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Study Plan

for the

Tongass


Land Management Plan Revision

Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement





Tongass National Forest

September 2001



Signature of Approval by Thomas Puchlerz, Dated Sept. 20, 2001



CONTENTS
 
INTRODUCTION
 
Background
Objectives
Study Plan Organization
GENERAL APPROACH
 
PHASE 1 - INITIATION AND STUDY PLAN DEVELOPMENT
 
General Review of '97 EIS Planning Record
Attend Planning/Coordination Meeting in Juneau
Collect and Evaluate Information Sources, including GIS, and Determine Needs for Updating
Develop Study Plans
Develop Public Involvement Plan
 
PHASE 2 - UPDATE ROADLESS AREA MAP AND APPENDIX C
 
Initiate Planning Record
Update Relevant GIS Coverages
Update Roadless Inventory Map
Conduct Descriptive GIS Analyses for the Roadless Areas
Review Public and Congressional Input on Roadless Areas
Develop an Electronic Copy of Appendix C
Update Appendix C (the Analysis of the Management Situation)
 
PHASE 3 -INITIAL PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
 
Notice of Intent
Government-to-Government Consultation
Letter to Mailing List (Notification Letter)
Website Additions
Public Briefings and Other Contacts
Supplemental Scoping Report
Project Update Newsletter
Planning Record Update
 
PHASE 4 - DRAFT SEIS
 
Develop Purpose and Need Statement
Define the Alternatives
Prepare Chapters 1 and 2
Prepare Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Update Environmental Consequences Section of Appendix C
Other Draft SEIS Chapters
Assemble Preliminary Draft SEIS for Review
Internal Review of Draft SEIS
Prepare Revised Draft SEIS
Review/Edit Revised Draft SEIS
Assemble Camera-ready Draft SEIS
Draft SEIS Printing and Mailing
Draft SEIS Posting on the Web
Planning Record Update
 
PHASE 5 - PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND COMMENT ANALYSIS
 
Draft SEIS Review Period and Public Meetings
Comment Analysis
Responses to Comments
Website Additions
Public Briefings and Other Contacts
Government-to-Government Consultation
Project Update Newsletter
Planning Record Update
 
PHASE 6 - FINAL SEIS
 
Update Public Interest Section of Appendix C
Prepare the Final SEIS
Update Environmental Consequences Section of Appendix C
Assemble Preliminary Final SEIS for Review
Prepare Revised Final SEIS
Prepare Draft ROD
Review/Edit Revised Final SEIS
Review/Edit Draft ROD
Assemble Camera-ready Final SEIS and ROD
Final SEIS and ROD Printing and Mailing
Final SEIS and ROD Posting on the Web
Project Update Newsletter
Planning Record Update
 
SCHEDULE

Introduction

Background

A recent court decision has affected the implementation of the Tongass Land Management Plan Revision. This court decision affects the Record of Decision (ROD) that is in effect and identifies the need for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

In Sierra Club, et al. v. Lyons, J00-0009 CV (JKS), on March 30, 2001, the Court found that the Forest Service violated NFMA and NEPA in the Forest Plan Revision by failing to consider any alternatives with new wilderness recommendations. The Forest Service was directed to prepare an SEIS that evaluates and considers roadless areas within the Tongass for recommendations as potential wilderness areas. The Forest Service was also directed to provide the relative contribution to the National Wilderness Preservation System in its analysis of the management situation.

In parallel to this legal process regarding the consideration of potential wilderness areas on the Tongass National Forest, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of January 12, 2001 is the subject of a number of lawsuits and it appears that this rule may be embroiled in legal uncertainty for a long time. As a result, on June 7, 2001 the Chief of the Forest Service, Dale Bosworth, issued the following direction: 1) he reserved the decision authority for timber harvest and road construction in inventoried roadless areas to himself; 2) all national forests were directed to complete efforts to identify and properly map existing classified roads; and 3) he instructed all national forests to ensure that forest plan amendments and revisions consider the long-term protection and management of unroaded portions of inventoried roadless areas.

Objectives

The Tongass National Forest has decided to prepare an SEIS and assess/provide the relative contribution to the National Wilderness Preservation System, in response to Judge Singleton's March 30, 2001 order regarding the Sierra Club, et al. v. Lyons case. Therefore, the main objectives of this document are to describe the process and schedule for developing this SEIS and the relative contribution to the National Wilderness Preservation System. In addition, the process described in this document is intended to lead to completion of the identification and proper mapping of existing roads on the Tongass and to consider the long-term protection and management of the unroaded portions of inventoried roadless areas on the Tongass, as directed by the Chief of the Forest Service.

It is recognized that the process and schedule for these efforts are somewhat dynamic, and there will necessarily be refinements to the process and schedule as it is implemented. This document represents the initial study plan, as it is projected in late September 2001.

Study Plan Organization

This study plan presents a description of tasks organized according to the six phases identified for the project. An overview of the phases is presented in the General Approach section, along with a detailed schedule, which presents the sequence and interrelationships among the tasks.

A schedule is presented at the end of the task descriptions.

General Approach

The work covered by this study plan has been divided into six overlapping phases. The work included in each phase is divided into tasks and subtasks and each of these is tied to the schedule. The individual phases identified in this study plan are as follows:

The sequence and interrelationships among these phases and the tasks included in each phase, are displayed in the Task Relationships and Schedule Diagram (Gantt Chart) shown in the attachment (see attached Microsoft Project file: Tongass SEIS Schedule3.mpp). The individual tasks and subtasks along with their durations and start and finish dates are shown in Table 1 in the Schedule section. The study plan will be refined as the work is conducted in each phase and refinements are indicated.



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Phase 1 - Initiation and Study Plan Development

General Review of '97 EIS Planning Record

Briefly review the 1997 Forest Plan EIS Planning Record that is recorded on approximately 60 CD-ROMs to gain familiarity with the organization and ease of use. Spend some time reviewing the 1997 Forest Plan EIS and ROD and the 1999 ROD.

Attend Planning/Coordination Meeting in Juneau

Attend a 2-day working meeting in Juneau with Forest and Regional Office staff to discuss the overall approach, including public involvement, GIS and other data sources, roles and responsibilities, etc.

Collect and Evaluate Information Sources, including GIS, and Determine Needs for Updating

Coordinate with GIS staff on the Tongass to collect all necessary GIS data sources. Review and evaluate these data to determine the need for updating or editing. This particularly applies to the road location data, which may only be partially updated using orthophotos. It may also involve the land status and other coverages. Also review other data needs.

Develop Study Plan

Prepare a Study Plan that describes the scope to be conducted under all subsequent phases, as it is currently understood. The Study Plan will tie each phase and task to a detailed schedule and it will be based on: 1) the information gained through the tasks described above; 2) reviews of the Forest Service Handbooks and Manuals relating to Forest Planning and Wilderness Evaluation, especially FSH 1909.12 and FSM 1920; and 3) general reviews of appropriate appeals, litigation documents, and court decisions.

Develop Public Involvement Plan

Prepare a Public Involvement Plan that describes the steps to be followed to engage and involve the public throughout the SEIS process. The plan will be based on input from Forest Service Regional and Forest staff and will consider involvement of publics on a local, regional, and national scale. It is expected that a working draft will be prepared and, following review and comment by the Forest Service, a second draft will then be prepared for more widespread distribution and comment prior to finalization.



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Phase 2 - Update Roadless Area Map and Appendix C

Initiate Planning Record

The significance of this effort and the high potential for appeals and/or litigation indicate the importance of a well constructed and efficiently organized Planning Record. In order to improve retrieval of information and reproduction of the record, the Planning Record will be completely electronic. All documents will be converted into .pdf files or other suitable (accessible) files directly or scanned. An electronic index will be developed in Access or Excel.

During Phase 2, the Planning Record will be initiated. First, a Planning Record schema will be developed, that will be used as a subject index for the Planning Record. Each item in the Planning Record will be given a code that corresponds with the appropriate subject area in the schema. Second, important documents used during this phase will be physically added to the record. Conversion of these documents to electronic files and their addition to the Planning Record at this stage will enable them to be available to all members of the project team, as well as available to the public through the Forest Service website, if desirable.

The Planning Record will be continually updated on approximately a monthly basis and in each of the subsequent phases as well.

Update Relevant GIS Coverages

This is a task that is not completely known at this time, but is becoming clearer as the coverages are being evaluated for use. At present, the only coverages that are known to need updating (other than the Roadless Areas coverage itself) are the Existing Roads coverage and the Managed Stands coverage.

Update Roadless Inventory Map

The 1996 Roadless Inventory map needs to be updated based on a number of factors. Note that these factors may change during the updating process because of ongoing land management activities, changes in land ownership, and new information on roads. The following subtasks will need to be conducted (Note: the specific coverages identified are based on current understandings which are changing as information on other coverages is uncovered):

Check all outlying yellow corridors on the 1996 Roadless coverage.

Conduct Descriptive GIS Analyses for the Roadless Areas

In order to update Appendix C (Analysis of the Management Situation), a number of GIS analyses will need to be run for each roadless area described. These include the following:

These analyses will need to be conducted not only for the Inventoried Roadless Areas, but also for the <5,000-acre areas that meet the criteria as potential wilderness candidates after the update.

Review Public and Congressional Input on Roadless Areas

In order to consider available public and Congressional input on each roadless area, which will be used in updating Appendix C and in developing alternatives, review the following sources of public and legislative comment:

Develop an Electronic Copy of Appendix C

The only version of Appendix C of the Analysis of the Management Situation is a hard copy produced in early 1990. This version includes a variety of stray marks, including 3-hole punches, and weakly printed letters in some cases. It needs to be scanned, cleaned up, and converted to a Word file so it can be edited. This will also facilitate sharing with the public, including updating throughout the SEIS development.

Update Appendix C (the Analysis of the Management Situation)

Update the electronic version of the 1990 Appendix C developed above, in the following general ways:

The revised outline for Appendix C and the specific items to be done to update Appendix C are described in the Outline for Appendix C in Figure 1. All of the items described in this table will be updated during Phase 2, except for the Environmental Consequences section at the end. This section will be updated during Phase 4.

A variety of sources will be used to update Appendix C including the updated Roadless Area map and updated GIS analyses, the Forest Plan Revision FEIS, reports and studies published during the 12-year period, and interviews with local Forest Service staff. In order to ensure that local knowledge of each roadless area is considered, an interview will be conducted with knowledgeable staff from each ranger district regarding the roadless areas within their district. A list of questions will be submitted and discussed.



Figure 1. Outline for Appendix C - Roadless Areas (Note: outline is in black and comments are in red).


Roadless Area Name (Number): (Check to make sure the name and number have not changed; if area is a new area, then give it a name, but no number?)
Gross Acres: New from GIS
NFS Acres: New from GIS
Biogeographic Province: Formerly Geographic Province
1989 Wilderness Attribute Rating: Delete

I. Overview and Description

Delete section titled Relationship to RARE II areas?

  1. Location and Access
    Make sure the description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed, or because its accessibility has changed.
  2. History
    Make sure the historical description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed.
  3. Geography and Topography
    Make sure the geographic and topographic description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed.
  4. Ecosystem
  5. Current Uses and Management
    Update description; include planned timber sales and other projects and opportunities; add new LUD acres from GIS; include brief summary of how area contributes to the overall old-growth reserve network; review newer subsistence data, where it is readily available.
  6. Appearance (Apparent Naturalness)
    Update description including presentation of updated GIS numbers for EVC and Variety Class acres.
  7. Surroundings
    Update description
  8. Attractions and Features of Special Interest
    Update description; include updated GIS acres for recreation places.

II. Capability for Management as Wilderness or in an Unroaded Condition

Indicate each area's capability for wilderness by describing the basic characteristics that make the area appropriate and valuable for wilderness, regardless of the area's availability and need.

  1. Natural Integrity and Appearance (Apparent Naturalness)
    Make sure the description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed. This section should include the degree to which humans and past or present human activity have affected natural ecological processes and conditions. Also address the degree to which the area's appearance is appropriate and valuable for wilderness.
  2. Opportunity for Solitude and Serenity, Self-reliance, Adventure, and Challenging Experiences, and Primitive Recreation
    Make sure the description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed. Also, expand description to include the other factors. Update ROS class acres and number of recreation places using new GIS numbers. Move the discussion of challenging experiences to the appropriate place (not at the end).
  3. Ecologic and Geologic Values
    Partial new subsection! Make sure the description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed. Describe any unique ecologic and geologic values of the area and the ecologic importance of the area. Consider its contribution to the old-growth reserve network, including connectivity between old-growth blocks. Describe the extent and significance of any karstlands in the area. A general description will be in the introduction and separate subsections will be presented for fish resources, wildlife resources, and karst and cave resources.
  4. Scientific and Educational Values
    Partial new subsection! Make sure the description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed. Describe any special features or importance of the area relative to scientific and educational values.
  5. Scenic Values
    Partial new subsection! Make sure the description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed.
  6. Social and Historical Values
    Partial new subsection! Make sure the description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed. Also, add a discussion of any important existing or potential social values of the area (e.g., economic, subsistence, and recreation), because of its proximity to a community.
  7. Manageability as Wilderness and Boundary Conditions/Changes
    Make sure the description does not need to be changed because the area boundaries have changed. Consider and describe adjacent LUDs. This section should describe the size and shape of the area, to include the implications of the area's size, shape, and juxtaposition to external influences on the wilderness attributes. Also, it should summarize the boundary conditions, needs, and management requirements if the area is designated as wilderness. Address whether or not boundary changes would enhance the wilderness characteristics or whether or not it would be possible to use boundary modifications to separate incompatible activities from wilderness attributes.

III. Availability for Management as Wilderness or in an Unroaded Condition

Indicate availability of the area by describing other resource potential and by summarizing pertinent quantitative and qualitative information. Include current use, outputs, trends, and potential future use and/or outputs.

  1. Resource Potentials
  2. Management Considerations

IV. Wilderness and Roadless Area Evaluation

Summarize the factors considered and the process used in assessing the need for each area. Include the public involvement process (both past and present), assumptions made, the social and economic factors considered, and interest expressed by proponents, including Congress. Discuss nearby wildernesses and their uses, nearby roadless areas, distance from population centers, and use trends. Consider both wilderness and other non-development LUD recommendations.

  1. Public and Congressional Interest
  2. Nearby Roadless and Wilderness Areas and Uses
    Update description of adjacent or nearby Roadless Areas and Wilderness.
  3. Distance From Population Centers (Accessibility)
    Update populations listed for population centers.
  4. Relative Contribution to the National Wilderness Preservation System
    New subsection! Describe the relative contribution of this area to the National Wilderness Preservation System. Consider the degree to which it contributes to the local and national distribution of wildernesses. There should be clear evidence of current or future public need for additional designated wildernesses in the general area under consideration. This need should be demonstrated through the public involvement process. Consider the geographic distribution of areas, representations of landforms and ecosystems, the presence of wildlife expected to be visible in a wilderness environment, and other unique characteristics (e.g., unique scientific or educational, scenic, or historic opportunities), relative to other wildernesses (Example A: Is there any research that could be conducted in the areas that is different compared with other units of the NWPS, like air quality effects on sub-arctic vegetation, climate change, marine mammal habitats, etc.? Example B: Are there types of scenery in the areas that are unique in the NWPS, like tidewater glaciers, karst, etc?). Evaluate this further (consider Hendee et al. 1990). Consider the new information presented in this update.

V. Environmental Consequences
(to be completed during Phases IV and VI)

  1. Impact of Wilderness vs Nonwilderness prescription
    New subsection! Provide a discussion of the impact on the roadless area of a wilderness designation and the impact of each nonwilderness prescription identified in an alternative (include site-specific statements regarding these environmental consequences - per court's ruling in California vs. Block; see FSH 1909.12, Section 7.25). Include mitigation, if any, for loss of wilderness characteristics and the effects on plant and animal communities (per court's ruling in California vs. Block; see FSH 1909.12, Section 7.25).
  2. Exhibit 01- application of prescriptions to Roadless Areas by Alternative
    Develop an Exhibit 01 (as described in FSH 1909.12, section 4.19c), which includes a table displaying the acreage assignment of prescriptions by alternative, and tracks roadless areas through each alternative considered in detail in the EIS.


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Phase 3 -Initial Public Involvement

Notice of Intent

The notice of intent to prepare an SEIS will be developed and submitted for publication in the Federal Register. The notice will briefly describe the proposed action and possible alternatives, briefly describe the public input that has been received to date and the additional planned public involvement, and will identify the person who can answer questions about the proposed action and the SEIS. Along with the Notice of Intent, Talking Points and Questions and Answer sheets will also be prepared.

Government-to-Government Consultation

Prior to sending out the letter to the Forest Plan mailing list describing the project, general descriptive briefing materials will be prepared and provided to the District Rangers. Using this information, the District Rangers will consult with federally recognized tribal governments to inform them early and obtain any input they may have at an early stage. At a minimum, each consulation will be documented by a write-up describing the content of the consultation, the attendees, the date and place, and a summary of the input received. These write-ups will also be circulated via email to the staff working on the SEIS and will be included in the planning record.

Letter to Mailing List (Notification Letter)

A letter will be sent out to the Forest Plan mailing list, notifying them of the SEIS, why it is being prepared, describing the public input that the Forest has received to date relative to wilderness and roadless areas, telling them about the updating we are doing, and letting them know about the websites that will display information as it is updated. The letter will indicate that additional comments/input can be submitted and will be considered. It will be important for the letter to clarify the limited scope of the SEIS. Preferably, a succinct and legally supportable purpose and need statement should be included in the notification letter.

Website Additions

The Tongass National Forest website will be one of the primary mediums for disseminating information for public involvement. This website will include a separate page for the SEIS, which will provide the information included in the notification letter.

The SEIS page will be linked to a map (or series of maps) which will portray the updated roadless areas. Each roadless area will be linked to the roadless area descriptions of Appendix C, which would be updated as the updates are completed (25 or so at a time).

Key documents in the planning record could also be linked on the website, along with an updated version of the planning record index. The documents and the index would be updated approximately monthly.

Other products will be posted on the website as they become available (e.g., Notice of Intent, Talking Points, Questions and Answers) .

Note that web pages must meet Section 508 guidelines for accessibility (http://www.section 508.gov/docs/final99607a.htm). Accessibility is an important factor.

Public Briefings and Other Contacts

No formal public meetings will be planned prior to Draft SEIS development. Local briefings are expected to be held and could include: congressional delegations, governor's office, state and federal agencies, native groups, communities, and interested groups and individuals (e.g., environmental and industry groups). The overall strategy here will be to develop briefing materials and information (e.g., maps, display boards, power points) early on and provide these to the Forest Leadership Team (particularly the District Rangers), the Public Affairs staff, and others, to be used in the briefings.

Supplemental Scoping Report

A report summarizing the contents of any comments received prior to finalization of the alternatives, will be prepared. The report will be based on all comments received and will summarize the issues identified in scoping that should be carried forward for consideration in the SEIS, as well as any suggestions for alternatives that should be considered prior to alternative finalization. An electronic copy will be provided for website placement.

Project Update Newsletter

At the completion of Phase 3 and the definition of alternatives task in Phase 4, a project update newsletter will be prepared and sent to the mailing list. This newsletter will provide a summary of the results of the updates that were conducted in Phase 2, as well as a description of the alternatives to be analyzed in the Draft SEIS.

Planning Record Update

Periodically, during Phase 3, documentation will be added to the planning record, which may also be linked to the SEIS page attached to the Forest website.



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Phase 4 - Draft SEIS

Develop Purpose and Need Statement

Develop a purpose and need statement that defines the underlying purpose and need the Forest Service is responding to. Preferably, this statement should be developed prior to and incorporated in the notification letter.

Define the Alternatives

This task will be comprised of a number of subtasks as described below:

Prepare Chapters 1 and 2

Prepare a preliminary draft of Chapters 1 and 2 (without the comparison section), based on the Purpose and Need statement, the issues, the Draft SEIS alternatives, and other information. This draft will be used as a reference for the authors of the issues/resources sections of Chapter 3.

Prepare Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences

This task includes the preparation of the main chapter of the SEIS. It will be prepared in a manner that builds off the 1997 Final EIS as much as possible. For example, the Affected Environment portions of each section will be tied back to the Affected Environment descriptions in the 1997 Final EIS, which will be briefly summarized. Following this summary, any changes that have occurred since 1996/97 will be described. In some areas, these changes are fairy extensive. For example, many socioeconomic changes have occurred since 1996/97. Those changes believed to be most important relative to the SEIS issues will have to be emphasized. Footnotes will be used to update information in tables, where appropriate. The information presented will incorporate any updates made to the Analysis of the Management Situation (Appendix C), including the new description of the relative contribution to the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The level of analysis to be conducted for individual issues/resources will fall into two categories: major issues/resources and other issues/resources. The analyses to be conducted for each alternative are described as follows:

Analyses for Major Issues/Resources


Analyses for Other Issues/Resources

Update Environmental Consequences Section of Appendix C

As Chapter 3 is being prepared, the environmental consequences sections of Appendix C will be completed. These individual roadless area analyses will provide the basis for some of the numbers and conclusions in the Draft SEIS.

Other Draft SEIS Chapters

This task involves preparing the other chapters of the SEIS including the List of Preparers, List of Recipients, Glossary, Index, References, and any miscellaneous appendices.

Assemble Preliminary Draft SEIS for Review

Assemble 30 copies of the Preliminary Draft SEIS for internal review. Submit copies to the Shadow ID Team and selected others for review and comment. Because of the tight timeframe, there may be some numbers in the Preliminary Draft that are still being filled in during the review period.

Internal Review of Draft SEIS

The Draft SEIS will be reviewed by the Shadow ID Team, Leadership Team, Regional Office staff, and others.

Prepare Revised Draft SEIS

Based on comments received on the Preliminary Draft SEIS, prepare a Revised Draft SEIS.

Review/Edit Revised Draft SEIS

Assemble a small review team of selected Shadow ID Team and other staff, to review the Revised Draft SEIS and work directly with the authors to finalize it.

Assemble Camera-ready Draft SEIS

Assemble a Camera-ready Draft SEIS. Assemble two or three printer dummy copies along with the Camera-ready, and send the Camera-ready with a printer dummy to the printer. The transmittal letter will also be prepared and signed sent to the printer. Finally, the mailing labels will be printed and sent to the printer along with instructions for mailing.

Draft SEIS Printing and Mailing

This task includes the printing of the document. Because of the importance of the document, an editor or other representative will travel to the printer and monitor the printing, assembly, and mailing of the document.

Draft SEIS Posting on the Web

When the SEIS is sent to the printer, the document will be converted to a .pdf file and then posted on the Tongass National Forest website.

Planning Record Update

Periodically, during Phase 4, documentation will be added to the planning record, which may also be linked to the SEIS page attached to the Forest website.



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Phase 5 - Public Involvement and Comment Analysis

Draft SEIS Review Period and Public Meetings

A 90-day Draft SEIS review period will be scheduled. Public meetings on the Draft SEIS will be held during the middle of the review period in communities throughout Southeast Alaska. At a minimum, meetings will be held in Juneau, Hoonah, Sitka, Yakutat, Petersburg, Wrangell, Ketchikan, Craig, and Thorne Bay. Meetings may also be held in other larger communities that could be affected most by wilderness designation (e.g., Hyder, Metlakatla, Kake, Angoon, Tenakee Springs). Consideration will be given to holding meetings outside of Southeast Alaska (e.g., Anchorage, Seattle, Washington, D.C., etc.). These meetings will include an open-house portion, at which large maps displaying the alternatives and other information will be displayed. The public will be given comment forms and be encouraged to write specific comments. After the open house, a short presentation will be given, and an oral comment session will be held. Public comments will be tape-recorded.

Comment Analysis

Written comments, including email comments, and oral comments received at public meetings will be analyzed by the Forest Service Comment Analysis Team. This will include transcription of the oral testimony on tapes from the public meetings. Comment analysis will be initiated as soon as a sizeable number of comments are received, probably about 2 months into the public comment period. The Comment Analysis Team will submit the first batch of "concern" write-ups as soon as possible, so that work on responses can begin early.

Responses to Comments

The Comment Analysis Team will summarize the comments into "concerns" and will submit these to the SEIS team, who will prepare responses to the concerns. As noted above, the first batch of concerns will be submitted early so that the SEIS team can begin preparing responses early. These early concerns and responses are likely to need revision after all comments are received. All concerns and responses will be consolidated into an appendix to the Final SEIS.

Website Additions

Links will be added to the Draft SEIS on the web to allow email comments to be submitted directly by those who access the Draft SEIS on the web. The SEIS webpage will be updated as new information is posted and as the status of the SEIS changes.

Public Briefings and Other Contacts

In addition to the Draft SEIS public meetings, there will be a need for additional briefings. These could include: congressional delegations, governor's office, state and federal agencies, native groups, communities, and interested groups and individuals (e.g., environmental and industry groups). Again, the overall strategy will be to develop briefing materials and information (e.g., maps, display boards, power points) and provide these to the Forest Leadership Team (particularly the District Rangers), the Public Affairs staff, and others, to be used in the briefings.

Government-to-Government Consultation

In addition to the Draft SEIS public meetings and other briefings, there is a need to make specific government-to-government contacts with federally recognized tribal governments during this period. If requested, briefings will be made. At a minimum, each consulation will be documented by a write-up describing the content of the consultation, the attendees, the date and place, and a summary of the input received. These write-ups will also be circulated via email to the staff working on the SEIS and will be included in the planning record.

Project Update Newsletter

After the comment analysis is complete and the Final SEIS alternatives are identified, a project update newsletter will be developed and mailed out to the mailing list. The project update will include a summary of the comment analysis and a description of the changes to the alternatives.

Planning Record Update

Periodically, during Phase 5, documentation will be added to the planning record, which may also be linked to the SEIS page attached to the Forest website.



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Phase 6 - Final SEIS

Definition of Final SEIS Alternatives

This task will be comprised of a number of subtasks as described below:

Update Public Interest Section of Appendix C

Update Appendix C to the Analysis of the Management Situation with input received during public involvement. In particular, summarize the public comments received in the Wilderness and Roadless Area Evaluation section.

Prepare the Final SEIS

Revise the Draft SEIS to reflect the Final SEIS alternatives and to incorporate any new information identified during the comment period.

Update Environmental Consequences Section of Appendix C

As Chapter 3 is being prepared, the environmental consequences sections of Appendix C will be completed. These individual roadless area analyses will provide the basis for some of the numbers and conclusions in the Final SEIS.

Assemble Preliminary Final SEIS for Review

Assemble 30 copies of the Preliminary Final SEIS for internal review. Submit copies to the Shadow ID Team, Leadership Team, Regional Office staff, and selected others for review and comment.

Prepare Revised Final SEIS

Based on comments received on the Preliminary Final SEIS, prepare a Revised Final SEIS.

Prepare Draft ROD

The Draft Record of Decision (ROD) will be prepared following review and receipt of comments on the Preliminary Final SEIS.

Review/Edit Revised Final SEIS

Assemble a small review team of selected Shadow ID Team and other staff, to review the Revised Final SEIS and work directly with the authors to finalize it.

Review/Edit Draft ROD

The Forest Leadership Team will review and comment/edit the Draft ROD.

Assemble Camera-ready Final SEIS and ROD

Assemble a Camera-ready Final SEIS. Assemble two or three printer dummy copies along with the Camera-ready, and send the Camera-ready with a printer dummy to the printer. The transmittal letter will also be prepared and signed sent to the printer. Finally, the mailing labels will be printed and sent to the printer along with instructions for mailing.

Final SEIS and ROD Printing and Mailing

This task includes the printing of the document. Because of the importance of the document, an editor or other representative will travel to the printer and monitor the printing, assembly, and mailing of the document.

Final SEIS and ROD Posting on the Web

When the Final SEIS is sent to the printer, the document will be converted to a .pdf file (or other more accessible file format) and then posted on the Tongass National Forest website.

Project Update Newsletter

After completion of the Final SEIS and ROD, a project update newsletter will be developed and mailed out to the mailing list. The project update will describe the decision and its rationale.

Planning Record Update

Periodically, during Phase 6, documentation will be added to the planning record, which may also be linked to the SEIS page attached to the Forest website.

Schedule

Table 1 presents the schedule for the SEIS. The schedule is tied to the phases, tasks, and subtasks described above. The major relationships among these are displayed in the Task Relationships and Schedule Diagram (Gantt Chart) shown in the attachment (see attached Microsoft Project file: Tongass SEIS Schedule3.mpp).

Table 1. Estimated Schedule for SEIS.


PHASE AND TASK NAME DURATION
(d="weekdays">
START DATE FINISH DATE
PHASE 1 - INITIATION AND STUDY PLAN DEVELOPMENT 85d Mon 6/4/01 Fri 9/28/01
General Review of '97 EIS Planning Record 6d Mon 6/4/01 Mon 6/11/01
Planning/Coordination Meeting in Juneau 2d Mon 6/11/01 Tue 6/12/01
Collect/Evaluate Information & Determine Needs for Updating 25d Wed 6/27/01 Tue 7/31/01
Develop Study Plan 25d Tue 7/31/01 Mon 9/3/01
Develop Public Involvement Plan 25d Fri 6/29/01 Thu 8/2/01
Add Study Plan to Website 5d Mon 9/24/01 Fri 9/28/01
Add Public Involvement Plan to Website 5d Mon 9/24/01 Fri 9/28/01
 
PHASE 2 - UPDATE ROADLESS AREA MAP AND APPENDIX C 94d Mon 6/18/01 Mon 10/25/01
Initiate Planning Record 7d Fri 9/21/01 Mon 10/1/01
Update Relevant GIS Coverages 50d Mon 7/9/01 Fri 9/14/01
   Update Managed Stands Layer 15d Mon 8/27/01 Fri 9/14/01
   Update Roads Layer 50d Mon 7/9/01 Fri 9/14/01
Update Roadless Inventory Map 12d Tue 9/11/01 Wed 9/26/01
Conduct Descriptive GIS Analyses 8d Thu 9/27/01 Mon 10/8/01
Review Public and Congressional Input on Roadless Areas 26d Wed 7/18/01 Mon 8/27/01
Develop Electronic Version of Appendix C 12d Mon 6/18/01 Tue 7/3/01
Update Appendix C (except for Env Cons) 35d Fri 9/7/01 Mon 10/25/01
 
PHASE 3 - INITIAL PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 101d Wed 8/15/01 Wed 1/2/02
Notice of Intent 20d Wed 8/15/01 Tue 9/11/01
Government-to-Government Consultation 15d Thu 9/6/01 Wed 9/26/01
Notification Letter 4d Tue 9/25/01 Fri 9/28/01
Website Additions 72d Mon 9/24/01 Tue 1/1/02
Public Briefings and Contacts 70d Thu 9/27/01 Wed 1/2/02
Supplemental Scoping Report 3d Mon 10/15/01 Wed 10/17/01
Project Update Newsletter 8d Tue 10/30/01 Thu 11/8/01
Planning Record Update 35d Tue 10/2/01 Mon 11/19/01
 
PHASE 4 - DRAFT SEIS 130d Tue 8/21/01 Mon 2/18/02
Purpose and Need Statement 10d Mon 9/24/01 Fri 10/5/01
Define the Draft SEIS Alternatives 16d Mon 10/1/01 Mon 10/22/01
   Develop Preliminary Alternatives 5d Mon 10/1/01 Fri 10/5/01
   Run Preliminary Numbers 3d Mon 10/8/01 Wed 10/10/01
   Leadership Team Review/Approval 3d Thu 10/11/01 Mon 10/15/01
   Finalize Alternatives 3d Thu 10/18/01 Mon 10/22/01
Prepare Affected Environment Sections of Chapter 3 28d Tue10/2/01 Fri 11/9/01
Prepare Chapters 1 and 2 - 1st half 25d Mon 10/1/01 Fri 11/2/01
Prepare Environmental Consequences Sections of Chapter 3 30d Mon 10/15/01 Fri 11/23/01
Update Env. Cons. Section of Appendix C 28d Mon 10/24/01 Mon 12/3/01
Prepare Other Chapters and Chapter 2 - 2nd half 22d Thu 10/18/01 Fri 11/16/01
Assemble Preliminary Draft SEIS 3d Mon 12/3/01 Thu 12/6/01
Internal Review of PDSEIS 18d Fri 12/7/01 Tue 1/1/02
Prepare Revised Draft SEIS 9d Wed 1/2/02 Mon 1/14/02
Review/Edit Revised Draft SEIS 6d Tue 1/15/02 Tue 1/22/02
Assemble Camera-ready Draft SEIS 3d Wed 1/23/02 Fri 1/25/02
Draft SEIS Printing and Mailing 16d Mon 1/28/02 Mon 2/18/02
Draft SEIS Posting on the Web 7d Mon 1/28/02 Tue 2/5/02
Planning Record Update 107d Tue 8/21/01 Wed 1/16/02
 
PHASE 5 - PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND COMMENT ANALYSIS 112d Thu 1/17/02 Fri 6/21/02
Draft SEIS Review Period & Public Meetings 65d Tue 2/19/02 Mon 5/20/02
Comment Analysis 32d Tue 4/23/02 Wed 6/5/02
Responses to Comments 22d Thu 5/9/02 Fri 6/7/02
Website Additions 94d Thu 1/17/02 Tue 5/28/02
Public Briefings and Contacts 94d Thu 1/17/02 Tue 5/28/02
Government-to-Government Consultation 94d Thu 1/17/02 Tue 5/28/02
Project Update Newsletter 7d Thu 6/13/02 Fri 6/21/02
Planning Record Update 94d Thu 1/17/02 Tue 5/28/02
 
PHASE 6 - FINAL SEIS 113d Thu 4/18/02 Mon 9/23/02
Define the Final SEIS Alternatives 15d Thu 5/23/02 Wed 6/12/02
   Develop New/Modified Alternatives 6d Thu 5/23/02 Thu 5/30/02
   Run Preliminary Numbers 4d Fri 5/31/02 Wed 6/5/02
   Leadership Team Review/Approval 2d Thu 6/6/02 Fri 6/7/02
   Finalize Alternatives 3d Mon 6/10/02 Mon 6/12/02
Update Public Interest Section of Appendix C 14d Tue 5/21/02 Fri 6/7/02
Prepare Final SEIS 32d Mon 5/27/02 Tue 7/9/02
Update Env Cons Section of Appendix C 15d Tue 6/18/02 Mon 7/8/02
Assemble Preliminary Final SEIS 3d Wed 7/10/02 Fri 7/12/02
Internal Review of PFSEIS 15d Mon 7/15/02 Fri 8/2/02
Prepare Revised Final SEIS 9d Mon 8/5/02 Thu 8/15/02
Prepare Draft ROD 10d Mon 8/5/02 Mon 8/5/02
Review/Edit Revised Final SEIS 6d Fri 8/16/02 Fri 8/23/02
Review/Edit Draft ROD 8d Mon 8/19/02 Wed 8/28/02
Assemble Camera-ready Final SEIS & ROD 3d Mon 8/26/02 Wed 8/28/02
Final SEIS & ROD Printing and Mailing 18d Thu 8/29/02 Mon 9/23/02
Final SEIS & ROD Posting on the Web 7d Thu 8/29/02 Fri 9/6/02
Project Update Newsletter 12d Thu 8/29/02 Fri 9/13/02
Planning Record Update 105d Thu 4/18/02 Thu 9/11/02

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