From: Subject: FR Doc 2010-16275 Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 09:51:40 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-16275.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5931 =EF=BB=BF FR Doc 2010-16275 
[Federal Register: July 6, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 128)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 38767-38768]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06jy10-26]                        =20


[[Page 38767]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

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Intermountain Region, Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth National=20
Forests; ID; Amendment to the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plans:=20
Wildlife Conservation Strategy (Forested Biological Community)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: On September 14, 2007, the Forest Service published an NOI to=20
prepare an EIS to disclose the environmental effects of proposed non-
significant amendments to the three Southwest Idaho Ecogroup (SWIE)=20
2003 Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans). The September=20
2007 NOI noted that amendments to the 2003 Forest Plans for the Boise,=20
Payette, and Sawtooth National Forests (NFs) will add and/or modify=20
existing management direction, as needed, to implement a comprehensive,=20
Forest Plan-level, wildlife conservation strategy (WCS). A correction=20
to the September 14, 2007 NOI was published on December 8, 2008. The=20
December 2008 correction was published to reflect a delay of more than=20
a year in filing the draft EIS. The December 2008 correction also=20
provided notice of a change in the approach to the amendment process,=20
dividing the WCS and amendment process into four phases, each with an=20
individual environmental impact statement. The December 8, 2008 NOI was=20
corrected on April 22, 2009 to reflect that three EISs will be prepared=20
(one for each Forest) instead of one EIS addressing all three Forests.=20
This NOI corrects the April 22, 2009 NOI to reflect a change in the=20
level of documentation from an EIS to an environmental assessment (EA)=20
and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the analysis of the=20
proposed amendment for the Sawtooth Forest Plan. Analysis for the Boise=20
and Payette Plan amendments will continue to be documented in=20
individual EIS's.

DATES: Comments concerning this correction must be received within 30=20
days following the date of publication of this NOI. The final EIS for=20
the Boise Forest and the draft EIS for the Payette Forest are expected=20
to be available in the summer of 2010. The EA and FONSI for the=20
Sawtooth NF are expected to be available in the late summer/early fall=20
of 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Sharon LaBrecque, Planning Staff=20
Officer, Sawtooth National Forest; 2647 Kimberly Road East, Twin Falls,=20
ID 83301; or by fax at (208) 737-3236; or you may hand-deliver your=20
comments to the Sawtooth Forest Supervisor's Office, located at 2647=20
Kimberly Road East, Twin Falls, during normal business hours from 8=20
a.m. to 5 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:=20
comments-intermtn-sa=
wtooth@fs.fed.us.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names=20
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record=20
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be=20
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide=20
the respondent with standing to appeal the subsequent decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon LaBrecque, Planning Staff=20
Officer, Sawtooth National Forest, 2647 Kimberly Road East, Twin Falls,=20
ID 83301, telephone 208-737-3200. Individuals who use telecommunication=20
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay=20
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern=20
Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Separate RODs for revised Forest Plans were=20
issued in July 2003 for the Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth NFs. The RODs=20
implemented Alternative 7, as identified in the single 2003 final EIS=20
that disclosed the environmental effects of the seven alternatives.=20
Implementation of the three revised Forest Plans began in September=20
2003. Assessments supporting the 2003 Forest Plan revision identified=20
more habitat areas in need of restoration for a variety of species=20
within each planning unit than could be moved toward desired conditions=20
by natural processes or management activities within the 10- to 15-year=20
planning period. As a result, the 2003 Forest Plans for the Boise,=20
Payette, and Sawtooth NFs identified that maintaining and restoring=20
habitats for species of concern should be prioritized based upon the=20
greatest risks to the persistence of certain species (Boise and Payette=20
Forest Plans, p. 11-10 and Sawtooth Forest Plan, p. 11-9). To address=20
this need, each Forest Plan included a wildlife objective, WIOB03, to=20
prioritize wildlife habitat to be restored at a mid- or Forest-scale,=20
using information from sources such as species habitat models and fine=20
scale analyses. On September 14, 2007, the Forest Service published an=20
NOI to prepare an EIS to disclose the environmental effects of proposed=20
non-significant amendments to the three SWIE 2003 Forest Plans (Federal=20
Register, Vol. 72, No. 178, pp. 52540-52542). The intent of the=20
amendments was to address wildlife objective WIOB03 to prioritize=20
wildlife habitat to be restored at a mid- or Forest-scale. A correction=20
to the September 14, 2007 NOI was published on December 8, 2008 to=20
reflect a delay of more than a year in filing the draft EIS. Given the=20
complexity of species and associated habitats found across the three=20
Forests, the December 2008 correction also provided notice of a change=20
in the approach to the amendment process, dividing the WCS amendments=20
into four phases. The first phase addresses the forested biological=20
community, with subsequent phases slated to address rangeland; unique=20
combinations of rangeland and forest; and riparian/wetland biological=20
communities. The WCS amendments will include a prioritization framework=20
for implementation of the 2003 Forest Plan direction that managers can=20
use to help focus limited resources and funds for restoration on areas=20
most important to species of concern. The December 2008 NOI correction=20
stated that one EIS would be published for each phase of the WCS. On=20
April 22, 2009, a correction to the December 2008 NOI was published to=20
reflect that three EISs will be prepared (one for each Forest) instead=20
of one EIS addressing all three Forests.
    Assessments completed to date for the forested biological community=20
WCS indicate that fewer changes to the Sawtooth Forest Plan direction=20
are needed to implement a prioritized WCS than the Boise and Payette=20
forest plans will require. This is in part due to that fact that the=20
Sawtooth does not have the low elevation pine forests found on the=20
Boise and Payette. Across southwest Idaho, it is the low elevation pine=20
forests that are the most highly departed from historic conditions;=20
pose the highest need for restoration; and affect the greatest need for=20
change in management direction to be addressed in the forested=20
biological community WCS plan amendments. The mid- to high elevation=20
forests more typical of the Sawtooth National Forest are less departed.=20
The Sawtooth Forest Plan did not include the MPC (Management=20
prescription Category) 5.2 allocation unit that emphasized commodity=20
production that resulted in forest conditions substantially outside=20
their historic range of variation. And finally, management direction in=20
the 2003

[[Page 38768]]

Sawtooth Forest Plan already provides most of the specific restoration=20
objectives for many of the Forest's species of greatest conservation=20
concern associated with the forested biological communities. Because of=20
this, the Sawtooth Forest Plan will require only the identification of=20
priority watersheds for restoration and minor amendments to management=20
direction. Preliminary assessment results indicate that the effects of=20
implementing the proposed plan amendment should have only minor=20
environmental effects to the forested biological community on the=20
Sawtooth NF, as well as outputs and services envisioned under the 2003=20
Forest Plan.

    Dated: June 28, 2010.
Terence O. Clark, III,
Acting Sawtooth National Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-16275 Filed 7-2-10; 8:45 am]
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