84 FR 31288 - Tongass National Forest; Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger District; Alaska; South Revillagigedo Integrated Resource Project Environmental Impact Statement

The Forest Service is issuing this notice to update information included in the original Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the South Revillagigedo Integrated Resource Project (South Revilla IRP) and to reopen the public scoping period. The original NOI was published in the Federal Register on August 8, 2018 (83 FR 39050). This revised NOI modifies the Proposed Action, including replacing timber volume projections with proposed harvest acres to evaluate harvest potential; adds a young- growth component; revises road requirements for access; and modifies the anticipated publication dates of the Draft and Final EIS.

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 126 (Monday, July 1, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31288-31290]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13915]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Tongass National Forest; Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger District; 
Alaska; South Revillagigedo Integrated Resource Project Environmental 
Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement; reopening of public scoping period.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service is issuing this notice to update 
information included in the original Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the South Revillagigedo 
Integrated Resource Project (South Revilla IRP) and to reopen the 
public scoping period. The original NOI was published in the Federal 
Register on August 8, 2018 (83 FR 39050). This revised NOI modifies the 
Proposed Action, including replacing timber volume projections with 
proposed harvest acres to evaluate harvest potential; adds a young-
growth component; revises road requirements for access; and modifies 
the anticipated publication dates of the Draft and Final EIS.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by July 31, 2019. The Draft EIS is expected to be published in 
September 2019 and the Final EIS is expected in September 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send or hand-deliver specific written comments to the 
Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger District, Attn: South Revilla IRP, 3031 
Tongass Avenue, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901; telephone (907) 225-2148; fax 
(907) 225-8738. Comments may be emailed to: [email protected] with South Revilla IRP in the subject 
line. In all correspondence, include your name, address, and 
organization name if you are commenting as a representative of an 
organization.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Damien Zona, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger District, 3031 Tongass Avenue, 
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901 or by phone at (907) 228-4126. Individuals who 
use telecommunication devices for the deaf may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., 
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS will tier to and incorporate by 
reference the 2016 Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest 
Plan) Final EIS. The project area is located on Revillagigedo Island, 
approximately 17 miles northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska, within the 
Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger District, Tongass National Forest and 
encompasses about 56,282 acres of National Forest System lands.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the South Revilla IRP is to implement the 2016 
Forest Plan direction to move the project area toward the desired 
future conditions described in that plan. More specifically, the 
purpose is to manage the timber resource for production of sawtimber 
and other wood products, improve ecosystem and watershed health, and 
provide a range of recreation opportunities to meet public and tourism 
business demand through an integrated approach to meet multiple 
resource objectives. Maintaining existing and expanding future 
opportunities for the recreation and tourism sector would contribute to 
the local economy.
    There is a need to provide a sustainable level of forest products 
to contribute to the economic sustainability of the region. Providing 
old-growth timber and currently merchantable young-growth timber would 
preserve a viable timber industry by providing timber volume in an 
economically efficient manner while providing jobs and opportunities 
for Southeast Alaska residents. Past management activities have 
affected watershed function in the project area. There is a need to 
improve and restore the natural range of habitat conditions in the 
project area to support viable wildlife, fish, and plant populations 
and to sustain diversity and production which would contribute to 
traditional, cultural, and subsistence uses by residents of Southeast 
Alaska.
    There is also a need to provide sustainable recreation 
opportunities to a diverse and growing group of forest users. A 
sustainable recreation program in terms of operations and maintenance 
is needed to maintain infrastructure at an acceptable level.

Proposed Action

    The Forest Service proposes to harvest timber, construct and 
reconstruct roads, restore watershed function, enhance or restore fish 
and wildlife habitat, and develop recreation opportunities in the 
Shelter Cove, Shoal Cove and Thorne Arm areas within the Ketchikan 
Misty Fjords Ranger District. The project area includes the following 
land use designations (LUDs): Wilderness, Semi-remote Recreation, Old-
growth Habitat, Special Interest Area, Scenic River, Modified 
Landscape, and Timber Production (Forest Plan, Chapter 3). Maps and 
information on the 2018 Shelter Cove Recreation Area Master Plan are 
provided on the project web page at:

[[Page 31289]]

https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53477.

Forest and Transportation Management

    The Forest Service proposes to harvest timber from up to 5,500 
acres of old-growth forested land and about 1,000 acres of young-growth 
in the Modified Landscape and Timber Production LUDs using one or more 
timber sales that would be implemented over the course of 15 years. 
About 5,700 acres of even-aged management and about 800 acres of 
uneven-aged management are proposed. The Proposed Action would 
construct about 10 miles of new National Forest System road and 
recondition about 65 miles of existing roads. Temporary road 
construction would include about 45 miles of new temporary road, and 
about 8 miles of temporary road on an existing road prism. Existing 
rock quarries would be used as available or new quarries would be 
developed as necessary to provide materials for road construction. 
Existing log transfer facilities at Shelter Cove and Shoal Cove could 
be used.

Watershed and Wildlife Habitat Management

    Watershed enhancement and restoration activities include instream 
and floodplain wood placement, riparian thinning, blasting of a partial 
fish barrier, invasive plant management and culvert replacement/
removal. Wildlife treatments will be planned based on project design 
and identified needs.

Recreation Management

    Recreation opportunities will be developed using the 2018 Shelter 
Cove Recreation Area Master Plan and ongoing public input. The Proposed 
Action will be refined through internal and external involvement. The 
2008 Access and Travel Management Plan and current Motor Vehicle Use 
Map would be reviewed and updated as needed.

Proposed Forest Plan Amendments

    The 2012 Planning Rule (36 CFR 219.13(b)(2)) requires the 
Responsible Official to identify which substantive requirements of the 
2012 Planning Rule are likely to be directly related to a proposed land 
management plan amendment (36 CFR 219.13(b)(5) and 36 CFR 219.8 through 
219.11) in the initial notice for the amendment (36 CFR 219.16(a)(1)). 
At this time, the Responsible Official believes that changes to plan 
components are needed for modification of a small old-growth reserve 
(Forest Plan, Appendix K), and modification of Scenic Integrity 
Objectives (Forest Plan, p. 4-54 to 4-56). These plan amendments are 
needed to meet the purpose and need; specifically, by providing timber 
volume in an economically efficient manner while providing jobs and 
opportunities for Southeast Alaska residents. These amendments would 
apply to the commercial timber sales undertaken as part of this 
specific project only; therefore, the notification requirements and 
objection procedures of 36 CFR 218, subparts A and B, apply rather than 
the notification requirements of 36 CFR 219.

Possible Alternatives

    Scoping comments will be used to develop a range of alternatives to 
the Proposed Action in response to significant issues that are 
identified. A No Action Alternative will be analyzed as the baseline 
for comparison of action alternatives.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The Forest Service is the lead agency for this project. Invited 
cooperating agencies include: Ketchikan Indian Community, Organized 
Village of Saxman, Metlakatla Indian Community, State of Alaska 
Department of Fish and Game, State of Alaska Department of Forestry, 
and Ketchikan Gateway Borough.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for this project is M. Earl Stewart, 
Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need of the project, the Forest Supervisor 
will review alternatives, and consider the environmental consequences 
to make decisions including: (1) Whether to select the proposed action 
or another alternative; (2) the locations and design of restoration 
activities and habitat improvements; (3) road construction and 
reconstruction; (4) recreation development; (5) mitigation measures and 
monitoring; (6) whether there may be a significant restriction to 
subsistence resources; and (7) project-specific Forest Plan amendments.

Preliminary Issues

    Preliminary concerns identified by the interdisciplinary team 
include: (1) Designing an economical timber sale(s) that meets market 
demand; (2) effects of Forest Plan scenery direction on the ability to 
design an economical timber sale; (3) effects of timber harvest and 
road construction on wildlife habitat and travel corridors; (4) effects 
of timber harvest and road construction on watershed condition; and (5) 
the effects of herbicide use to other resources.

Permits or Licenses Required

    All necessary permits will be obtained prior to project 
implementation.

Scoping Process

    This revised NOI re-opens the scoping process. The Forest Service 
is soliciting internal and external input on the issues, impacts, and 
alternatives that will be addressed in the EIS. Comments previously 
submitted on the original NOI published on August 8, 2018 (83 FR 39050) 
will be considered and resubmission is not required. Scoping 
information has been updated and will be distributed to interested 
parties who have subscribed through an electronic mailing list to 
receive project information. Individuals and organizations wishing to 
subscribe may do so at: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFS/subscriber/new?preferences=true.
    Additionally, there will be in-person opportunities for involvement 
including open houses and subsistence hearings held in Ketchikan, 
Alaska. Project information, meeting announcements, notices, and 
documents will be provided on the project web page at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53477.
    Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR part 218, subparts A and B (78 
FR 18481-18504) regarding the project-level predecisional 
administrative review process applies to projects and activities 
implementing land management plans that are not authorized under the 
Healthy Forest Restoration Act. The South Revilla IRP is an activity 
implementing the Forest Plan and is subject to 36 CFR 218.
    Only individuals or entities who submit timely and specific written 
comments concerning this project during this or other public comment 
periods established by the Responsible Official will be eligible to 
file an objection. It is important that reviewers provide their 
comments at such times and in such manner that they are useful to the 
agency's preparation of the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided 
prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate 
the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered. Anonymous commenters

[[Page 31290]]

will not gain standing to object as defined in 36 CFR 218.2.

    Dated: March 14, 2019.
Allen Rowley,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.

    Editorial note: This document was received for publication by 
the Office of the Federal Register on June 25, 2019.

[FR Doc. 2019-13915 Filed 6-28-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P