Department of Agriculture March 22, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Standards for Grades of Canned Fruits for Salad, and United States Standards for Grades of Canned Fruit Cocktail are revised to reflect the change in the character classification for Grade ``B'' canned pears made previously in the United States Standards for Grades of Canned Pears.

The Glenn/Colusa County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Willows, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Introductions, (2) Approval of Minutes, (3) Public Comment, (4) Web site Update, (5) Project Proposal/Possible Action, (6) General Discussion (7) Next Agenda.

The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental impacts of proposed actions to harvest trees and associated transportation management activities. The purpose and need identified for the Fishel project area is to: Improve structural diversity (age/size class) and species diversity in the northern hardwood interior block habitats and maintain forest composition while improving riparian habitat, contributing toward satisfying demand for timber products, and to provide an efficient road system that will meet long-term transportation needs to move the Fishel project area towards the desired conditions as described in the 2004 Forest Plan. Actions are proposed to meet or move towards meeting Forest Plan goals 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.5, 3.1, as well as meet Forest Plan objectives through design features and treatment mitigation. The project area is located on public lands administered by the Eagle River-Florence Ranger District approximately 30 miles northeast of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. It is located approximately 10 miles northeast of Eagle River, bordered on the west and north by Big Sand Lake and the Michigan border, on the east by State highway 55 and on the south by State Highway 70. No Action is one alternative that will be considered. Additional alternatives will be formulated based on public issues, and response analysis. The proposed action involves harvesting approximately 16.9 MMBF (million board feet) of green trees from approximately 5,517 acres within an analysis area of about 35,200 acres. Harvest of trees would be by ground based (tractor) methods during the winter months. Most harvested areas would be open to natural regeneration with some areas planted to longer lived white pine near trout streams, and jack pine for age class diversity. Road work would include construction of 2.1 miles of new road and 23.7 miles of road reconstruction to access harvest activity stands. The transportation management proposal includes construction of 2.1 miles of new road, 23.7 miles of road reconstruction and 44.6 miles of road decommissioning to move towards the road densities identified in the Forest Plan. After the project is completed, approximately 107 miles of existing Forest Service Roads are proposed to remain open and be maintained.