Navy Timber Sale Environmental Impact Statement, 28465-28467 [07-2507]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 97 / Monday, May 21, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
May 16, 2007.
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
The Department of Agriculture has
submitted the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13. Comments
regarding (a) Whether the 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 burden 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 should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB),
OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or
fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail
Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250–
7602. Comments regarding these
information collections are best assured
of having their full effect if received
within 30 days of this notification.
Copies of the submission(s) may be
obtained by calling (202) 720–8958.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and the agency informs
potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such
persons are not required to respond to
the collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
Title: U.S. Origin Health Certificate.
OMB Control Number: 0579–0020.
Summary of Collection: As part of its
mission to facilitate the export of U.S.
animals and products, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS),
maintains information regarding the
import health requirements of other
countries for animals and animal
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15:57 May 18, 2007
Jkt 211001
products exported from the United
States. Most countries require a
certification that the animals are disease
free. The VS form 17–140, U.S. Origin
Health Certificate, is used to meet these
requirements. The form is authorized by
21 U.S.C. 112.
Need and Use of the Information: The
U.S. Origin Health Certificate is used in
connection with the exportation of
animals to foreign countries and is
completed and authorized by APHIS
veterinarian. The information collected
is used to: (1) Establish that the animals
are moved in compliance with USDA
regulations, (2) verify that the animals
destined for export are listed on the
health certificate by means of an official
identification, (3) verify to the consignor
and consignee that the animals are
healthy, (4) prevent unhealthy animals
from being exported and (5) satisfy the
import requirements of receiving
countries. The collection of this
information helps to prevent unhealthy
animals from being exported from the
United States. If these certifications
were not provided, other countries
would not accept animals from the
United States.
Description of Respondents: Farms;
Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 3,067.
Frequency of Responses:
Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 30,024.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
Title: Interstate Movement of Certain
Tortoises.
OMB Control Number: 0579–0156.
Summary of Collection: The Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) regulates the importation and
interstate movement of certain animals
and animal products to prevent the
introduction into or dissemination
within the United States of pests and
diseases of livestock. The regulations in
9 CFR part 93 prohibit the importation
of the leopard tortoise, the African
spurred tortoise, and the Bell’s
hingeback tortoise to prevent the
introduction and spread of exotic ticks
known to be vectors of heartwater
disease, an acute, infectious disease of
cattle and other ruminants. The
regulations in 9 CFR part 74 prohibit the
interstate movement of those tortoises
that are already in the United States
unless the tortoises are accompanied by
a health certificate or certificate of
veterinary inspection.
Need and Use of the Information:
APHIS will collect information to
ensure that the interstate movement of
these tortoises poses no risk of
spreading exotic ticks within the United
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28465
States. The collected information is
used for the purposes of identifying
each specific tortoise and documenting
the State of its health so that the animals
can be transported across State and
national boundaries. If the information
is not collected APHIS would be forced
to continue their complete ban on the
interstate movement of leopard, African
spurred, and Bell’s hingeback tortoises,
a situation that could prove
economically disastrous for a number of
U.S. tortoises breeders..
Description of Respondents:
Individuals or households; State, Local
or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 150.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 249.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E7–9691 Filed 5–18–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Navy Timber Sale Environmental
Impact Statement
Forest Service, USDA.
Revised Notice of Intent to
prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This NOI revises information
supplied in the NOI previously
published in the Federal Register Vol.
71, No. 14 (pages 3454–3455) on January
23, 2006. The Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) on a proposal to harvest timber in
the Navy Timber Sale project area on
the Wrangell Ranger District, Tongass
National Forest. The Proposed Action is
to harvest 54 million board feet of
sawtimber and 7.7 million board feet of
utility from approximately 4,700 acres
in one or more offerings and would
construct approximately 17 miles of
National Forest System road and 16
miles of temporary road to facilitate
access for logging. The Proposed Action
includes harvest units and road
construction within Inventoried
Roadless Areas, as identified in the
Forest Plan SEIS. The Proposed Action
includes the use of the existing Log
Transfer Facility (LFT) at Anita Bay as
well as the construction of a new LTF
at the entrance to Burnett Inlet near
Navy Creek. The Proposed Action
includes a non-significant amendment
to the Forest Plan to modify the
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21MYN1
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
28466
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 97 / Monday, May 21, 2007 / Notices
boundaries of the Burnett, Anita Bay,
Mosman and Quiet small old-growth
reserves. The Forest Supervisor will
decide if and how much timber harvest
and road building will occur within the
project area, as well as modify the
existing small old-growth reserves. The
decision will be documented in a
Record of Decision based on the
information disclosed in the EIS.
DATES: A public mailing outlining the
project timeline and public involvement
opportunities opportunities (Schedule
of Proposed Actions) was distributed
quarterly from January 2006 to April
2007. Additional opportunities for
comment will be provided after release
of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS). The DEIS is projected
to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in Fall 2007
and will begin a 45-day comment
period. The Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision
are anticipated to be published in
Spring 2008.
ADDRESSES: Please send written
comments to Wrangell Ranger District,
Attn: Navy EIS, PO Box 51, Wrangell,
AK 99929. Electronic comments can be
e-mailed to comments-alaska-tongasswrangell@fs.fed.us. Please include the
word ‘‘Navy’’ in the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jamie Roberts, Planning Team Leader, or
Mark Hummel, District Ranger,
Wrangell Ranger District, P.O. Box 51,
Wrangell, AK 99929, telephone (907)
874–2323.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy
project area is located on central Etolin
Island approximately 22 air miles
southwest of Wrangell, Alaska. The
project area is within portions of Value
Comparison Units #464, 465, 466, 467
and 468. Portions of three Inventoried
Roadless Areas, North Etolin #232,
Mosman #233 and South Etolin #234, as
identified in the Forest Plan SEIS, are
located within the project area. Timber
harvest and road building is proposed
within the Inventoried Roadless Areas.
The project area includes four small oldgrowth reserves (Mosman, Quiet, Anita
Bay and Burnett) as designated in the
Forest Plan. A Forest Plan amendment
would be required if a decision is made
to modify any old-growth reserve. The
Forest Supervisor will decide if and
how much timber harvest and road
building will occur within the project
areas, as well as whether to modify the
existing small old-growth reserves. The
decision will be based on the
information that is disclosed in the EIS.
The Forest Supervisor will consider
comments, responses, the disclosure of
environmental effects, and applicable
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:57 May 18, 2007
Jkt 211001
laws, regulations, and policies in
making the decision. The rationale for
the decision will be included in the
Record of Decision.
Purpose and Need for Action: The
purpose and need for the Navy Timber
Sale is: (1) To manage suitable lands to
achieve 1997 Forest Plan goals and
objectives in order to reach the desired
future conditions prescribed for the
Land Use Designations; (2) to assist in
providing a continuous wood supply to
meet society’s needs; (3) and to
contribute to the job market and the
overall economy of southeast Alaska.
Public Participation: Public
participation has been an integral
component of the study process and
will continue to be especially important
at several points during the analysis.
The Forest Service will continue to seek
information, comments and assistance
from tribal governments, federal, state
and local agencies, individuals and
organizations that may be interested in
or affected by the proposed activities.
Written scoping comments have been
solicited through a scoping package that
was sent to persons on the project
mailing list in November 2005.
Additional written scoping comments
have been solicited through a scoping
package that was sent to persons on the
project mailing list concurrent with the
publication of the initial NOI in January
2006. Subsistence hearings, as provided
for in Title VIII, Section 810 of the
Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act (ANILCA), will be
provided, if necessary, during the
comment period on the DEIS.
Electronic Filing Address: Electronic
comments can be e mailed to commentsalaska-tongass-wrangell@fs.fed.us.
Please include the word ‘‘Navy’’ in the
subject line.
Issues: Based on the comments
received from the public and resource
specialists the issues identified for
analysis in the EIS include: (1) The
effect of timber harvest on the local and
regional economies; (2) the effect of the
location of small Old-growth Reserves
on wildlife habitat; (3) the effect of
habitat fragmentation, due to harvest
and road building, on wildlife habitat;
(4) the effect of timber harvest and road
construction on Inventories Roadless
Areas and unroaded areas; (5) and
effects to aquatic resources and from
increased access in the Navy Drainage
due to timber harvest, road construction
and LTF construction.
Range of Alternatives: The range of
alternatives that are being developed to
respond to the significant issues,
besides no action, range from 18–98
million board feet.
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Draft Environmental Impact
Statement: A Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) will be
prepared for comment. The comment
period on the DEIS will be 45 days from
the date the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes the Notices 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 DEIS stage but that are not
raised until after completion of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
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 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 FEIS. To assist the Forest Service in
identifying and considering issues and
concerns on the proposed action,
comments on the DEIS 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 DEIS 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.
Responsible Official: Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor, Tongass National
Forest, Federal Building, Ketchikan,
Alaska 99901, is the responsible official.
The responsible official will consider
comments, responses, the disclosure of
environmental effects, and applicable
laws, regulations, and policies in
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 97 / Monday, May 21, 2007 / Notices
making the decision. The rationale for
the decision will be included in the
Record of Decision.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21)
Dated: May 14, 2007.
Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07–2507 Filed 5–18–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Industry and Security
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Deemed Export Advisory Committee;
Notice To Solicit Meeting Speakers and
Presentations
The Deemed Export Advisory
Committee (DEAC), which advises the
Secretary of Commerce on deemed
export licensing policy, will meet on
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 from
approximately 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The DEAC is a Federal Advisory
Committee that was established under
the auspices of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C.
app. 2. The meeting location will be
Boston, MA, with exact details to be
announced in a subsequent Federal
Register Notice. At this time, the
Department of Commerce, Bureau of
Industry and Security (BIS), would like
to solicit stakeholders from industry,
academia and other backgrounds to
address the DEAC members on June 19
in an open session on issues related to
deemed exports and, in particular, their
organizations’ perspectives and
concerns related to U.S. deemed export
control policies. Stakeholders are those
individuals or organizations who have
some experience in or knowledge of
export control regulations and policies,
who must apply these rules in the
course of normal business or whose
operations are directly impacted by
those export regulations and policies
mandated by the U.S. government. BIS
seeks to have an equal number of
presenters from industry, academia, and
other backgrounds. There may be up to
three presenters from each group and
speaking time may be limited to 10
minutes or less per speaker depending
on the number of interested parties.
Speakers may be selected on the basis
of one or more of the following criteria
(not in any order of importance): (1)
Demonstrated experience in and
knowledge of export control regulations;
(2) demonstrated ability to provide
DEAC members with relevant
information related to deemed export
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:57 May 18, 2007
Jkt 211001
policies and issues; (3) the degree to
which the organization is impacted by
the U.S. Government’s export policies
and regulations; and (4) industry area or
academic type of institution
represented. BIS reserves the right to
limit the number of participants based
on time considerations. For planning
purposes, BIS requests that (1) that
interested parties inform BIS of their
commitment, via e-mail or telephone
call, to address the DEAC no later than
5 p.m. EST May 30, 2007, as well as
provide a brief outline of the topics to
be discussed by this same deadline; and,
(2) that once interested parties receive
confirmation of their participation at the
meeting, they provide either an
electronic or paper copy of any prepared
remarks/presentations no later than 5
p.m. EST June 12, 2007. Interested
parties may contact Ms. Yvette Springer
at Yspringer@bis.doc.gov or (202) 482–
2813. The purpose of this solicitation is
only to accept speakers for the June 19,
2007 DEAC meeting. However, all
members of the public may submit
written comments to BIS at any time for
the DEAC’s consideration.
Dated: May 16, 2007.
Yvette Springer,
Committee Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 07–2509 Filed 5–18–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–JT–M
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–570–806]
Silicon Metal From the People’s
Republic of China: Preliminary Results
of the 2005/2006 New Shipper Reviews
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce
(‘‘the Department’’) is currently
conducting the 2005/2006 new shipper
reviews of the antidumping duty order
on silicon metal from the People’s
Republic of China (‘‘PRC’’). We
preliminarily determine that sales have
been made below normal value (‘‘NV’’)
with respect to certain exporters and
that certain exporters are entitled to a
separate rate in the new shipper
reviews. If these preliminary results are
adopted in our final results of these
reviews, we will instruct U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (‘‘CBP’’) to assess
antidumping duties on entries of subject
merchandise during the period of
review (‘‘POR’’) for which the importer–
specific assessment rates are above de
minimis.
AGENCY:
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28467
Interested parties are invited to
comment on these preliminary results.
We will issue the final results no later
than 120 days from the date of
publication of this notice.
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 21, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scot
Fullerton or Christopher Riker, 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) 482–1386 or (202) 482–
3441, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Department received timely
requests from Shanghai Jinneng
International Trade Co., Ltd. (‘‘Shanghai
Jinneng’’) and Jiangxi Gangyuan Silicon
Industry Co., Ltd. (‘‘Jiangxi Gangyuan’’)
on June 23, 2006, pursuant to section
751(a)(2)(B) the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (‘‘the Act’’), and in accordance
with 19 CFR 351.214(c), for new shipper
reviews of the antidumping duty order
on silicon metal from the PRC. See
Antidumping Duty Order: Silicon Metal
From the People’s Republic of China, 56
FR 26649 (June 10, 1991).
On June 2, 2006, the Department
published a notice of opportunity to
request an administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on silicon
metal from the PRC. See Notice of
Opportunity to Request Administrative
Review of Antidumping or
Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or
Suspended Investigation, 71 FR 32032
(June 2, 2006).
On July 25, 2006, the Department
initiated new shipper reviews of
Shanghai Jinneng and Jiangxi Gangyuan
covering the period June 1, 2005,
through May 31, 2006. See Silicon Metal
From the People’s Republic of China:
Initiation of Antidumping Duty New
Shipper Reviews, 71 FR 42084 (July 25,
2006).
On December 21, 2006, the
Department extended the deadline for
the preliminary results of the new
shipper reviews until May 14, 2007. See
Notice of Extension of the Preliminary
Results of New Shipper Antidumping
Duty Reviews: Silicon Metal from the
People’s Republic of China, 71 FR 76637
(December 21, 2006).
Scope of Order
The product covered by the order and
this review is silicon metal containing at
least 96.00 but less than 99.99 percent
of silicon by weight, and silicon metal
with a higher aluminum content
containing between 89 and 96 percent
E:\FR\FM\21MYN1.SGM
21MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 97 (Monday, May 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28465-28467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2507]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Navy Timber Sale Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This NOI revises information supplied in the NOI previously
published in the Federal Register Vol. 71, No. 14 (pages 3454-3455) on
January 23, 2006. The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to
harvest timber in the Navy Timber Sale project area on the Wrangell
Ranger District, Tongass National Forest. The Proposed Action is to
harvest 54 million board feet of sawtimber and 7.7 million board feet
of utility from approximately 4,700 acres in one or more offerings and
would construct approximately 17 miles of National Forest System road
and 16 miles of temporary road to facilitate access for logging. The
Proposed Action includes harvest units and road construction within
Inventoried Roadless Areas, as identified in the Forest Plan SEIS. The
Proposed Action includes the use of the existing Log Transfer Facility
(LFT) at Anita Bay as well as the construction of a new LTF at the
entrance to Burnett Inlet near Navy Creek. The Proposed Action includes
a non-significant amendment to the Forest Plan to modify the
[[Page 28466]]
boundaries of the Burnett, Anita Bay, Mosman and Quiet small old-growth
reserves. The Forest Supervisor will decide if and how much timber
harvest and road building will occur within the project area, as well
as modify the existing small old-growth reserves. The decision will be
documented in a Record of Decision based on the information disclosed
in the EIS.
DATES: A public mailing outlining the project timeline and public
involvement opportunities opportunities (Schedule of Proposed Actions)
was distributed quarterly from January 2006 to April 2007. Additional
opportunities for comment will be provided after release of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The DEIS is projected to be
filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Fall 2007 and
will begin a 45-day comment period. The Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision are anticipated to be published
in Spring 2008.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Wrangell Ranger District,
Attn: Navy EIS, PO Box 51, Wrangell, AK 99929. Electronic comments can
be e-mailed to comments-alaska-tongass-wrangell@fs.fed.us. Please
include the word ``Navy'' in the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamie Roberts, Planning Team Leader,
or Mark Hummel, District Ranger, Wrangell Ranger District, P.O. Box 51,
Wrangell, AK 99929, telephone (907) 874-2323.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy project area is located on central
Etolin Island approximately 22 air miles southwest of Wrangell, Alaska.
The project area is within portions of Value Comparison Units
464, 465, 466, 467 and 468. Portions of three Inventoried
Roadless Areas, North Etolin 232, Mosman 233 and
South Etolin 234, as identified in the Forest Plan SEIS, are
located within the project area. Timber harvest and road building is
proposed within the Inventoried Roadless Areas. The project area
includes four small old-growth reserves (Mosman, Quiet, Anita Bay and
Burnett) as designated in the Forest Plan. A Forest Plan amendment
would be required if a decision is made to modify any old-growth
reserve. The Forest Supervisor will decide if and how much timber
harvest and road building will occur within the project areas, as well
as whether to modify the existing small old-growth reserves. The
decision will be based on the information that is disclosed in the EIS.
The Forest Supervisor will consider comments, responses, the disclosure
of environmental effects, and applicable laws, regulations, and
policies in making the decision. The rationale for the decision will be
included in the Record of Decision.
Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose and need for the Navy
Timber Sale is: (1) To manage suitable lands to achieve 1997 Forest
Plan goals and objectives in order to reach the desired future
conditions prescribed for the Land Use Designations; (2) to assist in
providing a continuous wood supply to meet society's needs; (3) and to
contribute to the job market and the overall economy of southeast
Alaska.
Public Participation: Public participation has been an integral
component of the study process and will continue to be especially
important at several points during the analysis. The Forest Service
will continue to seek information, comments and assistance from tribal
governments, federal, state and local agencies, individuals and
organizations that may be interested in or affected by the proposed
activities. Written scoping comments have been solicited through a
scoping package that was sent to persons on the project mailing list in
November 2005. Additional written scoping comments have been solicited
through a scoping package that was sent to persons on the project
mailing list concurrent with the publication of the initial NOI in
January 2006. Subsistence hearings, as provided for in Title VIII,
Section 810 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
(ANILCA), will be provided, if necessary, during the comment period on
the DEIS.
Electronic Filing Address: Electronic comments can be e mailed to
comments-alaska-tongass-wrangell@fs.fed.us. Please include the word
``Navy'' in the subject line.
Issues: Based on the comments received from the public and resource
specialists the issues identified for analysis in the EIS include: (1)
The effect of timber harvest on the local and regional economies; (2)
the effect of the location of small Old-growth Reserves on wildlife
habitat; (3) the effect of habitat fragmentation, due to harvest and
road building, on wildlife habitat; (4) the effect of timber harvest
and road construction on Inventories Roadless Areas and unroaded areas;
(5) and effects to aquatic resources and from increased access in the
Navy Drainage due to timber harvest, road construction and LTF
construction.
Range of Alternatives: The range of alternatives that are being
developed to respond to the significant issues, besides no action,
range from 18-98 million board feet.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement: A Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) will be prepared for comment. The comment period on
the DEIS will be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes the Notices 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
DEIS stage but that are not raised until after completion of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 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 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 FEIS. To assist the Forest
Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on the
proposed action, comments on the DEIS 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 DEIS 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.
Responsible Official: Forrest Cole, Forest Supervisor, Tongass
National Forest, Federal Building, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901, is the
responsible official. The responsible official will consider comments,
responses, the disclosure of environmental effects, and applicable
laws, regulations, and policies in
[[Page 28467]]
making the decision. The rationale for the decision will be included in
the Record of Decision.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: May 14, 2007.
Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 07-2507 Filed 5-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
