Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland; Wyoming; Thunder Basin National Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan Amendment for Prairie Dog Management, 11323-11324 [07-1157]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 48 / Tuesday, March 13, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests
and Thunder Basin National
Grassland; Wyoming; Thunder Basin
National Grassland Land and Resource
Management Plan Amendment for
Prairie Dog Management
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Forest Service proposes
to develop a project-level and sitespecific implementation strategy to
manage prairie dogs using the full suite
of management tools to maintain viable
populations to support black-footed
ferret introduction and populations of
other associated species while reducing
unwanted colonization of adjoining
lands along national grassland
boundaries; and to amend the Thunder
Basin National Grassland Land and
Resource Management Plan (LRMP) as
needed to support the site-specific
implementation plan and to modify the
boundary of the black-footed ferret
reintroduction area. The ferret area
modification is proposed to provide a
more logical boundary based on
topographical and biological barriers for
prairie dog colonies and to include
lands recently acquired through lan
exchange.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by
April 12, 2007. The draft environmental
impact statement is expected May 31,
2007 and the final environmental
impact statement is expected September
30, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Marilee Houtler, NEPA Coordinator,
Douglas Ranger District, 2250 East
Richards Street, Douglas, Wyoming
82633 to e-mail to comments-rockymountain-medicine-bow-routt-douglasthunder-basin@fs.fed.us All comments,
including names and addresses when
provided, are placed in the record and
are available for public inspection and
copying. The public may inspect
comments received at Douglas Ranger
District, 2250 E. Richards, Douglas, WY
82633. Visitors are encouraged to call
ahead to (307) 358–4690 to facilitate
entry into the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cristi Lockman, Wildlife Biologist or
Misty Hays, Deputy District Ranger,
Douglas Ranger District, 2250 East
Richards St., Douglas, WY 82633 (307)
358–4690.
Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:58 Mar 12, 2007
Jkt 211001
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., eastern
standard time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since the
1960’s, the Forest Service has been
challenged to balance our duty to
conserve prairie dog habitat and manage
the impacts from prairie dogs on public
lands and neighboring private lands.
Prairie dog management on the Thunder
Basin National Grassland fluctuated
through the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s
from periods of active use of
rodenticide, management to maintain
prairie dog populations and no
rodenticide use. However, with the
petition for listing the prairie dog in
1998, rodenticide use was prohibited by
Forest Service policy from 1999 until
2004 when the US Fish and Wildlife
Service issued its decision to remove
the prairie dog from its candidate list. In
2001 the LRMP was completed with the
2002 Record of Decision (ROD). The
LRMP continued to limit use of prairie
dog rodenticide to situations involving
public health and safety risks and
damage to facilities. In 2002, as the
Thunder Basin National Grassland
LRMP was being completed a plague
epizootic impacted prairie dog colonies
on the Thunder Basin National
Grassland in April and May 2002
reducing populations from an estimated
21,000 acres of inventoried active
colonies in 2001 to about 3,300 acres of
inventoried active colonies in 2002.
Since 2002, active colonies have been
recovering from the plague event from
29–69% annually. In 2004, as part of the
appeal decisions on LRMP, USDA
Deputy Under Secretary, David Tenny,
issued instructions directing the
Thunder Basin National Grassland to
ensure that local land managers work
together with state and county officials
and local landowners to aggressively
implement the spirit and intent of the
good neighbor policy.
Purpose and Need for Action
The Forest Service has identified a
need to implement the management
objectives in the LRMP for management
of prairie dogs and prairie dog habitat
for black-footed ferrets and other
associated species and implement the
direction by Deputy Under Secretary
Tenny to be a good neighbor in relation
to prairie dog management using all the
tools available to provide for healthy
populations of prairie dog while
preventing unwanted colonization onto
adjacent and intermingled private lands.
The purpose of this action is to
provide a full set of tools available for
prairie dog management and identify
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
11323
sideboards on how and when tools
might be used and to change the
boundaries of Management Area 3.63
Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction
Habitat to better match prairie dog
complexes on the ground.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service proposes to
develop a project-level and site-specific
implementation strategy to manage
prairie dogs using the full suite of
management tools to maintain viable
populations to support black-footed
ferret reintroduction and populations of
other associated species while reducing
unwanted colonization of prairie dogs
on adjoining lands along national
grassland boundaries. The Forest
Service also proposes to amend the
LRMP as needed to support the sitespecific implementation plan and to
modify the boundary of the black-footed
ferret reintroduction area. The ferret
reintroduction area modification is
proposed to provide a more logical
boundary based on topographical and
biological barriers for prairie dog
colonies and to include lands recently
acquired through land exchange. All
standards and guidelines as currently
prescribed in the LRMP for Black
Footed Ferret Reintroduction Habitat
will apply to the modified area.
Methods for implementing the proposed
actions include a suite of non-lethal and
lethal management tools such as:
Rodenticide, limited shooting,
landownership adjustment, third-party
solutions, financial incentives,
conservation agreements, conservation
easements, live-trapping, reduced
livestock grazing to create visual
barriers, and physical barriers.
Responsible Official
Mary H. Peterson, Forest Supervisor,
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests
and Thunder Basin National Grassland,
2468 Jackson Street, Laramie, Wyoming
82070 is the official responsible for
making the decision on this action. She
will document her decision and
rationale in a Record of Decision.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Responsible Official will consider
the results of the analysis and it’s
findings and then document the final
decision in a Record of Decision (ROD).
The decision will include a
determination whether or not to amend
the LRMP to support the prairie dog
management strategy and adjust the
boundaries of the Black Footed Ferret
Reintroduction Management Area.
E:\FR\FM\13MRN1.SGM
13MRN1
11324
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 48 / Tuesday, March 13, 2007 / Notices
Scoping Process
Concurrent with this NOI, letters
requesting comments will be sent to
interested parties. Anyone who provides
comments to the DEIS or expresses
interest during the comment period will
have eligibility.
Preliminary Issues
The Forest Service has identified the
following preliminary issues: (1)
Potential impacts to the Black-Footed
Ferret, an Endangered species; (2)
Potential impacts tot he black-tailed
prairie dog, a Forest Service Region 2
Sensitive Species and other associated
sensitive species; (3) Potential impacts
to adjacent private lands; (4) Potential
impacts to livestock grazing permits on
National Grassland.
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
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 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, 435 519, 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 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
14:58 Mar 12, 2007
Jkt 211001
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21.)
Dated: March 2, 2007.
Misty A. Hays,
Deputy District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 07–1157 Filed 3–12–07; 8:45 am]
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process which guides the
development of the environmental
impact statement.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
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 chapter 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.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
A–570–893
Notice of Extension of the Preliminary
Results of Antidumping Duty New
Shipper Review: Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from the People’s
Republic of China
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 13, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin
Begnal or P. Lee Smith; AD/CVD
Operations, Office 9, Import
Administration, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230;
telephone: (202) 482–1442 and (202)
482–1655, respectively.
AGENCY:
Background
On August 31, 2006, the Department
of Commerce (‘‘Department’’) received a
timely request from Maoming
Changxing Foods Co., Ltd. (‘‘Maoming
Changxing’’), in accordance with 19
CFR 351.214(c), for a new shipper
review of the antidumping duty order
on certain frozen warmwater shrimp
from the People’s Republic of China
(‘‘PRC’’). On September 22, 2006, the
Department found that the request for
review with respect to Maoming
Changxing met all of the regulatory
requirements set forth in 19 CFR
351.214(b) and initiated an antidumping
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
duty new shipper review covering the
period February 1, 2006, through July
31, 2006. See Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from the People’s
Republic of China: Initiation of New
Shipper Antidumping Duty Review, 71
FR 57469 (September 29, 2006). The
preliminary results are currently due no
later than March 21, 2007.
Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary
Results
Section 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Tariff
Act of 1930, as amended (‘‘the Act’’),
and 19 CFR 351.214(i)(1) require the
Department to issue the preliminary
results of a new shipper review within
180 days after the date on which the
new shipper review was initiated and
the final results of a review within 90
days after the date on which the
preliminary results were issued. The
Department may, however, extend the
time period for completion of the
preliminary results of a new shipper
review to 300 days if it determines that
the case is extraordinarily complicated.
See 19 CFR 351.214(i)(2).
The Department has determined that
the review is extraordinarily
complicated as the Department must
gather additional publicly available
information, issue additional
supplemental questionnaires, and
conduct verification of the responses.
Based on the timing of the case and the
additional information that must be
gathered and verified, the preliminary
results of this new shipper review
cannot be completed within the
statutory time limit of 180 days.
Accordingly, the Department is
extending the time limit for the
completion of the preliminary results of
the new shipper review of Maoming
Changxing to 300 days. The preliminary
results will now be due no later than
July 19, 2007, in accordance with
section 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act and 19
CFR 351.214(i)(2). The final results will,
in turn, be due 90 days after the date of
issuance of the preliminary results,
unless extended.
This notice is published pursuant to
sections 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) and 777(i)(1) of
the Act.
Dated: March 5, 2007.
Stephen J. Claeys,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–4500 Filed 3–12–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
E:\FR\FM\13MRN1.SGM
13MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11323-11324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1157]
[[Page 11323]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National
Grassland; Wyoming; Thunder Basin National Grassland Land and Resource
Management Plan Amendment for Prairie Dog Management
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Service proposes to develop a project-level and
site-specific implementation strategy to manage prairie dogs using the
full suite of management tools to maintain viable populations to
support black-footed ferret introduction and populations of other
associated species while reducing unwanted colonization of adjoining
lands along national grassland boundaries; and to amend the Thunder
Basin National Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) as
needed to support the site-specific implementation plan and to modify
the boundary of the black-footed ferret reintroduction area. The ferret
area modification is proposed to provide a more logical boundary based
on topographical and biological barriers for prairie dog colonies and
to include lands recently acquired through lan exchange.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by April 12, 2007. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
May 31, 2007 and the final environmental impact statement is expected
September 30, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Marilee Houtler, NEPA Coordinator,
Douglas Ranger District, 2250 East Richards Street, Douglas, Wyoming
82633 to e-mail to comments-rocky-mountain-medicine-bow-routt-douglas-
thunder-basin@fs.fed.us All comments, including names and addresses
when provided, are placed in the record and are available for public
inspection and copying. The public may inspect comments received at
Douglas Ranger District, 2250 E. Richards, Douglas, WY 82633. Visitors
are encouraged to call ahead to (307) 358-4690 to facilitate entry into
the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cristi Lockman, Wildlife Biologist or
Misty Hays, Deputy District Ranger, Douglas Ranger District, 2250 East
Richards St., Douglas, WY 82633 (307) 358-4690.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., eastern standard time, Monday through
Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since the 1960's, the Forest Service has
been challenged to balance our duty to conserve prairie dog habitat and
manage the impacts from prairie dogs on public lands and neighboring
private lands. Prairie dog management on the Thunder Basin National
Grassland fluctuated through the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's from periods
of active use of rodenticide, management to maintain prairie dog
populations and no rodenticide use. However, with the petition for
listing the prairie dog in 1998, rodenticide use was prohibited by
Forest Service policy from 1999 until 2004 when the US Fish and
Wildlife Service issued its decision to remove the prairie dog from its
candidate list. In 2001 the LRMP was completed with the 2002 Record of
Decision (ROD). The LRMP continued to limit use of prairie dog
rodenticide to situations involving public health and safety risks and
damage to facilities. In 2002, as the Thunder Basin National Grassland
LRMP was being completed a plague epizootic impacted prairie dog
colonies on the Thunder Basin National Grassland in April and May 2002
reducing populations from an estimated 21,000 acres of inventoried
active colonies in 2001 to about 3,300 acres of inventoried active
colonies in 2002. Since 2002, active colonies have been recovering from
the plague event from 29-69% annually. In 2004, as part of the appeal
decisions on LRMP, USDA Deputy Under Secretary, David Tenny, issued
instructions directing the Thunder Basin National Grassland to ensure
that local land managers work together with state and county officials
and local landowners to aggressively implement the spirit and intent of
the good neighbor policy.
Purpose and Need for Action
The Forest Service has identified a need to implement the
management objectives in the LRMP for management of prairie dogs and
prairie dog habitat for black-footed ferrets and other associated
species and implement the direction by Deputy Under Secretary Tenny to
be a good neighbor in relation to prairie dog management using all the
tools available to provide for healthy populations of prairie dog while
preventing unwanted colonization onto adjacent and intermingled private
lands.
The purpose of this action is to provide a full set of tools
available for prairie dog management and identify sideboards on how and
when tools might be used and to change the boundaries of Management
Area 3.63 Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction Habitat to better match
prairie dog complexes on the ground.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service proposes to develop a project-level and site-
specific implementation strategy to manage prairie dogs using the full
suite of management tools to maintain viable populations to support
black-footed ferret reintroduction and populations of other associated
species while reducing unwanted colonization of prairie dogs on
adjoining lands along national grassland boundaries. The Forest Service
also proposes to amend the LRMP as needed to support the site-specific
implementation plan and to modify the boundary of the black-footed
ferret reintroduction area. The ferret reintroduction area modification
is proposed to provide a more logical boundary based on topographical
and biological barriers for prairie dog colonies and to include lands
recently acquired through land exchange. All standards and guidelines
as currently prescribed in the LRMP for Black Footed Ferret
Reintroduction Habitat will apply to the modified area. Methods for
implementing the proposed actions include a suite of non-lethal and
lethal management tools such as: Rodenticide, limited shooting,
landownership adjustment, third-party solutions, financial incentives,
conservation agreements, conservation easements, live-trapping, reduced
livestock grazing to create visual barriers, and physical barriers.
Responsible Official
Mary H. Peterson, Forest Supervisor, Medicine Bow-Routt National
Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, 2468 Jackson Street,
Laramie, Wyoming 82070 is the official responsible for making the
decision on this action. She will document her decision and rationale
in a Record of Decision.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Responsible Official will consider the results of the analysis
and it's findings and then document the final decision in a Record of
Decision (ROD). The decision will include a determination whether or
not to amend the LRMP to support the prairie dog management strategy
and adjust the boundaries of the Black Footed Ferret Reintroduction
Management Area.
[[Page 11324]]
Scoping Process
Concurrent with this NOI, letters requesting comments will be sent
to interested parties. Anyone who provides comments to the DEIS or
expresses interest during the comment period will have eligibility.
Preliminary Issues
The Forest Service has identified the following preliminary issues:
(1) Potential impacts to the Black-Footed Ferret, an Endangered
species; (2) Potential impacts tot he black-tailed prairie dog, a
Forest Service Region 2 Sensitive Species and other associated
sensitive species; (3) Potential impacts to adjacent private lands; (4)
Potential impacts to livestock grazing permits on National Grassland.
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 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, 435 519, 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 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 chapter 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.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21.)
Dated: March 2, 2007.
Misty A. Hays,
Deputy District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 07-1157 Filed 3-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
