This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

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section.

Notices Federal Register

22075 

Vol. 76, No. 76 

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Divide Ranger District, Rio Grande 

National Forest; CO; Black Mesa 

Vegetation Management Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Divide Ranger District, 

Rio Grande National Forest, proposes to 

salvage timber stands killed or infested 

by spruce beetles; reduce fuel loading, 

particularly adjacent to private lands; 

cut potential hazard trees along private 

property, roads, and other 

infrastructure; and regenerate forested 

acres, as needed, to move toward the 

long-term desired conditions described 

in the Forest Plan. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by May 

20, 2011. The draft environmental 

impact statement is expected in March 

2012 and the final environmental 

impact statement is expected in July 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Diana McGinn, Team Leader, San Luis 

Valley Public Land Center, 1803 W. 

Hwy. 160, Monte Vista, CO 81144. 

Comments may also be sent via e-mail 

to comments-rocky-mountain-riogrande-divide@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile 

to 719–852–6250, with subject Black 

Mesa Vegetation Management Project 

Public Comment. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Diana McGinn at 719–852–6241 or visit 

the Forest Web site http:// 

www.fs.usda.gov/riogrande under ‘‘Land 

& Resource Management’’, then 

‘‘Projects’’ on the left side of the Web 

page. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose and need for the Black 

Mesa Vegetation Management Project is 

move toward achieving long-term 

desired conditions described in the 

Forest Plan for this area following 

extensive tree mortality caused by 

epidemic levels of spruce beetles. 

Actions taken to meet these goals would 

include: (1) Harvesting dead and dying 

trees to provide wood products, while 

reducing the continuous extent of large 

fuels, particularly around private lands; 

and (2) removing trees that create a 

potential safety hazard in areas of 

concentrated public use or that have the 

potential to damage public or private 

property as they fall. 

Proposed Action 

The Rio Grande National Forest 

proposes to harvest and regenerate 

timber stands killed by or infested with 

spruce beetles in an area located 

approximately 15 miles west of Creede, 

Colorado. The project would use the 

existing transportation system except for 

the construction of approximately 3.6 

miles of new temporary road. All new 

roads or other roads currently closed 

would be rehabilitated and closed 

following use. Tree planting would 

follow harvest operations in areas with 

inadequate existing regeneration or 

where aspen sprouting is unlikely, in 

order to maintain diverse forest cover 

over the long-term. 

Responsible Official 

Divide District Ranger/Field Office 

Manager at 13308 W. Hwy. 160, Del 

Norte, CO, 81132. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

An environmental impact statement 

(EIS) that discloses the environmental 

consequences of implementing the 

proposed action and alternatives to the 

proposed action, including No Action, 

will be prepared. A separate Record of 

Decision (ROD) will explain the 

Responsible Official’s decision 

regarding whether or not to implement 

some level of timber harvest and other 

proposed activities on all, part, or none 

of the area analyzed, given the 

consideration of multiple-use goals and 

objectives. 

Preliminary Issues 

The effect of proposed activities on 

habitat structural needs of the local 

population of Canada Lynx, a 

Threatened species, and their primary 

prey, the snowshoe hare. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. The Forest invites 

public comment and participation for 

this project by publication of this notice. 

Comments are also invited by: 

publication in the quarterly Schedule of 

Proposed Actions (SOPA); public notice 

regarding this project in the newspaper 

of record, the Valley Courier; letters to 

potentially interested individuals, 

Tribal governments, elected officials, 

and State and other Federal Agencies. 

One or more scoping meetings with 

adjacent landowners and other 

interested individuals or agencies will 

be scheduled individually and/or 

announced in the Valley Courier. 

Information will also be posted on the 

Rio Grande National Forest Web site as 

this project progresses. Comments 

received during these scoping efforts 

will be considered in this EIS. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such manner that they are useful to the 

agency’s preparation of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

scoping period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, and 

will be part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered; however anonymous 

comments will not provide the Agency 

with the ability to provide the 

respondent with subsequent 

environmental documents. 

Dated: April 13, 2011. 

Thomas Malecek, 

District Ranger/Field Office Manager. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9555 Filed 4–19–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 


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