Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and Ashley National Forest; Utah; High Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep Analysis, 75045-75046 [2015-30371]
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tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 230 / Tuesday, December 1, 2015 / Notices
participants who were interviewed by
CBO staff at the time of application or
recertification for SNAP, and program
administration data (error rates,
timeliness, payment accuracy, and
eligibility determination) from the five
participating States. FNS’ data
collection strategy aims to maximize
both efficiency and data quality. The
participant satisfaction survey will take
no more than five minutes. FNS will use
the information collected to evaluate
whether the 10 Community Partner
Interviewer projects have helped to
improve SNAP access and performance.
Affected Public: 3,452 Individuals and
Households (3,384 Respondent & 68
Non-Respondent type SNAP
participants).
Estimated Number of Respondents:
3,384.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Response:
3,384.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 0.08
hours (4.8 minutes).
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 272.08 burden hours.
Affected Public: State Agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 5
States.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 2.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
10.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 10 burden hours.
Affected Public: Business-for-not-forProfit (Respondent type: CommunityBased Organizations (CBOs).
Estimated Number of Respondents:
10.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 338.40.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
3,384.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 0.08.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 270.40.
FNS is requesting 552.48 burden
hours.
There is no recordkeeping
requirements involved in this data
collection.
Dated: November 24, 2015.
Yvette S. Jackson,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–30442 Filed 11–30–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
and Ashley National Forest; Utah; High
Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep
Analysis
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In 2007, the Wasatch-Cache
National Forest, now the UintaWasatch-Cache National Forest
(UWCNF), along with other forests in
the Nation issued a number of decisions
reissuing term grazing permits on range
allotments using a provisional
categorical exclusion (CE) authorized by
Congress. In 2010, the United States
Forest Service was sued for authorizing
grazing on allotments using this CE
authority. In December 2013, the
Intermountain Region and the United
States District Court for the District
Court of Idaho agreed to the Range CE
settlement agreement. This agreement
stipulated that the UWCNF would issue
a scoping notice by May 2014 on five
domestic sheep allotments.
These were Gilbert Peak, Hessie LakeHenry’s Fork, Red Castle, East Fork
Blacks Fork, and the Middle Fork Blacks
Fork allotments. In reviewing the
management of these domestic sheep
allotments it became apparent that the
effects of grazing had to be considered
for both the north and south slope of the
Uinta Mountains because sheep trailed
from the north slope of the Uinta
Mountains to the south slope for the
summer grazing season. Therefore, the
analysis was then extended to include
the Painter Basin, Tungsten, Oweep,
Ottoson Basin, and Fall Creek sheep
allotments on the Ashley National
Forest, which are some of the domestic
sheep allotments on the south slope of
the Uinta Mountains.
Since 2007, various species of
terrestrial and aquatic animals as well as
plants have been added to or removed
from the Regional Forester’s Sensitive
Species (RFSS) list. The RFSS will be
analyzed as part of the EIS.
In May of 2014, scoping was initiated
for this project; at that time, it was
anticipated that the project would be
completed as an Environmental
Assessment. Since then, it has become
apparent that there is a potential for
significant impacts and that an
Environmental Impact Statement is
needed. This project will evaluate the
effects of continued domestic sheep
grazing on these 10 allotments. These 10
sheep allotments located on the north
SUMMARY:
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75045
and south slopes of the Uinta Mountains
and are located in the Ashley or UintaWasatch-Cache NFs.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by
December 31, 2015. The draft
environmental impact statement is
expected around November, 2016 and
the final environmental impact
statement is expected around October,
2017.
Send written comments to
David Whittekiend, Uinta-WasatchCache National Forest Supervisor at 857
West South Jordan Parkway, South
Jordan, UT 84095. Comments may also
be sent via email to comments-intermtnashley@fs.fed.us or comments-intermtnuwc@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 801–
253–8118.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul
Cowley, Interdisciplinary Team Leader,
at the Uinta-Wasatch Cache Supervisor’s
Office (telephone: 801–999–2177; email:
pcowley@fs.fed.us).
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
Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:
Purpose and Need for Action
In response to the requirements of the
2013 settlement, the UWC is required to
reassess the effects of domestic sheep
grazing on the Gilbert Peak, Hessie
Lake-Henry’s Fork, Red Castle, East Fork
Blacks Fork, and the Middle Fork Blacks
Fork allotments. As such there is a need
to respond to the requirements of the
2013 settlement. Since the Ashley NF
neighbors those allotments to the south
(Painter Basin, Tungsten, Oweep,
Ottoson Basin, and Fall Creek), and
domestic sheep utilize both the north
and south slopes of the High Uintas, it
was determined that an analysis of all
10 allotments was needed.
With the addition of new species to
the RFSS,1 the Forest Service must
design and manage projects when they
are initiated and implemented to
account for impacts to those species.2
1 RFSS are ‘‘those plant and animal species
identified by a regional forester for which
population viability is a concern . . .’’ (FSM
2670.5).
2 Forest Service Manual 2670.32 required that the
Forests ‘‘Avoid or minimize impacts to species
whose viability has been identified as a concern.’’
The Forests are also required to ‘‘Analyze, if
impacts cannot be avoided, the significance of
potential adverse effects on the population or its
habitat within the area of concern and on the
species as a whole. (The line officer, with project
approval authority, makes the decision to allow or
E:\FR\FM\01DEN1.SGM
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01DEN1
75046
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 230 / Tuesday, December 1, 2015 / Notices
As such there is a need to evaluate and
better understand the impacts of sheep
grazing on recently designated RFSS.
There is also a need to better understand
the effects of domestic sheep grazing on
the surrounding physical environment
and the social environment. The overall
purpose of this project is to evaluate the
effects of domestic sheep grazing in
these allotments and determine the
impacts on the physical and social
aspects of the project area.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service will evaluate the
10 sheep allotments on the UWC and
Ashley NFs: Those allotments are
Gilbert Peak, Hessie Lake-Henry’s Fork,
Red Castle, East Fork Blacks Fork, and
the Middle Fork Blacks Fork on the
UWCNF, and Painter Basin, Tungsten,
Oweep, Ottoson Basin, and Fall Creek
on the Ashley NF.
Based on current information both
Forests are proposing to authorize
grazing on five allotments on the
UWCNF and five allotments on the
Ashley NF. Livestock grazing would be
authorized using Forest Plan direction
to meet or move toward the desired
conditions identified in the Forest
Plans. The Forests are also proposing to
continue to use the sheep driveway that
allows for sheep that graze the listed
allotments
The project will evaluate multiple
resources for impacts to include range,
wilderness, recreation, hydrology,
wildlife, fisheries and aquatic
organisms, plants, soils, as well as
potential impacts to economics and
society.
The project analysis area is located in
Uinta County, Wyoming and Duchesne
and Summit Counties, Utah on the
Evanston-Mountain View and
Duchesne/Roosevelt Ranger Districts.
The project area is located
approximately 40 miles north-northwest
of Duchesne, Utah, and about 40 miles
southeast of Evanston, Wyoming. The
project area encompasses about 160,000
acres and is located in the Uinta
Mountains on both the north and south
facing slopes of the central ridgeline.
The Forest Service will begin the
environmental analysis in 2015, and the
project is anticipated to end in late
2017.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Possible Alternatives
At this time, there are two alternatives
that are being considered. The first is
the proposed action described above.
The second is the ‘‘No-Action’’
disallow impact, but the decision must not result
in loss of species viability or create significant
trends toward federal listing.)’’
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23:35 Nov 30, 2015
Jkt 238001
alternative which would not authorize
grazing on the allotments. During the
course of the project analysis, it is
possible additional alternatives will be
analyzed that may result from public
participation or from staff participation,
or from both.
Responsible Official
There are two Responsible Officials
for this project: The Uinta Wasatch
Cache Forest Supervisor and the Ashley
Forest Supervisor.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made includes
whether or not sheep grazing will
continue on these allotments, and
whether or not a site specific Forest
Plan amendment could be needed.
Preliminary Issues
Preliminary issues that have been
identified include impacts to Rocky
Mountain bighorn sheep, wilderness,
socioeconomics, recreation, soils,
hydrology, and vegetation. Additional
issues may arise from the public during
the comment process.
Scoping Process
Scoping for this project was initiated
in May of 2014. At that time a scoping
package was sent to interested parties,
tribes, and organizations. The proposed
action has not changed from that
original scoping letter, with the
exception that the Forests have decided
to prepare an environmental impact
statement instead of an environemental
assessment.
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the environmental
impact statement. Following this Notice
of Intent, it is anticipated that a second
scoping letter describing the nature of
the project will be sent to interested
parties and organziations in the fall of
2015. There will also be opportunities to
comment when the draft EIS is released.
Additionally, public meetings are being
considered as well, and would occur
after a scoping letter was sent out.
The Forest Service is looking for
comments identifing issues or concerns
with regards to sheep grazing on these
allotments. Comments that clearly and
concisely articulate a percieved
problem, and how to find a solution to
that problem are most helpful.
It is important that reviewers provide
their comments at such times and in
such manner that they are useful to the
agency’s preparation of the
environmental impact statement.
Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly
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articulate the reviewer’s concerns and
contentions.
Comments received in response to
this solicitation, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will
be part of the public record for this
proposed action. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and
considered, however.
November 20, 2015.
David C. Whittekiend,
Forest Supervisor, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache
National Forest,
Dated: November 20, 2015.
John R. Erickson,
Forest Supervisor, Ashley National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2015–30371 Filed 11–30–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests
and Thunder Basin National
Grassland, Brush Creek/Hayden
Ranger District; Wyoming; North
Savery Project
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In the North Savery Project,
the Medicine Bow-Routt National
Forests and Thunder Basin National
Grassland, Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger
District proposes approximately 6,500
acres of salvage logging, precommercial
thinning, and hazard tree clearing on
National Forest System lands in the
northwest Sierra Madre mountain range.
The District also proposes changes to
the road system in the project area,
including decommissioning 26 miles of
roads that are causing direct impacts to
watershed resources. The Governor of
Wyoming has identified the project area
as a priority landscape for treatment
under the 2014 Farm Bill and amended
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003,
which provide for expedited
environmental analysis and treatments
to address areas affected by insect and
disease infestations. Accordingly, the
environmental analysis associated with
the North Savery Project will proceed
according to Section 104 of the Healthy
Forests Restoration Act and will be
subject to subparts A and C of the U.S.
Forest Service Project-Level
Predecisional Administrative Review
Process documented at 36 CFR 218.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by
February 1, 2016. The draft
environmental impact statement is
expected in May 2016 and the final
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\01DEN1.SGM
01DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 230 (Tuesday, December 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75045-75046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30371]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and Ashley National Forest;
Utah; High Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep Analysis
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In 2007, the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, now the Uinta-
Wasatch-Cache National Forest (UWCNF), along with other forests in the
Nation issued a number of decisions reissuing term grazing permits on
range allotments using a provisional categorical exclusion (CE)
authorized by Congress. In 2010, the United States Forest Service was
sued for authorizing grazing on allotments using this CE authority. In
December 2013, the Intermountain Region and the United States District
Court for the District Court of Idaho agreed to the Range CE settlement
agreement. This agreement stipulated that the UWCNF would issue a
scoping notice by May 2014 on five domestic sheep allotments.
These were Gilbert Peak, Hessie Lake-Henry's Fork, Red Castle, East
Fork Blacks Fork, and the Middle Fork Blacks Fork allotments. In
reviewing the management of these domestic sheep allotments it became
apparent that the effects of grazing had to be considered for both the
north and south slope of the Uinta Mountains because sheep trailed from
the north slope of the Uinta Mountains to the south slope for the
summer grazing season. Therefore, the analysis was then extended to
include the Painter Basin, Tungsten, Oweep, Ottoson Basin, and Fall
Creek sheep allotments on the Ashley National Forest, which are some of
the domestic sheep allotments on the south slope of the Uinta
Mountains.
Since 2007, various species of terrestrial and aquatic animals as
well as plants have been added to or removed from the Regional
Forester's Sensitive Species (RFSS) list. The RFSS will be analyzed as
part of the EIS.
In May of 2014, scoping was initiated for this project; at that
time, it was anticipated that the project would be completed as an
Environmental Assessment. Since then, it has become apparent that there
is a potential for significant impacts and that an Environmental Impact
Statement is needed. This project will evaluate the effects of
continued domestic sheep grazing on these 10 allotments. These 10 sheep
allotments located on the north and south slopes of the Uinta Mountains
and are located in the Ashley or Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NFs.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by December 31, 2015. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected around November, 2016 and the final environmental impact
statement is expected around October, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to David Whittekiend, Uinta-Wasatch-
Cache National Forest Supervisor at 857 West South Jordan Parkway,
South Jordan, UT 84095. Comments may also be sent via email to
comments-intermtn-ashley@fs.fed.us or comments-intermtn-uwc@fs.fed.us,
or via facsimile to 801-253-8118.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Cowley, Interdisciplinary Team
Leader, at the Uinta-Wasatch Cache Supervisor's Office (telephone: 801-
999-2177; email: pcowley@fs.fed.us).
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 Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
In response to the requirements of the 2013 settlement, the UWC is
required to reassess the effects of domestic sheep grazing on the
Gilbert Peak, Hessie Lake-Henry's Fork, Red Castle, East Fork Blacks
Fork, and the Middle Fork Blacks Fork allotments. As such there is a
need to respond to the requirements of the 2013 settlement. Since the
Ashley NF neighbors those allotments to the south (Painter Basin,
Tungsten, Oweep, Ottoson Basin, and Fall Creek), and domestic sheep
utilize both the north and south slopes of the High Uintas, it was
determined that an analysis of all 10 allotments was needed.
With the addition of new species to the RFSS,\1\ the Forest Service
must design and manage projects when they are initiated and implemented
to account for impacts to those species.\2\
[[Page 75046]]
As such there is a need to evaluate and better understand the impacts
of sheep grazing on recently designated RFSS. There is also a need to
better understand the effects of domestic sheep grazing on the
surrounding physical environment and the social environment. The
overall purpose of this project is to evaluate the effects of domestic
sheep grazing in these allotments and determine the impacts on the
physical and social aspects of the project area.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ RFSS are ``those plant and animal species identified by a
regional forester for which population viability is a concern . .
.'' (FSM 2670.5).
\2\ Forest Service Manual 2670.32 required that the Forests
``Avoid or minimize impacts to species whose viability has been
identified as a concern.'' The Forests are also required to
``Analyze, if impacts cannot be avoided, the significance of
potential adverse effects on the population or its habitat within
the area of concern and on the species as a whole. (The line
officer, with project approval authority, makes the decision to
allow or disallow impact, but the decision must not result in loss
of species viability or create significant trends toward federal
listing.)''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed Action
The Forest Service will evaluate the 10 sheep allotments on the UWC
and Ashley NFs: Those allotments are Gilbert Peak, Hessie Lake-Henry's
Fork, Red Castle, East Fork Blacks Fork, and the Middle Fork Blacks
Fork on the UWCNF, and Painter Basin, Tungsten, Oweep, Ottoson Basin,
and Fall Creek on the Ashley NF.
Based on current information both Forests are proposing to
authorize grazing on five allotments on the UWCNF and five allotments
on the Ashley NF. Livestock grazing would be authorized using Forest
Plan direction to meet or move toward the desired conditions identified
in the Forest Plans. The Forests are also proposing to continue to use
the sheep driveway that allows for sheep that graze the listed
allotments
The project will evaluate multiple resources for impacts to include
range, wilderness, recreation, hydrology, wildlife, fisheries and
aquatic organisms, plants, soils, as well as potential impacts to
economics and society.
The project analysis area is located in Uinta County, Wyoming and
Duchesne and Summit Counties, Utah on the Evanston-Mountain View and
Duchesne/Roosevelt Ranger Districts. The project area is located
approximately 40 miles north-northwest of Duchesne, Utah, and about 40
miles southeast of Evanston, Wyoming. The project area encompasses
about 160,000 acres and is located in the Uinta Mountains on both the
north and south facing slopes of the central ridgeline.
The Forest Service will begin the environmental analysis in 2015,
and the project is anticipated to end in late 2017.
Possible Alternatives
At this time, there are two alternatives that are being considered.
The first is the proposed action described above. The second is the
``No-Action'' alternative which would not authorize grazing on the
allotments. During the course of the project analysis, it is possible
additional alternatives will be analyzed that may result from public
participation or from staff participation, or from both.
Responsible Official
There are two Responsible Officials for this project: The Uinta
Wasatch Cache Forest Supervisor and the Ashley Forest Supervisor.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made includes whether or not sheep grazing will
continue on these allotments, and whether or not a site specific Forest
Plan amendment could be needed.
Preliminary Issues
Preliminary issues that have been identified include impacts to
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, wilderness, socioeconomics, recreation,
soils, hydrology, and vegetation. Additional issues may arise from the
public during the comment process.
Scoping Process
Scoping for this project was initiated in May of 2014. At that time
a scoping package was sent to interested parties, tribes, and
organizations. The proposed action has not changed from that original
scoping letter, with the exception that the Forests have decided to
prepare an environmental impact statement instead of an environemental
assessment.
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. Following this
Notice of Intent, it is anticipated that a second scoping letter
describing the nature of the project will be sent to interested parties
and organziations in the fall of 2015. There will also be opportunities
to comment when the draft EIS is released. Additionally, public
meetings are being considered as well, and would occur after a scoping
letter was sent out.
The Forest Service is looking for comments identifing issues or
concerns with regards to sheep grazing on these allotments. Comments
that clearly and concisely articulate a percieved problem, and how to
find a solution to that problem are most helpful.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered, however.
November 20, 2015.
David C. Whittekiend,
Forest Supervisor, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest,
Dated: November 20, 2015.
John R. Erickson,
Forest Supervisor, Ashley National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2015-30371 Filed 11-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
