Fishel Vegetation and Transportation Management Project; Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Vilas and Forest Counties, WI, 14494-14495 [06-2762]

Download as PDF cprice-sewell on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES 14494 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 22, 2006 / Notices The principal purposes of the meeting are to provide an opportunity for the NOSB to receive an update from the USDA/NOP and hear progress reports from NOSB committees regarding work plan items and proposed action items. The NOSB will receive presentations from the Aquaculture Working Group and Pet Food Task Force. The NOSB subcommittees (Crops, Livestock, and Handling Committees) will also present for, full NOSB consideration, recommendations concerning the continued use or prohibition of 29 substances being reviewed under the OFPA’s sunset provisions for the National List. The NOSB will vote on these recommendations. The OFPA authorized a National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The Act also provides that no allowed or prohibited substance would remain on the National List for a period exceeding 5 years unless the exemption or prohibition is reviewed and recommended for renewal by the NOSB and adopted by the Secretary of Agriculture. This expiration is commonly referred to as sunset of the National List. The National List was implemented on October 21, 2002, and contained over 170 substances. This first sunset of the National List triggers a review process that must be concluded no later than October 21, 2007. If renewal is not concluded by that date, the use or prohibition of hundreds of materials will no longer be valid for the organic industry, causing most if not all of the organic industry to be in noncompliance with the National Organic Standards. Because this first sunset process involves Federal rulemaking, the NOSB and the NOP has issued guidance and begun work on the National List Sunset process in order to avoid expiration of the National List on October 21, 2007. At its November 16– 17, 2005, meeting in Washington, DC, the NOSB recommended that the Secretary continue the use of 143 substances in organic crop and livestock production and handling. The NOSB recommended not renewing the listing of one substance, potassium tartrate made from tartaric acid. The substance appears twice on the Nation List, with two different names. The NOSB recommended removing it because of redundancy. The Handling Committee will discuss its continued work on determining when a product is agricultural versus nonagricultural. The Materials and Handling Committees will discuss NOP feedback regarding guidance for making determinations on whether a substance is synthetic or non-synthetic. Finally, the Policy Development and Handling VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:47 Mar 21, 2006 Jkt 208001 Committees will present, for full NOSB consideration, a recommendation for facilitating determinations regarding the commercial availability of organic agricultural ingredients. For further information, see https:// www.ams.usda.gov/nop. Copies of the NOSB meeting agenda can be requested from Ms. Katherine Benham by telephone at (202) 205–7806; or by accessing the NOP Web site at https:// www.ams.usda.gov/nop. The Meeting is Open to the Public. The NOSB has scheduled time for public input for Wednesday, April 19, 2006, from 2 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., and Thursday, April 20, 2006, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Individuals and organizations wishing to make an oral presentation at the meeting may forward their request by mail, facsimile, or e-mail to Katherine Benham at addresses listed in ADDRESSES above. Individuals or organizations will be given approximately 5 minutes to present their views. All persons making an oral presentation are requested to provide their comments in writing. Written submissions may contain information other than that presented at the oral presentation. Written comments may also be submitted at the meeting. Persons submitting written comments at the meeting are asked to provide 30 copies. Interested persons may visit the NOSB portion of the NOP Web site https://www.ams.usda.gov/nop to view available documents prior to the meeting. Approximately 6 weeks following the meeting interested persons will be able to visit the NOSB portion of the NOP Web site to view documents from the meeting. Dated: March 17, 2006. Lloyd C. Day, Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service. [FR Doc. 06–2788 Filed 3–21–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–02–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Fishel Vegetation and Transportation Management Project; ChequamegonNicolet National Forest, Vilas and Forest Counties, WI Forest Service, USDA. Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement. AGENCY: ACTION: Authority: The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321–4346); Council on Environmental quality Regulations, title 40, PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Code of Federal Regulations, parts 1500–1508 (40 CFR parts 1500–1508); and U.S. Department of Agriculture NEPA Regulations, part 1b (7 CFR part 1b). SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental impacts of proposed actions to harvest trees and associated transportation management activities. The purpose and need identified for the Fishel project area is to: Improve structural diversity (age/size class) and species diversity in the northern hardwood interior block habitats and maintain forest composition while improving riparian habitat, contributing toward satisfying demand for timber products, and to provide an efficient road system that will meet long-term transportation needs to move the Fishel project area towards the desired conditions as described in the 2004 Forest Plan. Actions are proposed to meet or move towards meeting Forest Plan goals 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.5, 3.1, as well as meet Forest Plan objectives through design features and treatment mitigation. The project area is located on public lands administered by the Eagle RiverFlorence Ranger District approximately 30 miles northeast of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. It is located approximately 10 miles northeast of Eagle River, bordered on the west and north by Big Sand Lake and the Michigan border, on the east by State highway 55 and on the south by State Highway 70. No Action is one alternative that will be considered. Additional alternatives will be formulated based on public issues, and response analysis. The proposed action involves harvesting approximately 16.9 MMBF (million board feet) of green trees from approximately 5,517 acres within an analysis area of about 35,200 acres. Harvest of trees would be by ground based (tractor) methods during the winter months. Most harvested areas would be open to natural regeneration with some areas planted to longer lived white pine near trout streams, and jack pine for age class diversity. Road work would include construction of 2.1 miles of new road and 23.7 miles of road reconstruction to access harvest activity stands. The transportation management proposal includes construction of 2.1 miles of new road, 23.7 miles of road reconstruction and 44.6 miles of road decommissioning to move towards the road densities identified in the Forest Plan. After the project is completed, approximately 107 miles of existing E:\FR\FM\22MRN1.SGM 22MRN1 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 22, 2006 / Notices Forest Service Roads are proposed to remain open and be maintained. DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described in this notice should be received within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Deputy Forest Supervisor Jeanne Higgins, c/o Lois Pfeffer, 145 East 2nd Street, Powell, WY 82453. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed action and EIS should be addressed to Lois Pfeffer, Forester, TEAMS Planning, phone (550) 359–7023. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS will tier to the 2004 FEIS for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest Plan provides the overall guidance (Goals, Objectives, Standards, and Management Area Direction) to achieve the Desired Future Condition for the area being analyzed, and contains specific management area prescriptions for the entire Forest. The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from Federal, State, and local agencies as well as individuals and organizations that may be interested in, or affected by the proposed action. The Forest Services invites written comments and suggestions on the issues related to the proposal and the area being analyzed. Information received will be used in preparation of the Draft EIS and Final EIS. For most effective use, comments should be submitted to the Forest Service within 45 days from the date of publication of this in the Federal Register. The Eagle River-Florence Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Forest and Vilas Counties in the state of Wisconsin would administer the proposed management activities for this analysis. Agency representatives and other interested people are invited to visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the EIS process. Two specific time periods are identified for the receipt of formal comments on the analysis. The two comment periods are: (1) During the scoping process, the next 45 days following publication of this notice in the Federal Register, and (2) during the formal review period of the Draft EIS. The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:47 Mar 21, 2006 Jkt 208001 the Federal Register. The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers notice at this early stage of several court rulings related to public participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of draft environmental impact statements must structure their participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewers’ position and intentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may be waved or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Circuit, 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important that those interested in this proposed action participate by the close 45-day comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the final Environmental Impact Statement. To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National environmental Policy Act, 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points. It is projected the final release of the EIS to be November 30, 2006. The Forest Supervisor or Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest are the responsible officials for the EIS. After considering the comments, responses, and environmental consequences discussed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and applicable laws, regulations, and policies a decision by this official will be made regarding the proposal. The reasons for the decision will be documented in a Record of Decision. The Forest Supervisor’s office of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is located at 1170 4th Avenue South, Park Falls, WI 54552, phone: 715–762–2461. PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 14495 Dated: March 16, 2006. Jeanne M. Higgins, Deputy Forest Supervisor, ChequamegonNicolet National Forest. [FR Doc. 06–2762 Filed 3–21–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–11–M DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service New Mexico Collaborative Forest Restoration Program Technical Advisory Panel Forest Service, USDA. Notice of meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: The New Mexico Collaborative Forest Restoration Program Technical Advisory Panel will meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The purpose of the meeting is to provide recommendations to the Regional Forester, USDA Forest Service Southwestern Region, on which forest restoration grant proposals submitted in response to the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program Request for Proposals best meet the objectives of the Community Forest Restoration Act (Title VI, Pub. L. 106–393). DATES: The meeting will be held April 24–28, 2006, beginning at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 24 and ending at approximately 4 p.m. on Friday, April 28. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, 5050 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109; 505–944– 2222. Written comments should be sent to Walter Dunn, at the Cooperative and International Forestry Staff, USDA Forest Service, 333 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Comments may also be sent to via e-mail to wdunn@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to Walter Dunn at (505) 842–3265. All comments, including names and addressed when provided, are placed in the record and are available for public inspection and copying. The public may inspect comments received at the Cooperative and International Forestry Staff, USDA Forest Service, 333 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, or during the Panel meeting at the Holiday Inn, 5050 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109; 505–944–2222. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Walter Dunn, Designated Federal Official, at (505) 842–3425, or Melissa Zaksek, at (505) 842–3289, Cooperative and International Forestry Staff, USDA Forest Service, 333 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf E:\FR\FM\22MRN1.SGM 22MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14494-14495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2762]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Fishel Vegetation and Transportation Management Project; 
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Vilas and Forest Counties, WI

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Authority: The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 
as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321-4346); Council on Environmental quality 
Regulations, title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, parts 1500-1508 
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508); and U.S. Department of Agriculture NEPA 
Regulations, part 1b (7 CFR part 1b).

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental 
impacts of proposed actions to harvest trees and associated 
transportation management activities.
    The purpose and need identified for the Fishel project area is to: 
Improve structural diversity (age/size class) and species diversity in 
the northern hardwood interior block habitats and maintain forest 
composition while improving riparian habitat, contributing toward 
satisfying demand for timber products, and to provide an efficient road 
system that will meet long-term transportation needs to move the Fishel 
project area towards the desired conditions as described in the 2004 
Forest Plan.
    Actions are proposed to meet or move towards meeting Forest Plan 
goals 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.5, 3.1, as well as meet Forest Plan objectives 
through design features and treatment mitigation.
    The project area is located on public lands administered by the 
Eagle River-Florence Ranger District approximately 30 miles northeast 
of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. It is located approximately 10 miles 
northeast of Eagle River, bordered on the west and north by Big Sand 
Lake and the Michigan border, on the east by State highway 55 and on 
the south by State Highway 70.
    No Action is one alternative that will be considered. Additional 
alternatives will be formulated based on public issues, and response 
analysis. The proposed action involves harvesting approximately 16.9 
MMBF (million board feet) of green trees from approximately 5,517 acres 
within an analysis area of about 35,200 acres. Harvest of trees would 
be by ground based (tractor) methods during the winter months. Most 
harvested areas would be open to natural regeneration with some areas 
planted to longer lived white pine near trout streams, and jack pine 
for age class diversity.
    Road work would include construction of 2.1 miles of new road and 
23.7 miles of road reconstruction to access harvest activity stands. 
The transportation management proposal includes construction of 2.1 
miles of new road, 23.7 miles of road reconstruction and 44.6 miles of 
road decommissioning to move towards the road densities identified in 
the Forest Plan. After the project is completed, approximately 107 
miles of existing

[[Page 14495]]

Forest Service Roads are proposed to remain open and be maintained.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described 
in this notice should be received within 45 days of the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Chequamegon-Nicolet National 
Forest, Deputy Forest Supervisor Jeanne Higgins, c/o Lois Pfeffer, 145 
East 2nd Street, Powell, WY 82453.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed 
action and EIS should be addressed to Lois Pfeffer, Forester, TEAMS 
Planning, phone (550) 359-7023.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS will tier to the 2004 FEIS for the 
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
(Forest Plan). The Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest Plan provides the overall 
guidance (Goals, Objectives, Standards, and Management Area Direction) 
to achieve the Desired Future Condition for the area being analyzed, 
and contains specific management area prescriptions for the entire 
Forest.
    The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from 
Federal, State, and local agencies as well as individuals and 
organizations that may be interested in, or affected by the proposed 
action. The Forest Services invites written comments and suggestions on 
the issues related to the proposal and the area being analyzed. 
Information received will be used in preparation of the Draft EIS and 
Final EIS. For most effective use, comments should be submitted to the 
Forest Service within 45 days from the date of publication of this in 
the Federal Register.
    The Eagle River-Florence Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet 
National Forest in Forest and Vilas Counties in the state of Wisconsin 
would administer the proposed management activities for this analysis. 
Agency representatives and other interested people are invited to visit 
with Forest Service officials at any time during the EIS process. Two 
specific time periods are identified for the receipt of formal comments 
on the analysis. The two comment periods are: (1) During the scoping 
process, the next 45 days following publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register, and (2) during the formal review period of the Draft 
EIS.
    The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will 
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
the notice of availability in the Federal Register. The Forest Service 
believes it is important to give reviewers notice at this early stage 
of several court rulings related to public participation in the 
environmental review process. First, reviewers of draft environmental 
impact statements must structure their participation in the 
environmental review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and 
alerts an agency to the reviewers' position and intentions.
    Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,553 
(1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may 
be waved or dismissed by the courts.
    City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Circuit, 1986) 
and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. 
Wis 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important that 
those interested in this proposed action participate by the close 45-
day comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made 
available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully 
consider them and respond to them in the final Environmental Impact 
Statement. To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering 
issues and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft 
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is 
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the 
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft 
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives 
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer 
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National environmental Policy Act, 40 
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    It is projected the final release of the EIS to be November 30, 
2006. The Forest Supervisor or Deputy Forest Supervisor for the 
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest are the responsible officials for 
the EIS. After considering the comments, responses, and environmental 
consequences discussed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies a decision by this official 
will be made regarding the proposal. The reasons for the decision will 
be documented in a Record of Decision. The Forest Supervisor's office 
of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is located at 1170 4th 
Avenue South, Park Falls, WI 54552, phone: 715-762-2461.

    Dated: March 16, 2006.
Jeanne M. Higgins,
Deputy Forest Supervisor, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
[FR Doc. 06-2762 Filed 3-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M

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