[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 184 (Friday, September 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55416-55419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8096]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Recreation Resource Advisory Committees

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to establish Recreation Resource Advisory 
Committees and a call for nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture intends to establish five Forest 
Service Recreation Resource Advisory Committees (Recreation RACs) 
pursuant to Section 4 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act 
(REA) that was passed into law as part of the 2005 Consolidated 
Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 108-447) on December 8, 2004. The 
Recreation RACs will operate in the Pacific Northwest, Pacific 
Southwest, Eastern, and Southern Regions and the State of Colorado and 
will provide recommendations regarding recreation fees to both the 
Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as appropriate. 
The public is invited to submit nominations for membership on the 
Recreation RACs.

DATES: All nominations should be received by the appropriate Regional 
Office by October 23, 2006. If necessary, managers in each region may 
continue accepting applications beyond this date to ensure broad and 
balanced representation on the Recreation RAC. Nominations must contain 
a completed application packet that includes background information and 
other information that addresses a nominee's qualifications. 
Application packets for Recreation RACs can be obtained from the Forest 
Service Regional Offices listed below or on the Web at www.fs.fed.us/
passespermits/rrac.

ADDRESSES:
    Regional Contacts for Recreation RACs:
    1. Pacific Northwest Regional Office: Shandra Terry, Regional 
Public Involvement Coordinator, Public Affairs, 333 SW. 1st Ave., 
Portland, OR 97208, (503) 808-2242.
    2. Pacific Southwest Regional Office: Frances Enkoji, Recreation 
RAC Coordinator, 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592, (707) 562-8846.
    3. Rocky Mountain Regional Office: Pam DeVore, Recreation RAC 
Coordinator, Recreation, Heritage, and

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Wilderness, 740 Simms Street, Golden, CO 80401, (303) 275-5043.
    4. Eastern Regional Office: Marcia Heymen, Recreation RAC 
Coordinator, 626 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202, (414) 297-
3662.
    5. Southern Regional Office: Caroline Mitchell, Planning and 
Recreation, Forest Service, 100 Reserve Street, Hot Springs, AR 71901, 
(501) 321-5318.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Cox, National Recreation RAC 
Coordinator, 333 SW. 1st Avenue, Portland, OR 97208, (503) 808-2984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The REA directs the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the 
Interior, or both to establish Recreation RACs in each State or region 
for Federal recreation lands and waters managed by the Forest Service 
or the BLM. These committees will make recommendations regarding the 
recreation fee program implementing or eliminating standard amenity 
fees; expanded amenity fees; and noncommercial, individual special 
recreation permit fees; expanding or limiting the recreation fee 
program; and fee-level changes.
    The REA grants flexibility in the establishment of Recreation RACs 
by stating that the Secretaries:
    1. May have as many additional Recreation RACs in a State or region 
as the Secretaries consider necessary;
    2. Shall not establish a Recreation RAC in a State if the 
Secretaries determine, in consultation with the Governor of the State, 
that sufficient interest does not exist to ensure that participation on 
the committee is balanced in terms of the points of view represented 
and the functions to be performed; or
    3. May use a resource advisory committee established pursuant to 
another provision of law and in accordance with that law.
    To help determine the appropriate configuration of Recreation RACs, 
the Forest Service and BLM held 11 listening sessions in Idaho; Oregon; 
California; Colorado; Arizona; Nevada; Georgia; and Washington, DC; in 
June and July of 2005. Attendees included key partners, organizations 
with an interest in recreation management on Federal lands, and 
existing BLM and Forest Service advisory council members.
    After the public meetings, conversations with congressional staff, 
internal Agency analysis, and legal review, the Forest Service and BLM 
developed the following advisory organization that has been approved by 
both the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior:
    1. Establishment of five new Recreation RACs for the Forest 
Service's Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest, Eastern, and Southern 
Regions, and the State of Colorado.
    2. Use of existing BLM Resource Advisory Councils (RACs) where 
appropriate;
    3. Use of the existing Forest Service Black Hills National Forest 
Advisory Board; and
    4. Does not establish Recreation RACs where the Secretaries, in 
consultation with the Governor of each State, have determined that 
sufficient interest does not exist as allowed in REA.
    The Secretaries have signed an Interagency Agreement that 
authorizes the Forest Service to using existing BLM RACs and the BLM to 
use Forest Service-established Recreation RACs for the purposes stated 
in REA.

Advisory Committee Organization

    The organizational structure agreed to by the Secretaries is listed 
below by State for the Forest Service (FS) and the BLM:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                              Existing FS
            State                 BLM RAC(s)                         FS recreation RAC                      advisory board        No recreation RAC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama......................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Alaska.......................                    ........................................................  ................  Governor's request.
Arizona......................  BLM and FS.                                                                                   ...........................
Arkansas.....................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
California...................  ................                     Pacific Southwest Region--BLM and FS.                    ...........................
Colorado.....................  ................                                             Colorado--FS.                    ...........................
Connecticut..................  ................                                       No FS or BLM lands.                    ...........................
Delaware.....................  ................                                       No FS or BLM lands.                    ...........................
Florida......................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Georgia......................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Idaho........................  BLM and FS.                                                                                   ...........................
Illinois.....................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Indiana......................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Iowa.........................  ................                                       No FS or BLM lands.                    ...........................
Kansas.......................  ................                                             Colorado--FS.                    ...........................
Kentucky.....................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Louisiana....................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Maine........................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Maryland.....................  ................                                       No FS or BLM lands.                    ...........................
Massachusetts................  ................                                       No FS or BLM lands.                    ...........................
Michigan.....................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Minnesota....................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Mississippi..................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Missouri.....................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Montana......................  BLM and FS.                                                                                   ...........................
Nebraska.....................  ................  ........................................................  ................  Governor's request.
Nevada.......................  BLM and FS.                                                                                   ...........................
New Hampshire................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
New Jersey...................  ................                                       No FS or BLM lands.                    ...........................
New Mexico...................  BLM and FS.                                                                                   ...........................
New York.....................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
North Carolina...............  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
North Dakota.................  BLM and FS will                                                                               ...........................
                                use the Dakotas
                                BLM RAC..

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Ohio.........................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Oklahoma.....................  Black Kettle and     Southern Region--FS Ouachita National Forest will use                    ...........................
                                Rita Blanca                           the Southern Region Recreation RAC.
                                National
                                Grasslands will
                                use a New
                                Mexico BLM RAC.
Oregon.......................  ................                     Pacific Northwest Region--BLM and FS.                    ...........................
Pennsylvania.................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Puerto Rico..................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Rhode Island.................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
South Carolina...............  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.                    ...........................
South Dakota.................  BLM and Dakota    ........................................................  Black Hills       ...........................
                                Prairie                                                                     National Forest
                                National                                                                    will use its
                                Grassland will                                                              Advisory Board.
                                use the Dakotas
                                BLM RAC.
Tennessee....................  ................                                      Southern Region--FS.
Texas........................  Black Kettle,       Southern Region--FS National Forests of Texas will use
                                Rita Blanca,                          the Southern Region Recreation RAC.
                                and McClellen
                                Creek National
                                Grasslands will
                                use a New
                                Mexico BLM RAC.
Vermont......................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.
Virginia.....................  ................                              Southern Region--BLM and FS.                    ...........................
Utah.........................  BLM and FS.                                                                                   ...........................
Washington...................  ................                     Pacific Northwest Region--BLM and FS.                    ...........................
West Virginia................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Wisconsin....................  ................                                       Eastern Region--FS.                    ...........................
Wyoming......................  ................  ........................................................  ................  Governor's request.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nomination and Application Information for Recreation RACs

    Each Forest Service Recreation RAC shall consist of 11 members 
appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. These members shall provide 
a broad and balanced representation from the recreation community as 
follows:
    1. Five persons who represent recreation users and that include, as 
appropriate, the following:
    a. Winter motorized recreation, such as snowmobiling;
    b. Winter nonmotorized recreation, such as snowshoeing, cross-
country and downhill skiing, and snowboarding;
    c. Summer motorized recreation, such as motorcycles, boaters, and 
off-highway vehicles;
    d. Summer nonmotorized recreation, such as backpacking, horseback 
riding, mountain biking, canoeing, and rafting; and
    e. Hunting and fishing.
    2. Three persons who represent interest groups that include, as 
appropriate, the following:
    a. Motorized outfitters and guides;
    b. Nonmotorized outfitters and guides; and
    c. Local environmental groups.
    3. Three persons, as follows:
    a. A State tourism official to represent the State;
    b. A person who represents affected Indian tribes; and
    c. A person who represents affected local government interests.
    Any individual or organization may nominate one or more qualified 
persons to represent the interests listed above to serve on the 
Recreation RAC. To be considered for membership, nominees must--
    1. Identify what interest group they would represent and how they 
are qualified to represent that group;
    2. State why they want to serve on the committee and what they can 
contribute;
    3. Show their past experience in working successfully as part of a 
collaborative group; and
    4. Complete Form AD-755, Advisory Committee or Research and 
Promotion Background Information.
    Letters of recommendation are welcome. Individuals may also 
nominate themselves. Nominees do not need to live in a State within a 
particular Recreation RAC area of jurisdiction nor live in a State in 
which Forest Service-managed lands are located.
    Application packets, including evaluation criteria and the AD-755 
form, are available at http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/rrac or by 
contacting the respective regions identified in this notice. Nominees 
must submit all documents to the appropriate regional contact. 
Additional information about recreation fees and REA is available at 
http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/about-rec-fees.shtml.
    The Agency will also work with Governors and county officials to 
identify potential nominees.
    The Agency will review the applications and prepare a list of 
qualified applicants from which the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
appoint both committee members and alternates. An alternate will become 
a participating member of the Recreation RACs only if the member for 
whom the alternate is appointed to replace leaves the committee 
permanently.
    Recreation RAC members serve without pay but are reimbursed for 
travel and per diem expenses for regularly scheduled committee 
meetings. All Recreation RAC meetings are open to the public and an 
open public forum is part of each meeting. Meeting dates and times will 
be

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determined by Agency officials in consultation with the Recreation RAC 
members, when the committee is formed.

    Dated: August 31, 2006.
Boyd K. Rutherford,
Assistant Secretary for Administration.
[FR Doc. 06-8096 Filed 9-19-06; 3:07 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-U