Battle Park/Mistymoon Allotment Management Plan on the Powder River Ranger District, Bighorn National Forest, Big Horn County, WY, 14073-14074 [07-1431]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 57 / Monday, March 26, 2007 / Notices
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Operating Guidelines, Forms
and Waivers.
OMB Number: 0584–0083.
Expiration Date: July 2007.
Type of Request: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: In accordance with section
11(e) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (the
Act), 7 U.S.C. 2020(e), State agencies are
required to submit a Plan of Operation
specifying the manner in which the
Food Stamp Program will be conducted.
The State Plan of Operations, in
accordance with current rules at 7 CFR
272.2, consists of a Federal/State
Agreement, annual budget and activity
statements, and specific attachments
relating to the State Plan of Operation.
State Plans of Operation are a one-time
effort with updates that are provided as
necessary.
Under section 16 of the Act, 7 U.S.C.
2025, the Secretary is authorized to pay
each State agency an amount equal to 50
percent of all administrative costs
involved in each State agency’s
operation of the FSP. Under
corresponding FSP regulations at 7 CFR
272.2, the State agencies must submit
annually to FNS for approval, a Budget
Projection Statement (Form FNS–366A),
which projects the total costs for major
areas of FSP operations, and a Program
Activity Statement (Form FNS–366B),
which provides a summary of FSP
operations during the preceding fiscal
year. The reports are required to
substantiate the costs the State agency
expects to incur during the next fiscal
year. Form FNS–366A is submitted
annually by August 15, for the
upcoming fiscal year and Form FNS–
366B must be submitted no later than 45
days after the end of each State agency’s
fiscal year.
Since October 2002, FNS has used the
quality control (QC) data to collect
information about timeliness of
application processing. On February 7,
2005, the final rule on high performance
bonuses was published in the Federal
Register (70 FR 6313), and included a
provision regarding the use of QC data
to determine each State’s rate of
application processing timeliness.
Accordingly, in March 2005, FNS
notified State agencies that it was
eliminating the application timeliness
data on the FNS–366B, and instead will
continue to rely on the QC data to
determine States’ application timelines
processing rates.
In fiscal year (FY) 2006, 49 percent of
State agencies submitted the FNS–366A
electronically and 51 percent submitted
a paper report. For FY 2005, a total of
60 percent of State agencies submitted
the FNS–366B electronically with the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:30 Mar 23, 2007
Jkt 211001
remaining 40 percent submitting paper
reports.
Finally, State agencies are required to
submit certain other documents to FNS
for review relating to certain specific
activities that the State agency may
choose to do. These other submissions
include a written action plan, called an
Advance Planning Document (APD), if
the State agency wishes to acquire
proposed automated data processing
(ADP) services, systems or equipment,
an outreach plan if the State elects to do
program information activities, and
updates related to options exercised
under the Food Stamp Act, as amended.
Respondents: State agencies that
administer the FSP.
Number of Respondents: 53.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent:
Plan of Operation Updates: 53 State
agencies once a year.
Form FNS–366A: 53 State agencies
once a year.
Form FNS–366B: 53 State agencies
once a year.
Other APD, Plan, or Update
Submissions: Up to 53 State agencies
may submit one or more APD, plan or
update submission averaging 4.75
submissions per respondent per year or
252 total responses.
Estimate of Burden:
Plan of Operation Updates: The State
agencies submit Plan updates at an
estimate of 10 hours per respondent, or
530 total hours.
Form FNS–366A: The State agencies
submit Form FNS–366A at an estimate
of 13 hours per respondent, or 689 total
hours.
Form FNS–366B: The total burden for
the collection of information for Form
FNS–366B is 18 hours per respondent,
or 954 hours.
Other APD, Plan, or Update
Submissions: We estimate that up to 53
States may submit one or more
submissions for an APD, plan, or update
submission for a total of 252 annual
responses at an average estimate of
2.681 hours per respondent, or 675.6
hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: The total annual reporting
and recordkeeping burden for OMB No.
0584–0083 is estimated to be 2,848.5
hours, an increase of 100 hours. The
increase is due to a re-estimate of the
time it takes for Other APD, Plan, or
Update submissions.
Dated: March 20, 2007.
George A. Braley,
Acting Administrator Food and Nutrition
Service.
[FR Doc. E7–5442 Filed 3–23–07; 8:45 am]
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14073
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Battle Park/Mistymoon Allotment
Management Plan on the Powder River
Ranger District, Bighorn National
Forest, Big Horn County, WY
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service,
will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to update range
management planning on the Battle Park
Cattle and Horse allotment and the
Mistymoon Sheep and Goat livestock
grazing allotment, which will result in
development of new allotment
management plans (AMPs). The agency
gives notice of the full environmental
analysis and decision-making process
that will occur on the proposal so that
interested and affected people may
become aware of how they may
participate in the process and contribute
to the final decision.
DATES: Comments and input regarding
the proposal were requested from the
public, other groups and agencies via
direct mailing on August 16, 2004.
Additional comments may be made at
the addresses below, and would be most
helpful if submitted within thirty days
of the publication of this notice. Based
on the comments received and
preliminary analysis, the Responsible
Official has determined that an
environmental impact statement will be
prepared for this project. The draft
environmental impact statement is
expected in May 2007 and the final
environmental impact statement is
expected September 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments and
suggestions concerning this proposal to
Mark Booth, District Ranger, Powder
River Ranger District, Bighorn National
Forest, 1415 Fort Street, Buffalo,
Wyoming 82834.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Direct questions to Bernie Bornong,
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Bighorn
National Forest, 2013 Eastside 2nd
Street, phone (307) 674–2600.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
allotments are located approximately 50
miles, by road, northeast of Worland,
Wyoming in the Bighorn River drainage.
National Forest System land within the
Bighorn National Forest will be
considered in the proposal. The purpose
of the analysis is to determine if
livestock grazing will continue on the
analysis area. If the decision is to
continue livestock grazing, then
updated management strategies
E:\FR\FM\26MRN1.SGM
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cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
14074
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 57 / Monday, March 26, 2007 / Notices
outlining how livestock will be grazed
will be developed to assure
implementation of Forest Plan
management direction. The analysis
will consider actions that continue to
improve trends in vegetation, watershed
conditions, and ecological sustainability
relative to livestock grazing within the
allotments. Management actions are
proposed to be implemented beginning
in the year 2008.
The Bighorn National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan (Forest
Plan) identifies livestock grazing as an
appropriate use and makes initial
determinations for lands capable and
suitable for grazing by domestic
livestock.
Purpose and Need for Action: The
purpose of this project is to determine
if livestock grazing will continue to be
authorized on the Battle Park and
Mistymoon allotments, and if it is to
continue, how to best utilize adaptive
management strategies to maintain or
achieve desired conditions and meet
forest plan objectives. Livestock grazing
is currently occurring on the Battle Park
allotment under the existing allotment
management plan (AMP) and through
direction provided in the Annual
Operating Instructions. The Mistymoon
allotment is currently vacant.
Continuation of livestock grazing will
require reviewing existing management
strategies and, if necessary, updating
them to implement forest plan direction
and meet Section 504 of Public Law
104–19 (Rescission Bill, signed 7/27/
95). The results of this analysis may
require modifying term grazing permits
and AMPs. Modifications will be
documented in updated AMPs for the
allotments.
Existing conditions in the analysis
area present opportunities for additional
activities. An additional purpose of this
project is to maintain or move toward
desired conditions for sagebrush/
grassland communities; specifically, to
maintain a mosaic of vegetation
composition and structure that
emulates, or moves toward, natural
processes. The need to provide a mosaic
of sagebrush cover densities has been
identified in the project area.
Proposed Action: The proposed action
is to continue livestock grazing using
adaptive management strategies to meet
or move toward Forest Plan and
allotment-specific desired conditions.
This includes changing livestock
management strategies, constructing
additional improvements (fences and
water developments), and treating
sagebrush. The Mistymoon allotment is
currently vacant, and the proposed
action is to combine the portion of this
allotment that is determined to be
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:30 Mar 23, 2007
Jkt 211001
suitable for cattle grazing with the Battle
Park allotment.
Possible Alternatives: Two additional
alternatives have been identified to date:
(a) Remove livestock grazing from these
allotments, and (b) Continue current
management strategies.
Responsible Official: Mark Booth,
District Ranger, Powder River Ranger
District, Bighorn National Forest, 1415
Fort Street, Buffalo, Wyoming 82834.
Nature of Decision to be Made: The
Responsible Official will consider the
results of the analysis and its findings
and then document the final decision in
a Record of Decision (ROD). The
decision will determine whether or not
to authorize livestock grazing on all,
part, or none of the allotments, and if so,
what adaptive management design
criteria, adaptive options, and
monitoring will be implemented so as to
meet or move toward the desired
conditions in the defined timeframe.
Scoping Process: Formal scoping for
this project occurred in August 2004.
Since then, there has been
correspondence and several meetings
with individuals, permittees, State
Agencies, environmental groups, and
other interested people.
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 45day comment period so that substantive
comments and objections are made
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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: March 14, 2007.
Mark Booth,
Powder River District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 07–1431 Filed 3–23–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Lassen National Forest, California,
Willow Forest Recovery Project
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Forest Service, USDA.
Cancellation of Notice of Intent.
SUMMARY: This notice cancels the Notice
of Intent to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Willow Forest
Recovery Project on the Lassen National
Forest, published in the Federal
Register on May 23, 2006, (Volume 71,
Number 99, page 29612).
Almanor District Ranger,
Lassen National Forest, P.O. Box 767,
Chester, CA 96020.
ADDRESSES:
Matt
Cerney, Interdisciplinary Team Leader
may be contacted by phone at (530)
258–2141.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
A Notice
of Intent to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Willow Forest
Recovery Project is canceled due to
changes in the Forest’s priorities.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\26MRN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 57 (Monday, March 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14073-14074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1431]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Battle Park/Mistymoon Allotment Management Plan on the Powder
River Ranger District, Bighorn National Forest, Big Horn County, WY
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to update range management planning on the Battle Park
Cattle and Horse allotment and the Mistymoon Sheep and Goat livestock
grazing allotment, which will result in development of new allotment
management plans (AMPs). The agency gives notice of the full
environmental analysis and decision-making process that will occur on
the proposal so that interested and affected people may become aware of
how they may participate in the process and contribute to the final
decision.
DATES: Comments and input regarding the proposal were requested from
the public, other groups and agencies via direct mailing on August 16,
2004. Additional comments may be made at the addresses below, and would
be most helpful if submitted within thirty days of the publication of
this notice. Based on the comments received and preliminary analysis,
the Responsible Official has determined that an environmental impact
statement will be prepared for this project. The draft environmental
impact statement is expected in May 2007 and the final environmental
impact statement is expected September 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning this
proposal to Mark Booth, District Ranger, Powder River Ranger District,
Bighorn National Forest, 1415 Fort Street, Buffalo, Wyoming 82834.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct questions to Bernie Bornong,
Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Bighorn National Forest, 2013 Eastside
2nd Street, phone (307) 674-2600.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The allotments are located approximately 50
miles, by road, northeast of Worland, Wyoming in the Bighorn River
drainage. National Forest System land within the Bighorn National
Forest will be considered in the proposal. The purpose of the analysis
is to determine if livestock grazing will continue on the analysis
area. If the decision is to continue livestock grazing, then updated
management strategies
[[Page 14074]]
outlining how livestock will be grazed will be developed to assure
implementation of Forest Plan management direction. The analysis will
consider actions that continue to improve trends in vegetation,
watershed conditions, and ecological sustainability relative to
livestock grazing within the allotments. Management actions are
proposed to be implemented beginning in the year 2008.
The Bighorn National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan
(Forest Plan) identifies livestock grazing as an appropriate use and
makes initial determinations for lands capable and suitable for grazing
by domestic livestock.
Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose of this project is to
determine if livestock grazing will continue to be authorized on the
Battle Park and Mistymoon allotments, and if it is to continue, how to
best utilize adaptive management strategies to maintain or achieve
desired conditions and meet forest plan objectives. Livestock grazing
is currently occurring on the Battle Park allotment under the existing
allotment management plan (AMP) and through direction provided in the
Annual Operating Instructions. The Mistymoon allotment is currently
vacant. Continuation of livestock grazing will require reviewing
existing management strategies and, if necessary, updating them to
implement forest plan direction and meet Section 504 of Public Law 104-
19 (Rescission Bill, signed 7/27/95). The results of this analysis may
require modifying term grazing permits and AMPs. Modifications will be
documented in updated AMPs for the allotments.
Existing conditions in the analysis area present opportunities for
additional activities. An additional purpose of this project is to
maintain or move toward desired conditions for sagebrush/grassland
communities; specifically, to maintain a mosaic of vegetation
composition and structure that emulates, or moves toward, natural
processes. The need to provide a mosaic of sagebrush cover densities
has been identified in the project area.
Proposed Action: The proposed action is to continue livestock
grazing using adaptive management strategies to meet or move toward
Forest Plan and allotment-specific desired conditions. This includes
changing livestock management strategies, constructing additional
improvements (fences and water developments), and treating sagebrush.
The Mistymoon allotment is currently vacant, and the proposed action is
to combine the portion of this allotment that is determined to be
suitable for cattle grazing with the Battle Park allotment.
Possible Alternatives: Two additional alternatives have been
identified to date: (a) Remove livestock grazing from these allotments,
and (b) Continue current management strategies.
Responsible Official: Mark Booth, District Ranger, Powder River
Ranger District, Bighorn National Forest, 1415 Fort Street, Buffalo,
Wyoming 82834.
Nature of Decision to be Made: The Responsible Official will
consider the results of the analysis and its findings and then document
the final decision in a Record of Decision (ROD). The decision will
determine whether or not to authorize livestock grazing on all, part,
or none of the allotments, and if so, what adaptive management design
criteria, adaptive options, and monitoring will be implemented so as to
meet or move toward the desired conditions in the defined timeframe.
Scoping Process: Formal scoping for this project occurred in August
2004. Since then, there has been correspondence and several meetings
with individuals, permittees, State Agencies, environmental groups, and
other interested people.
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 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: March 14, 2007.
Mark Booth,
Powder River District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 07-1431 Filed 3-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
