Shoreline outfitter/guide : draft environmental impact statement

636 Pages·2002·41.9 MB·English

by  Tongass National Forest (Agency : U.S.)

Historic, Archive Document
4
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

USDA
Shoreline
United States
Department of Outfitter/Guide
Agriculture
Forest Service
Tongass National Forest
Draft Environmental Impact
R10-MB-425
Statement
O
July 2002
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United States Forest AlaskaRegion 204 SiginakaWay
AK
Departmentof Service TongassNationalForest Sitka, 99835
Agriculture Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
File Code: 1950
Date: June 21, 2002
DearReviewer:
Hereis yourcopy ofthe DraftShoreline Outfitter/GuideEnvironmental Impact Statement. This
document describestheno-actionalternative andfouractionalternatives. Atthispoint. Alternative 5 is
thepreferred alternative. However, pleasereview all ofthe alternatives since all alternativehave equal
standing atthistime. Any alternative, combinationofalternatives, or anew alternative withintherange
ofthese alternatives maybe selectedinthe final decision.
I amthe Responsible Official forthisproject andwillmakethe decisiononwhether or notto allowthe
permitting foroutfitter/guideuse, the amount oftherecreationcarrying capacityto be allocatedto guided
use, andtheconditions under whichguideduse willbepermitted.
Your comments areimportant andwillhelp me makemy decision. Commentsthatare substantive and
specificto the Shoreline Outfitter/Guideproject arethemostvaluable. Itis importantforthoseinterested
to respondto this DEIS withinthecommentperiodwithcomments andobjections thatcanbe
meaningfully consideredduring the development oftheFinalEnvironmental Impact Statement.
Comments orobjections made at alater date or duringthe appealperiodmay notbe considered, ifno
comments were made onthe DEIS.
Becausethis istype ofrecreation analysis is relativelynew fortheTongass National Forest andinvolves
complexissues, andbecausethe commentperiodis overlapping withthe commentperiodforthe Draft
SupplementalEIS Roadless AreaEvaluationforWilderness Recommendations, Ihave extendedthe
commentperiodonthe DraftEISto 90 days fromthenormal45 dayperiodinorderto obtainfullpublic
comment. The commentperiod will startfromthe datetheNotice ofAvailability ofthe DraftEIS is
A
publishedinthe Federal Register, expectedto beinJuly. publicnotice will also beplacedinthe
JuneauEmpire, thenewspaper ofrecord. The deadline for comments ispredictedto beinOctober,
Please sendwrittencommentsto Shoreline Outfitter/GuideProject, Attn: Mary BethNelson, USDA
Forest Service, Tongass NationalForest, 204 SiginakaWay, Sitka, Alaska 99835-7316. Ifyouneed
additionalinformation orifyou wouldlike additional copies ofthis Draft EIS, please call Mary Beth
Nelsonat (907)-747-6671.
Sincerely,
FRED SALINAS
S.
Deputy Forest Supervisor
CaringfortheLandand ServingPeople PrintedonRecycledPaper

Figure i-i. How the Shoreline Outfitter/Guide Draft EIS is Organized
Appendices
C-F
Appendices
A-B
Migitation Measures;
Monitoring; Management
Direction; Recreation
Management Concepts
References
and Lists
Use Area Cards; Large Group Area
cards.
Chapnter 4
Affected
Environment
and
Environmental
List ofpreparers, the EIS mailing list,
Consequences
references, glossary, and index
Chapter 3
Alternatives
A description ofthe environment that couldbe affectedbythe
alternatives under consideration, and direct, indirect, and cumulative
Chapter 2 changes to the environment likely to occurwith the implementation
ofthe alternatives
Purpose
and Need
The presentation and comparison ofthe alternatives, with information on how
environmental impacts wouldbe implementedwith measures to protectthe
environment
Chapter
1
The purpose andneed forwhich the Forest Service is proposing
action, the public issues surrounding it, and otherconsiderations

Shoreline
Outfitter/Guide
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Tongass National Forest
USDA
Forest Service, Alaska
Lead Agency USDA Forest Service
TongassNational Forest
Responsible Official DeputyForest Supervisor
TongassNationalForest
Sitka, Alaska 99835
For Further Information Contact Bob Dalrymple
Sitka Supervisors Office
Tongass NationalForest
204 Siginaka Way
Sitka, Alaska 99835
907-747-6671
Abstract
The USDA Forest Service proposes to allocate commercialrecreationcarrying capacityfor
outfitter/guide use onthe analysis area that includes: AdmiraltyIslandNationalMonument,
Juneau, Hoonah, and Sitka RangerDistricts. Allocations vary among alternatives. The actions
analyzed inthis DraftEIS are designedto implement direction containedinthe 1997 Tongass
Land andResource ManagementPlan. This draftenvironmental impactstatementdescribes
five alternatives thatprovide different combinations ofresource outputs and effects.