[Federal Register: May 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 93)]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Idaho Panhandle/Kootenai/Lolo National Forests; Lincoln and Sanders Counties, MT; Boundary and Bonner Counties, ID; and Pend Oreille County, WA; Forest Plan Amendments for Motorized Access Management within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement to amend land and resource management plans for the Idaho Panhandle, Kootenai and Lolo National Forests.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SETS) for Motorized Access Management within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones to present additional information on grizzly bear mortality and population trends and account for uncertainty in relevant grizzly bear research. The SEIS will include a detailed analysis of Alternative D Modified and Alternative E that reflect the current condition of habitat security for grizzly bears. The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register (66 FR 57717) on November 16, 2001 and notice of the Final EIS (67 FR 11692) was published on March 15, 2002. On March 24, 2004, the Record of Decision (ROD) was signed that amended the Forest Plans for the Kootenai, Lolo and Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The ROD amended the objectives, standards, and guidelines that address grizzly bear management within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones.
Alternative E was selected for implementation, with the incorporation of terms and conditions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Biological Opinion.
On December 13, 2006, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled against the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a lawsuit brought by the Cabinet Resource Group, Great Bear Foundation, Idaho Conservation League, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Selkirk Conservation Alliance. Judge Molloy ordered that the 2002 Final Environmental Impact Statement and 2004 Record of Decision be set aside as contrary to law and that the matter be remanded to the Forest Service for preparation of a new environmental analysis that complies with 40 CFR 1502.22 (a) and (b). As a result of an action considered no longer valid, on May 17, 2007, the USFWS withdrew its Biological Opinion for the Forest Service’s proposed action.
DATES: Scoping is not required for supplements to environmental impact statements (40 CFR 1 502.9(c)(4)). There was extensive public involvement in the development of the proposed action, the 2001 Draft ETS and the 2002 Final EIS, and the Forest Service is not inviting comments at this time. The agency expects to file a Draft SETS with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and make it available for public, agency and tribal government comment in July 2008. A Final SETS is expected to be filed in April 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Paul Bradford, Forest Supervisor,
Kootenai National Forest, 31374 U.S. Hwy 2 West, Libby, MT 59923-3022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kirsten Kaiser, Grizzly Bear Access Amendment Interdisciplinary Team Leader (406) 283-7659.
Responsible Officials: Ranotta McNair, Idaho Panhandle National Forests-Forest Supervisor; Paul Bradford, Kootenai National Forest-Forest Supervisor; and Deborah Austin, Lob National Forest-Forest Supervisor.
Click here to read the complete Federal Register Notice
Tags: bear research, Forest Service, Grizzly Bear, Grizzly Bear, habitat, Idaho, resource management plans, Travel Management, u s fish and wildlife serviceRelated posts
Tags: bear research, Grizzly Bear, resource management plans, u s fish and wildlife service
