Bend/Ft. Rock Ranger District; Deschutes National Forest; Oregon; Dead Log Vegetation Management Project EIS, 18493-18494 [E8-6899]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 66 / Friday, April 4, 2008 / Notices
telephone (301) 504–5368 or fax (301)
504–6409.
Submit electronic comments to
ghundley@nal.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Food Stamp Nutrition
Connection Recipe Submission and
Review Form.
OMB Number: 0518–0043.
Expiration Date: Three years from
date of approval.
Type of Request: Existing data
collection from Food Stamp nutrition
education providers.
Abstract: The National Agricultural
Library’s Food Stamp Nutrition
Connection (FSNC) https://
foodstamp.nal.usda.gov resource system
developed and maintains an on-line
recipe database, the Recipe Finder, as a
popular feature to the FSNC Web site.
The purpose of the Recipe Finder
database is to provide FSNE providers
with low-cost, easy to prepare, healthy
recipes for classes and demonstrations
with FSNE participants. FSNC staff rely
on these same educators to submit their
best recipes for review, analysis and
inclusion in the database. FSNC staff
and FSNE providers alike benefit from
the collecting and posting of feedback
on the individual recipes based on
educator experiences. Data collected
using the voluntary Submission Form
will help identify a person’s eligibility
to submit materials for this database.
The Recipe Finder Submission Form
allows FSNE providers to submit
recipes on-line, saving time and money
by eliminating the need to photocopy
and mail or fax recipes. Data collected
from the Recipe Review form will help
educators share their successes or
identify opportunities for added value
when incorporating these recipes into
their FSNE efforts.
This online submission form will
continue to serve as an efficient vehicle
which allows FSNC staff to
communicate with FSNE providers and
inform other interested parties of
healthy recipes that are appropriate for
low-income Americans.
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
Estimate of Burden for Recipe
Submission Form
Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to
average 7.5 minutes per response.
Respondents: Food Stamp nutrition
education providers.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
100 per year.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 12.5 hrs.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:24 Apr 03, 2008
Jkt 214001
Estimate of Burden for Recipe Review
Form
Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to
average 7 minutes per response.
Respondents: Food Stamp nutrition
education providers.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
150 per year.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 17.5 hrs.
Comments
Comments are invited on (a) whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
for the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of
the agency’s estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and the assumptions used;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who respond, including the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technology. Comments should be sent to
the address in the preamble. All
responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval. All comments will
become a matter of public record.
Dated: March 12, 2008.
Antoinette Betschart,
Associate Administrator, ARS.
[FR Doc. E8–7048 Filed 4–3–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–03–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Bend/Ft. Rock Ranger District;
Deschutes National Forest; Oregon;
Dead Log Vegetation Management
Project EIS
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) on a proposed action to
address forest health and hazardous
fuels concerns within the 16,000-acre
planning area known as the Deadlog
Vegetation Project. The planning area is
located about 36 miles southeast of
Bend, Oregon; it is located in Township
22S, Range 15E, and Township 23S,
Ranges 14E and 15E. The alternatives
will include the proposed action, no
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18493
action, and additional alternatives that
respond to issues generated through the
scoping process. The agency will give
notice of the full environmental analysis
and decision-making process so
interested and affected people may
participate and contribute to the final
decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by 30
days following the date that this notice
appears in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Phil Cruz, District Ranger, Bend/Ft.
Rock Ranger District, 1230 NE 3rd St.,
Suite A–262, Bend, OR 97701.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mark Macfarlane, Environmental
Planner, Bend/Ft. Rock Ranger District,
1230 NE 3rd St., Suite A–262, Bend,
Oregon, 97701, phone (541) 383–4044.
E-mail mmacfarlane@fs.fed.us.
Responsible Official. The responsible
official will be John Allen, Forest
Supervisor, Deschutes National Forest,
P.O. Box 1645 Hwy 20 East, Bend, OR
97701.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need. Many forest stands
in the project area are sustaining a
higher density of understory trees than
they would have historically and are
susceptible to bark beetle mortality.
Large diameter trees are unable to
compete with the younger, more
vigorous trees for available resources.
Also, understory trees and brush
combined with a high degree of buildup
of natural fuels on the forest floor are
contributing to the risk of
uncharacteristically severe fire behavior,
should a wildfire start in the planning
area. The purpose of the project is to:
• Manage stands of late old structure
ponderosa pine to promote
sustainability over the long term;
• In dense stands dominated by
ponderosa pine, return stands toward
historic conditions addressing tree
species composition, stocking levels and
resistance to insects, disease and fire
mortality;
• Reduce surface fuels throughout the
planning area to levels that will not
sustain stand replacement fires; manage
lodgepole pine stands to reduce the
acres susceptible to bark beetle
mortality;
• And reduce potential for the spread
of ponderosa pine dwarf mistletoe.
Proposed Action. The proposed
actions are intended to sustain,
enhance, and protect long-term
productivity and resiliency of the forest
ecosystem, and maintain and enhance
wildlife habitat. Proposed actions
include selection harvest, commercial
thinning, small tree thinning and ladder
E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM
04APN1
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
18494
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 66 / Friday, April 4, 2008 / Notices
fuels reduction, activity fuels
treatments, and mowing and prescribed
underburning to treat natural fuels.
Issues. The following is a list of
concerns or issues related to the
proposed action that the
interdisciplinary team has identified.
Other issues may arise from public
input. Where issues cannot be resolved
through project design or mitigation,
they may be the basis for developing
alternatives to the Proposed Action.
• Deer Hiding Cover: In some parts of
the Deadlog planning area, deer hiding
cover is currently below Forest Plan
standards. A Forest Plan Amendment
will be necessary if proposed treatments
reduce the level cover further.
• Open Road Density: The amount of
roads in the planning area exceeds the
target road density identified in the
Forest Plan for deer summer range.
Roads may be identified for closure or
decommissioning.
• Heritage Resources: There are
prehistoric and historic heritage
resources within the planning area, that
could be affected by either wildfire or
the proposed active management of the
fuels.
Comment. Public comments about
this proposal are requested in order to
assist in identifying issues, determine
how to best manage the resources, and
to focus the analysis. Comments
received to this notice, including names
and addresses of those who comment,
will be considered part of the public
record on this proposed action and will
be available for public inspection.
Comments submitted anonymously will
be accepted and considered; however,
those who submit anonymous
comments will not have standing to
appeal the subsequent decision under
36 CFR parts 215 and 217. Additionally,
pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person
may request the agency to withhold a
submission from the public record by
showing how the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) permits such
confidentiality. Persons requesting such
confidentiality should be aware that,
under FOIA, confidentiality may be
granted in only very limited
circumstances, such as to protect trade
secrets. The Forest Service will inform
the requester of the agency’s decision
regarding the request for confidentiality,
and where the request is denied, the
agency will return the submission and
notify the requester that the comments
may be resubmitted with or without
name and address within a specified
number of days.
A draft EIS will be filed with the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and available for public review by
October 2008. The EPA will publish a
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:24 Apr 03, 2008
Jkt 214001
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the draft
ETS in the Federal Register. The final
ETS is scheduled to be available January
2009.
The comment period on the draft ETS
will be 45 days from the date the EPA
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 a draft EIS 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 ETS stage
but that are not raised until after
completion of the final ETS may be
waived or dismissed by the courts [City
of Angoon 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 ETS.
To assist the Forest Service in
identifying and considering issues and
concerns on the proposed action,
comments on the draft ETS 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 ElS of 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.
In the final EIS, the Forest Service is
required to respond to substantive
comments received during the comment
period for the draft EIS. The Forest
Service is the lead agency and the
responsible official is the Forest
Supervisor, Deschutes National Forest.
The responsible official will decide
where, and whether or not to thin
stands, and apply natural fuels
treatments. The responsible official will
also decide how to mitigate impacts of
these actions and will determine when
and how monitoring of effects will take
place.
The Deadlog Vegetation Project
decision and the reasons for the
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
decision will be documented in the
record of decision. That decision will be
subject to Forest Service Appeal
Regulations (35 CFR Part 215).
Rolando Mendez,
Bend/Ft. Rock Deputy District Ranger.
[FR Doc. E8–6899 Filed 4–3–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Notice of New Fee Site; Federal Lands
Recreation Enhancement Act (Title VII,
Pub. L. 108–447)
Ochoco National Forest, USDA
Forest Service.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice of New Fee Site.
SUMMARY: The Ochoco National Forest is
planning to charge a $90 fee for the
rental of the Ochoco Ranger Station
(Ranger’s House). This site has been
reconditioned and furnishings added for
recreation use. Funds from the fee site
will be used for the continued operation
and maintenance of the Ranger’s House.
DATES: Ranger’s House will become a fee
site for recreation camping January,
2009.
Forest Supervisor, Ochoco
National Forest, 3160 NE 3 St,
Prineville, OR 97754.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cathy Lund, Recreation Staff, 541–416–
6451.
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 Ochoco National Forest currently
has one other recreational rental on the
Lookout Mt. Ranger District. This rental
is occupied at 90% throughout the open
season. A business analysis of this type
of rental has shown that people desire
having this sort of recreation experience
on the Ochoco National Forest. A
market analysis indicates that the $90
per night fee is both reasonable and
acceptable for this rental.
People wanting to rent the Ranger’s
House would need to do so through the
National Recreation Reservation
Service, at https://www.reserveusa.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM
04APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 66 (Friday, April 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18493-18494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6899]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Bend/Ft. Rock Ranger District; Deschutes National Forest; Oregon;
Dead Log Vegetation Management Project EIS
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) on a proposed action to address forest health and
hazardous fuels concerns within the 16,000-acre planning area known as
the Deadlog Vegetation Project. The planning area is located about 36
miles southeast of Bend, Oregon; it is located in Township 22S, Range
15E, and Township 23S, Ranges 14E and 15E. The alternatives will
include the proposed action, no action, and additional alternatives
that respond to issues generated through the scoping process. The
agency will give notice of the full environmental analysis and
decision-making process so interested and affected people may
participate and contribute to the final decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by 30 days following the date that this notice appears in the Federal
Register.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Phil Cruz, District Ranger, Bend/
Ft. Rock Ranger District, 1230 NE 3rd St., Suite A-262, Bend, OR 97701.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Macfarlane, Environmental
Planner, Bend/Ft. Rock Ranger District, 1230 NE 3rd St., Suite A-262,
Bend, Oregon, 97701, phone (541) 383-4044. E-mail
mmacfarlane@fs.fed.us.
Responsible Official. The responsible official will be John Allen,
Forest Supervisor, Deschutes National Forest, P.O. Box 1645 Hwy 20
East, Bend, OR 97701.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need. Many forest stands in the project area are
sustaining a higher density of understory trees than they would have
historically and are susceptible to bark beetle mortality. Large
diameter trees are unable to compete with the younger, more vigorous
trees for available resources. Also, understory trees and brush
combined with a high degree of buildup of natural fuels on the forest
floor are contributing to the risk of uncharacteristically severe fire
behavior, should a wildfire start in the planning area. The purpose of
the project is to:
Manage stands of late old structure ponderosa pine to
promote sustainability over the long term;
In dense stands dominated by ponderosa pine, return stands
toward historic conditions addressing tree species composition,
stocking levels and resistance to insects, disease and fire mortality;
Reduce surface fuels throughout the planning area to
levels that will not sustain stand replacement fires; manage lodgepole
pine stands to reduce the acres susceptible to bark beetle mortality;
And reduce potential for the spread of ponderosa pine
dwarf mistletoe.
Proposed Action. The proposed actions are intended to sustain,
enhance, and protect long-term productivity and resiliency of the
forest ecosystem, and maintain and enhance wildlife habitat. Proposed
actions include selection harvest, commercial thinning, small tree
thinning and ladder
[[Page 18494]]
fuels reduction, activity fuels treatments, and mowing and prescribed
underburning to treat natural fuels.
Issues. The following is a list of concerns or issues related to
the proposed action that the interdisciplinary team has identified.
Other issues may arise from public input. Where issues cannot be
resolved through project design or mitigation, they may be the basis
for developing alternatives to the Proposed Action.
Deer Hiding Cover: In some parts of the Deadlog planning
area, deer hiding cover is currently below Forest Plan standards. A
Forest Plan Amendment will be necessary if proposed treatments reduce
the level cover further.
Open Road Density: The amount of roads in the planning
area exceeds the target road density identified in the Forest Plan for
deer summer range. Roads may be identified for closure or
decommissioning.
Heritage Resources: There are prehistoric and historic
heritage resources within the planning area, that could be affected by
either wildfire or the proposed active management of the fuels.
Comment. Public comments about this proposal are requested in order
to assist in identifying issues, determine how to best manage the
resources, and to focus the analysis. Comments received to this notice,
including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered
part of the public record on this proposed action and will be available
for public inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted
and considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not
have standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR parts 215
and 217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may
request the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by
showing how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such
confidentiality. Persons requesting such confidentiality should be
aware that, under FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very
limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest
Service will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding
the request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within a
specified number of days.
A draft EIS will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and available for public review by October 2008. The EPA will
publish a Notice of Availability (NOA) of the draft ETS in the Federal
Register. The final ETS is scheduled to be available January 2009.
The comment period on the draft ETS will be 45 days from the date
the EPA 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
a draft EIS 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 ETS stage but that are not
raised until after completion of the final ETS may be waived or
dismissed by the courts [City of Angoon 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 ETS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft ETS 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 ElS of 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.
In the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to
substantive comments received during the comment period for the draft
EIS. The Forest Service is the lead agency and the responsible official
is the Forest Supervisor, Deschutes National Forest. The responsible
official will decide where, and whether or not to thin stands, and
apply natural fuels treatments. The responsible official will also
decide how to mitigate impacts of these actions and will determine when
and how monitoring of effects will take place.
The Deadlog Vegetation Project decision and the reasons for the
decision will be documented in the record of decision. That decision
will be subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations (35 CFR Part 215).
Rolando Mendez,
Bend/Ft. Rock Deputy District Ranger.
[FR Doc. E8-6899 Filed 4-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
