Umatilla National Forest; Columbia and Garfield Counties, WA; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) To Amend the Umatilla National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan for the Purposes of Implementing the School Fire Salvage Recovery Project, 8338-8339 [07-841]

Download as PDF 8338 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 37 / Monday, February 26, 2007 / Notices procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 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 of 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: January 24, 2007. Edward C. Monnig, Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. E7–3194 Filed 2–23–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–11–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Umatilla National Forest; Columbia and Garfield Counties, WA; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) To Amend the Umatilla National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan for the Purposes of Implementing the School Fire Salvage Recovery Project Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Umatilla National Forest Supervisor is proposing a nonsignificant amendment to the Umatilla National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) as amended by Regional Forester Amendment #2 (‘‘Eastside Screens’’) to include a definition of ‘‘live’’ trees for the School Fire Salvage Recovery Project. The proposed amendment would adopt a scientific metod for determining live trees. Under 40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4), there is no formal scoping period for this proposed action. The supplemental draft environmental impact statement is expected March 1, 2007 and the final environmental impact statement is expected June 1, 2007. ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the Responsible Official, Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor, Umatilla National Forest, 2517 S.W. Hailey Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801. Send electronic comments to: commentspacificnorthwest-umatilla@fs.fed.us. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean R. Millett, Project Team Leader, Pomeroy Ranger District, 71 West Main Street, Pomeroy, WA 99347, phone ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES DATES: VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:03 Feb 23, 2007 Jkt 211001 Scoping Process (509) 843–1891, e-mail: dmillett@fs.fed.us. No scoping will be conducted for this SEIS pursuant to 40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose and Need for Action The Umatilla NF needs ‘‘to salvage harvest [bured timber] as rapidly as practicable before decay and other wood deterioration occurs to maximize potential economic benefits’’ as identified in School Fire Recovery Project FEIS at 1–4. The 9th Court of Appeals recently held in The Lands Council, No. 06–35781 (9th Cir.) (Feb. 12, 2007) that the term ‘‘live tree’’ includes all trees that are not dead, giving the term its plain meaning. Op. at 12. This definition, which does not reflect the Forest Service practice and interpretation that a live tree must be expected to live greater than five years (citation), prevents the achievement of the need stated above. The Proposed Action would amend the Forest Plan for the School Project Area to adopt a definition of ‘‘live’’ and allow the School Fire Recovery Project Record of Decision to be fully implemented. Proposed Action The Umatilla National Forest Supervisor proposes a non-significant Forest Plan amendment to Regional Forester’s Amendment #2 to the Umatilla LRMP (‘‘Eastside Screens’’) to include a definition of ‘‘live’’ trees as used in the wildlife standard No. 6d.2)a). This amendment would apply only to the School Fire Salvage Recovery Project on the Pomeroy Ranger District. The amended standard would read as follows: (a) Maintain all remnant late and old seral and/or structural live trees ≥21″ diameter at breast height that currently exist within stands proposed for harvest activities. A live tree is defined as a tree rated to have a high probability to survive the effects of a fire as determined by the ‘‘Factors Affecting Survival of Fire Injured Trees: A Rating System for Determining Relative Probability of Survival of Conifers in the Blue and Wallowa Mountains’’ (Scott et al. 2002, as amended) (commonly referred to as the Scott Guidelines). Responsible Official Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor, Umatilla National Forest, 2517 S.W. Hailey Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801. Nature of Decision To Be Made To amend the Umatilla LRMP as proposed or take no action at this time. PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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. 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 address of those who comment, will be considered part of the E:\FR\FM\26FEN1.SGM 26FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 37 / Monday, February 26, 2007 / Notices 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: February 20, 2007. Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. 07–841 Filed 2–23–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–11–M both reasonable and acceptable for this sort of unique recreation experience. People wanting to rent the Sherman Guard Station Cabins will need to do so through the National Recreation Reservation Service, at https:// www.reserveusa.com or by calling 1–877–444–6777. The National Recreation Reservation Service charges a $9 fee for reservations. Dated: February 8, 2007. Kniffy Hamilton, Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. 07–843 Filed 2–23–07; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service BILLING CODE 3410–11–M Notice of New Fee Site; Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, (Title VIII, Pub. L. 108–447) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Bridger-Teton National Forest, Forest Service USDA. ACTION: Notice of new fee site. ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Bridger-Teton National Forest is planning to charge a $40 fee for the overnight rental of each of the Sherman Guard Station Cabins. The cabins have not been available for recreation use prior to this date. Rentals of other cabins on the Bridger-Teton National Forest have shown that people appreciate and enjoy the availability of historic rental cabins. Funds from the rental will be used for the continued operation and maintenance of the Sherman Guard Station Cabins. DATES: The Sherman Guard Station Cabins will become available for recreation rental in July, 2007. ADDRESSES: Forest Supervisor, BridgerTeton National Forest, P.O. Box 1888, 340 Cache, Jackson, WY 83001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Hayward, Resource Specialist, 307–276– 5813 or Timothy Ditton, Office Automation Clerk, 307–276–5800. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Recreation Lands Enhancement Act (Title VII, Pub. L. 108–447) directed the Secretary of Agriculture to publish a six month advance notice in the Federal Register whenever new recreation fee areas are established. This new fee will be reviewed by a Recreation Resource Advisory Committee prior to a final decision and implementation. The Bridger-Teton National Forest currently has four other cabin rentals. These rentals are regularly booked throughout their rental season. A business analysis of Historic Guard Station Cabins has shown that people desire having this sort of recreation experience on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. A market analysis indicates that the $40/per night fee is VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:37 Feb 23, 2007 Jkt 211001 Rural Housing Service Notice for Requests for Proposals for Guaranteed Loans under the Section 538; Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP) for Fiscal Year 2007 Rural Housing Service, USDA. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: This is a request for proposals for guaranteed loans under the section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP) pursuant to 7 CFR 3565.4 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 subject to the availability of funding. FY 2006 funding for the section 538 was $99 million. This Notice is being issued prior to passage of a final appropriations bill to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing and submit proposals in the form of ‘‘RESPONSES’’, and give the Agency maximum time to process applications within the current fiscal year. A Notice of Funding Availability will be published announcing the funding level for GRRHP for FY 2007 once an appropriations act has been enacted. The commitment of program dollars will be made to applicants of selected responses that have fulfilled the necessary requirements for obligation, to the extent an appropriation act provides funding for GRRHP for FY 2007. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant’s risk. The following paragraphs outline the timeframes, eligibility requirements, lender responsibilities, and the overall response and application processes. The GRRHP operates under 7 CFR part 3565. The GRRHP Origination and Servicing Handbook (HB–1–3565) is available to provide lenders and the general public with guidance on program administration. HB–1–3565, which contains a copy of 7 CFR part 3565 in Appendix 1, can be found at the Rural Development Instructions Web PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 8339 site address https:// www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/ hblist.html#hbw6. Eligible lenders are invited to submit responses for the development of affordable rural rental housing, the acquisition with rehabilitation of affordable rural rental housing, and the revitalization, repair, and transfer (as stipulated in 7 CFR 3560.406) of existing direct section 515 housing (transfer costs are subject to Agency approval and must be an eligible use of loan proceeds as listed in 7 CFR 3565.205). Equity payment, as stipulated 7 CFR 3560.406, in the transfer of existing direct section 515 housing, is an eligible use of loan proceeds. In order to be considered, direct section 515 housing projects must need repairs and/or undergo revitalization of a minimum of $6,500 per unit. The Rural Housing Service (RHS) will review responses submitted by eligible lenders, on the lender’s letterhead, and signed by both the prospective borrower and lender. Although a complete application is not required in response to this Notice of requests for proposals, eligible lenders may submit a complete application concurrently with the response. However, submitting a complete application will not have an effect on the respondent’s score. DATES: The RHS will review and score all responses received through April 27, 2007. Those responses that are selected that subsequently submit complete applications and meet all Federal environmental requirements will receive commitments to the extent an appropriation act provides funding for GRRHP for FY 2007 until all funds are expended. Responses received prior to April 27, 2007, that meet program criteria, but score less than 25 points or score 25 points or more but have a development cost ratio of equal to or more than 70 percent may be selected for obligation after April 27, 2007, with the highest scoring responses receiving priority as long as funds remain available. The Agency will continue to select the highest scoring Notice responses received after April 27, 2007, notwithstanding the score, as long as the response meets program criteria and funds remain available using the procedure outlined in the next paragraph. Once a complete application is received and approved by the State Office, an obligation request (request) for 2007 funds will be submitted [via fax] by the State Office to the National Office. Requests submitted to the National Office will be accumulated, but E:\FR\FM\26FEN1.SGM 26FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 37 (Monday, February 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8338-8339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-841]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Umatilla National Forest; Columbia and Garfield Counties, WA; 
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS) To Amend the Umatilla National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan for the Purposes of Implementing the School 
Fire Salvage Recovery Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact 
statement.

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

SUMMARY: The Umatilla National Forest Supervisor is proposing a non-
significant amendment to the Umatilla National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (LRMP) as amended by Regional Forester Amendment 
2 (``Eastside Screens'') to include a definition of ``live'' 
trees for the School Fire Salvage Recovery Project. The proposed 
amendment would adopt a scientific metod for determining live trees.

DATES: Under 40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4), there is no formal scoping period for 
this proposed action. The supplemental draft environmental impact 
statement is expected March 1, 2007 and the final environmental impact 
statement is expected June 1, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the Responsible Official, Kevin 
Martin, Forest Supervisor, Umatilla National Forest, 2517 S.W. Hailey 
Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801. Send electronic comments to: comments-
pacificnorthwest-umatilla@fs.fed.us.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean R. Millett, Project Team Leader, 
Pomeroy Ranger District, 71 West Main Street, Pomeroy, WA 99347, phone 
(509) 843-1891, e-mail: dmillett@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Umatilla NF needs ``to salvage harvest [bured timber] as 
rapidly as practicable before decay and other wood deterioration occurs 
to maximize potential economic benefits'' as identified in School Fire 
Recovery Project FEIS at 1-4. The 9th Court of Appeals recently held in 
The Lands Council, No. 06-35781 (9th Cir.) (Feb. 12, 2007) that the 
term ``live tree'' includes all trees that are not dead, giving the 
term its plain meaning. Op. at 12. This definition, which does not 
reflect the Forest Service practice and interpretation that a live tree 
must be expected to live greater than five years (citation), prevents 
the achievement of the need stated above.
    The Proposed Action would amend the Forest Plan for the School 
Project Area to adopt a definition of ``live'' and allow the School 
Fire Recovery Project Record of Decision to be fully implemented.

Proposed Action

    The Umatilla National Forest Supervisor proposes a non-significant 
Forest Plan amendment to Regional Forester's Amendment 2 to 
the Umatilla LRMP (``Eastside Screens'') to include a definition of 
``live'' trees as used in the wildlife standard No. 6d.2)a). This 
amendment would apply only to the School Fire Salvage Recovery Project 
on the Pomeroy Ranger District.
    The amended standard would read as follows: (a) Maintain all 
remnant late and old seral and/or structural live trees >=21'' diameter 
at breast height that currently exist within stands proposed for 
harvest activities. A live tree is defined as a tree rated to have a 
high probability to survive the effects of a fire as determined by the 
``Factors Affecting Survival of Fire Injured Trees: A Rating System for 
Determining Relative Probability of Survival of Conifers in the Blue 
and Wallowa Mountains'' (Scott et al. 2002, as amended) (commonly 
referred to as the Scott Guidelines).

Responsible Official

    Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor, Umatilla National Forest, 2517 
S.W. Hailey Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    To amend the Umatilla LRMP as proposed or take no action at this 
time.

Scoping Process

    No scoping will be conducted for this SEIS pursuant to 40 CFR 
1502.9(c)(4).

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. 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 address of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the

[[Page 8339]]

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: February 20, 2007.
Kevin Martin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07-841 Filed 2-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M

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