[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 111 (Thursday, June 8, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 36395-36396]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14309]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

36 CFR Chapter II


Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Fixed Anchors in 
Wilderness

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Negotiated rulemaking; public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture has established a negotiated 
rulemaking committee to develop recommendations for a proposed rule for 
the placement, use, and removal of fixed anchors used for recreational 
rock climbing purposes in congressionally designated wilderness areas 
administered by the Forest Service. This committee, called the Fixed 
Anchors in Wilderness Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee, is made 
up of individuals representing a cross section of interests with a 
definable stake in the outcome of the proposed rule. The Committee has 
been established in accordance with the provisions of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act and will be engaged in the process of negotiated 
rulemaking pursuant to the provisions of the Negotiated Rulemaking Act.

DATES: The first two meetings of the advisory committee will be held in 
Golden, Colorado on June 27-28 and July 19-20. The meetings are 
scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the first day and from 8:30 a.m. 
to 3:00 p.m. on the second day of each session.

ADDRESSES: The advisory committee meetings will be held at the Rocky 
Mountain Regional Office, Forest Service, 740 Simms Street, Golden, 
Colorado.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Stokes, Recreation, Heritage, 
and Wilderness Resources, (202) 205-0956.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 29, 1999, the Secretary of Agriculture published in the 
Federal Register a notice of intent (64 FR 58368) to establish a 
negotiated rulemaking advisory committee to assist in the development 
of a proposed rule regarding the placement, use, and removal of fixed 
anchors in congressionally designated wilderness areas administered by 
the Forest Service. The Secretary received over 1,300 responses on the 
notice of intent. All of the comments are available for public 
inspection at the Forest Service's national office in Washington, DC. 
Arrangements to view the comments

[[Page 36396]]

may be made by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    The Secretary has determined to proceed with resolving the issue on 
the placement, use and removal of fixed anchors in the wilderness areas 
on National Forest System lands through the negotiated rulemaking 
process pursuant to the Negotiated Rulemaking Act, 5 U.S.C. 561 et seq. 
An advisory committee has been established which consists of an agency 
representative and other parties representing a broad cross section of 
the interests significantly affected by the rulemaking. Through a 
series of meetings, the members of the advisory committee are expected 
to negotiate in good faith to reach a consensus on recommendations for 
a proposed rule.
    The Committee's meetings will serve as a forum in which the 
committee members can discuss issues involved in regulating the use of 
fixed anchors for recreational climbing purposes in wilderness areas 
administered by the Forest Service. This process is expected to enable 
the agency to develop and promulgate effective regulations governing 
the use of these devices within wilderness areas on National Forest 
System lands.
    The meetings of the Committee will be open to the public so that 
individuals who are not part of the Committee may attend and observe. 
Any person attending the Committee meetings may address the Committee, 
if time permits, and may file written statements with the Committee.
    Consistent with FACA requirements, the facilitator must prepare 
summaries of each Committee meeting. These summaries and all documents 
submitted to the Committee must be placed in the rulemaking docket, 
which is available for public inspection through the contact person 
named in this notice.

Committee Membership

    The members of the committee, and their affiliation, if any, are 
listed as follows: Lloyd Athearn, American Alpine Club, Golden, CO; 
Kathleen Beamer, Recreation Equipment Incorporated, Seattle, WA; Frank 
Buono, retired National Park Service Assistant Superintendent, 
Prineville, OR; David Custer, recreational rock climber, Cambridge, MA; 
Sam Davidson, The Access Fund, Salinas, CA; Larry Gadt, Forest Service, 
Washington, DC; Brian Huse, National Parks and Conservation 
Association, Oakland, CA; Stefan Jackson, National Outdoor Leadership 
School, Bridgton, ME; Myrna Johnson, Outdoor Recreation Coalition of 
America, Boulder, CO; Jon Krakauer, author/mountain climber, Boulder, 
CO; Craig Mackey, Outward Bound, Golden, CO; John McCarthy, Idaho 
Conservation League, Boise, ID; William Maher Jr., recreational 
climber, Alexandria, VA; Patrick Mullaney, The Mountaineers, Seattle, 
WA; Douglas Medville, National Speological Society, VA; George Nickas, 
Wilderness Watch, Missoula, MT; Phil Powers, The American Mountain 
Guide Association, Lander, Wy; Kevin Proescholdt, Friends of the 
Boundary Waters Wilderness, Minneapolis, MN; Scott Silver, Wild 
Wilderness, Bend, OR; Jay Watson, The Wilderness Society, San 
Francisco, CA; Jeff Widen, The Sierra Club, Durango, CO; Rick Wilcox, 
Mountain Rescue Service, Eaton, NH; and Steve Wolper, recreational rock 
climber, Ketchum, ID.

    Dated: May 31, 2000.
Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Associate Chief for Natural Resources.
[FR Doc. 00-14309 Filed 6-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M