Federal Register: June 7, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 109)
DOCID: FR Doc 04-12780
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
NOTICE: NOTICES
ACTION: Environmental statements; notice of intent:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Fishlake National Forest, Utah, Fishlake OHV Route Designation Project
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by July 30, 2004. The draft environmental impact statement is scheduled for completion by the fall of 2004 and the final environmental impact statement is expected before spring of 2005.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The Forest Supervisor of the Fishlake National Forest gives notice of the intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to designate a system of routes and managed use areas that are open to motorized use. Creating a new motorized travel plan is necessary to improve management and enforcement of offhighway vehicle travel policy on the Forest. Existing travel rules that were established in the 1986 Forest Plan did not anticipate the rapid increase in offhighway vehicle (OHV) use or the types of user conflicts and resource impacts that have occurred in recent years. This notice describes the specific elements to be included in a new travel plan, decisions to be made, estimated dates for filing the EIS, information concerning public participation, and the names and address of the agency officials who can provide information.
SUMMARY:
Fishlake National Forest, UT,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Purpose and Need for Action
The Fishlake National Forest Supervisor has determined that there
is a need to improve management and enforcement of offhighway vehicle [[Page 31787]]
travel policy on the Forest. This need includes three fundamental management considerations.
1.The need to better accommodate current motorized use and to address future growth. There has been rapid growth in OHV use that was not anticipated when the 1986 Fishlake Forest Plan was written. Use on the managed Paiute and Great Western Trail systems alone has increased roughly 172 percent between 1995 and 2003. Similarly, OHV registrations in Utah have increased 142 percent from 1998 to 2003. Most of these vehicles in turn are used on public lands. The Forest travel plan map currently allows unrestricted motorized access seasonally or yearlong on 62 percent of the Fishlake National Forest System lands. This is no longer a desirable or sustainable management option given the existing number of users and expected growth.
2. The need to have a travel plan that is simple to understand and implement, and consistent with other Forests and land management agencies.
The model used for the existing travel plan relies on ``open unless signed or mapped closed'' designations that are complicated to interpret and as a result are difficult to enforce. The lack of simple and consistent travel policies among other Forests and land management agencies is confusing for the public and inhibits cooperative law enforcement.
3. The need to reduce the potential for OHV conflicts and impacts to other resource uses and values.
Some OHV activity is occurring in areas and on routes where motorized use is prohibited. In some open areas, networks of user developed routes continue to appear that are creating user conflicts and resource impacts. Problem areas are not uniformly distributed throughout the Forest. Some of this use has occurred in riparian areas and on highly erodible slopes. In other areas use is very light and little or no effects from motorized, wheeled crosscountry travel are evident. Types of impacts occurring in some cases include the introduction and spread of noxious weeds, trampling and compaction of soils and rare plants, rutting of wetlands, disturbance and displacement of wildlife and livestock, damage to cultural resources, and impacts to water quality, riparian and fisheries habitats. The major motorized impacts are occurring during hunting season, from spring antler shed gathering, in play areas next to communities, and around popular dispersed camping areas.
The Forest Service and public have a need for greater certainty
about which roads and trails are part of the managed system of
motorized and nonmotorized routes. Greater certainty addresses the needs above by providing:
Proposed Action
Additional details and description of the proposed action can be
found on the Internet at http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/fishlake/projects/obv.shtml. The proposed action has been developed by tentatively
designating a motorized travel plan that moves towards desired
conditions identified in the preproject assessment. The proposed
travel plan was compared to the existing travel plan to identify
changes from current conditions. The proposed action only includes
routes or areas where a change in current use or route classification
is needed to create the desired travel plan. The proposed action will
specify the miles of unclassified routes to be added, and the miles of
classified routes to be removed from the Forest's existing motorized
system. Travel by OHVs would only be allowed on routes and areas
designated as open. Construction of the final proposed action is still
underway, but it is anticipated that the route system will include over
2,500 miles of roads and trails on National Forest System lands. In
addition, seasonal restrictions would be added or removed on some
routes. The seasonal closure period would be lengthened from March 31
to April 15 with a start date of January 1. The Paiute and Great
Western Trail systems would be retained. Motorized crosscountry travel
would be prohibited except as specified for direct access to and from
dispersed camping, firewood gathering, emergency fire suppression,
search and rescue, law enforcement, military operations, and Forest
Service administrative use. Limited changes in area restrictions for
over snow travel by snowmobiles are proposed to protect critical mule
deer winter ranges and Research Natural Areas. The proposed alternative
designates 780 acres in three managed use areas west of Richfield, UT,
and 193 acres on the Velvet Ridges near Torrey, UT where motorized
crosscountry travel would be permitted. None of the proposed
exceptions where crosscountry travel is permitted authorize resource
damage by users. The proposed action also includes an implementation
plan that addresses items such as: Managing the designated system,
eliminating unauthorized growth of the route network, signing and
implementing routes and area designations, enforcing the new motorized
travel plan, involving and educating the public in access and travel
management, and planning future travel management decisions. Possible Alternatives
All alternatives studied in detail must fall within the scope of the purpose and need for action and will generally tier to and comply with the Fishlake forest plan. The added restrictions on motorized crosscountry travel are the only proposed amendments to the forest plan at this time.
Law requires a ``noaction alternative''. The No Action alternative would maintain current allowances and restrictions for OHV use and motorized crosscountry travel described in the current Fishlake forest plan and travel plan.
The Forest is expecting that the public input will generate either thematic concerns or routespecific issues that may be addressed by modifying the proposed action to create a new alternative or alternatives.
Responsible Official
Mary Erickson, Forest Supervisor, Fishlake National Forest, 115 East 900 North, Richfield, UT 84701.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decisions to be made in this project are:
1. Identifying rules, exceptions, and strategies for closing the Forest to motorized crosscountry travel.
2. Designating the type and season of motorized use to be allowed on classified routes.
3. Designating or eliminating unclassified travelways.
[[Page 31788]]
forming an illegal road or trail. Unclassified routes mapped before completion of the route designation project may be evaluated directly in the EIS. Disposition of routes that are added to the inventory after completion of the EIS will be assessed using a screening process that will be disclosed in the EIS. The analysis for this project will provide a onetime assessment of unclassified routes that will result in either the inclusion or elimination of a given route from the Forest travel network. After the decision date, any newly created travelways will by default be designated for elimination unless a separate analysis and decision are conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Future road and trail proposals for new construction will undergo disclosure and analysis in accordance with NEPA. Scoping Process
The first formal opportunity to comment on the Fishlake OHV Route Designation Project is during the scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7), which begins with the issuance of this Notice of Intent. All comments, including the names, addresses and when provided, will be placed in the record and are available for public inspection. Mail comments to: Dale Deiter, Fishlake National Forest, 115 East 900 North, Richfield, UT 84701.
The Forest Service requests comments on the nature and scope of the environmental, social, and economic issues, and possible alternatives related to the development of the new travel management plan and EIS.
A series of public opportunities are scheduled to explain the
proposed travel plan and route designation process to provide an
opportunity for public input. Seven scoping meetings are planned.
June 15, 2004Richfield, UT at Snow College Conference Center from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
June 16, 2004Fillmore, UT at Millard High School Lunchroom from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
June 17, 2004Loa, UT at the Loa Civic Center from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
June 22, 2004Beaver, UT at the 10th Street Center from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
June 24, 2004Junction, UT at the Piute Event Center 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
June 29, 2004Salina, UT at the old Legion Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
A meeting in Salt Lake City has tentatively been scheduled for June 23, 2004 at the Salt Lake City Public Library 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Written comments will be accepted at these meetings. The Forest Service will work with tribal governments to address issues that would significantly or uniquely affect them.
Preliminary Issues
Important goals for the project are to create a motorized travel plan that is simple to understand, consistent with other public land management agencies in Utah, and is enforceable. Protections for critical mule deer winter range and Threatened and Endangered plant habitats, roadless considerations, and the need to maintain motorized and nonmotorized recreational opportunities have also directed the development and design of the proposed action.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Fishlake
National Forest has received and assessed numerous comments from the
2001 OHV Events Environmental Assessment that was completed to permit
the Rocky Mountain and Fillmore ATV jamborees. The Forest has also
received substantial input at public meetings held for the Forest Plan
revision effort and from Topical Working Groups (TwiGs) that have
addressed suitability issues related to OHVs, dispersed recreation, and
roadless. Through these efforts the Forest has an understanding of the
broad range of perspectives on the resource issues and social values
attributed to motorized recreation on the Fishlake National Forest.
Consequently, sitespecific comments are the most important types of
information needed for this EIS. Comments about existing or proposed
conditions on individual routes, desired motorized or nonmotorized
recreation opportunities, uses and impacts, and travel plan rules and
designations are being sought. Public knowledge about existing routes
that are not shown on the Forest inventory is also requested. Because
the Fishlake OHV Route Designation EIS is a standalone document, only
public comment letters received directly to this project will be formally addressed in an appendix in the FEIS.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent Environmental Review
A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement 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 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 July 30, 2004 comment period and during the comment period following the draft EIS 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 final environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft environmental impact statement 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 draft environmental impact statement 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.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: June 1, 2004.
Mary C. Erickson,
Fishlake Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 0412780 Filed 6404; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 341011M
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Davida Carnahan, Public Affairs Officer, Fishlake National Forest, 115 East 900 North, Richfield, UT 84701. Phone: 4358961070.
For technical information contact: Max Reid, Public Services Staff, Fishlake National Forest, 115 East 900 North, Richfield, UT 84701. Phone: 4358961075.