Inc. submitted a revised Plan of Operations for
exploration drilling near Troy, Montana. This revised plan adds
drilling at seven sites on National Forest System Roads to the
exploratory helicopter-assisted drilling described in the July 25,
2008, Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
Scoping Comment Date: Comments concerning the revised proposed
action must be postmarked by December 8, 2008, to be considered in the
draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments concerning the Proposed Action to Mike
Herrin, Three Rivers District Ranger, Genesis Exploration Project,
Kootenai National Forest, 12858 U.S. Hwy 2, Troy, MT 59935, or e-mail
your comments to: comments-northern-kootenai-three-rivers@fs.fed.us.
All comments received must contain: Name of commenter, postal service
mailing address, and date of comment. Comments sent as an e-mail
message should be sent as an attachment to the message. A copy on
computer-generated disc should accompany all comments over one page in
length.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dick Harlow, Project Coordinator,
Three River Ranger Station, 12858 U.S. Hwy 2, Troy, Montana 59935.
Phone (406) 293-7773, or e-mail at dharlow@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action
The Three Rivers District Ranger of the Kootenai National Forest
has received a revised plan of operations proposing exploration
drilling in two phases.
Phase 1 adds previously authorized (Mount Vernon Exploratory
Drilling Decision Memo, February 2004), but uncompleted, exploratory
drilling activities located in Section 6, T28N, R33W, P.M.M., Lincoln
County, Montana. This phase consists of 12 core holes from seven drill
sites on National Forest System Roads 4628 and 4628A with no additional
surface disturbance. The sites are approximately 100 feet long by 20
feet wide, and the holes are estimated to average 1,200 feet in depth.
A diamond drill mounted on a trailer or skid would be utilized and
pulled into position with a pickup or tractor. The drill schedule would
be two shifts per day, seven days per week. The new timeframe for this
phase is two years.
Phase 2 includes access to three (3) helicopter supported drill
sites on NFS lands in sections 7, 17, 18, T28N, R33W, MT. P.M.,
southwest of Bull Lake, in Lincoln and Sanders Counties. These sites
are within the Scotchman Peaks 662 Inventoried Roadless Area.
All three sites were previously drilled in 1999, and this additional
exploration drilling is needed to further define ore reserves on the
unpatented mining claims. The proposal is to drill 8 core holes from
three separate locations, utilizing existing openings from previous
helicopter drill sites. The holes will vary from 100' to 1600' in
depth. The Drilling Plan for the drill sites is to use a preconstructed
metal landing/drill platform (approx. 30' long x 15' wide). The
platform will be flown to the sites in sections and assembled. The
drill will be mounted on the drill platforms on the south side of Ross
Creek. A helicopter staging site will be located near the junction of
FR 4628 and FR 4628A. Some site maintenance will be required. This work
will include removal of brush and short trees.
Design features and mitigations to maintain and protect resource
values would be included.
The proposed implementation period would begin in the fall of 2009
and reclamation would be completed by December 15, 2012.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
Montana Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation,
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and Kootenai Tribe of Idaho,
have either jurisdiction or interest and will participate as
cooperating agencies or government entities in the preparation of this
EIS. Other governmental agencies and any public that may be interested
in or affected by the proposal are invited to participate in the
scoping process, which is designed to obtain input and to identify
potential issues relating to the proposed project.
Responsible Official
As the District Ranger of the Three Rivers Ranger District,
Kootenai National Forest, I am the Responsible Official. As the
Responsible Official, I will decide if the proposed project will be
implemented. I will document the decision and reasons for the decision
in the Record of Decision.
Range of Alternatives
The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of
these will be the ``no action'' alternative in which none of the
proposed activities will be implemented. Additional alternatives will
examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to
[[Page 66838]]
achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues
and other resource values.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The nature of the decision to be made is to select an action that
meets the legal rights of the proponent, while protecting the
environment in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policy.
The District Ranger will use the EIS process to develop the necessary
information to make an informed decision as required by 36 CFR 228
Subpart A. Based on the alternatives developed in the EIS, the
following are possible decisions:
1) An approval of the Plan of Operations as submitted;
2) An approval of the Plan of Operations with changes, and the
incorporation of mitigations and stipulations that meet the mandates of
applicable laws, regulations, and policy;
3) Denial of the Plan of Operations if no alternative can be
developed that is in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and
policy.
Permits or Licenses Required
Various permits and licenses are needed prior to implementation of
this project. Permits or licenses required by the issuing agencies
identified for this proposal are:
Approval of Plan of Operations from the Kootenai National
Forest.
Exploration License from the Montana Department of
Environmental Quality.
Public Involvement and Scoping: This Revised Notice of Intent
offers an additional scoping period to that given in the original
Notice. Comments submitted previously do not need to be resubmitted.
Comments concerning the proposed action must be postmarked by December
8, 2008, to be considered in the draft EIS. The public is encouraged to
take part in the process and to visit with Forest Service officials at
any time during the analysis and prior to the decision. The Forest
Service will be seeking information, comments, and assistance from
Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribal governments, and other
individuals or organizations that may be interested in, or affected by,
the proposed action. This input will be used in preparation of the
draft and final EIS. The scoping process will include:
1. Identifying potential issues.
2. Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.
3. Identifying alternatives to the proposed action.
4. Exploring additional alternatives that will be derived from
issues recognized during scoping activities.
5. Identifying potential environmental effects of this proposal
(i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and connected actions).
Revised Estimated Dates for Filing: The draft EIS is expected to be
filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be
available for public review in February 2008. At that time EPA will
publish a Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal
Register. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the
date the EPA publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal
Register. It is very important that those interested in the management
of this area participate at that time.
The final EIS is scheduled to be completed in May 2009. In the
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments and
responses received during the comment period that pertain to the
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and to applicable
laws, regulations, and policies considered in making a decision
regarding the proposal.
Reviewer's Obligations: The Forest Service believes 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 reviewers 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 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 and respond to them in the final EIS.
To be most helpful, comments on the draft EIS should be as specific
as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merit
of the alternatives discussed. 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 CF 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21).
Dated: October 29, 2008.
Mike Herrin,
District Ranger, Three Rivers Ranger District, Kootenai National
Forest.
[FR Doc. E8-26677 Filed 11-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M