Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 242 / Friday, December 17, 2004 / Notices 75503

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency 

Request for Revision and Extension of 

a Currently Approved Information 

Collection

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intent of the Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) to request 

renewal of the information collection 

currently approved and used in support 

of the FSA Farm Loan Programs (FLP). 

This information collection has been 

revised for clarification in conjunction 

with the request for extension of the 

burden package.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received on or before February 15, 2005 

to be assured consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sam 

Snyder, USDA, Farm Service Agency, 

Loan Making Division, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 

0522, Washington, DC 20250–0522; 

Telephone (202) 720–0599; Electronic 

mail: Sam.Snyder@wdc.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Title: Form 

FSA 440–32, Verification of Debts and 

Assets. 

OMB Control Number: 0560–0166. 

Expiration Date: June 30, 2005. 

Type of Request: Extension and 

Revision of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection. 

Abstract: Form FSA 440–32 is 

necessary to ensure the accuracy of 

information obtained in connection 

with applications for FSA direct loan 

assistance. It is used to verify debt 

information provided by applicants in 

order to determine their suitability for 

an Operating, Farm Ownership or 

Emergency loan. Additionally, it is used 

by FSA to verify debts and assets of 

borrowers requesting primary and 

preservation loan servicing or debt 

settlement. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 15 minutes per 

response. 

Respondents: Individual farmers, farm 

or other business entities and financial 

institutions. 

Estimated Number of Respondents:

24,031. 

Estimated Number of Responses Per 

Respondent: 3. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 18,024. 

Comments are invited on the 

following: (a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. These comments should be 

sent to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget, Washington, DC 20503 and to 

Sam Snyder, Senior Loan Officer, 

USDA, Farm Service Agency, Loan 

Making Division, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., STOP 0522, Washington, 

DC 20250–0522. 

Comments will be summarized and 

included in the request for Office of 

Management and Budget approval of the 

information collection. All comments 

will also become a matter of public 

record.

Signed in Washington, DC on December 9, 

2004. 

James R. Little, 

Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

[FR Doc. 04–27602 Filed 12–16–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Hoosier National Forest, IN; Tell City 

Windthrow 2004 Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act, 

notice is hereby given that the Forest 

Service, Tell City Ranger District of the 

Hoosier National Forest will prepare a 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) to disclose the environmental 

consequences of the proposed Tell City 

Windthrow 2004 Project. On July 13, 

2004, a severe storm producing winds at 

70 to 80 miles per hour moved across 

southern Indiana. Heavy rain and high 

winds altered the stand structure of the 

forest with down and damaged trees. In 

the EIS, the USDA Forest Service will 

address the potential environmental 

impacts of salvage harvesting and 

prescribed burning. See the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for 

the purpose and need of the action.

DATES: The public comment period will 

be for 30 days from the date this notice 

is published in the Federal Register. 

Comments and suggestions concerning 

the scope of the analysis should be 

submitted (postmarked) 30 days 

following this publication to ensure 

timely consideration. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in the fall of 2005, and the 

final environmental impact statement is 

expected in the winter of 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit written or e-mail 

comments by: Mail-Tell City Windthrow 

2004 Project, Attn: Mary Schoeppel, 

Tell City Ranger District, Tell City, IN 

47586 or e-mail 

r9_hoosier_website@fs.fed.us. Please 

note: when commenting by e-mail, be 

sure to list Tell City Windthrow 2004 

Project in the subject line and include 

a U.S. Postal Service address so we may 

add you to our mailing list.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary J. Schoeppel, project team leader 

at 812–547–7051. See the 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

http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/hoosier.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The primary purpose of this project is 

to implement management direction 

outlined in the Hoosier National Forest 

Land and Resource Management Plan 

while addressing site-specific needs and 

opportunities to move the project from 

the existing condition towards the 

desired condition. The following list 

describes the ‘‘needs for action’’ for the 

project to meet the purpose of 

implementing Forest Plan direction.

—Action is needed to address safety 

concerns along roads, trails, high use 

areas, and property boundaries. 

—The risk of a wildland fire has 

increased as a result of the wind 

thrown timber. Many areas have 

down timber on greater than 50% of 

the identified area. Therefore, there is 

a need to improve public safety by 

reducing the potential for highintensity fires to develop and spread. 

This can be accomplished by 

changing the horizontal continuity of 

fuels and reducing the amount of 

available fuel such as through 

prescribed burning.

—There is a need to salvage portions of 

the damaged area in a timely manner 

to capture timber product values that 

would be lost due to insect damage 

and decay with time.

75504 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 242 / Friday, December 17, 2004 / Notices 

—Salvage operations and prescribed 

burning would expedite the transition 

toward a more natural appearing 

landscape and help promote oakhickory regeneration on the Forest, 

thus encouraging diversity of species. 

—There is a need to provide timber to 

meet people’s demand for wood 

products such as furniture, paper, 

fiber, and construction materials. The 

Forest Plan identifies areas suitable 

for timber production. 

Proposed Action 

The Forest proposes to salvage harvest 

trees that are recently down or leaning, 

severely damaged, or identified as 

hazard trees throughout the project area. 

Trees deemed hazardous are those that 

adversely affect public safety, including 

logging operations and management 

activities, facilities, and public visitors 

using the forest. Trees would be 

retained to provide wildlife habitat and 

long-term snag recruitment. Salvage 

activities would occur on approximately 

3,100 acres. 

This project proposes prescribed 

burning. General activities to be 

undertaken in preparing or executing 

prescribed fires could include fire line 

construction, hazard tree mitigation, 

and mop-up. Where possible, roads, 

trails, and streams would be used as 

natural breaks to minimize fire line 

construction. Any rehabilitation 

measures for fire lines would be 

determined by Forest Service 

specialists. All proposed prescribed 

fires would have a prescribed fire plan 

prior to the burn. This activity would 

occur on approximately 5,590 acres. 

Road construction activities are 

anticipated on approximately 27 miles 

to facilitate the removal of salvage 

material and minimize resource damage. 

This could include road reconstruction 

and road maintenance on existing road 

corridors. Temporary roads may be built 

to minimize resource damage and later 

decommissioned. 

Responsible Official 

Kenneth G. Day, Forest Supervisor; 

Hoosier National Forest; 811 

Constitution Avenue; Bedford, Indiana 

47421. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decision to be made is whether 

the activities should proceed as 

proposed, proceed as modified by an 

alternative or be deferred at this time. 

Scoping Process 

The Hoosier National Forest proposes 

to scope for information by contacting 

persons and organizations on the 

Hoosier’s mailing list and publishing a 

notice in the local newspaper. The 

present solicitation is for comments on 

this Notice of Intent and scoping 

material available elsewhere, such as on 

the Forest Web page. 

Comment Requested 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement.

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 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. 

NRDC, 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. 

Comments received, including the 

names and addresses of those who 

comment, will be considered part of the 

public record on this proposal and will 

be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 

21)

Dated: December 10, 2004. 

Kenneth G. Day, 

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 04–27591 Filed 12–16–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration 

United States Standards for Beans

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration, USDA.

ACTION: Notice with opportunity to 

comment. 

SUMMARY: The Grain Inspection, Packers 

and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) 

is proposing to remove the special grade 

designation ‘‘off-color’’ from the United 

States Standards for Beans. GIPSA will 

continue to offer assessments for color 

uniformity on a request only basis. This 

action will facilitate the marketing of 

beans from many different regions.

DATES: Comments must be received by 

January 18, 2005.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit 

comments on the proposed rule. You 

may submit comments by any of the 

following methods: 

• E-mail: Send comments via 

electronic mail to 

comments.gipsa@usda.gov.

• Mail: Send hardcopy written 

comments to Tess Butler, GIPSA, USDA, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 

1647–S, Washington, DC, 20250–3604. 

• Fax: Send comments by facsimile 

transmission to: (202) 690–2755. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver 

comments to: Tess Butler, GIPSA, 

USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Room 1647–S, Washington, DC, 

20250–3604. 

All comments should make reference 

to the date and page number of this 

issue of the Federal Register. 

To read comments: All comments 

received will be made available for 

public inspection at the above address 

during regular business hours (7 CFR 

1.27(b)). 

The current United States Standards 

for Beans are available by accessing 

GIPSA’s Home Page on the Internet at: