[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 26, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 24446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10345]



[[Page 24446]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Survey and Manage Strategy for National Forests and Bureau of 
Land Management Districts Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl

AGENCIES: Forest Service, USDA; Bureau of Land Management, USDI.

ACTION:  Revised notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The original notice of intent (NOI) was published in Federal 
Register on November 25, 1998 (63 FR 65167).
    This notice stated that the Forest Service and Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) were in the process of preparing a Supplemental EIS 
(SEIS) considering alternatives to make changes in mitigation measures 
first adopted in the Standards and Guidelines for Management of habitat 
for Late-Successional and Old-Growth Forest Related Species Within the 
Range of the Northern Spotted Owl (Northwest Forest Plan), and 
incorporated into planning documents for administrative units of the 
Forest Service and BLM. This revised NOI changes how the Record of 
Decision will be issued; changes the Responsible Official; changes what 
Forest Service planning documents are being amended, corrects the 
statements concerning appeal procedures; and changes the title of the 
SEIS. The Final SEIS is expected to be released in May 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hugh Snook, EIS Team Coordinator, P.O. 
Box 3623, Portland, Oregon 97208-3623, telephone (503) 808-2197.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A single Record of Decision will be issued 
and will apply to public lands within the range of the Northern Spotted 
Owl that are administered by the BLM and the Forest Service. This 
includes lands in Oregon, Washington, and northern California. The 
Record of Decision will be signed jointly by the two responsible 
officials.
    The responsible officials for this document have been changed. The 
responsible official for lands administered by the Forest Service will 
be the Secretary of Agriculture. The responsible official for public 
lands administered by the BLM will be the Secretary of Interior.
    In addition to Land and Resource Management Plans for National 
Forests and Resource Management Plans for BLM Districts as listed in 
the original NOI, selection of an alternative of this SEIS would amend 
Forest Service Regional Guides for the Pacific Northwest and Pacific 
Southwest Regions.
    The Record of Decision for this SEIS will not be subject to appeal 
under either Forest Service or BLM appeal procedures. A decision by the 
Secretary of Agriculture is not subject to administrative appeal under 
the Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR Part 217). A decision by 
the Secretary of Interior is not subject to administrative appeal under 
BLM protest procedures (43 CFR 4.410). Therefore, the Record of 
Decision will be the final agency for amendment of these standards and 
guidelines in the applicable planning documents.
    In the original NOI, the title for the SEIS was identified as 
``Survey an Manage Strategy for National Forests and Bureau of Land 
management Districts Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl''. 
The changed title more accurately reflects the analysis and decision to 
be made. Therefore, this title is revised to: ``For Amendment to the 
Survey and Manage, Protection Buffer, and Other Mitigation Measures 
Standards and Guidelines''.

    Dated: April 19, 2000.
Harv Forsgren,
Regional Forester, Pacific Northwest Region, Forest Service.
    April 14, 2000.
Elaine Y. Zielinski,
State Director, Oregon and Washington, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 00-10345 Filed 4-25-00; 8:45 am]
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