Department of Agriculture September 21, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The USDA, Forest Service, Bitterroot National Forest, will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental impacts of the proposed Trapper Land Stewardship Project. The project area is located in Ravalli County, west of Darby, Montana. The project analysis area encompasses approximately 34,300 acres between the Trapper Creek and Bunkhouse Creek drainages of the Bitterroot River watershed. The proposed project would manage vegetation to address urban interface needs, insect and disease infestations, dead and dying vegetation; travel systems will also be evaluated to reduce sedimentation, restore aquatic passage and provide managed recreation opportunities including ATV and motorcycle travel loops. Site-specific Bitterroot Forest Plan amendments are proposed for: snag standards, Forest Wide Elk Habitat Effectiveness (EHE) standards, and-Forest-wide thermal cover standards. Approximately 6000 acres between Trapper and Bunkhouse drainages of the Bitterroot River watershed are proposed for vegetation treatments. We will also be working with scientists from the Rocky Mountain Research Station and the Leopold Wilderness Institute to provide opportunities to evaluate our ability to influence fire spread with vegetation management and the effects of our management on the ecosystem. Public Involvement: The public is invited to comment on the Proposed Action or meet with Chuck Oliver at any point in time during the 30-day comment period beginning on the date of the publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. Contact Chuck Oliver at (406) 821-3913 or e-mail coliver01@fs.fed.us to schedule a meeting. To get on the mailing list contact Elizabeth Ballard (406) 777-5461, or email eballard@fs.fed.us.

This partial final decision adopts proposed amendments to the Appalachian and Southeast marketing areas as contained in a partial recommended decision published in the Federal Register on May 20, 2005. Specifically, this decision would expand the Appalachian milk marketing area, eliminate the ability to simultaneously pool the same milk on the Appalachian or Southeast order and on a State-operated milk order that has marketwide pooling, and amend the transportation credit provisions of the Southeast and Appalachian orders. The orders as amended are subject to approval by producers in the affected markets.