49414 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 163 / Wednesday, August 23, 2006 / Notices 

Notice by District Rangers of 

Availability for Comment and Decisions: 

Laramie District: Laramie Daily 

Boomerang, published daily in Laramie, 

Albany County, Wyoming. 

Douglas District: Casper Star-Tribune, 

published daily in Casper, Natrona 

County, Wyoming. 

Brush Creek—Hayden District: 

Rawlins Daily Times, published daily in 

Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming. 

Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming 

Notice by Forest Supervisor of 

Availability for Comment and Decisions: 

Cody Enterprise, published twice 

weekly in Cody, Park County, Wyoming. 

Notice by District Rangers of 

Availability for Comment and Decisions: 

Clarks Fork District: Powell Tribune, 

published twice weekly in Powell, Park 

County, Wyoming. 

Wapiti and Greybull Districts: Cody 

Enterprise, published twice weekly in 

Cody, Park County, Wyoming. 

Wind River District: The Dubois 

Frontier, published weekly in Dubois, 

Fremont County, Wyoming. 

Washakie District: Lander Journal, 

published twice weekly in Lander, 

Fremont County, Wyoming. 

Dated: August 9, 2006. 

Richard C. Stem, 

Deputy Regional Forester, Resources, Rocky 

Mountain Region. 

[FR Doc. E6–13949 Filed 8–22–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Black Hills National Forest, Northern 

Hills Ranger District, South Dakota and 

Bearlodge Ranger District, Wyoming—

North Zone Range 05 Proposal and 

Analysis 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Revised notice of intent to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement. 

SUMMARY: This project will revise 

Rangeland Allotment Management 

Plans (RAMP) for eight allotments 

comprising about 79,634 acres within 

two Ranger Districts of the Black Hills 

National Forest, and analyze continued 

grazing within the constraints of the 

Revised Black Hills National Forest 

Land and Resource Management Plan, 

as amended (BHNF LRMP). A Notice of 

Intent to prepare an environmental 

impact statement for this project was 

published August 17, 2005 (70 FR 

48369). More than six months have 

elapsed since the projected FEIS date in 

that original NOI. This revised NOI is 

being issued to update the project 

schedule. 

DATES: The Notice of Availability of the 

draft environmental impact statement 

was published in the Federal Register 

on July 7, 2006 (71 FR 38641). The final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in September, 2006. No further 

formal public comment opportunities 

will be offered on this project. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Alice Allen, Project Coordinator, Black 

Hills National Forest, Hell Canyon 

Ranger District, at 330 Mt. Rushmore 

Rd., phone (605) 673–4853. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action: The 

purpose of the project is to authorize 

livestock grazing in an environmentally 

acceptable manner. The EIS will 

determine current conditions, analyze 

environmental consequences of grazing 

management actions on those 

conditions, and assist the decision 

maker in selecting management/ 

monitoring strategies consistent with 

meeting desired conditions in the BHNF 

LRMP, including Goals 1, 2 and 3. The 

need for the action is to revise allotment 

management plans, reverse any existing 

undesirable conditions, and ensure that 

authorized uses and associated 

management activities move them 

towards desired BHNF LRMP 

conditions. There is also a need to 

respond to requests for grazing permits 

on lands not currently being grazed. 

Proposed Action: The Northern Hills 

and Bearlodge Ranger Districts propose 

to implement best management 

practices and activities with adaptive 

management and monitoring strategies 

to allow livestock grazing consistent 

with Forest Plan desired conditions, 

standards and guidelines. The Proposed 

Action is Alternative A in the EIS. 

Issues: Key issues include impacts of 

the proposal to soil and water quality; 

vegetative diversity; wildlife and 

wildlife habitat; economic efficiency of 

the proposal; timeframe for achieving 

desired conditions; and management of 

the recently acquired Besant Park, 

Tilson and Gonzales parcels. 

Alternatives: Alternative B is similar 

to Alternative A, but would authorize 

livestock grazing on three additional 

recently acquired parcels and add these 

to adjacent existing allotments. 

Alternative D, the No Action 

Alternative, is the No Grazing 

Alternative and would eliminate any 

livestock grazing on the project area. 

Alternative E proposes the use of rest 

periods to achieve faster recovery of 

riparian areas. Alternative F would 

move the area toward desired 

conditions by means of reduced 

stocking rates, mandatory use of range 

riders, or other non-structural adaptive 

management actions. No new range 

improvements are proposed. Alternative 

C, current management, was dismissed 

from detailed consideration. 

Responsible Official 

The Responsible Official for the 

allotments on the Bearlodge Ranger 

District is Steve Kozel, District Ranger, 

Black Hills National Forest, Bearlodge 

Ranger District, 121 S. 21st Street, 

Sundance, Wyoming 82729. The 

Responsible Official for the allotments 

on the Northern Hills Ranger District is 

the District Ranger, Black Hills National 

Forest, Northern Hills Ranger District, 

2014 N. Main St., Spearfish, South 

Dakota 57783. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decision to be made is whether to 

continue to permit livestock grazing on 

all, part, or none of these allotments 

and, if so, under what terms and 

conditions to ensure that desired 

condition objectives are met, or that 

movement occurs toward those 

objectives. The Northern Hills District 

Ranger will also decide whether or not 

to allow livestock graing on three 

recently acquired parcels and one 

vacant grazing unit, and if so, under 

what conditions. 

Public Comment 

Comments and input regarding the 

proposal were requested from the 

public, other groups and agencies via 

direct mailing on March 21, 2005. 

Additional comments were solicited 

during August and September 2005 via 

public notices and an additional direct 

mailing. The Draft EIS was issued for a 

45-day public comment in July, 2006. 

No further formal public comment 

opportunities will be offered on this 

project. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review: The following 

was published as part of the original 

Notice of Intent. 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 

published 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 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 163 / Wednesday, August 23, 2006 / Notices 49415 

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 1900.15, Section 

21) 

Dated: August 17, 2006. 

Craig Bobzien, 

Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest. 

[FR Doc. 06–7104 Filed 8–22–06; 8:45am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Notice of Public Meeting, Davy 

Crockett National Forest Resource 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Secure 

Rural Schools and Community Self 

Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. No. 

106–393) and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Davy Crockett National Forest 

Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) 

meeting will meet on September 21, 

2006. 

DATES: The Davy Crockett National 

Forest RAC meeting will be held on 

September 21, 2006. 

ADDRESSES: The Davy Crockett National 

Forest RAC meeting will be held at the 

Davy Crockett Ranger Station located on 

State Highway 7, approximately onequarter mile west of FM 227 in Houston 

County, Texas. The meeting will begin 

at 6 p.m. and adjourn at approximately 

9 p.m. There will be a public comment 

period. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Raoul Gagne, District Ranger, Davy 

Crockett National Forest, Rt. 1, Box 55 

FS, Kennard, Texas 75847: Telephone 

936–655–2299 or e-mail at 

rgagne@fs.fed.us. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Davy 

Crockett National Forest RAC proposes 

projects and funding to the Secretary of 

Agriculture under section 203 of the 

Secure Rural Schools and Community 

Self Determination Act of 2000. The 

purpose of the September 21, 2006 

meeting is to review the status of 

approved projects and discuss and 

approve additional project proposals to 

submit to the Forest Supervisor for the 

National Forests and Grasslands in 

Texas. These meetings are open to the 

public. The public may present written 

comments to the RAC. Each formal RAC 

meeting will also have time allocated for 

hearing public comments. Depending on 

the number of persons wishing to 

comment and time available, the time 

for individual oral comments may be 

limited. 

Dated: August 17, 2006. 

Raoul W. Gagne, 

Designated Federal Officer, Davy Crockett 

National Forest RAC. 

[FR Doc. 06–7098 Filed 8–22–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

Notice of Proposed Change to Section 

IV of the Virginia State Technical Guide 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of 

proposed changes in the Virginia NRCS 

State Technical Guide for review and 

comment. 

SUMMARY: It has been determined by the 

NRCS State Conservationist for Virginia 

that changes must be made in the NRCS 

State Technical Guide specifically in 

practice standards: #328, Conservation 

Crop Rotation, #329, Residue and 

Tillage Management No Till/Strip Till/ 

Direct Seed, #345, Residue and Tillage 

Management Mulch Till, #528, 

Prescribed Grazing and #612, Tree/ 

Shrub Establishment. These practices 

will be used to plan and install 

conservation practices on cropland, 

pastureland, woodland, and wildlife 

land. 

DATES: Comments will be received for a 

30-day period commencing with the 

date of this publication. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Inquire in writing to M. Denise Doetzer, 

State Conservationist, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS), 1606 

Santa Rosa Road, Suite 209, Richmond, 

Virginia 23229–5014; Telephone 

number (804) 287–1665; Fax number 

(804) 287–1736. Copies of the practice 

standards will be made available upon 

written request to the address shown 

above or on the Virginia NRCS Web site: 

http://www.va.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ 

draftstandards.html. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

343 of the Federal Agriculture 

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 

states that revisions made after 

enactment of the law to NRCS State 

technical guides used to carry out 

highly erodible land and wetland 

provisions of the law shall be made 

available for public review and 

comment. For the next 30 days, the 

NRCS in Virginia will receive comments 

relative to the proposed changes. 

Following that period, a determination 

will be made by the NRCS in Virginia 

regarding disposition of those comments 

and a final determination of change will 

be made to the subject standards. 

W. Ray Dorsett, 

Assistant State Conservationist (Operations), 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, 

Richmond, Virginia. 

[FR Doc. E6–13752 Filed 8–22–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 


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