Department of Agriculture February 3, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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, as amended, (Pub. L. 110-343), the Boise, Payette, Salmon-Challis, and Sawtooth National Forests' Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee will conduct a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The Lincoln National Forest will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose environmental effects of issuing a new special use permit to the Village of Ruidoso (the applicant) for continued operation of their municipal water supply wells on the North Fork of Eagle Creek, located on National Forest System land. The new permit would include additional terms and conditions for adaptive management (monitoring, evaluation, and modification) to ensure management objectives are met. Management objectives include: (1) Providing water management flexibility and water conservation incentives to the Village of Ruidoso, in a way that does not foreclose opportunities to transfer a portion of their water rights for these wells to locations off of National Forest System land; and (2) Minimizing impacts of groundwater drawdown from this well field to maintain surface flows and protect water-dependent ecosystems. North Fork of Eagle Creek is located in the Sacramento Mountains of south-central New Mexico in Lincoln County north of the Village of Ruidoso and approximately 2.5 miles west of Alto, New Mexico.