Notice of intent to prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement and To Conduct Public Scoping

This notice announces that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) Idaho Panhandle National Forests (IPNF) (collectively the ``Agencies'') intend to prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to identify and assess potential impacts upon the environment of: Repairing and maintaining an approximately 5.6-mile section of the existing Bog Creek Road, which is located in the Selkirk Mountains in Boundary County, Idaho, within approximately two miles of the Canadian border, on land within the Blue-Grass Bear Management Unit (BMU) that is managed by the IPNF; and closing for motorized use additional roads within the Blue- Grass BMU to comply with the IPNF Forest Plan Amendments for Motorized Access Management within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones (Access Amendment) and reduce road density in the Blue- Grass BMU. This notice initiates the public scoping process for the preparation of the EIS. The purpose of the public scoping process is to solicit public comments regarding the potential environmental impacts that may be addressed. This notice commences the public scoping period for which CBP and IPNF are requesting written comments. This process is being conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and CBP and Forest Service NEPA guidelines. Additionally, pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the public scoping process will allow members of the general public to provide CBP and IPNF comments on potential impacts to historic and cultural resources for the proposed action.