Department of Agriculture July 11, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Mendocino County Resource Advisory Committee will meet July 15, 2005, (RAC) in Colvelo, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Approval of minutes, (2) public comment, (3) sub- committees (4) discussionitems of interest (5) next agenda and meeting date.

The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to request approval for information collection necessary to allow USDA customers to securely and confidently share data and receive services electronically. Authority for obtaining information from customers is included in the Freedom to E-File Act, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN), and the E-Government Act of 2002. Customer information is collected through the USDA eAuthentication Service, located at https://www.eauth.egov.usda.gov. USDA's eAuthentication Service plays a vital role in the Expanded Electronic Government (e-Government) initiative of the President's Management Agenda. The USDA eAuthentication Service provides the public and government businesses with a single sign-on capability for USDA applications, management of user credentials, and verification of identity, authorization, and electronic signatures. USDA's eAuthentication Service obtains customer information through an electronic self-registration process provided through the eAuthentication Web site. This voluntary online self-registration process enables USDA customers, as well as employees, to obtain accounts as authorized users that will provide single sign-on capability to access USDA Web applications and services via the Internet. The USDA eAuthentication system stems from the Web-based Centralized Authentication and Authorization Facility (WebCAAF), the former USDA authentication system.

On March 1, 2005, the Forest Service published a Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Bugtown Gulch Mountain Pine Beetle and Fuels Project. This is an authorized project under Section 102(a)(4) of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003. The Forest Service is modifying the proposed action and decision to be made, name and address of the Responsible Official, the expected dates for filing the draft and final EIS, the significant issues to be addressed and has developed an alternative to the proposed action. The proposed action is modified to include 3 site specific, non-significant Forest Plan amendments and the decision to be made will include whether or not to approve those amendments. The original NOI stated that a non-significant Forest Plan amendment related to big game habitat capability values as modeled by the HABCAP model may be part of the decision. Further analysis determined that amendments for big game HABCAP values would be necessary in both management areas 5.1 and 5.4. In addition, a third amendment to allow a short term reduction in mature, dense habitat within goshawk post fledging area habitat is included as part of the proposed action. The responsible official was listed as the Hell Canyon District Ranger in the March 1, 2005 NOI. Due to the inclusion of Forest Plan amendments to the proposal, the responsible official will be the Forest Supervisor. The draft and final EISs are expected to be filed in August, 2005 and December, 2005, respectively. The original NOI listed several preliminary issues. Further analysis determined that there are 3 significant issues to be addressed with this project and they are: (1) The mountain pine beetle epidemic, (2) fuels and fire risks, and (3) wildlife habitat. One alternative to the proposed action has been developed to address public input concerning post-treatment diversity on the project area landscape. This alternative differs from the proposal by deferring approximately 1,300 acres from all proposed treatments. This alternative does not include a Forest Plan amendment to lower the big game HABCAP values in management area 5.1 as discussed above for the proposed action. However, it does include Forest Plan amendments to lower big game HABCAP values in management area 5.4 and to allow for a short term reduction of dense, mature stands in goshawk post-fledging area habitat as in the proposed action.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. II, the United States Department of Agriculture announces a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).