Revision of the Land Management Plan for El Yunque National Forest, 69814 [2013-27930]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 225 (Thursday, November 21, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 69814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27930]


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Notices
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 225 / Thursday, November 21, 2013 / 
Notices

[[Page 69814]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Revision of the Land Management Plan for El Yunque National 
Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Initiating the development of a land management plan 
revision for El Yunque National Forest.

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SUMMARY: El Yunque National Forest, located in Puerto Rico, is 
initiating the development of a land management plan revision (forest 
plan) for El Yunque National Forest (NF). A Draft Assessment is being 
posted to our Web site. We are inviting the public to help us develop a 
preliminary ``need for change'' and a proposed action for the land 
management plan revision.

DATES: A draft of the Assessment report for the revision of El Yunque 
NF land management plan will be posted on the following Web site at 
www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque by November 30, 2013.
    Public meetings associated with the development of the preliminary 
``need for change'' and a proposed action will be announced on the Web 
site cited above.
    It is anticipated that the Notice of Intent to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (which will accompany the land 
management plan revision for El Yunque NF), will be published in the 
Federal Register around March to April 2014.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or questions concerning this notice should 
be addressed to U.S. Forest Service, El Yunque National Forest, HC-01 
Box 13490, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, 00745-9625. Comments or questions 
may also be sent via email to commentselyunqueplan@fs.fed.us. All 
correspondence, including names and addresses when provided, are placed 
in the record and are available for public inspection and copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pedro Rios, Forest Planning Team 
Leader, at 787-888-1880. Individuals who use telecommunication devices 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern 
time), Monday through Friday.
    More information on the planning process can also be found on the 
El Yunque National Forest Web site at www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the 2012 Forest Planning Rule 
(36 CFR part 219), the planning process encompases three-stages: 
Assessment, plan revision, and monitoring. The first stage of the 
planning process involves assessing social, economic, and ecological 
conditions of the planning area, which is documented in an assessment 
report. A draft of the assessment report for El Yunque NF is being 
completed and will be available by November 30, 2013 on the Forest Web 
site at: www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque.
    This notice announces the start of the second stage of the planning 
process, which is the development of the land management plan revision. 
The first task of plan revision is to develop a preliminary ``need for 
change'', which identifies the need to change management direction in 
current plans due to changing conditions or other monitoring 
information. The next task is to develop a proposed action, which is a 
proposal on how to respond to needs for changes. We are inviting the 
public to help us develop our preliminary ``need for change'' and a 
proposed action.
    A proposed action will initiate our compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act. A Notice of Intent to prepare an 
environmental impact statement for the land mangement plan revision, 
which will include a description of the preliminary need for change and 
a description of the proposed action, will be published around March to 
April 2014 in the Federal Register.
    Forest plans developed under the National Forest Management Act 
(NFMA) of 1976 describe the strategic direction for management of 
forest resources for ten to fifteen years, and are adaptive and 
amendable as conditions changes over time. The Forest Plan for El 
Yunque NF was approved in 1997. On August 9, 2012, a public 
announcement was made that El Yunque NF was beginning to work on the 
Assessment for revising their Forest Plan. This notice announces the 
start of the second stage of the planning process, the development of 
the land management plan revision. The third stage of the planning 
process is the monitoring and evaluation of the revised plan, which is 
ongoing over the life of the revised plan.
    As public meetings, other opportunities for public engagement, and 
public review and comment opportunties are identified to assist with 
the development of the forest plan revision, public announcements will 
be made, notifications will be posted on the Forest's Web site at 
www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque and information will be sent out to the 
Forest's mailing list. If anyone is interested in being on the Forest's 
mailing list to receive these notifications, please contact Pedro Rios, 
Forest Planning Team Leader, at the address identified above, or by 
sending an email to commentselyunqueplan@fs.fed.us.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for the revision of the land management 
plan for El Yunque National Forest is Pablo Cruz, Forest Supervisor, El 
Yunque National Forests, HC-01 Box 13490, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, 
00745-9625.

    Dated: November 1, 2013.
Pablo Cruz,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2013-27930 Filed 11-20-13; 8:45 am]
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