Department of Agriculture May 18, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement on a proposal to harvest timber from the Little Doe and Low Gulch project area, which is located on National Forest System lands administered by the Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California. If approved, the project would harvest approximately 7.9 million board feet (MMBF) of timber from approximately 923 acres of conifer stands through intermediate and regeneration cutting methods. Logging systems employed would include ground-based skidding, skyline cable yarding, and helicopter logging. Post-harvest treatments within the proposed treatment units include fuel reduction, site preparation, and reforestation treatments. Connected actions associated with the project proposal include landing construction and reconstruction, temporary road construction with subsequent decommissioning, and road maintenance. There is a need to provide timber volume that would contribute to the economic base of the local communities. Within the context of meeting this need, an opportunity exists to maintain oaks as an important component within Douglas-fir/black oak conifer stands and oak woodlands within the project area.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations concerning the importation of animals and animal products by adding Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine to the list of regions in which highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 is considered to exist. We took that action because there have been outbreaks of HPAI subtype H5N1 in those countries. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the introduction of HPAI subtype H5N1 into the United States.

The Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting to discuss 2006 projects, several guest speakers, and hold a short public forum (question and answer session). The meeting is being held pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393). The meeting is open to the public.