[Federal Register: January 22, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 14)]
[Notices]
[Page 2901-2903]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ja02-100]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WO-220-01-1020-JA-VEIS]

Supplemental Notice to Change the Schedule and Scope of Public Scoping Meetings for the Environmental Impact Statement for Vegetation Treatments, Watersheds and Wildlife Habitats on Public Lands Administered by the Bureau of Land Management in the Western United States, Including Alaska

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the BLM will prepare a national, programmatic EIS and conduct public scoping meetings on BLM's use of
prescribed burning, biological control, cultural practices, mechanical, and chemical treatment of vegetation, including noxious weeds and other invasive species in public lands management. These methods will
continue to be integrated into BLM's efforts to conserve and restore native vegetation, watersheds and wildlife habitats to protect people, sustain natural resources and provide for long-term multiple uses. The EIS addresses public lands administered by BLM in 16 western states, including Alaska. The public may submit comments during the initial scoping period through March 29, 2002.

DATES: You may submit written comments through March 29, 2002. The BLM will hold public scoping meetings to focus on human and environmental concerns, identify possible alternatives, and identify significant
issues related to the proposed action. New dates for the postponed Salt Lake City, Utah; Rock Springs,
Wyoming; Socorro, New Mexico; and Phoenix, Arizona meetings are as listed in the following schedule:

ADDRESSES: For further information, to provide written comments, or to be placed on the mailing list for this EIS, contact Brian Amme, Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006; telephone (775) 861-6645. Comments will be available for public inspection at the BLM Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd.; Reno, Nevada 89502.

Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish your name and/or address withheld from public review or disclosure, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This national, programmatic EIS will support implementation of the Department of the Interior's cohesive strategy plan for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. The EIS will also provide a comprehensive cumulative analysis of the variety of vegetation treatments BLM employs for the conservation and restoration of vegetation communities, watersheds and wildlife habitats that are designed to protect people, sustain natural resources and provide for long-term multiple uses (as specified in locally developed land use plans). Conservation and restoration activities analyzed in this document include prescribed fire, riparian restoration, native plant community restoration, invasive plants and noxious weeds treatments, understory thinning, forest health treatments, or other activities related to restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. The EIS will:

Consider state-specific, reasonably foreseeable activities, including hazardous fuels reduction treatments.

Address human health risk assessments for proposed use of new chemicals on public lands.

The EIS is not a land-use plan or a land-use plan amendment. It will provide a comprehensive document to allow effective tiering to the EIS and serve as a baseline cumulative impact assessment for other new, revised or existing land use and activity level plans that involve vegetation, wildlife habitat and watershed treatment, modification or maintenance.

An updated EIS is necessary for BLM to analyze proposed treatments on more than 6 million acres annually. Treatments will include prescribed and managed natural fire, Integrated Weed Management, hazardous fuels reduction, Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation, and landscape-level restoration initiatives such as
Great Basin Restoration Initiative. Current average annual acres of treatment selected in the existing BLM records of decision (RODs) equate to about 500,000 acres for the combined western states.

The analysis area includes only surface estate public lands administered by 11 BLM state offices: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana (Dakotas), New Mexico (Oklahoma/Texas/Kansas), Nevada, Oregon (Washington), Utah and Wyoming (Nebraska).

This EIS will consolidate four existing BLM vegetation treatment EISs developed between 1986 and 1992 into one programmatic document for the western United States, including Alaska. The EIS will update information and change to reflect new information and changed conditions on public lands since that time.

The BLM has initially identified the following issues for analysis in this programmatic EIS: hazardous fuels reduction and treatments, including mechanical treatments, treatments benefitting wildlife habitat, restoration of ecological processes (predominately fire), watershed and vegetation community health treatments. It will consider the effects of these treatments on new listings of threatened and endangered species and on other sensitive and special status species, cultural properties and Native American/Alaskan Native subsistence
practices. The EIS will also analyze new chemical formulations for herbicides deemed to be more environmentally favorable, smoke management and air quality, emergency stabilization and rehabilitation
treatments following wildfire, and the effects of treatments on vegetation, soils, watershed and water quality.

Henri Bisson, Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and Planning.
[FR Doc. 02-1659 Filed 1-18-02; 8:45 am]