Department of Agriculture October 12, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506), the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a new information collection request associated with Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants and Awardees. The Department of Agriculture agencies and staff offices (except Forest Service) must comply with FY 2012 appropriations restrictions in sections 738 and 739, of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (2012 Ag Appropriations Act) (Pub. L. 112-55). Forest Service must comply with the restrictions in sections 433 and 434 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Pub. L. 112-74).

In March 2008, the U.S. Forest Service completed the Eldorado National Forest Public Wheeled Motorized Travel Management Final Environmental Impact Statement (ENF TM FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD). The 2008 TM FEIS and ROD designated roads and trails to be open for public motor vehicle use and prohibited cross country travel. In 2009 a complaint was filed with the Eastern District Federal Court (Court Case No. 2:09-CV-02523-LKK-JFM). In its opinion dated May 26, 2011, the Court found the Forest Service failed to comply with the National Forest Management Act (``NFMA'') in connection with its analysis and designation of routes encountering meadows. In particular, the court found that the Forest Service had designated 42 routes through meadows which was inconsistent with certain standards and guidelines in both the Forest's 1989 Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) and standards and guidelines within the 2004 Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment (SNFPA), which amended the ENF LRMP. The Court pointed out that the error in the agency's Travel Management Decision was limited to 42 routes designated for public wheeled motorized travel that have some segment(s) that go through meadows. The purpose of the current analysis is to comply with the subsequent court order to reconsider that portion of the Travel Management Decision that pertains to the Riparian Conservation Objective (RCO) 2 for Standard and Guideline 100 pertaining to the meadows on the 42 routes, and to determine whether public wheeled motor vehicle use will be allowed on the portions of those routes that were closed by Court Order.