Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 22, 2004 / Notices 76687

fire regime, thereby reducing the 

impacts of fires on the future forest and 

contributing to the restoration of old 

forest habitats. Without treatment to 

begin to restore the fire area, significant 

additional impacts to soil, water quality, 

cultural resources, and wildlife habitat 

are likely over the short and long term. 

This Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) addresses treating the dead and 

dying tree component of the landscape 

and improving roads to reduce sediment 

delivery to streams. The process of 

removing dead trees would reduce soil 

erosion by immediately increasing 

effective ground cover (limbs, twigs, and 

small holes) and maintain soil 

productivity for tree growth. The 

proposed action would remove dead 

trees using ground based, skyline, and 

helicopter logging methods. Trees 

posing a safety hazard to the public and 

forest workers would be removed along 

maintenance level 3, 4, and 5 roads. 

Roads would be reconstructed and 

improved to facilitate tree removal and 

improve watershed condition. Slash and 

small dead trees would be treated to 

provide ground cover and reduce short 

term fuel loading. Protection would be 

applied to sensitive plants, wildlife 

species, and cultural resources. 

The proposed action is consistent 

with the 1989 Eldorado National Forest 

Land and Resource Management Plan as 

amended by the Sierra Nevada Forest 

Plan Amendment Record of Decision 

(2004). 

The decision to be made is whether to 

adopt and implement the proposed 

action, an alternative to the proposed 

action, or take no action to remove fire 

killed and damaged trees in the project 

area and undertake road improvements 

and fuel treatments. 

Other alternatives will be developed 

based on significant issues identified 

during the scoping process for the 

environmental impact statement. All 

alternatives will need to respond to the 

specific condition of providing benefits 

equal to or better than the current 

condition. Alternatives being 

considered at this time include: (1) no 

Action and (2) the Proposed Action.

Public participation will be especially 

important at several points during the 

analysis. The Forest Service will be 

seeking information, comments, and 

assistance from the Federal, State, and 

local agencies and other individuals or 

organizations who may be interested in 

or affected by the proposed action. To 

facilitate public participation 

information about the proposed action 

will be mailed to all who express 

interest in the proposed action and 

notification of the public scoping period 

will be published in the Mountain 

Democrat, Placerville, CA. 

Comments submitted during the 

scoping process should be in writing 

and should be specific to the proposed 

action. The comments should describe 

as clearly and completely as possible 

any issues the commenter has with the 

proposal. The scoping process includes: 

(a) Identifying potential issues; 

(b) Identifying issues to be analyzed 

in depth. 

(c) Eliminating nonsignificant issues 

or those previously covered by a 

relevant previous environmental 

analysis; 

(d) Exploring additional alternatives; 

(e) Identifying potential 

environmental effects of the proposed 

action and alternatives. 

The draft EIS is expected to be filed 

with the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) and to be available for 

public review by March 2005. EPA will 

publish a notice of availability of the 

draft EIS in the Federal Register. The 

comment period on the draft EIS will be 

45 days from the date the EPA notice 

appears in the Federal Register. At that 

time, copies of the draft EIS will be 

distributed to interested and affected 

agencies, organizations, and members of 

the public for their review and 

comment. It is very important that those 

interested in the management of the 

Eldorado National Forest participate at 

that time. 

The Forest Service believes it is 

important to give reviewers notice at 

this early stage of several court rulings 

related to public participation in the 

environmental review process. First, 

reviewers of a draft EIS must structure 

their participation in the environmental 

review of the proposal so that it is 

meaningful and alerts an agency to the 

reviewer’s position and contentions. 

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. 

NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, 

environmental objections that could be 

raised at the draft EIS stage, but that are 

not raised until after completion of the 

final EIS may be waived or dismissed by 

the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 

803f. 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir, 1986) and 

Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 

F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). 

Because of these court rulings, it is very 

important that those interested in this 

proposed action participate by the close 

of the comment period so that 

substantive comments and objections 

are made available to the Forest Service 

at a time when it can meaningfully 

consider them and respond to them in 

the final EIS. 

To assist the Forest Service in 

identifying and considering issues and 

concerns on the proposed action, 

comments on the draft EIS should be as 

specific as possible. It is also helpful if 

comments refer to specific pages or 

chapters of the draft EIS. Comments 

may also address the adequacy of the 

draft EIS or the merits of the alternatives 

formulated and discussed in the 

statement. (Reviewers may wish to refer 

to the Council on Environmental 

Quality Regulations for implementing 

the procedural provisions of the 

National Environmental Policy Act at 40 

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points). 

The final EIS is scheduled to be 

completed in June 2005. In the final EIS, 

The Forest Service is required to 

respond to substantive comments 

received during the comment period 

that pertain to the environmental 

consequences discussed in the draft EIS 

and applicable laws, regulations, and 

policies considered in making the 

decision regarding this proposal. 

John D. Berry, Forest Supervisor, 

Eldorado National Forest is the 

responsible official. As the responsible 

official he will document the decision 

and reasons for the decision in the 

Record of Decision. That decision will 

be subject to Forest Service appeal 

regulations (36 CFR part 215).

Dated: December 15, 2004. 

John D. Berry, 

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 04–27952 Filed 12–21–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Public Meeting of the Black Hills 

National Forest Advisory Board Date 

Charge

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting date change.

SUMMARY: The Black Hills National 

Forest Advisory Board (NFAB) has 

changed its January meeting date to 

Monday, January 10, 2005 to ensure a 

quorum is present. The agenda includes 

member consideration of the Black Hills 

National Forest 1997 Land and Resource 

Management Plan (LRMP) Phase II 

Amendment Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement so as to make 

recommendations to the forest 

supervisor. The meeting is open, and 

the public may attend any part of the 

meeting.

ADDRESSES: SDSU West River Ag 

Center, 1905 Plaza Boulevard, Rapid 

City, SD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Frank Carroll, Black Hills National 

Forest, 25041 North Highway 16, Custer, 

SD 57730, (605) 673–9200.

76688 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 22, 2004 / Notices 

Dated: December 13, 2004. 

Brad Exton, 

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 04–27925 Filed 12–21–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 121504E]

Caribbean Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council (Council) and its 

Administrative Committee will hold 

public meetings in January 2005. The 

agenda topics for these meetings can be 

found under the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice.

DATES: The Council will convene on 

Wednesday, January 26, 2005, from 9 

a.m. to 5 p.m., and will reconvene on 

Thursday, January 27, 2005, from 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., approximately.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Best Western San Juan Airport Hotel 

located at the Luis Mun ̃ oz Marı ́n 

International Airport in Carolina, Puerto 

Rico.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 

268 Mun ̃ oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918–1920, 

telephone: (787) 766–5926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Council will hold its 117th regular 

public meeting to discuss the items 

contained in the following agenda:

January 26, 2005, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Call to Order

• Adoption of Agenda

• Consideration of 116th Council 

Meeting Verbatim Minutes

• Executive Director’s Report

• Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) 

Document

January 27, 2005, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Continuation of Discussion on SFA 

Document

• Other Business

• Next Council Meeting

The meetings are open to the public, 

and will be conducted in English, 

however simultaneous translation 

(English to Spanish) will be provided. 

Fishers and other interested persons are 

invited to attend and participate with 

oral or written statements regarding 

agenda issues.

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before this group for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during this meeting. Action will 

be restricted to those issues specifically 

identified in this notice and any issues 

arising after publication of this notice 

that require emergency action under 

section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, provided the public has been 

notified of the Council’s intent to take 

final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

For more information or to request sign 

language interpretation and/other 

auxiliary aids, please contact Miguel A. 

Rolo ́n at the Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council (see ADDRESSES) at 

least five days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: December 17, 2004.

Alan D. Risenhoover,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. E4–3764 Filed 12–21–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 121504D]

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council will convene a 

public meeting of the Shrimp Advisory 

Panel (AP). The AP will receive reports 

on the status and health of the shrimp 

stocks as well as a report on the 

biological and economic aspects of the 

2004 Cooperative Shrimp Closure with 

the state of Texas. The AP will also 

review Draft Amendment 13 to the 

Shrimp Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP) addressing maximum sustainable 

yield (MSY), optimum yield (OY), 

minimum stock size threshold (MSST), 

and maximum fishing mortality 

threshold (MFMT) for shrimp stocks, as 

well as improved effort alternatives and 

standardized bycatch reporting 

methodologies and alternatives for a 

shrimp permit moratorium.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled to 

begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 

6, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the New Orleans Airport Ramada Inn & 

Suites, 110 James Drive East, St. Rose, 

LA; telephone: (504) 466–1355. Copies 

of the meeting agenda can be obtained 

by calling (813) 228–2815.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. 

Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, 

FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Leard, Senior Fishery Biologist, 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, 

Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619; 

telephone: (813) 228–2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Shrimp AP will receive reports from 

NMFS on the status and health of the 

shrimp stocks as well as a report on the 

biological and economic aspects of the 

2004 Cooperative Shrimp Closure with 

the state of Texas. The Shrimp AP may 

make recommendations for a 

cooperative closure with Texas for 2005. 

The Shrimp AP will also review Draft 

Amendment 13 to the FMP addressing 

MSY, OY, MSST, and MFMT for shrimp 

stocks, as well as improved effort 

alternatives and standardized bycatch 

reporting methodologies and 

alternatives for a shrimp permit 

moratorium.

The Shrimp AP consists principally of 

commercial shrimp fishermen, dealers, 

and association representatives.

Although other non-emergency issues 

not on the agenda may come before the 

AP for discussion, in accordance with 

the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), those issues 

may not be the subject of formal action 

during these meetings. Actions of the 

AP will be restricted to those issues 

specifically identified in the agenda and 

any issues arising after publication of 

this notice that require emergency 

action under Section 305(c) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the 

public has been notified of the Council’s 

intent to take action to address the 

emergency.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Dawn Aring at the Council (see 

ADDRESSES) by December 29, 2004.