Notice2025-08684
Malheur National Forest, Blue Mountain and Prairie City Ranger Districts and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Whitman Ranger District, Oregon; Austin Project; Revision
Primary source
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Published
May 15, 2025
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
The Forest Service is revising its notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Austin Project to update the following information in the original NOI: project timeline, consideration of using an emergency authority, and identifying the substantive provisions for two additional potential forest plan amendments to the Malheur Forest Plan. This revised NOI re- opens the scoping process for an additional 30-day scoping period. The Planning Administrative Reviews and Litigation System identification number for the project is 53678.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 93 (Thursday, May 15, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 93 (Thursday, May 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20619-20620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08684]
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Notices
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 93 / Thursday, May 15, 2025 /
Notices
[[Page 20619]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Malheur National Forest, Blue Mountain and Prairie City Ranger
Districts and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Whitman Ranger District,
Oregon; Austin Project; Revision
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement;
revision.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service is revising its notice of intent (NOI) to
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Austin Project
to update the following information in the original NOI: project
timeline, consideration of using an emergency authority, and
identifying the substantive provisions for two additional potential
forest plan amendments to the Malheur Forest Plan. This revised NOI re-
opens the scoping process for an additional 30-day scoping period. The
Planning Administrative Reviews and Litigation System identification
number for the project is 53678.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by June 16, 2025; the Forest Service is providing an additional scoping
period for this project associated with this revised NOI. The draft EIS
is expected in spring 2025 and the final EIS is expected in summer or
fall 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Zane Murray, Blue Mountain District
Ranger, 431 Patterson Bridge Road or P.O. Box 909, John Day, OR 97845.
Comments may also be sent electronically to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a5c6cac8c8c0cbd1d688d5c4c6ccc3ccc6cbcad7d1cdd2c0d6d188c8c4c9cdc0d0d788c7c9d0c0c8cad0cbd1c4cccbe5d0d6c1c48bc2cad3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="92f1fdfffff7fce6e1bfe2f3f1fbf4fbf1fcfde0e6fae5f7e1e6bffff3fefaf7e7e0bff0fee7f7fffde7fce6f3fbfcd2e7e1f6f3bcf5fde4">[email protected]</span></a>, or via facsimile to 541-575-3158.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bethany Parker, at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#254740514d444b5c0b5544574e405765505641440b424a53"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5133342539303f287f2130233a342311242235307f363e27">[email protected]</span></a> or (541) 575-3390. Individuals who use
telecommunications devices for the hearing impaired may call 711 to
reach the Telecommunications Relay Service, 24 hours a day, every day
of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Responsible Official
The Forest Supervisor of the Malheur National Forest is the
Responsible Official.
Scoping Comments and the Objection Process
The Forest is considering use of the Secretary's Memorandum 1078-
006 emergency situation determination (ESD) under section 40807 of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for the Austin Project,
for applicable activities. Under this emergency authority, applicable
activities under the Austin FEIS and ROD would not be subject to pre-
decisional administrative review (Consolidated Appropriations Act of
2012 (Pub. L. 112-74) as implemented by Subparts A and B of 36 CFR part
218). Since Forest Service has its own program called ESD (36 CFR
218.21), to prevent confusion between the two, the Forest Service
refers to any designation under IIJA section 40807 as an emergency
action determination (EAD).
The original NOI was published on pages 32401-32403 of the Federal
Register on July 8, 2019. This revised NOI re-opens the scoping
process, which guides the development of the EIS. In this process, the
Forest Service is requesting comments on potential alternatives and
impacts, and identification of any relevant information, studies or
analyses of any kind concerning impacts affecting the quality of the
human environment. This will be the second scoping period for this
project. Comments submitted in response to the original 2019 notice of
intent do not need to be resubmitted; please focus comments on the
additional information provided in this revised NOI. See the project's
web page for additional information on the project: <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/malheur/?project=53678">https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/malheur/?project=53678</a>, including the 2019
Austin Project Scoping Package which includes a detailed description of
the project's purpose and need and proposed action.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such a manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation
of the EIS; therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close
of the scoping period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's
concerns and contentions. Commenting during scoping and any other
designated opportunity to comment provided by the Responsible Official
as prescribed by the applicable regulations will also govern
eligibility to object once the final EIS and draft record of decision
has been published. 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; however, they will not be used to
establish eligibility for the objection process.
Objections will be accepted only from those who have previously
submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project
during scoping or other designated opportunity for public comment in
accordance with regulations at 36 CFR 218.5(a). Issues raised in
objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific
written comments regarding the proposed project unless based on new
information arising after designated opportunities.
Substantive Provisions
When proposing a forest plan amendment, regulations at 36 CFR
219.13(b)(5) require the Responsible Official to identify in this
notice which specific substantive requirements (36 CFR 219.8 through
219.11) are directly related to the plan direction being modified by
the amendment based on the purpose of the amendment or the effects of
the amendment (36 CFR 219.13(b)(5)).
In addition to the potential forest plan amendments identified in
the 2019 NOI (84 Federal Register 32401-32403), the project may require
two amendments to Malheur Forest Plan Management Area 14. The amendment
to standard 2 would allow short-term deviations from retention and
partial retention in visual corridors while the amendment to standard
19 would allow for seedtree harvest (regeneration harvesting) in the
middleground of U.S. Highway 26
[[Page 20620]]
viewshed. The substantive requirements that are likely directly related
to the purpose or effects of these potential forest plan amendments are
36 CFR 219.8(a)(1)(iv), 219.8(a)(1)(v), 219.9(a)(1), 219.9(a)(2),
219.9(a)(2)(i), 219.9(a)(2)(iii), 219.10(a)(1), 219.10(a)(3), and
219.10(a)(8).
Ellen Shultzabarger,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2025-08684 Filed 5-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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