76904 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 246 / Thursday, December 23, 2004 / Notices 

veterinary biologics licensees, 

permittees, and applicants. In addition, 

APHIS may also consider the use of the 

final guidance document as the basis for 

proposed additions or amendments to 

its regulations in 9 CFR chapter I, 

subchapter E (Viruses, Serums, Toxins, 

and Analogous Products; Organisms and 

Vectors). Because we anticipate that 

applicable provisions of the final 

version of ‘‘Target Animal Safety: 

Examination of Live Veterinary 

Vaccines in Target Animals for Absence 

of Reversion to Virulence’’ may be 

introduced into APHIS’ veterinary 

biologics regulatory program in the 

future, we encourage your comments on 

the draft version.

Authority: 21 U.S.C. 151 et seq.

Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of 

December 2004. 

Elizabeth E. Gaston, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. E4–3782 Filed 12–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 

Great Divide Ranger District; WI; 

Twentymile Restoration Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, 

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 

Great Divide Ranger District intends to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) to disclose the 

environmental consequences of a 

vegetation and water resources 

restoration project. In the EIS the USDA 

Forest Service will address the potential 

environmental impacts associated with: 

restoring northern hardwood forests to 

an uneven-aged condition, improving 

the landscape pattern of northern 

hardwood forests, reducing the amount 

of aspen in cold-water stream corridors, 

reducing sediment and restoring 

riparian and stream habitat, improving 

upland forest type composition, 

balancing the age class distribution of 

aspen, and providing a safe, efficient, 

and effective transportation system; all 

while promoting healthy forests and 

providing forest commodities. 

The Twentymile Project Area is 

approximately 32,000 acres in size and 

is located in Bayfield County, 

approximately 25 miles northeast of 

Hayward, Wisconsin. The approximate 

legal description for the area is as 

follows: T44N R6W Sections 1–14 and 

23–25; T44N R5W Sections 5–8, 14–23, 

and 26–35; T43N R5W Sections 1–3, 11, 

and 12; and T43N R4W Sections 4–7. 

See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

section for the purpose and need for the 

action.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis should be received 

within 30 days following publication of 

this notice to receive timely 

consideration in the preparation of the 

draft EIS. The draft environmental 

impact statement is expected May 2005 

and the final environmental impact 

statement is expected September 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Anne Archie, c/o Deb Sigmund, NEPA 

Coordinator; Great Divide Ranger 

District, P.O. Box 896, Hayward, WI 

54843. Send electronic comments to: 

comments-eastern-chequamegonnicolet-great-divide@fs.fed.us. See 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for 

information on how to send electronic 

comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deb 

Sigmund, NEPA Coordinator, Great 

Divide Ranger District, ChequamegonNicolet National Forest, USDA Forest 

Service; telephone: 715–634–4821. See 

address above under ADDRESSES. Copies 

of documents may be requested at the 

same address. Another means of 

obtaining information is to visit the 

Forest Web page at www.fs.fed.us/r9/

cnnf/—click on ‘‘Natural Resources’’, 

then ‘‘Twentymile Restoration Project’’.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of the Twentymile 

Restoration project is to implement land 

management activities that are 

consistent with direction in the 

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests 

Land and Resource Management Plan 

(Forest Plan, 2004) and to respond to 

specific needs and/or problems that 

were identified during opportunity area 

and transportation system analyses. 

The purpose and need for this 

proposal is to: (1). Restore northern 

hardwood forests to an uneven-aged 

condition (Plan, p. 1–3). These unevenaged forests are to be characterized by 

a variety of tree ages and sizes, with 

older age classes well represented. 

Achieve large diameter trees (>25′′ dbh), 

and old growth characteristics such as 

tip-ups, snags, and coarse woody debris 

(Plan, p. 3–9). Emphasis for restoration 

is to provide a well-developed 

understory that provides feeding and 

nesting habitat for Neotropical birds, 

nutrient cycling, and tree seedling 

establishment (Plant FEIS, p. 3–61); (2.) 

Improve the landscape pattern of 

northern hardwood forests by 

maintaining or recreating large northern 

hardwood patch conditions and 

allowing early successional forest 

patches to succeed or treat them so as 

to encourage conversion to long-lived 

species (Plan, p. 3–8); (3.) Reduce the 

amount of aspen in cold-water stream 

corridors by not regenerating it and/or 

converting it to long-lived conifers or 

northern hardwoods (Plan p. 2–17); (4.) 

Reduce sediment deposition and restore 

riparian and stream habitat. Maintain or 

restore streams to provide for the 

transport of water and sediments within 

the natural ranges for the watershed, 

which results in stable stream channels 

(Plan, p. 3–60). Relocate existing roads 

and trails out of riparian management 

zones and eliminate stream crossings 

when practicable (Plan pp. 1–3 and 2–

2); (5.) Improve upland forest type 

composition. Terrestrial ecosystems 

should be in healthy, diverse, and 

productive conditions and support a 

diversity of plant and animal 

communities and tree species (Plan, p. 

1–3); (6.) Balance the age class 

distribution of aspen in the areas it is 

desired to promote diversity for various 

wildlife species. A long-term 

sustainable level of all age classes is 

needed by wildlife species for dense 

cover and forage (Plan, p. 2–4 and 3–

11); (7.) Promote healthy forests and 

provide forest commodities. Maintain 

and enhance the growth and vigor of 

trees within the project area, while 

providing a variety of wood products 

and species mixes for the different 

market niches through commercial 

timber harvests (Plan, p. 1–6); (8.) 

Provide a safe, efficient, and effective 

transportation system. A desirable 

transportation system provide safe 

access and meets the needs of 

communities and forest users; facilitates 

the implementation of the Forest Plan; 

allows for economical and efficient 

management within likely budget levels; 

meets current and future resource 

management objective; and has a 

minimal impact on natural resources. 

(Plan, pp. 1–7 and 2–35–38; Twentymile 

Roads Analysis, p. 4).

Proposed Action 

The following actions have been 

identified to address the above needs. 

(1) To address the need for restoration 

of northern hardwood forest, 

approximately, 7,897 acres of 

predominantly even-aged northern 

hardwood stands would be selectively 

harvested. Approximately 20 acres of 

these northern hardwood stands would 

also be under planted to white pine. 

Within approximately 576 acres of these 

stands, some of the trees marked for 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 246 / Thursday, December 23, 2004 / Notices 76905

removal would be felled and left in 

place, to move these stands closer to the 

desired quantity of coarse wood debris. 

(2) To address the need for 

improvement of the landscape pattern of 

northern hardwoods, approximately 249 

acres of aspen within or adjacent to 

existing hardwood blocks would be 

treated with an improvement cut to 

begin conversion to northern 

hardwoods. (3) To address the need for 

reducing the amount of aspen within 

cold-water stream corridors, 

approximately 64 acres of aspen would 

be converted to northern hardwoods by 

improvement cutting to no less than 85-

95 square feet of basal area per acre. (4) 

To address the need for sediment 

reduction and riparian habitat 

restoration approximately 1 mile of road 

would be relocated out of stream 

floodplains; 1100 feet of Twentymile 

Creek would be restored to its original 

stream channel; 9 intermittent drainages 

to Twentymile Creek would be restored; 

and 230 feet of Twentymile Creek 

would be restored through removal of 

an old culvert, channel braids upstream, 

and a large scour pool downstream. (5) 

To meet the upland forest type 

composition objectives need, 

shelterwood harvests would be 

conducted on 81 acres of paper birch 

stands; overstory removals conducted 

on 146 acres of paper birch stands; pine 

thinnings conducted on about 364 acres 

of red pine and 29 acres of white pine 

stands; clearcuts conducted on 31 acres 

of jack pine stands followed by planting 

to red pine; and 13 acres of upland 

openings would be maintained through 

mowing, burning, or hand-cutting. (6) 

The need for balancing the age class 

distribution of aspen would be met by 

clearcutting and regenerating 

approximately 413 acres of aspen. (7) 

The need for improving forest health 

and providing forest commodities 

would be met through numbers 1, 2, 4, 

5, and 6 above. (8) The transportation 

system needs would be met by 

eliminating about 29 miles of roads that 

are in poor locations and not needed for 

long-term access to the national forest; 

reconstructing about 4 miles of road that 

are in poor condition; constructing 

about 13 miles of new road to provide 

long-term access to specific areas of the 

forest; constructing 1.5 miles of 

temporary roads that would be 

eliminated after use; relocating 2 unsafe 

intersections to safer locations; and 

closing approximately 20 miles of 

National Forest System road to vehicles 

and ATV’s to protect resources, avoid 

recreation use conflicts, address local 

government concerns, or address safety 

issues.

Responsible Official 

Anne Archie, Forest Supervisor; 

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 

1170 4th Avenue South, Park Falls, WI 

54552. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decision will be limited to 

answering the following three questions 

based on the environmental analysis: 

1. What actions would be used to 

address the purpose and need 

2. Where and when these actions 

would occur 

3. What mitigation measures and 

monitoring requirements would be 

required 

Scoping Process 

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National 

Forest proposes to scope for information 

by contacting persons and organizations 

on the District’s mailing list, by 

publishing a notice in the local 

newspapers, and by posting flyers at key 

locations within and nearby the 

Twentymile project area. No scoping 

meetings are planned at this time. The 

present solicitation is for comments on 

this Notice of Intent and scoping 

materials available elsewhere, such as 

on the Forest Web page. 

Preliminary Issues 

Preliminary or potential issues have 

been identified from previous internal 

and public comments. 

1. Timber Harvests may result in 

short-term impacts to soils, understory 

vegetation, wildlife, visuals, and 

recreational uses of the forest. 

2. Long-term reductions of aspen may 

occur as a result of conversions, 

affecting the species that relay on them 

for food and cover. 

3. Road decommissioning and 

closures may reduce the number of 

roads and miles of roads previously 

available for public and tribal access, for 

uses such as hunting, gathering, etc. 

4. Road Reconstruction and 

Construction may disturb and impact 

new corridors, while creating access and 

use where access was previously not 

available. 

5. Road Relocations may disturb and 

impact new corridors. Relocations may 

also improve watershed health and 

motorist safety. 

6. Watershed Improvement projects 

may result in short-term increases in 

turbidity and sedimentation.

Electronic Access and Filing Addresses 

Information is available electronically 

on the Forest Web page: http://

www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf—click on 

‘‘Natural Resources’’ and then 

‘‘Twentymile Restoration Project’’. Send 

electronic comments to: commentseastern-chequamegon-nicolet-greatdivide@fs.fed.us. When submitting 

electronic comments, please reference 

the Twentymile Restoration Project on 

the subject line. In addition, include 

your name and mailing address. 

Comments Requested 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. Comments in 

response to this solicitation for 

information should focus on (1.) The 

proposal as described in numbers 1–8 of 

the Proposed Action, (2.) possible 

alternatives for addressing issues 

associated with the proposal, and (3.) 

any possible impacts associated with 

the proposal based on an individual’s 

civil rights (race, color, national origin, 

age, religion, gender, disability, political 

beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or 

family status). We are especially 

interested in information that might 

identify a specific undesired result of 

implementing the proposed action. 

Comments received in response to this 

solicitation including names and 

addresses of those who comment will be 

considered part of the public record on 

this proposed action and will be 

available for public inspection. 

Comments submitted anonymously will 

be accepted and considered; however 

those who submit anonymous 

comments will not have standing to 

appeal the subsequent decisions under 

36 CFR parts 215 or 217. 

Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 

1.27(d), any persons may request the 

agency to withhold a submission from 

the public record by showing how the 

FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) 

permits such confidentially. Persons 

requesting such confidentiality should 

be aware that under FOIA 

confidentiality may be granted in only 

very limited circumstances, such as to 

protect trade secrets. 

The Forest Service will inform the 

requester of the agency’s decision 

regarding the request for confidentiality 

and, should the request be denied, 

return the submission and notify the 

requester that the comments may be 

resubmitted with or without name and 

address within 90 days. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review 

A draft environmental impact 

statement will be prepared for comment. 

The comment period on the draft 

environmental impact statement will be 

45 days from the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

76906 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 246 / Thursday, December 23, 2004 / Notices 

publishes the notice of availability in 

the Federal Register. 

The Forest Service believes, at this 

early stage, it is important to give 

reviewers notice of several court rulings 

related to public participation in the 

environmental review process. First, 

reviewers of draft environmental impact 

statements 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. 

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

environmental objections that could be 

raised at the draft environmental impact 

statement stage but that are not raised 

until after completion of the final 

environmental impact statement may be 

waived or dismissed by the courts. City 

of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.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 45 

day 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 

environmental impact statement.

To assist the Forest Service in 

identifying and considering issues and 

concerns on the proposed action, 

comments on the draft environmental 

impact statement should be as specific 

as possible. It is also helpful if 

comments refer to specific pages or 

chapters of the draft statement. 

Comments may also address the 

adequacy of the draft environmental 

impact statement 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.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 

21)

Dated: December 10, 2004. 

Anne F. Archie, 

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 04–28098 Filed 12–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Telephone Bank 

Determination of the 2004 Fiscal Year 

Interest Rates on Rural Telephone 

Bank Loans

AGENCY: Rural Telephone Bank, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of 2004 fiscal year 

interest rates determination. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with 7 CFR 

1610.10, the Rural Telephone Bank 

(Bank) fiscal year 2004 cost of money 

rates have been established as follows: 

6.18% and 5.36% for advances from the 

liquidating account and financing 

account, respectively (fiscal year is the 

period beginning October 1 and ending 

September 30). 

All loan advances made during fiscal 

year 2004 under Bank loans approved in 

fiscal years 1988 through 1991 shall 

bear interest at the rate of 6.18% (the 

liquidating account rate). All loan 

advances made during fiscal year 2004 

under Bank loans approved during or 

after fiscal year 1992 shall bear interest 

at the rate of 5.36% (the financing 

account rate). 

The calculation of the Bank’s cost of 

money rates for fiscal year 2004 for the 

liquidating account and the financing 

account are provided in Tables 1 and 2. 

Since the calculated rates are greater 

than the minimum rate (5.00%) allowed 

under 7 U.S.C. 948(b)(3)(A), the cost of 

money rates for the liquidating account 

and financing account are set at 6.18% 

and 5.36%, respectively. The 

methodology required to calculate the 

cost of money rates is established in 7 

CFR 1610.10(c).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jonathan P. Claffey, Deputy Assistant 

Governor, Rural Telephone Bank, STOP 

1590—Room 5151, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–

1590. Telephone: (202) 720–9556.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 

U.S.C. 661a, et seq.) implemented a 

system to reform the budgetary 

accounting and management of Federal 

credit programs. Bank loans approved 

on or after October 1, 1991, are 

accounted for in a different manner than 

Bank loans approved prior to fiscal year 

1992. As a result, the Bank must 

calculate two cost of money rates: (1) 

The cost of money rate for advances 

made from the liquidating account 

(advances made during fiscal year 2004 

on loans approved prior to October 1, 

1991) and (2) the cost of money rate for 

advances made from the financing 

account (advances made during fiscal 

year 2004 on loans approved on or after 

October 1, 1991). 

The cost of money rate methodology 

is the same for both accounts. It 

develops a weighted average rate for the 

Bank’s cost of money considering total 

fiscal year loan advances; the excess of 

fiscal year loan advances over amounts 

received in the fiscal year from the 

issuance of Class A, B, and C stock, 

debentures and other obligations; and 

the costs to the Bank of obtaining funds 

from these sources. 

During fiscal year 2004, the Bank was 

authorized to pay the following 

dividends: the dividend on Class A 

stock was 2.00% as established in 7 

U.S.C. 946(c); no dividends were 

payable on Class B stock in accordance 

with 7 U.S.C. 946(d); and the dividend 

on Class C stock was established by the 

Bank at 6.00%. 

Sources and Costs of Funds—

Liquidating Account 

In accordance with 7 U.S.C. 946(a), 

the Bank did not issue Class A stock in 

fiscal year 2004. There were no net 

issuances of Class B stock because the 

rescissions of loan funds advanced for 

Class B stock exceeded the amount of 

issuances. The amount received by the 

Bank in fiscal year 2004 from the 

issuance of Class C stock was $36,762. 

The Bank did not issue debentures or 

any other obligations related to the 

liquidating account in fiscal year 2004. 

Consequently, no cost was incurred 

related to the issuance of debentures 

subject to 7 U.S.C. 948(b)(3)(D). 

The excess of fiscal year 2004 loan 

advances from the liquidating account 

over amounts received from issuance of 

stocks, debentures, and other 

obligations amounted to $843,742. The 

cost associated with this excess is the 

historic cost of money rate as defined in 

7 U.S.C. 948(b)(3)(D)(v). The calculation 

of the Bank’s historic cost of money rate 

for advances from the liquidating 

account is also provided in Table 1. The 

methodology required to perform this 

calculation is described in 7 CFR 

1610.10(c). The cost for money rates for 

fiscal years 1974 through 1987 are 

defined in 7 U.S.C. 948(b) and are listed 

in 7 CFR 1610.10(c) and Table 1 herein. 

Sources and Costs of Funds—Financing 

Account 

In accordance with 7 U.S.C. 946(a), 

the Bank did not issue Class A stock in 

fiscal year 2004. Advances for the 

purchase of Class B stock and cash 

purchases for Class B stock were 

$3,193,628. There were rescissions of 

loan funds advanced for Class B stock 

in the amount of $446; therefore, the 

amount received by the Bank from the