Ramshorn Forest Vegetation Management, Shoshone Indian National Forest, Fremont County, Wyoming

Résumé

The Shoshone National Forest previously published a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for forest vegetation management (Federal Register July 11, 1997, pages 37188- 37189). This revised notice supplements the earlier notice, and does not contravene any of the information provided therein. There are two reasons for filing a revised notice. First, at the time of the original filing, our estimate for publishing a draft EIS was February 1998. At the present time, we expect to publish a draft EIS in May of 1999. Second, the proposed action and the decision to be made have changed. For purposes of paperwork reduction, and to provide a reasonably timely response to a current oil and gas lessee, we are incorporating the analysis of a proposed exploratory well into the EIS. The lease area and the proposed well site are located within the area being evaluated for vegetation management. While the vegetation management Interdisciplinary Team is performing site-specific analyses for prescribed fire and mechanical treatment of vegetation (including timber harvest), it can concurrently perform analysis for the proposed well and access road. Since most of the team membe