Millville Peak/Logan Peak Road Relocation Project, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Cache County, UT, 18712-18714 [06-3481]
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18712
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 70 / Wednesday, April 12, 2006 / Notices
Comments on this notice must be
received by June 16, 2006 to be assured
of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments
concerning this notice to Mark Nord,
Food Assistance Branch, Food
Economics Division, Economic Research
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1800 M Street, NW., Room N–2180,
Washington, DC 20036–5831. Tel. 202–
694–5433. Submit electronic comments
to marknord@ers.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Application for an Annual Food
Security Supplement to the Current
Population Survey, Beginning in
December 2006.
Type of Request: Approval to collect
information on household food
insecurity.
OMB Number: 0536–0043.
Expiration data: N/A.
Abstract: The U.S. Census Bureau will
supplement the December Current
Population Survey, beginning in 2006,
with questions regarding household
food shopping, food sufficiency, coping
mechanisms and food scarcity, and
concern about food sufficiency. A
similar supplement has been appended
to the CPS annually since 1995. The last
collection was in December 2005.
Copies of the information to be collected
can be obtained from the address in the
preamble.
ERS is responsible for conducting
studies and evaluations of the Nation’s
food assistance programs that are
administered by the Food and Nutrition
Service (FNS), U. S. Department of
Agriculture. The Department spends
about $46 billion each year to ensure
access to nutritious, healthful diets for
all Americans. The Food and Nutrition
Service administers the 15 food
assistance programs of the USDA
including Food Stamps, Child Nutrition,
and WIC programs. These programs,
which serve 1 in 5 Americans, represent
our Nation’s commitment to the
principle that no one in our country
should lack the food needed for an
active healthy life. They provide a safety
net to people in need. The programs’
goals are to provide needy persons with
access to a more nutritious diet, to
improve the eating habits of the Nation’s
children, and to help America’s farmers
by providing an outlet for the
distribution of food purchased under
farmer assistance authorities.
These data will be used to monitor the
prevalence of food security and the
prevalence and severity of food
insecurity among the Nation’s
households. The prevalence of these
conditions as well as year-to-year trends
in their prevalence will be estimated at
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DATES:
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the national level and for population
subgroups. The data will also be used to
monitor the amounts that households
spend for food and their use of
community food pantries and
emergency kitchens. These statistics
along with research based on the data
will be used to identify the causes and
consequences of food insecurity, and to
assess the need for, and performance of,
domestic food assistance programs. The
data will also be used to improve the
measurement of food security and to
develop measures of additional aspects
and dimensions of food security. This
consistent measurement of the extent
and severity of food insecurity will aid
in policy decision making. The
supplemental survey instrument was
developed in conjunction with food
security experts nationwide as well as
survey method experts within the
Census Bureau and was recently
reviewed by the Committee on National
Statistics of the National Research
Council. This supplemental information
will be collected by both personal visit
and telephone interviews in conjunction
with the regular monthly CPS
interviewing. All interviews, whether by
personal visit or by telephone, are
conducted using computers.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this data collection is
estimated to average 7.6 minutes for
each household that responds to the
laborforce portion of the CPS.
Respondents: Individuals or
households.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
56,200.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 7,155 hours.
Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the Agency,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of
the Agency’s estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information,
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 or other forms of information
technology. Comments should be sent to
the address in the preamble. All
responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
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for OMB approval. All comments will
also become a matter of public record.
Dated: March 21, 2006.
Susan Offutt,
Administrator, Economic Research Service.
[FR Doc. E6–5343 Filed 4–11–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–18–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Trade Adjustment Assistance for
Farmers
Foreign Agricultural Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Administrator, Foreign
Agricultural Service (FAS), today
terminated the certification of a petition
for trade adjustment assistance (TAA)
that was by the Tropical Fruit Growers
of South Florida, Inc, representing
Florida lychee producers. Florida lychee
producers are no longer eligible for TAA
benefits in fiscal year 2006.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Upon
investigation, the Administrator
determined that U.S. imports of fresh
lychees declined 3 percent between
2004 and 2005. Therefore, imports were
no longer a contributing factor for
program eligibility—a requirement for
TAA program eligibility and therefore
insufficient grounds to re-certify this
petition.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jean-Louis Pajot, Coordinator, Trade
Adjustment Assistance for Farmers,
FAS, USDA, (202) 720–2916, e-mail:
trade.adjustment@fas.usda.gov.
Dated: March 29, 2006.
Michael W. Yost,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. E6–5402 Filed 4–11–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–10–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Millville Peak/Logan Peak Road
Relocation Project, Wasatch-Cache
National Forest, Cache County, UT
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Forest Supervisor of the
Wasatch-Cache National Forest gives
notice of the agency’s intent to prepare
an environmental impact statement on a
proposal to relocate a total of about 5
miles of the Millville Peak and Logan
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 70 / Wednesday, April 12, 2006 / Notices
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Peak Roads (Forest Roads 20168 and
20042, respectively) due to road damage
and safety concerns. The relocation
would place construction in adjacent
roadless areas.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by May
12, 2006. The draft environmental
impact statement is expected to be
published in November 2006, with
public comment on the draft material
accepted for a period of 45 days, and the
final environmental impact statement is
expected in March, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Rob Cruz, District Ranger, Logan Ranger
District, 1500 East Highway 89, Logan,
Utah 84321, ATTN: Millville Peak/
Logan Peak Road EIS. Or, e-mail
comments to: comments-intermtnwasatch-cache-logan@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Evelyn Sibbernsen, Environmental
Coordinator, Logan Ranger District,
1500 East Highway 89, Logan, Utah
84321, (435) 755–3620.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the Millville Peak/
Logan Peak Road Relocation Project is
for public safety, resource improvement,
and to provide a safe, reliable, ground
access route for maintenance of the
State-owned communications facility at
Logan Peak.
The State of Utah, Information
Technology Services, owns a high
voltage electrical power line buried
beneath the surface of a portion of the
public access roadways, Millville Peak
Road (Forest Road 20168) and Logan
Peak Road (Forest Road 20042). The
power line, installed nearly twenty
years ago, serves the State-owned radio
communications facility located at
Logan Peak. The tower houses
microwave equipment for several local,
state, and national public safety entities
providing a vital link in their
communications systems.
Normal vehicular and off-highway
recreational traffic on the roadway,
combined with irregular road
maintenance and seasonal erosion, have
severely damaged the surface of the
roadway to the site, exposing the power
line at several locations. The potential
for death and serious injury is
significant around those locations where
the cable has been exposed. Severe
damage to the roadway also impacts
accessibility to the communications
facility at Logan Peak.
The first two-thirds of the 16-mile
roadway accessing the communications
site have been repaired and maintained
where the cable could be buried deeper
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17:42 Apr 11, 2006
Jkt 208001
and the road maintained with additional
gravel and installation of proper
drainage. However, along the later
section where the roadway gets
excessively steep and rocky, road
damage has resulted in the cable
becoming increasingly exposed. Travel
on this section of the road is unsafe and
limits access to the communications
facility on Logan Peak. The cable can no
longer be safely covered and the road
damage cannot be corrected by
maintenance.
There is a need to eliminate the
public safety hazard posed by the
exposed electrical power cable and a
need to improve ground access to this
vital communications facility located on
Logan Peak.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service proposes to reIocate a total of about 5 miles of the
Millville Peak and Logan Peak Roads.
The new roadways would be relocated
away from the cable and designed to
maintain an 8% or lower grade. They
would be relocated up to one quarter
mile from the existing roadways (at the
greatest extent) and would have a
maintenance level of 2; the same as the
existing roads. The old roadways would
be physically closed and revegetated.
The Millville Peak Road forms a part
of the boundary between the Mount
Logan North Roadless Area (19, 197
acres) and the Mount Logan South
Roadless Area (17,001 acres). The
section of road to be relocated would be
constructed near the edge of the two
roadless areas. The management
prescriptions within which the road
would be relocated, Management
Prescriptions 3.1w (Watershed
Emphasis) and 2.7 (Special Interest
Areas), allow no road construction. Realignment of the road within the 3.1w
or 2.7 management prescriptions would
necessitate a non-significant
amendment of the Forest Plan.
Possible Alternatives
A no action alternative will be
considered as well as any other
alternatives that may be developed in
response to significant issues.
Responsible Official
The Responsible Official is Faye
Krueger, Forest Supervisor, WasatchCache National Forest, 8236 Federal
Building, 125 South State Street, Salt
Lake City, UT 84138.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made is whether or
not to relocate this section of the
Millville Peak and Logan Peak Roads
and if so, where and to what degree.
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18713
Scoping Process
The Forest Service invites comments
and suggestions on the scope of the
analysis to be included in the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
In addition, the Forest Service gives
notice that it is beginning a full
environmental analysis and decisionmaking process for this proposal so that
interested or affected people may know
how they can participate in the
environmental analysis and contribute
to the final decision. This notice of
intent initiates the scoping process
which guides the development of the
environmental impact statement. The
Forest welcomes any public Service
comments on the proposal.
Preliminary Issues
Preliminary issues identified by the
interdisciplinary team include the
effects on the roadless character of the
Mount Logan North and Mount Logan
South Roadless Areas, the effects on
motorized recreation challenge
opportunities, access to routes that
connect to the portion of the Millville
Peak Road that would be relocated (such
as Forest Road 20126), effects on
snowmobile opportunities and
experience from the new road cut just
below Logan Peak, the potential for new
weed infestations from the new road
cut, effects on threatened, endangered,
and sensitive plant and wildlife species,
and the effectiveness of the old Millville
and Logan Peak Road closures in
preventing future (unauthorized) use.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process which guides the
development of the environmental
impact statement.
Early Notice of Importance of Public
Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review
A draft environmental impact
statement will be prepared for comment.
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, at this
early stage, it is important to give
reviewers notice 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
reviewer’s position and contentions.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v.
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12APN1
18714
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 70 / Wednesday, April 12, 2006 / Notices
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
waived or dismissed by the courts. City
of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016,
1022 (9th Cir. 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 of the 45day 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 at 40
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received, including the
names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the
public record on this proposal and will
be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21)
Dated: April 6, 2006.
Faye L. Krueger,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 06–3481 Filed 4–11–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Oregon Coast Provincial Advisory
Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
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ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Oregon Coast Provincial
Advisory Committee will meet in
Lincoln City, OR, April 20, 2006. The
theme of the meeting is Introduction/
Overview/Business Planning. The
agenda includes: BLM/FS Stewardship
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19:56 Apr 11, 2006
Jkt 208001
Contracting Briefing, FS ATV National
Update, BLM RMP Participation—Role
of PAC, BLM 2010, Spotted Owl
Recovery/Marbled Murrelet Delisting,
Status of the RAC’s ‘‘2006 topics for
Coast PAC’’, Role of Coast PAC in 2006,
Public Comment and Round Robin.
DATES: The meeting will be held April
20, 2006, beginning at 9 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Surftides Inn, 2945 NW Jetty Ave.,
Lincoln City, Oregon 97367.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joni
Quarnstrom, Public Affairs Specialist,
Siuslaw National Forest, 541–750–7075,
or write to Siuslaw National Forest
Supervisor, P.O. Box 1148, Corvallis,
OR 97339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
meeting is open to the public. Council
Discussion is limited to Forest Service/
BLM staff and Council Members. Lunch
will be on your own. A public input
session will be at 11:30 a.m. for fifteen
minutes. The meeting is expected to
adjourn around 3 p.m.
Dated: April 6, 2006.
H. ‘‘Wood’’ Fine,
Director of Operations.
[FR Doc. 06–3482 Filed 4–11–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration
[06–GL–S]
Designation for the State of Texas Area
Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Grain Inspection, Packers
and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA)
announces the designation of
Intercontinental Grain Inspections, Inc.
(Intercontinental), to provide official
inspection services under the United
States Grain Standards Act, as amended
(Act).
DATES: Effective Date: April 10, 2006.
ADDRESSES: USDA, GIPSA, John R.
Sharpe, Division Director, Compliance
Division, STOP 3604, Room 1647–S,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–3604.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John
R. Sharpe at 202–720–8262, e-mail
John.R.Sharpe@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
action has been reviewed and
determined not to be a rule or regulation
as defined in Executive Order 12866
and Departmental Regulation 1512–1;
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
therefore, the Executive Order and
Departmental Regulation do not apply
to this action.
In the February 1, 2006, Federal
Register (71 FR 5232), GIPSA
announced that Global Grain Inspection
Services, Inc. (Global), asked GIPSA to
voluntarily cancel their designation to
provide domestic grain inspection
services in the area for which they were
designated in the State of Texas
effective April 9, 2006. Accordingly,
Global’s designation will cease effective
April 9, 2006, and GIPSA asked persons
or organizations interested in providing
official grain inspection services in the
State of Texas to submit an application
for designation by March 3, 2006.
There were three applicants for the
Texas geographic area: A company
proposing to do business as Gulf
Country Inspection Service, Inc (Gulf); a
company proposing to do business as
Intercontinental Grain Inspections, Inc.
(Intercontinental), a subsidiary of Socit
Gnrale de Surveillance North America,
Inc. (SGS); and South Texas Grain
Inspection LLC (South Texas), a
proposed organization being formed by
the Corpus Christi Grain Exchange, Inc.
(CCGE), to function under a trust. Gulf
and Intercontinental indicated they
would be willing to accept more or less
geographic area previously designated
to Global in order to provide needed
service to all requestors. South Texas
applied only for the Texas Counties
named in the February 1, 2006, Federal
Register. GIPSA asked for comments on
Gulf, Intercontinental, and South Texas,
in the March 14, 2006, Federal Register.
Comments were due by March 29,
2006. GIPSA received a total of 17
comments by the closing date. GIPSA
received 1 comment from a grain
association supporting Gulf for
designation. We received 7 comments
supporting Intercontinental for
designation; 4 of which were from grain
elevators in the area, 2 from prospective
employees, and 1 from a border bridge
owner. GIPSA received 8 comments
supporting South Texas for designation;
7 of which were from grain industry in
the area and one from a congressional
office. The final commenter, a grain
company official, supported both
Intercontinental and South Texas.
GIPSA evaluated all available
information regarding the designation
criteria in Section 7(f)(l)(A) of the Act
and, according to Section 7(f)(l)(B),
determined that Intercontinental is
better able to provide official services in
the geographic area specified in the
February 1, 2006, Federal Register, for
which it applied. Intercontinental is
designated for 18 months only, effective
April 10, 2006, and terminating
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18712-18714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3481]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Millville Peak/Logan Peak Road Relocation Project, Wasatch-Cache
National Forest, Cache County, UT
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Supervisor of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest
gives notice of the agency's intent to prepare an environmental impact
statement on a proposal to relocate a total of about 5 miles of the
Millville Peak and Logan
[[Page 18713]]
Peak Roads (Forest Roads 20168 and 20042, respectively) due to road
damage and safety concerns. The relocation would place construction in
adjacent roadless areas.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by May 12, 2006. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
to be published in November 2006, with public comment on the draft
material accepted for a period of 45 days, and the final environmental
impact statement is expected in March, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Rob Cruz, District Ranger, Logan
Ranger District, 1500 East Highway 89, Logan, Utah 84321, ATTN:
Millville Peak/Logan Peak Road EIS. Or, e-mail comments to: comments-
intermtn-wasatch-cache-logan@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Evelyn Sibbernsen, Environmental
Coordinator, Logan Ranger District, 1500 East Highway 89, Logan, Utah
84321, (435) 755-3620.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the Millville Peak/Logan Peak Road Relocation
Project is for public safety, resource improvement, and to provide a
safe, reliable, ground access route for maintenance of the State-owned
communications facility at Logan Peak.
The State of Utah, Information Technology Services, owns a high
voltage electrical power line buried beneath the surface of a portion
of the public access roadways, Millville Peak Road (Forest Road 20168)
and Logan Peak Road (Forest Road 20042). The power line, installed
nearly twenty years ago, serves the State-owned radio communications
facility located at Logan Peak. The tower houses microwave equipment
for several local, state, and national public safety entities providing
a vital link in their communications systems.
Normal vehicular and off-highway recreational traffic on the
roadway, combined with irregular road maintenance and seasonal erosion,
have severely damaged the surface of the roadway to the site, exposing
the power line at several locations. The potential for death and
serious injury is significant around those locations where the cable
has been exposed. Severe damage to the roadway also impacts
accessibility to the communications facility at Logan Peak.
The first two-thirds of the 16-mile roadway accessing the
communications site have been repaired and maintained where the cable
could be buried deeper and the road maintained with additional gravel
and installation of proper drainage. However, along the later section
where the roadway gets excessively steep and rocky, road damage has
resulted in the cable becoming increasingly exposed. Travel on this
section of the road is unsafe and limits access to the communications
facility on Logan Peak. The cable can no longer be safely covered and
the road damage cannot be corrected by maintenance.
There is a need to eliminate the public safety hazard posed by the
exposed electrical power cable and a need to improve ground access to
this vital communications facility located on Logan Peak.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service proposes to re-Iocate a total of about 5 miles
of the Millville Peak and Logan Peak Roads. The new roadways would be
relocated away from the cable and designed to maintain an 8% or lower
grade. They would be relocated up to one quarter mile from the existing
roadways (at the greatest extent) and would have a maintenance level of
2; the same as the existing roads. The old roadways would be physically
closed and revegetated.
The Millville Peak Road forms a part of the boundary between the
Mount Logan North Roadless Area (19, 197 acres) and the Mount Logan
South Roadless Area (17,001 acres). The section of road to be relocated
would be constructed near the edge of the two roadless areas. The
management prescriptions within which the road would be relocated,
Management Prescriptions 3.1w (Watershed Emphasis) and 2.7 (Special
Interest Areas), allow no road construction. Re-alignment of the road
within the 3.1w or 2.7 management prescriptions would necessitate a
non-significant amendment of the Forest Plan.
Possible Alternatives
A no action alternative will be considered as well as any other
alternatives that may be developed in response to significant issues.
Responsible Official
The Responsible Official is Faye Krueger, Forest Supervisor,
Wasatch-Cache National Forest, 8236 Federal Building, 125 South State
Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84138.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made is whether or not to relocate this section
of the Millville Peak and Logan Peak Roads and if so, where and to what
degree.
Scoping Process
The Forest Service invites comments and suggestions on the scope of
the analysis to be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS). In addition, the Forest Service gives notice that it is
beginning a full environmental analysis and decision-making process for
this proposal so that interested or affected people may know how they
can participate in the environmental analysis and contribute to the
final decision. This notice of intent initiates the scoping process
which guides the development of the environmental impact statement. The
Forest welcomes any public Service comments on the proposal.
Preliminary Issues
Preliminary issues identified by the interdisciplinary team include
the effects on the roadless character of the Mount Logan North and
Mount Logan South Roadless Areas, the effects on motorized recreation
challenge opportunities, access to routes that connect to the portion
of the Millville Peak Road that would be relocated (such as Forest Road
20126), effects on snowmobile opportunities and experience from the new
road cut just below Logan Peak, the potential for new weed infestations
from the new road cut, effects on threatened, endangered, and sensitive
plant and wildlife species, and the effectiveness of the old Millville
and Logan Peak Road closures in preventing future (unauthorized) use.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review
A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared for
comment. 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, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice 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 reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v.
[[Page 18714]]
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 waived or dismissed by the courts. City of
Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 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 of the 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 at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: April 6, 2006.
Faye L. Krueger,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 06-3481 Filed 4-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
