[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 130 (Monday, July 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45076-45078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16586]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Ottawa National Forest, Ontonagon County, MI; Baltimore 
Vegetative Management Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA-Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Baltimore Vegetative Management Project (VMP) 
to disclose the effects of the following activities: Timber harvest; 
site preparation for natural and artificial regeneration; tree 
planting; dispersed parking area improvement and development; trail 
construction; relocating a portion of an existing snowmobile trail; 
classification of old growth; maintenance of permanent openings and 
mowing roads for wildlife habitat; fisheries habitat improvement; 
expansion of an existing gravel pit; and transportation management that 
would include road construction, road reconstruction, temporary road 
construction, road maintenance, road decommissioning and obliteration, 
and road closure to passenger vehicles.
    The project area begins approximately 4 miles north of Bruce 
Crossing, Michigan, and lies to the east and west of US Highway 45 (US-
45). It is in the Baltimore Opportunity Area on the Ontonagon Ranger 
District and the North Ewen Opportunity Area on the Bergland Ranger 
District.

DATES: Comments and suggestions concerning the scope of the analysis 
should be received within 30 days following publication of this notice. 
The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) is expected to be filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public 
review in November 2002, and the final environmental impact statement 
(FEIS) is expected in March 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the scope of the 
analysis should be sent to: District Ranger, Ontonagon Ranger District, 
1209 Rockland Road, Ontonagon, MI 49953.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Strasser, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, Ontonagon Ranger District, Phone: (906) 884-2411.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project area contains approximately 
35,900 acres, of which approximately 28,475 are National Forest System 
acres, on the Ontonagon and Bergland Ranger Districts on the Ottawa 
National Forest, Ontonagon County, Michigan. The legal description of 
the project area contains all or parts of the following locations: T49N 
R38W, Sections 18, 19, 30; T49N R39W, Sections 1-36; T49N R40W, 
Sections 1-4, 8-17, 20-28, 33-36; and T50N R39W, Sections 27, 31-35, 
Michigan Meridian.

[[Page 45077]]

    The proposed project area includes portions of management areas 
(MAs) 1.1, 8.1, 9.2, and 9.3, and is comprised of National Forest 
System lands and parcels of private land. The Ottawa Forest Plan 
provides guidance for management activities within the potentially 
affected area through its goals, objectives, standards and guidelines, 
and management area direction.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for action is to:
    (1) Promote and maintain processes that would enhance natural 
species diversity while providing a supply of wood products for 
regional and local needs to help support a stable economic base within 
the market area.
    (2) Maintain and enhance habitat conditions that sustain viable 
populations of a variety of fish and wildlife species and enhance 
watershed conditions.
    (3) Maintain a road system that allows for management of National 
Forest System lands and provides for public access while meeting other 
resource needs.
    (4) Provide recreational opportunities to meet the public's needs.
    (5) Provide for public safety.

Proposed Action

    The Forest Service proposes treatments on approximately 3360 acres 
of National Forest System land that would harvest approximately 48,000 
hundred cubic feet (CCF) (equivalent to approximately 61,000 cords) of 
timber through a variety of harvest methods. Silvicultural treatment 
systems that would be used include: clearcut with reserve trees on 
approximately 1975 acres, selection harvest on approximately 100 acres, 
commercial thinning on approximately 825 acres, shelterwood harvest on 
approximately 360 acres, and removal harvest on approximately 100 
acres. This proposal includes 15 temporary openings greater than 40 
acres (size range is approximately 50 to 186 acres), to treat Aspen 
forest types at high risk of loss to insect and disease (60 days' 
public notice period and Regional Forester review would be required 
prior to signing the Record of Decision for exceeding the forty-acre 
temporary opening limit set in 36 CFR 219.27(d)(2)). Connected 
treatment actions would include site preparation for natural and 
artificial regeneration on approximately 2200 acres, and supplemental 
conifer planting on approximately 400 acres. The proposal also includes 
the classification of approximately 1650 acres of old growth, of which 
approximately 290 acres would be classified as managed old growth and 
approximately 1360 acres would be classified as unmanaged old growth.
    The proposed National Forest road management needed to access the 
treatment areas would include an estimated: 1.1 miles of new system 
road construction, 9.7 miles of system road reconstruction, 40.8 miles 
of system road maintenance, and 1.0 mile of temporary road 
construction. Temporary roads would be obliterated and allowed to 
revegetate to a natural state following completion of treatment 
activities.
    In addition to the above proposed road treatments, the following 
road management would allow for future management of National Forest 
lands, provide for public access, and meet other resource needs. This 
includes an estimated: 28.1 miles of road decommissioning, 15.6 miles 
of system road reconstruction, 49.6 miles of system road maintenance, 
and 2.6 miles of road being unclassified. The 2.6 miles of unclassified 
road are no longer needed for long-term management of forest resources, 
but are access routes currently under special use permit or being used 
by leaseholders.
    The proposed expansion of the Gauthier Gravel Pit would provide 
materials necessary for future transportation management.
    The proposed wildlife and fisheries management activities, intended 
to maintain or enhance wildlife and fisheries habitat, would include: 
maintaining approximately 165 acres of permanent openings, mowing along 
approximately 13 miles of road to improve succulent forage for grouse, 
scarifying some sites for seeding or natural regeneration of conifers 
to increase the conifer component in existing conifer stands, hand-
cutting small patches of Tag Alder adjacent to Aspen stands to 
rejuvenate woodcock habitat, add/create large coarse woody debris to 
some of the harvested Aspen stands for grouse and other species, and 
adding large woody debris at selected sites in the Baltimore River.
    The proposed dispersed recreation management activities, intended 
to maintain or enhance existing recreation opportunities to meet 
current and expected future demand while protecting resources, would 
include: hardening, enhancing, or developing some dispersed recreation 
camping sites adjacent to Forest Roads 730 and 733, conversion of 
approximately 300 feet of existing unclassified road to a trail to 
protect resources while still allowing for Ontonagon River access, and 
improvement of a small parking area near the Ontonagon River access 
site.
    The proposed management needed to address public health and safety 
concerns would include relocating a portion of snowmobile trail 
3 that is currently located in the US-45 right of way. The 
existing trail location creates a less than ideal safety situation for 
motor vehicle users on the highway and also for snowmobilers.

Possible 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 would be implemented. Additional alternatives will 
examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to 
achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues 
and other resource values.
    The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and projected 
activities on both private and National Forest System lands will be 
considered. The EIS will disclose site-specific design criteria.

Responsible Official

    Ralph E. Miller, Acting District Ranger, Ontonagon Ranger District, 
1209 Rockland Rd., Ontonagon, MI 49953, is the Responsible Official. As 
the Responsible Official he will decide if the proposed project will be 
implemented. He will document the decision and reasons for the decision 
in the Record of Decision.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Ontonagon District Ranger will decide the following:
     Whether or not to implement vegetation management 
activities, and if so, identify the selection of, and site-specific 
location of, appropriate timber management practices (silvicultural 
prescription, site preparation, and reforestation).
     Identify road construction, reconstruction, maintenance, 
and temporary road construction necessary to provide access to 
accomplish treatments, or provide for long-term resource management, as 
well as any appropriate design criteria.
     Whether or not to permanently decommission, obliterate, or 
close roads to restrict passenger vehicle access or protect resources, 
and if so, where and how.
     Whether or not to expand an existing gravel pit, and if 
so, to what extent.
     Whether or not to maintain permanent openings and mow 
certain

[[Page 45078]]

roads, and if so, the location and size of openings to be maintained 
and roads to be mowed.
     What improvements or developments, if any, should be 
undertaken to enhance dispersed recreation opportunities.
     Whether or not to relocate a portion of snowmobile trail 
3, and if so, where.
     What, if any, specific project monitoring requirements 
would be needed to assure design criteria are implemented and 
effective.

Public Involvement and Scoping

    In July 1998, initial scoping was done for the Thumper Vegetation 
Management Project that was listed in the 1998 winter edition of the 
Ottawa Quarterly. The 1999 summer edition of the Ottawa Quarterly 
further included the Winterfest Timber Sale as part of the Thumper 
Vegetation Management Project. This project was never completed and is 
now included in the Baltimore analysis. Comments received regarding the 
Thumper Vegetation Management Project prior to this notice will be 
included in the documentation for the EIS. The public is encouraged to 
take part in the process by communicating or visiting 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, as well as 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:
     Initiating public involvement.
     Identifying potential issues.
     Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.
     Identifying alternatives to the proposed action.
     Identifying potential environmental effects of this 
proposed action and the alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and 
cumulative effects and connected actions).

Preliminary Issues

    Tentatively, a few preliminary issues of concern have been 
identified. These issues are briefly described below.

Transportation System

    Implementation of the proposed action would decommission roads not 
needed for the long-term transportation system. Some additional 
segments of road would be managed as closed to some types of motorized 
use. This may affect the public's ability to use traditional access 
routes.

Vegetation

    There are large areas of mature and declining Aspen that are at 
high risk of loss to insects or disease. When proposed harvest areas 
are added to recently harvested adjacent areas (0-10 years ago), 
several temporary open areas exceeding 40 acres would be created.

Public Health and Safety

    A portion of snowmobile trail 3 is located in the US-45 
right of way. The present trail location creates a situation where 
snowmobile traffic must parallel the highway, cross the highway several 
times, and cross the Ontonagon River by traveling over and along the 
US-45 bridge. This creates a less than ideal safety situation for motor 
vehicle users on the highway and also for snowmobilers. Within the 
scope of this project, proposing to relocate a portion of the existing 
trail could reduce the amount of trail within the US-45 right of way. 
For reasons outside the scope of this project, a separate analysis and 
document is needed to propose alternative methods for crossing the 
Ontonagon River, which could reduce the number of times the trail has 
to cross US-45 and eliminate snowmobiles having to travel over and 
along the US-45 bridge.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. While public 
participation in this analysis is welcome at any time, comments 
received within 30 days of the publication of this notice will be 
especially useful in the preparation of the draft EIS.

Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review

    A draft EIS will be prepared for comment. The draft EIS is expected 
to be filed with the EPA and to be available for public review in 
November 2002. At that time the 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 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 and respond to them 
in the final EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should 
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to 
specific pages or chapters of the draft EIS. Comments may also address 
the adequacy of the draft EIS 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.

    Dated: June 24, 2002.
Robert Lueckel,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 02-16586 Filed 7-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P