Final Environmental Impact Statement
Final Environmental Impact Statement
Final Environmental Impact Statement
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Vestal <strong>Final</strong> <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Statement</strong> Chapter 1<br />
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION<br />
Document Structure<br />
The Forest Service has prepared this <strong>Final</strong> <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Statement</strong> (FEIS) in<br />
compliance with the National <strong>Environmental</strong> Policy Act (NEPA), the Healthy Forest<br />
restoration Act (HFRA) and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations. This<br />
Draft <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Statement</strong> discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative<br />
environmental impacts that would result from the proposed action and no action<br />
alternatives. All numbers and figures are approximate measures based on known project<br />
conditions. The document is organized into five chapters:<br />
• Chapter 1: Introduction: The section includes information on the history of the<br />
project proposal, the purpose of and need for the project, and the agency’s proposal<br />
for achieving that purpose and need. This section also details how the Forest Service<br />
informed the public of the proposal and how the public responded.<br />
• Chapter 2: Alternatives, including the Proposed Action: This section provides a<br />
more detailed description of the agency’s proposed action. A summary comparison<br />
of the proposed action and no action alternatives is also provided in this chapter.<br />
• Chapter 3: Affected Environment and <strong>Environmental</strong> Consequences: This section<br />
describes the environmental effects of implementing the proposed action and no<br />
action alternatives. This analysis is organized by resource area (i.e. Silviculture,<br />
Wildlife, Recreation). The effects of the No Action alternative provide a baseline for<br />
evaluating and comparing to the proposed action alternative.<br />
• Chapter 4: Consultation and Coordination: This section provides a list of preparers,<br />
and also a list of agencies, groups and persons consulted during the development of<br />
the Vestal <strong>Final</strong> <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Statement</strong> (FEIS).<br />
• Chapter 5: Literature Cited and Glossary<br />
• Index<br />
• Appendices: The appendices provide more detailed information to support the<br />
analyses presented in the environmental assessment.<br />
Additional documentation, including more detailed analyses of project-area resources,<br />
may be found in the project planning record located at the Hell Canyon Ranger District<br />
Office in Custer, South Dakota.<br />
Background<br />
The Vestal project area surrounds the city of Custer, South Dakota, encompassing a large<br />
amount (40%) of private land. The private, or non-Forest Service, lands are concentrated<br />
within the city limits, but occur as scattered parcels throughout the whole project area<br />
(see maps in Appendix A). There are extensive private dwellings, businesses, and<br />
government offices within the project area. These structures also occur throughout the<br />
project area (see Maps 6 and 7 in Appendix A). There are many high-use developed<br />
1