Administration of the Forest Development Transportation System; Temporary Suspension of Road Construction in Roadless Areas

Administration of the Forest Development Transportation System; Temporary Suspension of Road Construction in Roadless Areas

Administration of the Forest Development Transportation System; Temporary Suspension of Road Construction in Roadless Areas

Mike Dombeck
Department of Agriculture
February 27, 1998

[Federal Register: February 27, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 39)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 9980-9987]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27fe98-31]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

36 CFR Part 212

RIN 0596-AB67, 0596-AB68

Administration of the Forest Development Transportation System;
Temporary Suspension of Road Construction in Roadless Areas

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of public comment period on proposed interim rule and
schedule of public meetings on proposed interim rule and advance notice
of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: On January 28, 1998, the Forest Service published in the
Federal Register for public review and comment, a proposed interim rule
that would, if adopted, temporarily suspend road construction and
reconstruction in most roadless areas of the National Forest System.
The public comment period was to end February 27, 1998. Several
organizations have indicated that the 30-day review period is not
sufficient time to review and analyze the proposed interim rule and its
potential impacts on matters of interest to their organizations and
have requested additional time to prepare comments. Additionally, some
individuals and groups have also expressed a desire for the agency to
hold public meetings on the proposed interim rule and the Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) which was also published in the
Federal Register on January 28. Therefore, to facilitate public
understanding and comment, the Forest Service has decided to extend the
comment period through March 30, 1998, and to hold public meetings for
the proposed interim rule and the ANPR.

DATES: Comments must be postmarked by March 30, 1998. Dates, times, and
locations of the public meetings are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Director, Ecosystem Management
Coordination Staff, MAIL STOP 1104, Forest Service, USDA, P.O. Box
96090, Washington, DC 20090-6090. Comments also may be sent via the
Internet to roads/wo@fs.fed.us.
All comments, including names and addresses when provided, are
placed in the record and are available for public inspection and
copying at the Forest Service National Headquarters Offices, 14th and
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. Persons wishing to inspect
the comments are encouraged to

[[Page 9981]]

call ahead (202-205-0895) to facilitate entrance into the building.
Addresses for the public meetings are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gerald (Skip) Coghlan, Engineering Staff, 202-205-1400 or Rhey Solomon,
Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff, 202-205-0939. Local contacts
for public meetings are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 28, 1998, at 63 FR 4351, the
Forest Service published for public review and comment a proposed
interim rule that would temporarily suspend road construction and
reconstruction in most roadless areas of the National Forest System.
The proposed interim rule was published in association with an ANPR (63
FR 4350). In the ANPR, the Forest Service gave notice of its intention
to revise the regulations concerning the management of the National
Forest System transportation system to address changes in how the road
system is developed, used, maintained, and funded.
Until new and improved analytical tools can be developed and
implemented to evaluate the positive benefits and adverse impacts of
roads, the adoption of an interim rule to temporarily suspend road
construction or reconstruction within National Forest System roadless
areas is viewed as critical to preserve land and resource management
options. The temporary suspension of road construction and
reconstruction would expire upon the application of the new and
improved analysis tools or 18 months, whichever is sooner.
In response to the January 28 Federal Register documents, the
Forest Service has received many requests for information on
implications and impacts of implementing the proposed interim rule. In
response to these requests, the agency is publishing, as part of this
announcement, the timber data and information used to help formulate
the proposed interim rule. The information available prior to the
January 28 notices related only to potential affects on timber sales in
inventoried roadless areas. These data are displayed in Appendix 1 and
Appendix 2 at the end of this document.
The preliminary information in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 does not
account for other types of activities that may involve road
construction or reconstruction and that might be affected if the
proposed interim rule were adopted. Data and information are being
collected on road construction and reconstruction projects proposed for
such activities as access required for authorized special uses, private
property, recreation, and mining and for other activities that may
require construction or reconstruction of roads. In addition, data are
being analyzed to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts
including impacts to recreation, wildlife, fish, and watersheds. The
new information will be used to evaluate and compare alternatives and
environmental effects for a final interim rule. To the extent feasible,
the agency will post this new information on the Forest Service
internet home page at www.fs.fed.us/news/roads/.

Public Meetings

In addition to the public comment period, the agency will hold
public meetings across the country for the purpose of adding to the
record of public comment on the proposed interim rule. Persons who wish
to comment will be provided opportunity for a brief oral comment for
the record. Also, written comments may be submitted at the meeting
sites. At these meetings, the public also will be able to provide
comments in response to the ANPR concerning the management of the
National Forest System transportation system to address changes in how
the road system is developed, used, maintained, and funded. An open
house format will be used. The public should be aware that, for the
portion of the open houses during which persons may enter comments into
the record for the interim rulemaking agency employees will be
available only to answer questions to clarify the proposed interim
rule.
The dates, times, and locations of the public meetings are as
follows:

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State Date and time Location Contact person
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Alaska............................ March 10, 2-7 p.m................... Ted Ferry Civic Dave Arrasmith, 907-228-6304.
Center, 888 Venetia
Avenue, Ketchikan.
Alaska............................ March 11, 2-7 p.m................... Spenard Community Anne Jeffery, 907-271-2508.
Recreation Center,
2020 West 48th
Avenue, Anchorage.
California........................ March 21, 9-5 p.m................... Sacramento Convention Christie Kalkowski, 415-705-1841.
Center, 1400 J
Street, Sacramento.
Colorado.......................... March 17, 2-8 p.m................... Grand Junction Matt Glasgow, 970-874-6674.
Hilton, 743 Horizon
Drive, Grand
Junction.
Colorado.......................... March 17, 2-7 p.m................... Rocky Mountain Lynn Young, 303-275-5346.
Regional Office,
USDA Forest Service,
740 Simms Street,
Golden.
Georgia........................... March 26, 6-9 p.m................... Sheraton Hotel, 1850 Angela Coleman, 404-347-7226.
Cotillion Drive,
Atlanta.
Idaho............................. March 19, 1-7 p.m................... Idaho Panhandle Brad Gilbert, 208-765-7438.
National forests,
3815 Schreiber Way,
Coeur d'Alene.
Idaho............................. March 21, 10-3 p.m.................. Boise Center on the Brian Harris, 208-373-4106.
Grove, 850 West
Front, Boise.
Minnesota......................... March 19, 6-9 p.m................... Earle Brown Mary Nordeen, 218-335-8658.
Continuing Education
Center, University
of Minnesota, St.
Paul Campus, 1890
Buford Avenue, Room
280, St. Paul.
Montana........................... March 12, 3-8 p.m................... Helena National Jerry Adelblue, 406-449-5201, ext. 264.
Forest, 2880 Skyway
Drive, Helena.
Montana........................... March 14, 10-5 p.m.................. Ruby's Reserve Street Barb Beckes, 406-329-3809.
Inn, 4825 North
Reserve Street,
Missoula.
Montana........................... March 23, 6:30-9:30 p.m............. Libby City Hall, 952 Joan Dickerson, 406-293-6211.
East Spruce Street,
Libby.

[[Page 9982]]

New Hampshire..................... March 18, 6-9 p.m................... New Hampshire Colleen Mainville, 603-528-8796.
Technical College,
11 Institute Drive,
Concord.
New Mexico........................ March 18, 3-7 p.m................... Holiday Inn Mountain Al Koschmann, 505-842-3370.
View, 2020 Menaul
Northeast,
Albuquerque.
North Dakota...................... March 12, 9-3 p.m................... Expressway Suites, Steve Williams, 701-250-4443.
180 East Bismarck
Expressway, Bismarck.
Oregon............................ March 16, 10-4 p.m.................. Doubletree Hotel Patty Burel, 503-808-2221.
Lloyd Center, 1000
Northeast Multnomah,
Portland.
Oregon............................ March 17, 10-4 p.m.................. National Guard Carrie Sammons, 541-383-5536.
Armory, 875
Southwest Simpson,
Bend.
Oregon............................ March 18, 10:30-4:30 p.m............ Reston Hotel, 2300 Steve Waterman, 541-858-2213.
Crater Lake Highway,
Medford.
South Dakota...................... March 16, 3-8 p.m................... Pactola District Glen McNitt, 605-673-3104.
Office, Black Hills
National Forest, 803
Soo San Drive, Rapid
City.
Utah.............................. March 21, 10-3 p.m.................. Provo Park Hotel, 101 Lola Murray, 801-342-5137.
West, 100 North,
Provo.
Virginia.......................... March 24, 6-9 p.m................... Jefferson/George Donna Wilson, 540-265-5100.
Washington, National
Forests, 5162
Valleypointe
Parkway, Roanoke.
Washington........................ March 17, 10-4 p.m.................. Ramada Inn at Lorette Ray, 425-744-3571.
Northgate, 2140
North Northgate Way,
Seattle.
Washington........................ March 18, 10-4 p.m.................. Four Seasons Inn, 11 Paul Hart, 509-662-4314.
West Grant Road
East, Wenatchee.
Washington DC..................... March 19, 2-7 p.m................... Holiday Inn Capitol, Alan Polk, 202-205-1134.
550 C Street
Southwest,
Washington, DC.
Wyoming........................... March 19, 2-7 p.m................... Parkway Plaza Hotel, Stan Sylva, 307-777-6087.
123 West E Street,
Casper.
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Dated: February 24, 1998.
Mike Dombeck,
Chief, Forest Service.

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M

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[FR Doc. 98-5130 Filed 2-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-C