Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 22 / Thursday, February 2, 2006 / Notices 5639 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this form is estimated to 

average .5 hours per response. 

Respondents: PVP applicants. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

75. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 3. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

225. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 112.50. 

Form ST–473: Recordation Form for 

Plant Variety Protection Office. 

Abstract: For program purposes, it is 

important that the ownership, contact 

information, and any encumbrances 

against PVP Certificates are recorded 

within the PVP Office. Currently, 

changes in this information are often 

reported in an inconsistent or 

incomplete manner. This can cause 

difficulties in recording the information 

and contacting the owner, which can 

result in cancellation of their 

intellectual property rights. The 

information collected on Form ST–473 

will be used to record changes in 

ownership, contact information, 

assignment, security interest, variety 

name, and certified seed options, in an 

orderly fashion. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this form is estimated to 

average .5 hours per response. 

Respondents: PVP Applicants. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

25. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 12.50. 

The information collection 

requirements in this request are 

essential to carry out the intent of the 

PVPA, to provide applicants with 

certificates of protection, to provide the 

respondents the type of service they 

request, and to administer the program. 

Estimate of Burden: Total public 

reporting burden for this entire 

collection is estimated to average .733 

hours per response. 

Respondents: Businesses or other forprofit, not-for-profit institutions, and 

Federal Government. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

110. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 21. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

2,280. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 1,671. 

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (2) 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; (3) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to Bernadette 

Thomas, Information Technology 

Specialist, Plant Variety Protection 

Office, Room 401, NAL Building, 10301 

Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 

20705. All comments received will be 

available for public inspection during 

regular business hours at the same 

address. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

Dated: January 30, 2006. 

Lloyd C. Day, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E6–1382 Filed 2–1–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Hoosier National Forest, Indiana; 

German Ridge Restoration Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability; FEIS 

available. 

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service, 

Hoosier National Forest has made a 

decision on a final environmental 

impact statement for German Ridge 

Restoration project. The Acting Forest 

Supervisor has selected Alternative A 

for implementation. The DEIS discloses 

the environmental consequences of 

replacing nonnative pine plantations in 

the German Ridge area of Perry County, 

Indiana with native hardwood 

communities. 

The DEIS was available for comment 

during two comment periods. A 

previous decision was withdrawn so 

that a second comment period could be 

provided in case someone had not been 

aware of the original opportunity to 

comment. No additional substantive 

comments were received during the 

additional comment period. 

DATES: The Forest Supervisor signed the 

Record of Decision on January 24, 2006. 

Copies: To receive a CD or a hard 

copy of the FEIS or the Record of 

Decision, request it from Ron Ellis, 

NEPA Coordinator; Hoosier National 

Forest; 811 Constitution Avenue; 

Bedford, IN 47421. To request a CD 

electronically, send a message with your 

request to r9_hoosier_website@fs.fed.us. 

Appeal Opportunities: Only those 

who submitted substantive comments 

during one of the two comments periods 

are eligible to appeal this decision. 

ADDRESSES: Send any appeal to the 

Appeal Deciding Officer: Regional 

Forester Randy Moore, 626 East 

Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 

53202; fax: 414–944–3963. Send 

electronic appeals to: appeals-easternhoosier@fs.fed.us. When submitting 

electronic comments, please reference 

the German Ridge Restoration Project on 

the subject line. In addition, include 

your name and mailing address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron 

Ellis, NEPA Coordinator, Hoosier 

National Forest, USDA Forest Service; 

telephone: 812 275–5987. See address 

above under Copies (under SUMMARY). 

Another means of obtaining information 

on the project is to visit the Forest Web 

page at http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/ 

hoosier—click on ‘‘Forest Projects,’’

then ‘‘Scoping Packages,’’ and then 

‘‘German Ridge Restoration.’’

Selected Alternative 

The selected alternative is to 

implement the proposed action, which 

would fulfill the goals and objectives of 

the Forest Plan involving the restoration 

of native communities; replace pine 

plantations with native hardwood 

communities that include a strong 

component of oaks, hickories, and other 

fire-adapted plants; and restore natural 

vegetative conditions to a set of barrens 

within the project area. To accomplish 

those goals, the Forest would during the 

next six or seven years; (1) Apply 

prescribed fire on approximately 2,170 

acres, (2) thin approximately 215 acres, 

(3) implement pine removal on 

approximately 355 acres, and (4) 

complete shelterwood harvest on 

approximately 120 acres. Additional 

activities would also be pursued. 

Responsible Official 

James L. Lowe, Acting Forest 

Supervisor; Hoosier National Forest; 811 

Constitution Avenue; Bedford, Indiana 

47421. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 

21) 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
5640 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 22 / Thursday, February 2, 2006 / Notices 

Dated: January 24, 2006. 

James L. Lowe, 

Acting Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 06–975 Filed 2–1–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Uinta National Forest, Utah; Oil and 

Gas Leasing Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Uinta National Forest is 

initiating the preparation of an 

Environmental Impact Statement that 

would determine under what conditions 

(stipulations) leases would be issued. 

The EIS would analyze all lands with a 

federally-owned leasable mineral estate 

within the Uinta National Forest. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be postmarked or 

received within 45 days from date of 

publication of this notice in the Federal 

Register to ensure full consideration. 

The draft environmental impact 

statement is expected December 2006 

and the final environmental impact 

statement is expected November 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Please submit substantive 

issues or concerns to the Responsible 

Official: Dan Dallas, Acting Forest 

Supervisor, Uinta National Forest, P.O. 

Box 1428, 88 West 100 North, Provo, 

UT, 84603; phone (801) 342–5100; fax 

(801) 342–5185; e-mail: commentsintermtn-uinta@fs.fed.us. E-mailed 

comments must be submitted in MS 

Word (*.doc) or rich text format (*.rtf) 

and should include the project name in 

the subject line. Oral comments as well 

as written comments may also be 

submitted at the above address during 

regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 

p.m., Monday-Friday, excluding Federal 

holidays. 

Each individual or representative 

from each organization submitting 

substantive comments must either sign 

the comments or otherwise verify 

identity in order to attain appeal 

eligibility. Comments received in 

response to this solicitation, including 

names and addresses of those who 

comment, will be considered part of the 

public record for this project. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam 

Jarnecke, Environmental Coordinator, or 

Kim Martin, Minerals Staff Officer, 

Supervisor’s Office of the Uinta 

National Forest at the address and 

phone number listed above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS 

analysis area includes the entire Uinta 

National Forest (approximately 897,400 

acres), with the exception of designated 

wilderness areas (approximatley 58,400 

acres) and privately held mineral 

resources in the Strawberry Reservoir 

area which cover approximately 61,300 

acres, for a total study area of 

approximately 777,700 acres. 

The Department of Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM), acts as the 

onshore leasing agent for the Federal 

government. The Federal Onshore Oil 

and Gas Leasing Reform Act states that 

the BLM cannot lease over the objection 

of the Forest Service and authorizes the 

Forest Service to regulate all surfacedistrubing activities conducted pursuant 

to a lease. Therefore, the Forest Service 

has established an incremental decisionmaking framework for the consideration 

of oil and gas leasing activites on 

National Forest System lands. In 

general, the various steps that are 

undertaken are: (1) Forest Service 

leasing analysis; (2) Forest Service 

notification to BLM of lands 

administratively available for leasing; 

(3) Forest Service review and 

verification of BLM leasing proposals; 

(4) BLM assessment of Forest Service 

conditions of surface occupancy; (5) 

BLM offers lease; (6) BLM issues lease; 

(7) Forest Service review and approval 

of lessee’s surface use plan of 

operations; (8) BLM review and 

approval of lessee’s application for 

permit to drill; and (9) ensures final 

reclamation. 

Based upon the Forest Service leasing 

analysis (step 1 from above) the Forest 

Service decides whether or not lands 

will be available for leasing and decides 

under what conditions (stipulations) the 

leases will be issued. This EIS will 

fullfill this step. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of the proposed action is 

to complete a forest-wide leasing 

analysis. The need is to be responsive to 

requests for oil and gas leasing on the 

Forest. Currently only a portion of the 

Forest is available for leasing and most 

of that area has already been leased. 

Also, the proposed action is needed in 

order to comply with the Federal 

Onshore Oil and Gas Reform Act of 

1987 which requires the Forest Service 

to analyze lands under its jurisdiciton 

that are legally avialable for leasing in 

accordance with the National 

Enviornmental Policy Act of 1969. 

Proposed Action 

The Proposed Action would make 

leasing decisions, including 

identification of stipulations as required 

by 36 CFR 228.102(d) for the Uinta 

National Forest System lands. Leasing 

stipulations outlined on page 3–7 of the 

2003 LRMP will be the basis of the 

stipulations applied forest-wide. The 

Proposed Action may result in an 

amendment to the Uinta Revised Forest 

Plan. 

Possible Alternatives 

In addition to the Proposed Action, 

the No Action alternative will be 

analyzed in detail. The No Action 

Alternative would continue current 

management of leasing activities on 

approximately 197,000 acres of the 

Uinta National Forest. The remainder of 

the Uinta National Forest would 

continue to have no leasing 

opportunities. 

Lead and Cooperating Agencies 

The Bureau of Land Management, Salt 

Lake Field Office, and the State of Utah 

are cooperating agencies for this project. 

Responsible Official 

Dan Dallas, Acting Forest Supervisor, 

Uinta National Forest, P.O. Box 1428, 88 

West 100 North, Provo, UT, 84603. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The Forest Supervisor will decide 

which lands with federal mineral 

ownership are administratively 

available for oil and gas leasing and 

determine what conditions 

(stipulations) would be applied to future 

oil leases on the Uinta National Forest. 

This decision will not result in grounddisturbing activities within National 

Forest System lands administered by the 

Uinta NF such as exploration, drilling, 

and/or field development. Any ground 

disturbing activity that may be proposed 

subsequent to leasing would require 

further review and environmental 

analysis prior to approval, as outlined in 

current Federal regulations (36 CFR 

228.107). 

Scoping Process 

One public scoping meeting will be 

held using an informal workshop format 

on Friday, March 3, 2006, at the Provo 

City Library’s Bullock Room from 5 

p.m.–7 p.m. The Library is located at 

550 North University Avenue, Provo, 

UT 84601. 

Preliminary Issues 

Issues which may be analyzed in both 

alternatives include: the socioeconomic 

effects of oil and gas leasing and 

subsequent activities; effects on 

terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna, 

including threatened and endangered 

species, sensitive species, and 

management indicator species; effects 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES