Department of Agriculture June 17, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. APP., this notice announces a meeting of the National Advisory Council on Maternal, Infant and Fetal Nutrition.

The USDA Forest Service, Bitterroot National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document and disclose the effects analysis of the proposed Como Forest Health Project (Como FHP). The Como FHP covers approximately 5,640 acres of national forest land between Lake Como and Lost Horse Roads, about XX miles northwest of Darby in Ravalli County, Montana. The purpose of the Como FHP is to (1) reduce potential mortality of large diameter ponderosa pine caused by increasing mountain pine beetle populations; (2) reduce fuel loads and maintain the historic fire return interval; (3) improve forest resilience to dwarf mistletoe, root rot, Douglas-fir beetle, and spruce budworm; (4) and maintain the visual integrity of the larger Lake Como Recreation Area. Commercial harvest is proposed on about 1,860 acres, pre-commercial thinning on about 330 acres, and prescribed fire on about 3,000 acres to achieve the purposes of the Como FHP. Three sections of road totaling about 0.8 of a mile are proposed for construction to support the timber harvest. The roads would be closed after timber operations. Site-specific Bitterroot National Forest Plan amendments may be proposed for coarse woody debris, snags, elk habitat effectiveness, thermal cover, old growth, and visual quality.

A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Saddle Lakes Timber Sale project was published in the Federal Register (77 FR 27013) on May 8, 2012. Due to the length of time that has passed since the first NOI was published, and changes in the dates that the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements are expected, the Tongass National Forest is publishing this Corrected NOI. Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture published a final rule in the Federal Register (78 FR 18481-18504) on March 27, 2013 to establish a new process by which the public may file objections seeking predecisional administrative review of proposed projects and activities implementing land management plans documented with a Record of Decision or Decision Notice (reference 36 CFR part 218). This new process replaces the administrative appeals process at 36 CFR part 215. As the Record of Decision for the Saddle Lakes project is not expected until after September 27, 2013, the Saddle Lakes project is now subject to these new predecisional administrative review procedures.