40076 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices

Description of Information Collection

The following describes the

information collection to be extended:

Title: FS–2800–14, Application for

Prospecting Permit.

OMB Number: 0596–0089.

Expiration Date of Approval: August

31, 2000.

Type of Request: Extension of an

information collection currently

approved by the Office of Management

and Budget.

Abstract: Forest Service personnel

evaluate the collected information to

ensure that oil and gas companies,

lessees, exploration companies, or

independent, energy exploration

operators, applying to conduct

geophysical operations on National

Forest System lands, comply with the

authorizing legislation and regulations

described in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice and

with the National Environmental Policy

Act (42 U.S.C. 4521–4347). The National

Environmental Protection Act requires

all land managers to consider an

activity’s impact to the environment and

to determine the measures required to

mitigate those impacts prior to making

a decision on the request for a permit.

Oil and gas companies, lessees,

exploration companies, or independent,

energy exploration operators apply to

conduct geophysical operations by

completing the form, FS–2800–14,

Application for Prospecting Permit, or

by supplying the same information in a

format of their choice.

Oil and gas companies, lessees,

exploration companies, or independent,

energy exploration operators are asked

to provide information that includes the

type and size of the proposed activity,

the location of the proposed geophysical

operation, the equipment that will be

used in the proposed geophysical

operation, the timing of the operation,

and administrative information, such as

the applicant’s mailing address, the

applicant’s telephone number, and the

applicant’s responsible local operator or

company representative.

Data gathered in this information

collection are not available from other

sources.

Estimate of Annual Burden: 15

minutes.

Type of Respondents: Oil and gas

companies, mineral lessees, energy

exploration companies, and

independent, energy exploration

operators.

Estimated Annual Number of

Respondents: 20.

Estimated Annual Number of

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 5 hours.

Comment is Invited

The agency invites comments on the

following: (a) Whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the stated purposes and the proper

performance of the functions of the

agency, including whether the

information will have practical or

scientific utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including the use of

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology.

Use of Comments

All comments received in response to

this notice, including names and

addresses when provided, will become

a matter of public record. Comments

will be summarized and included in the

request for Office of Management and

Budget approval.

Dated: June 21, 2000.

Sally Collins,

Associate Deputy Chief, NFS.

[FR Doc. 00–16507 Filed 6–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Crossroads Project, Mark Twain

National Forest, Phelps and Pulaski

Counties, Missouri

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The project area is located on

Forest Service Lands within the Spring

Creek and Lower Big Piney Creek

watersheds east of Fort Leonard Wood

Military Reservation and Big Piney

River, and south and west of Flat,

Missouri, T34N, R9W, Sections 4–6;

T35N, R9W, Sections 28–34; T35N,

R10W, Sections 1–3, 8–17, 21–27, 35,

36; and, T36N, R10W, Sections 34–36,

Fifth Principal Meridian.

The Forest Service will prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS) to

analyze and disclose the environmental

effects of the project.

The primary purpose of this project is

to maintain the project area’s forest

ecosystems ecological structure and

function within a natural condition

utilizing vegetative management and

other restoration activities. The existing

condition does not meet the desired

future conditions (DFC) described in the

Mark Twain National Forest Plan

(MTFP) and the projected successional

stages are not anticipated to meet the

DFC described in the Mark Twain

National Forest Plan.

DATES: Initial comments concerning the

scope of the analysis should be received

on or before July 31, 2000 to receive

timely consideration in the preparation

of the draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and

suggestions on the proposed action or

requests to be placed on the project

mailing list to: John C. Bisbee, District

Ranger, Houston/Rolla/Cedar Creek

Ranger District, 108 South Sam Houston

Boulevard, Houston, Missouri 65483. Email should have a subject line that

reads ‘‘NEPA Houston’’ and be sent to:

mailroom_r9 mark_twain@fs.fed.us

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark Hamel, Project Leader/NEPA

Coordinator, Houston/Rolla/Cedar Creek

Ranger District, 108 South Sam Houston

Boulevard, Houston, Missouri 65483,

phone (417) 967–4194.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

following proposed projects would

move the Crossroads area towards the

desired future condition for the area

(Mark Twain Forest Plan pg. IV–115 to

IV–123). Note: several activities may

occur on the same acre. The Forest

Service’s proposed action includes the

following possible actions: (1) Designate

approximately 1,500 acres of old

growth, (2) maintain early successional

habitat on approximately 650 acres

through mechanical means (haying,

bush hogging,) and/or grazing, (3)

maintain early successional habitat

through burning on approximately 1,600

acres, (4) restore and develop savanna

habitat on approximately 150 acres

through firewood cutting and burning,

(5) restore glade habitat on

approximately 130 acres through

mechanical treatment and burning, (6)

restore bottomland riparian habitat by

planting hardwoods on approximately

50 acres, (7) for forest health and fuels

management, prescribe burn

approximately 2,100 acres, (8) plant

approximately 50 acres of gamma grass

for wildlife habitat, (9) treat

approximately 1,400 acres with

unevenage management (including

group selection and group shelterwood)

to meet woodland habitat objectives that

exhibit a condition of 20–30 percent

forbs, grass and shrub age class

requirements, (10) treat approximately

700 acres with regeneration cuts

(shelterwood and clearcut) to meet the

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices 40077

0–9 age class woodland habitat, (11)

improve existing river access and

parking facilities for canoeists, (12)

relocate an existing river access site and

access road for public safety and

watershed concerns, (13) close a range

allotment to future cattle grazing for soil

and water resource protection, (14)

connect several miles of existing

unconnected non-motorized trails, (15)

enhance habitat for upland game

wildlife species on approximately 50

acres by planting food plots, (16)

construct approximately 10 miles of

temporary roads (which will be closed

after use) to facilitate wildlife habitat

improvement and the removal of wood

products, (17) close approximately 1

mile of existing system road, and (18)

rehab approximately 2 miles of old road

corridor for watershed protection.

The overall objective is to move

Management Area 3.4–18 toward the

desired future condition outlined in the

Mark Twain Forest Plan.

The scope of this analysis is limited

to activities related to the purpose and

need and measures necessary to mitigate

the effects these activities may have on

the environment. The decision will

include if, when, how, and where to

schedule: wildlife habitat improvement

activities, watershed, glade, and

savanna improvement activities,

temporary road construction and

closure, forest habitat treatments,

prescribed burning, recreation site

improvement and access management,

resource protection measures,

monitoring, and other follow-up

activities.

A project in the same vicinity was

originally presented to the public for

review and comment (scoping) in April

of 1997 (Project Name: MA 3.4–18) prior

to undertaking preparation of an

Environmental Assessment (EA). In

1999 after modification to the MA 3.4–

18 project boundary, the project was

presented to the public again (Project

Name: Crossroads Projects). Since

September 1999, additional changes

have been made to the proposal and

today the decision has been made to

prepare an EIS. Many years of

experience implementing similar types

of activities in the same vicinity have

shown us that the effects are not

significant. We therefore do not feel that

an EIS is required. However, due to the

increase in appeals and litigation over

the last few years and for wise fiscal

efficiency, we have decided to try a new

public participation approach for this

particular project and prepare an EIS.

This Notice of Intent serves as notice of

the intent to prepare an EIS for the

Crossroads Project. The comments

received as a result of the public

participation for the analysis will be

brought forward for the EIS.

Preliminary comments made by the

public and agencies were considered in

the development of the tentative or

preliminary issues. These are as follows:

effects on Threatened, Endangered, and

Sensitive (TES) species and

Management Indicator Species (MIS);

concern over new road construction,

and road closures; concern over

motorized recreational access; direct,

indirect and cumulative effects; current

and designated old growth; forest

health, in relation to the current

vegetative patterns, structures, and

species composition; and, effects of

restoration activities to the overall

watershed.

Public participation will continue to

be an important part of the project,

commencing with the EIS initial

scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7), which

starts with publication of this notice and

continues for the next 30 days. In

addition, the public is encouraged to

visit with Forest Service officials at any

time during the analysis and prior to the

decision. The Forest Service will be

seeking information, comments, and

assistance from Federal, State, and local

agencies, the Osage Tribe, and other

individuals or organizations that may be

interested in or affected by the proposed

action.

Comments from the public and other

agencies will be used in preparation of

the draft EIS. The scoping process will

be used to: identify potential issues;

identify additional alternatives to the

proposed action; and, identify potential

environmental effects of the proposed

action and alternatives (i.e., direct,

indirect, and cumulative effects).

While public participation in this

analysis is welcome at any time,

comments received within 30 days of

the publication of this notice will be

especially useful in the preparation of

the draft EIS, which is expected top be

filed with the Environmental Protection

Agency and available for public review

in August 2000. A 45-day comment

period will follow publication of a

Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in

the Federal Register. The comments

received will be analyzed and

considered in preparation of a final EIS,

which we expect to file in October 2000.

A Record of Decision will be issued not

less than 30 days after publication of a

Notice of Availability of the final EIS in

the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes it is

important at this early stage to give

reviews notice of several court rulings

related to public participation in the

environmental review process. First,

reviewers of the draft EIS must structure

their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal in such a way

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, 513

(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, 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 of the draft EIS in

order that substantive comments and

objections and available to the Forest

Service at a time when it can

meaningful 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 should be as

specific as possible. 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 responsible official for this

environmental impact statement is

Randy Moore, Forest Supervisor, Mark

Twain National Forest.

Dated: June 15, 2000.

John C. Bisbee,

District Ranger, Houston/Rolla/Cedar Creek

Ranger District, Mark Twain National Forest,

108 South Sam Houston Boulevard, Houston,

Missouri 65483.

[FR Doc. 00–16452 Filed 6–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Notice of Availability of Proposed

Changes to Conservation Practice

standards in Section IV of the Field

Office Technical Guide of the NRCS in

South Dakota for Review and

Comment

SUMMARY: It is the intention of the NRCS

in South Dakota to issue revised

conservation practice standards in

Section IV of the FOTG for the practice

‘‘Animal Trails and Walkways.’’

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received within 30 days from the

publication date in the Federal Register.