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EIS released
on Priest Lake fuels reduction project |
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November 23, 2011 |
The Priest Lake Ranger District released the
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DSEIS) for the Lakeview-Reeder
Hazardous Fuels Reduction project today. The
DSEIS updates the original
 Environmental Impact
Statement (issued in December 2009) to include
recent additional requirements for the
evaluation of wildlife habitat within the
project area. Implementation of the
Lakeview-Reeder project will substantially
reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to
communities and forest health in the areas
surrounding Reeder Bay, Lakeview Mountain and
Bismark Meadows, just west of Priest Lake.
“Our local communities have been hugely
supportive of this project since its inception,
so we are looking forward to working together
through the public comment period to develop a
decision that provides both improved forest
health and improved wildfire resilience,” said
Priest Lake District Ranger Glen Klingler.
The proposed action for the Lakeview-Reeder
DSEIS would reduce fuels on approximately 2,319
acres within the project area. To access fuel
treatment areas, road maintenance activities
would occur on approximately 18 miles of road;
reconstruction activities would occur on 2 miles
of road; and approximately 3 miles of road would
be constructed (2.4 miles of permanent road, and
0.7 miles of temporary road). This work
supplements other road related activities
recently implemented, which improve wildlife
habitat and minimize the effects of project work
on aquatic habitats and wildlife within the
project area.
The original Environmental Impact Statement for
the Lakeview-Reeder project was issued in
December 2009 and a final decision was made in
April 2010. Shortly after the April decision two
court cases in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
resulted in rulings that affect the evaluation
of wildlife habitat on Forest Service projects
throughout the west. Based on an evaluation of
these rulings the Idaho Panhandle Nationals
Forests chose to rescind the original project
decision to conduct additional scientific
analysis of wildlife habitat for the project.
With the additional analysis complete, the
forest is issuing the Supplemental EIS for
public comment before a final SEIS is completed
and a new decision released.
The Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement is available for review online at the
Lakeview-Reeder Hazardous Fuels Reduction web
page. A 45 day comment period will begin upon
publication of a notice of availability in the
Federal Register which is expected to occur on
December 2, 2011. A legal notice will also be
published in the Coeur d’Alene Press on or
around this date. Written comments may be sent
to A.J. Helgenberg, Lakeview-Reeder Project Team
Leader, Sandpoint Ranger District, 1602 Ontario
Street, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864. Comments can be
submitted electronically to:
ajhelgenberg@fs.fed.us. Members of the
public with questions about the project may
contact the Priest Lake Ranger District at (208)
443-2512. |
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