Revision of Land Management Plan for Carson National Forest; Counties of Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, and Taos, New Mexico, 60617-60620 [2015-25519]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 194 / Wednesday, October 7, 2015 / Notices
Estimated
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Data collection
activity
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State ...................
Notify state officials of web
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data on USDA
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Notify state officials of in-person interview.
In-person interview of state
distribution
agency (Additional information on USDA
Food costs).
Notify local and
tribal officials of
web survey.
Self-Administered
Web Survey.
(Administrative
data on USDA
Food costs).
Phone Follow-up
Survey.
(Administrative
data on USDA
Food costs).
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Non-respondents
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State education
agency financial officer.
State education
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112–280
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Dated: September 30, 2015.
Telora T. Dean,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–25444 Filed 10–6–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Revision of Land Management Plan for
Carson National Forest; Counties of
Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, and Taos,
New Mexico
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to revise the
Carson National Forest Land
Management Plan and prepare an
associated Environmental Impact
Statement.
AGENCY:
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ACTION:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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describes the documents (Assessment
Report of Ecological, Social, and
Economic Conditions, Trends, and
Sustainability for the Carson NF;
Summaries of Public Meetings; and
Carson NF’s Needs to Change
Management Direction of Its Existing
1986 Forest Plan) available for review
and how to obtain them; summarizes
the needs to change the existing forest
plan; provides information concerning
public participation and engagement,
including the process for submitting
comments; provides an estimated
schedule for the planning process,
including the time available for
comments, and includes the names and
addresses of agency contacts who can
provide additional information.
Comments concerning the Needs
to Change and Proposed Action
provided in this Notice will be most
useful in the development of the draft
revised plan and draft EIS if received by
November 20, 2015. The agency expects
to release a draft revised plan and draft
EIS, developed through a collaborative
public engagement process, by late Fall/
Winter 2016 and a final revised plan
and final EIS by Spring 2018.
DATES:
As directed by the National
Forest Management Act, the USDA
Forest Service is revising the existing
Carson National Forest’s Land
Management Plan (hereafter referred to
as forest plan) through development of
an associated National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). This Notice
SUMMARY:
Frequency of
response
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Total annual
responses
Average hours
per response
Total annual
burden
estimate
(hours)
Affected public
Send written comments to
Carson National Forest, Attn: Plan
Revision, 208 Cruz Alta Road, Taos,
New Mexico 87571. Comments may also
be sent via email to carsonplan@
fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kevin Naranjo, Forest Planner, 575–
758–6221. Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time, Monday
through Friday.
More information on the planning
process can also be found on the Carson
National Forest’s Web site at
www.fs.usda.gov/goto/carsonforestplan.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:
Name and Address of the Responsible
Official
James Duran, Forest Supervisor,
Carson National Forest, 208 Cruz Alta,
Taos, New Mexico 87571.
Nature of the Decision To Be Made
The Carson National Forest (NF) is
preparing an EIS to revise the existing
forest plan. The EIS process is meant to
inform the Forest Supervisor so he can
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decide which alternative best maintains
and restores National Forest System
terrestrial and aquatic resources, while
providing ecosystem services and
multiple uses, as required by the
National Forest Management Act and
the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act.
The revised forest plan will describe
the strategic intent of managing the
Carson NF for the next 15 years and will
address the needs to change the existing
forest plan. The revised forest plan will
provide management direction in the
form of desired conditions, objectives,
standards, guidelines, and suitability of
lands. It will identify delineation of new
management areas and geographic areas
across the Forest; identify the timber
sale program quantity; potentially make
recommendations to Congress for
Wilderness designation; and list rivers
and streams eligible for inclusion in the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System. The revised forest plan will also
provide a description of the plan area’s
distinctive roles and contributions
within the broader landscape, identify
watersheds that are a priority for
maintenance or restoration, include a
monitoring program, and contain
information reflecting expected possible
actions over the life of the plan.
The revised forest plan will provide
strategic direction and a framework for
decision making during the life of the
plan, but it will not make site-specific
project decisions and will not dictate
day-to-day administrative activities
needed to carry on the Forest Service’s
internal operations. The authorization of
project level activities will be based on
the guidance/direction contained in the
revised plan, but will occur through
subsequent project specific decisionmaking, including NEPA.
The revised forest plan will provide
broad, strategic guidance that is
consistent with other laws and
regulations. Though strategic guidance
will be provided, no decisions will be
made regarding the management of
individual roads or trails, such as those
might be associated with a Travel
Management plan under 36 CFR part
212. Some issues (e.g., hunting
regulations), although important, are
beyond the authority or control of the
National Forest System and cannot be
considered. No decision regarding oil
and gas leasing availability will be
made, though plan components may be
brought forward or developed that will
help guide oil and gas leasing
availability decisions that may be
necessary in the future.
Purpose and Need and Proposed Action
According to the National Forest
Management Act and 2012 Planning
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Rule (36 CFR 219), forest plans are to be
revised at least every 15 years. The
Proposed Action is to revise the forest
plan in order to address the needs to
change that were identified through
public involvement and the assessment
process. Alternatives to the Proposed
Action will be developed to address the
significant issues that are identified
through scoping.
The purpose and need for revising the
current Carson NF forest plan are: (1) To
update the forest plan, which was
approved in 1986 and is 29 years old;
(2) to reflect changes in economic,
social, and ecological conditions, new
policies and priorities, and new
information based on monitoring and
scientific research; and (3) to address
the needs to change the existing forest
plan, that are summarized below.
Extensive public and employee
involvement, along with science-based
evaluations, have helped to identify
these needs to change to the existing
forest plan.
What follows is a summary of the
identified needs to change. A more fully
developed description of the needs to
change statements, which has been
organized into several resource and
management topic sections, is available
for review on the plan revision Web site
at: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/
carsonforestplan.
Throughout the Plan
There is a need for the revised plan
to better recognize and enhance the
Carson NF’s role in contributing to local
economies, including service-based
sectors, such as recreation and tourism,
timber and forest products, livestock
grazing, and other multiple-use related
activities and products.
There is a need to reevaluate
management areas in the current plan,
to minimize complexity and allow more
flexibility for restoration and habitat
treatments, as well as update plan
content regarding the resources, goods,
and services provided by the Carson NF.
There is a need to include plan
direction that allows for adaptive
management, to address potential
climate change effects.
There is a need to develop plan
direction related to Forest Service land
acquisitions, disposals, and exchanges
that are not covered by the existing
forest plan.
There is a need to include other plan
content or management approaches that:
(1) Consider the capacity of local
infrastructure, contractors, and markets
in moving toward achieving desired
conditions; (2) utilize partnership and
volunteer opportunities as a
management option, to promote
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movement toward desired conditions;
and (3) allow for adapting to
fluctuations in forest budgets over the
life of the plan, in moving toward
achieving desired conditions.
Ecological Integrity
There is a need to develop desired
conditions regarding forest and
woodland structure, composition, and
function, as well as objectives,
standards, and guidelines that will
promote restoration and achievement of
desired conditions; support resiliency
and sustainability; and minimize risks
to ecosystem integrity.
There is a need to update plan
direction to promote the restoration and
maintenance of grass productivity,
particularly native bunchgrass species,
and to limit woody species
encroachment and invasive plant
establishment, both in grasslands and
non-grasslands.
There is a need to update plan
direction that supports integrated pest
(weed) management.
There is a need to update plan
direction which allows for an integrated
resource approach to prescribed fire
activity, as well as flexibility for
restoration and maintenance of
ecosystems.
There is a need to update plan
direction to promote the use of wildland
fire (management of wildfire and
prescribed fire) in fire adapted
ecosystems, while addressing public
safety and health concerns.
There is a need to update plan
direction to promote aspen health and
resilience through managing
regeneration and existing stands.
There is a need to update plan
direction to promote the maintenance
and restoration of soil condition and
function (i.e., soil hydrology, soil
stability, nutrient cycling), particularly
in lower elevation systems.
There is a need to provide plan
direction that promotes the protection,
restoration and maintenance of
appropriate composition and amount of
riparian vegetation.
There is a need to provide plan
direction regarding management of
riparian areas around all lakes,
perennial and intermittent streams, and
wetlands.
There is a need to provide plan
direction that promotes the protection,
restoration, and maintenance of wetland
condition and function.
There is a need to provide plan
direction for the restoration of
watersheds.
There is a need to provide plan
direction for the sustainable
management of water resources (e.g.,
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groundwater, springs, wetlands, riparian
areas, perennial waters) and their
interconnections.
There is a need to update plan
direction on managing for sustainable
watersheds for multiple uses (e.g.,
wildlife, livestock, recreation, and
mining) and public water supplies.
There is a need to update plan
direction to promote desired watershed
conditions that maintain water quality
and quantity, as well as enhance
retention.
Wildlife, Fish, and Plants
There is a need to update plan
direction to promote the recovery and
conservation of federally recognized
species, the maintenance of viable
populations of the species of
conservation concern, and the
maintenance of common and abundant
species within the plan area.
There is a need to provide plan
direction to address sustainability of
habitat(s) for plant and animal species
important to tribes and traditional
communities.
There is a need to provide plan
direction for managing towards
terrestrial, riparian, and aquatic habitat
connectivity for species movement
across the landscape.
There is a need to provide plan
direction that allows for improving
aquatic passage in streams where it has
been compromised. Plan direction
should promote the restoration and
expansion of the range of native aquatic
species and connectivity of fragmented
populations.
There is a need to provide plan
direction that allows for an assortment
of management approaches, including
timber harvest, thinning, prescribed
burning, and other vegetation
management methods, to provide
wildlife habitat for species that need a
variety of forest habitats, such as
interior, edge, young, and old forest.
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Cultural and Historic Resources and
Uses
There is a need to update plan
direction for Native American
traditional cultural properties and
sacred sites and places, and non-Native
American traditional cultural
properties.
There is a need to provide plan
direction addressing management of
historic and contemporary cultural and
traditional uses, including both
economic and non-economic uses for
tribes, and for traditional communities
not considered under tribal relations
(i.e., traditional Hispanic and Anglo
communities).
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Areas of Tribal Importance
There is a need to update plan
direction addressing consistency of
activities with legally mandated trust
responsibilities to tribes.
There is a need to update plan
direction orders, to ensure privacy for
tribes engaged in cultural and
ceremonial activities.
There is a need to update plan
direction on design, location,
installation, maintenance, and
abandonment of towers, facilities, and
alternative infrastructure within
electronic communication sites, while
giving due consideration to the value
and importance of areas that may be
identified as a sacred site or part of an
important cultural landscape by tribes.
Multiple Uses
There is a need to provide plan
direction for the management of
commercial and noncommercial use of
forest products.
There is a need to provide plan
direction for the livestock grazing
program that incorporates adaptive
management, to move towards
ecosystem-based desired conditions.
There is a need to update plan
direction to promote the sustainable
management of wild horses.
Recreation
There is a need to provide plan
direction that promotes sustainable
recreation management and to include
management approaches within the
revised plan to address user conflicts
and demands in moving toward
achieving recreation desired conditions.
There is a need to provide guidance
for recreation activities that occur in
areas sensitive to resource degradation
or at risk, due to high visitation.
There is a need to update plan
direction for the Continental Divide
National Scenic Trail.
There is a need to update plan
direction and guidance for incorporating
the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum
classifications the Scenery Management
System integrity objectives across all
programs areas.
There is a need to update plan
direction for over-snow vehicle use and
the recreation special uses program.
Designated Areas
There is a need to update plan
direction for managing existing
designated areas, including designated
wilderness, research natural areas, and
designated and eligible wild and scenic
rivers, that promote the maintenance of
desired values and characteristics
unique to each area, as well as newly
designated or potential designated areas.
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60619
Infrastructure
There is a need to provide plan
direction for maintenance of
transportation systems in watersheds
identified as impaired or at-risk and for
the reclamation of non-system roads.
Land Status and Ownership, Use, and
Access
There is a need to update plan
direction to address legal access for
public, private landowner, and tribal
needs and management, to promote
contiguity of the land base and for
reducing small unmanageable tracts of
National Forest System lands.
Energy and Minerals
There is a need to update plan
direction for recreational mining-related
activities and the permitted use of
common mineral materials.
There is a need to update plan
direction for existing or proposed
transmission corridors and renewable
energy generation, including solar,
biomass, and geothermal, while
protecting natural resources, heritage
and sacred sites, tribal traditional
activities, and scenery.
Public Involvement
A Notice of initiating the assessment
phase of forest plan revision for the
Carson NF was published in the Federal
Register on February 27, 2014 (79 FR
11074). Subsequently, the Carson NF
held or participated in 32 public
meetings and collaborative work
sessions in communities around the
forest, to explain the plan revision
process and solicit comments, opinions,
data, and ideas from members of the
public, governmental entities, tribes,
land grants, and nongovernmental
organizations. Fifteen meetings were
held in June 2014 providing an
opportunity for people to express how
they value and use the forest and asking
what they want the forest to look like in
the future. This information was used to
inform the assessment for the Carson
NF. The Carson and Santa Fe NFs
jointly held 3 meetings in April/May of
2015 with members of local land grants,
to present and discuss the plan revision
process. In June of 2015, the forest held
14 community public meetings to
present the key findings of the
assessment and to have participants
come up with management solutions to
address these key findings or other
issues of concern. The input from these
meetings was used to inform and update
both the assessment and needs-tochange statements. Approximately 556
people attended the 32 meetings and
nearly 1,800 comment letters or forms
were received, either at the meetings or
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 194 / Wednesday, October 7, 2015 / Notices
by email, postal mail, or web-form.
Public Information to the public was
provided by a dedicated forest plan
revision Web page and through
mailings, flyers, news releases, Twitter,
and radio interviews. Any comments
related to the Carson NF’s assessment
report that are received following the
publication of this Notice may be
considered in the draft and final
environmental impact statements.
Scoping Process
Written comments received in
response to this Notice will be analyzed
to complete the identification of the
needs for change to the existing plan,
further develop the proposed action,
and identify potential significant issues.
Significant issues will, in turn, form the
basis for developing alternatives to the
proposed action. Comments on the
Needs to Change the Forest Plan and
Proposed Action will be most valuable
if received by November 20, 2015, and
should clearly articulate the reviewer’s
issues and concerns. Comments
received in response to this Notice,
including the names and addresses of
those who comment, will be part of the
public record. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and
considered in the NEPA process;
however, anonymous comments will
not provide the Agency with the ability
to provide the respondent with
subsequent environmental documents.
See the below Objection Process
description, particularly the
requirements for filing an objection, on
how anonymous comments are handled
during the objection process. Refer to
the Carson NF’s Web site at
www.fs.usda.gov/goto/carsonforestplan
for information on when public
meetings will be scheduled for refining
the Proposed Action and identifying
possible alternatives to the Proposed
Action.
Proposed Decisions Are Subject To
Objection
The proposed decision to approve the
revised forest plan for the Carson NF
will be subject to the objection process
identified in 36 CFR part 219 Subpart B
(219.50 to 219.62). According to 36 CFR
219.53(a), those who may file an
objection are individuals and entities
who have submitted substantive formal
comments related to plan revision,
during the opportunities provided for
public comment throughout the
planning process.
Documents Available for Review
The (1) Assessment Report of
Ecological, Social, and Economic
Conditions, Trends, and Sustainability
for the Carson National Forest and (2)
Carson National Forest’s Needs to
Change Management Direction of Its
Existing 1986 Forest Plan, as well as
summaries of the public meetings and
public meeting materials, and public
comments are posted on the Carson
NF’s Web site at: https://
www.fs.usda.gov/goto/carsonforestplan.
As necessary or appropriate, the
material available on this site will be
further adjusted as part of the planning
process using the provisions of the 2012
planning rule.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1600–1614; 36 CFR
part 219 [77 FR 21260–21273].
Responsible Official
The responsible official for revision of
the Carson NF’s forest plan is Forest
Supervisor James Duran, Carson
National Forest, 208 Cruz Alta Road,
Taos, New Mexico 87571.
Dated: September 29, 2015.
James Duran,
Forest Supervisor, Carson National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2015–25519 Filed 10–6–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
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Applicable Planning Rule
Forest Service
Preparation of the revised forest plan
for the Carson NF began with the
assessment of the conditions and trends
of the Forest’s ecological, social, and
economic resources, initiated under the
planning procedures contained in the
2012 Forest Service planning rule (36
CFR 219 (2012)).
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
Permits or Licenses Required To
Implement the Proposed Action
No permits or licenses are needed for
the development or revision of a forest
plan.
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October 1, 2015.
The Department of Agriculture has
submitted the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13. Comments
regarding (a) whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
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(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of burden including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected; (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques and other forms of
information technology.
Comments regarding this information
collection received by November 6,
2015 will be considered. Written
comments should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), New Executive Office Building,
725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC
20503. Commentors are encouraged to
submit their comments to OMB via
email to: OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax (202) 395–5806 and
to Departmental Clearance Office,
USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602,
Washington, DC 20250–7602. Copies of
the submission(s) may be obtained by
calling (202) 720–8681.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and the agency informs
potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such
persons are not required to respond to
the collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
Forest Service
Title: National Woodland Owner
Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0596–0078.
Summary of Collection: The Forest
and Rangeland Renewable Resources
Planning Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93–278
Sec. 3) and the Forest and Rangeland
Renewable Resources Research Act of
1978 (Pub. L. 307 Sec. 3) are the legal
authorities for conducting the National
Woodland Owner Survey. The National
Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS)
collects information to help answer
questions related to the characteristics
of the landholdings and landowners,
ownership objectives, the supply of
timber and non-timber products, forest
management practices, climate change,
wildfires, invasive species, and delivery
of the concerns/constraints perceived by
the landowners.
Need and Use of the Information: The
NWOS will utilize a mixed-mode survey
technique involving cognitive
interviews, focus groups, self-
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 194 (Wednesday, October 7, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60617-60620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25519]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Revision of Land Management Plan for Carson National Forest;
Counties of Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, and Taos, New Mexico
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to revise the Carson National Forest Land
Management Plan and prepare an associated Environmental Impact
Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As directed by the National Forest Management Act, the USDA
Forest Service is revising the existing Carson National Forest's Land
Management Plan (hereafter referred to as forest plan) through
development of an associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This Notice describes the
documents (Assessment Report of Ecological, Social, and Economic
Conditions, Trends, and Sustainability for the Carson NF; Summaries of
Public Meetings; and Carson NF's Needs to Change Management Direction
of Its Existing 1986 Forest Plan) available for review and how to
obtain them; summarizes the needs to change the existing forest plan;
provides information concerning public participation and engagement,
including the process for submitting comments; provides an estimated
schedule for the planning process, including the time available for
comments, and includes the names and addresses of agency contacts who
can provide additional information.
DATES: Comments concerning the Needs to Change and Proposed Action
provided in this Notice will be most useful in the development of the
draft revised plan and draft EIS if received by November 20, 2015. The
agency expects to release a draft revised plan and draft EIS, developed
through a collaborative public engagement process, by late Fall/Winter
2016 and a final revised plan and final EIS by Spring 2018.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Carson National Forest, Attn: Plan
Revision, 208 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, New Mexico 87571. Comments may also
be sent via email to carsonplan@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Naranjo, Forest Planner, 575-
758-6221. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday
through Friday.
More information on the planning process can also be found on the
Carson National Forest's Web site at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/carsonforestplan.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Name and Address of the Responsible Official
James Duran, Forest Supervisor, Carson National Forest, 208 Cruz
Alta, Taos, New Mexico 87571.
Nature of the Decision To Be Made
The Carson National Forest (NF) is preparing an EIS to revise the
existing forest plan. The EIS process is meant to inform the Forest
Supervisor so he can
[[Page 60618]]
decide which alternative best maintains and restores National Forest
System terrestrial and aquatic resources, while providing ecosystem
services and multiple uses, as required by the National Forest
Management Act and the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act.
The revised forest plan will describe the strategic intent of
managing the Carson NF for the next 15 years and will address the needs
to change the existing forest plan. The revised forest plan will
provide management direction in the form of desired conditions,
objectives, standards, guidelines, and suitability of lands. It will
identify delineation of new management areas and geographic areas
across the Forest; identify the timber sale program quantity;
potentially make recommendations to Congress for Wilderness
designation; and list rivers and streams eligible for inclusion in the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The revised forest plan will
also provide a description of the plan area's distinctive roles and
contributions within the broader landscape, identify watersheds that
are a priority for maintenance or restoration, include a monitoring
program, and contain information reflecting expected possible actions
over the life of the plan.
The revised forest plan will provide strategic direction and a
framework for decision making during the life of the plan, but it will
not make site-specific project decisions and will not dictate day-to-
day administrative activities needed to carry on the Forest Service's
internal operations. The authorization of project level activities will
be based on the guidance/direction contained in the revised plan, but
will occur through subsequent project specific decision-making,
including NEPA.
The revised forest plan will provide broad, strategic guidance that
is consistent with other laws and regulations. Though strategic
guidance will be provided, no decisions will be made regarding the
management of individual roads or trails, such as those might be
associated with a Travel Management plan under 36 CFR part 212. Some
issues (e.g., hunting regulations), although important, are beyond the
authority or control of the National Forest System and cannot be
considered. No decision regarding oil and gas leasing availability will
be made, though plan components may be brought forward or developed
that will help guide oil and gas leasing availability decisions that
may be necessary in the future.
Purpose and Need and Proposed Action
According to the National Forest Management Act and 2012 Planning
Rule (36 CFR 219), forest plans are to be revised at least every 15
years. The Proposed Action is to revise the forest plan in order to
address the needs to change that were identified through public
involvement and the assessment process. Alternatives to the Proposed
Action will be developed to address the significant issues that are
identified through scoping.
The purpose and need for revising the current Carson NF forest plan
are: (1) To update the forest plan, which was approved in 1986 and is
29 years old; (2) to reflect changes in economic, social, and
ecological conditions, new policies and priorities, and new information
based on monitoring and scientific research; and (3) to address the
needs to change the existing forest plan, that are summarized below.
Extensive public and employee involvement, along with science-based
evaluations, have helped to identify these needs to change to the
existing forest plan.
What follows is a summary of the identified needs to change. A more
fully developed description of the needs to change statements, which
has been organized into several resource and management topic sections,
is available for review on the plan revision Web site at:
www.fs.usda.gov/goto/carsonforestplan.
Throughout the Plan
There is a need for the revised plan to better recognize and
enhance the Carson NF's role in contributing to local economies,
including service-based sectors, such as recreation and tourism, timber
and forest products, livestock grazing, and other multiple-use related
activities and products.
There is a need to reevaluate management areas in the current plan,
to minimize complexity and allow more flexibility for restoration and
habitat treatments, as well as update plan content regarding the
resources, goods, and services provided by the Carson NF.
There is a need to include plan direction that allows for adaptive
management, to address potential climate change effects.
There is a need to develop plan direction related to Forest Service
land acquisitions, disposals, and exchanges that are not covered by the
existing forest plan.
There is a need to include other plan content or management
approaches that: (1) Consider the capacity of local infrastructure,
contractors, and markets in moving toward achieving desired conditions;
(2) utilize partnership and volunteer opportunities as a management
option, to promote movement toward desired conditions; and (3) allow
for adapting to fluctuations in forest budgets over the life of the
plan, in moving toward achieving desired conditions.
Ecological Integrity
There is a need to develop desired conditions regarding forest and
woodland structure, composition, and function, as well as objectives,
standards, and guidelines that will promote restoration and achievement
of desired conditions; support resiliency and sustainability; and
minimize risks to ecosystem integrity.
There is a need to update plan direction to promote the restoration
and maintenance of grass productivity, particularly native bunchgrass
species, and to limit woody species encroachment and invasive plant
establishment, both in grasslands and non-grasslands.
There is a need to update plan direction that supports integrated
pest (weed) management.
There is a need to update plan direction which allows for an
integrated resource approach to prescribed fire activity, as well as
flexibility for restoration and maintenance of ecosystems.
There is a need to update plan direction to promote the use of
wildland fire (management of wildfire and prescribed fire) in fire
adapted ecosystems, while addressing public safety and health concerns.
There is a need to update plan direction to promote aspen health
and resilience through managing regeneration and existing stands.
There is a need to update plan direction to promote the maintenance
and restoration of soil condition and function (i.e., soil hydrology,
soil stability, nutrient cycling), particularly in lower elevation
systems.
There is a need to provide plan direction that promotes the
protection, restoration and maintenance of appropriate composition and
amount of riparian vegetation.
There is a need to provide plan direction regarding management of
riparian areas around all lakes, perennial and intermittent streams,
and wetlands.
There is a need to provide plan direction that promotes the
protection, restoration, and maintenance of wetland condition and
function.
There is a need to provide plan direction for the restoration of
watersheds.
There is a need to provide plan direction for the sustainable
management of water resources (e.g.,
[[Page 60619]]
groundwater, springs, wetlands, riparian areas, perennial waters) and
their interconnections.
There is a need to update plan direction on managing for
sustainable watersheds for multiple uses (e.g., wildlife, livestock,
recreation, and mining) and public water supplies.
There is a need to update plan direction to promote desired
watershed conditions that maintain water quality and quantity, as well
as enhance retention.
Wildlife, Fish, and Plants
There is a need to update plan direction to promote the recovery
and conservation of federally recognized species, the maintenance of
viable populations of the species of conservation concern, and the
maintenance of common and abundant species within the plan area.
There is a need to provide plan direction to address sustainability
of habitat(s) for plant and animal species important to tribes and
traditional communities.
There is a need to provide plan direction for managing towards
terrestrial, riparian, and aquatic habitat connectivity for species
movement across the landscape.
There is a need to provide plan direction that allows for improving
aquatic passage in streams where it has been compromised. Plan
direction should promote the restoration and expansion of the range of
native aquatic species and connectivity of fragmented populations.
There is a need to provide plan direction that allows for an
assortment of management approaches, including timber harvest,
thinning, prescribed burning, and other vegetation management methods,
to provide wildlife habitat for species that need a variety of forest
habitats, such as interior, edge, young, and old forest.
Cultural and Historic Resources and Uses
There is a need to update plan direction for Native American
traditional cultural properties and sacred sites and places, and non-
Native American traditional cultural properties.
There is a need to provide plan direction addressing management of
historic and contemporary cultural and traditional uses, including both
economic and non-economic uses for tribes, and for traditional
communities not considered under tribal relations (i.e., traditional
Hispanic and Anglo communities).
Areas of Tribal Importance
There is a need to update plan direction addressing consistency of
activities with legally mandated trust responsibilities to tribes.
There is a need to update plan direction orders, to ensure privacy
for tribes engaged in cultural and ceremonial activities.
There is a need to update plan direction on design, location,
installation, maintenance, and abandonment of towers, facilities, and
alternative infrastructure within electronic communication sites, while
giving due consideration to the value and importance of areas that may
be identified as a sacred site or part of an important cultural
landscape by tribes.
Multiple Uses
There is a need to provide plan direction for the management of
commercial and noncommercial use of forest products.
There is a need to provide plan direction for the livestock grazing
program that incorporates adaptive management, to move towards
ecosystem-based desired conditions.
There is a need to update plan direction to promote the sustainable
management of wild horses.
Recreation
There is a need to provide plan direction that promotes sustainable
recreation management and to include management approaches within the
revised plan to address user conflicts and demands in moving toward
achieving recreation desired conditions.
There is a need to provide guidance for recreation activities that
occur in areas sensitive to resource degradation or at risk, due to
high visitation.
There is a need to update plan direction for the Continental Divide
National Scenic Trail.
There is a need to update plan direction and guidance for
incorporating the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum classifications the
Scenery Management System integrity objectives across all programs
areas.
There is a need to update plan direction for over-snow vehicle use
and the recreation special uses program.
Designated Areas
There is a need to update plan direction for managing existing
designated areas, including designated wilderness, research natural
areas, and designated and eligible wild and scenic rivers, that promote
the maintenance of desired values and characteristics unique to each
area, as well as newly designated or potential designated areas.
Infrastructure
There is a need to provide plan direction for maintenance of
transportation systems in watersheds identified as impaired or at-risk
and for the reclamation of non-system roads.
Land Status and Ownership, Use, and Access
There is a need to update plan direction to address legal access
for public, private landowner, and tribal needs and management, to
promote contiguity of the land base and for reducing small unmanageable
tracts of National Forest System lands.
Energy and Minerals
There is a need to update plan direction for recreational mining-
related activities and the permitted use of common mineral materials.
There is a need to update plan direction for existing or proposed
transmission corridors and renewable energy generation, including
solar, biomass, and geothermal, while protecting natural resources,
heritage and sacred sites, tribal traditional activities, and scenery.
Public Involvement
A Notice of initiating the assessment phase of forest plan revision
for the Carson NF was published in the Federal Register on February 27,
2014 (79 FR 11074). Subsequently, the Carson NF held or participated in
32 public meetings and collaborative work sessions in communities
around the forest, to explain the plan revision process and solicit
comments, opinions, data, and ideas from members of the public,
governmental entities, tribes, land grants, and nongovernmental
organizations. Fifteen meetings were held in June 2014 providing an
opportunity for people to express how they value and use the forest and
asking what they want the forest to look like in the future. This
information was used to inform the assessment for the Carson NF. The
Carson and Santa Fe NFs jointly held 3 meetings in April/May of 2015
with members of local land grants, to present and discuss the plan
revision process. In June of 2015, the forest held 14 community public
meetings to present the key findings of the assessment and to have
participants come up with management solutions to address these key
findings or other issues of concern. The input from these meetings was
used to inform and update both the assessment and needs-to-change
statements. Approximately 556 people attended the 32 meetings and
nearly 1,800 comment letters or forms were received, either at the
meetings or
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by email, postal mail, or web-form. Public Information to the public
was provided by a dedicated forest plan revision Web page and through
mailings, flyers, news releases, Twitter, and radio interviews. Any
comments related to the Carson NF's assessment report that are received
following the publication of this Notice may be considered in the draft
and final environmental impact statements.
Scoping Process
Written comments received in response to this Notice will be
analyzed to complete the identification of the needs for change to the
existing plan, further develop the proposed action, and identify
potential significant issues. Significant issues will, in turn, form
the basis for developing alternatives to the proposed action. Comments
on the Needs to Change the Forest Plan and Proposed Action will be most
valuable if received by November 20, 2015, and should clearly
articulate the reviewer's issues and concerns. Comments received in
response to this Notice, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be part of the public record. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and considered in the NEPA process;
however, anonymous comments will not provide the Agency with the
ability to provide the respondent with subsequent environmental
documents. See the below Objection Process description, particularly
the requirements for filing an objection, on how anonymous comments are
handled during the objection process. Refer to the Carson NF's Web site
at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/carsonforestplan for information on when public
meetings will be scheduled for refining the Proposed Action and
identifying possible alternatives to the Proposed Action.
Applicable Planning Rule
Preparation of the revised forest plan for the Carson NF began with
the assessment of the conditions and trends of the Forest's ecological,
social, and economic resources, initiated under the planning procedures
contained in the 2012 Forest Service planning rule (36 CFR 219 (2012)).
Permits or Licenses Required To Implement the Proposed Action
No permits or licenses are needed for the development or revision
of a forest plan.
Proposed Decisions Are Subject To Objection
The proposed decision to approve the revised forest plan for the
Carson NF will be subject to the objection process identified in 36 CFR
part 219 Subpart B (219.50 to 219.62). According to 36 CFR 219.53(a),
those who may file an objection are individuals and entities who have
submitted substantive formal comments related to plan revision, during
the opportunities provided for public comment throughout the planning
process.
Documents Available for Review
The (1) Assessment Report of Ecological, Social, and Economic
Conditions, Trends, and Sustainability for the Carson National Forest
and (2) Carson National Forest's Needs to Change Management Direction
of Its Existing 1986 Forest Plan, as well as summaries of the public
meetings and public meeting materials, and public comments are posted
on the Carson NF's Web site at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/carsonforestplan. As necessary or appropriate, the material available
on this site will be further adjusted as part of the planning process
using the provisions of the 2012 planning rule.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1600-1614; 36 CFR part 219 [77 FR 21260-
21273].
Responsible Official
The responsible official for revision of the Carson NF's forest
plan is Forest Supervisor James Duran, Carson National Forest, 208 Cruz
Alta Road, Taos, New Mexico 87571.
Dated: September 29, 2015.
James Duran,
Forest Supervisor, Carson National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2015-25519 Filed 10-6-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
