76964 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 246 / Friday, December 22, 2006 / Notices 

action could potentially impact wildlife 

species associated with closed canopy 

forest communities. 

Responsible Official 

Cathy Barbouletos, Forest Supervisor, 

Flathead National Forest, 1935 3rd 

Avenue East, Kalispell, MT 59901, is the 

responsible official for the preparation 

of the EIS and will make a decision 

regarding this proposal. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

This project will provide for removal 

of approximately 5.5 MMBF of 

commercial forest products, use of 

prescribed fire for ecosystem 

maintenance burning, shrub/grassland 

maintenance, reduction of hazardous 

fuels, and provide personal-use wood 

products for the local community. 

Scoping Process 

Public and internal scoping for this 

proposal is being initiated by the 

publication of this Notice of Intent to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement for the Cooney McKay Project 

in the Federal Register. The Forest 

Service scoping for the proposal 

includes the publishing of a legal notice 

in the paper of record, which will 

coincide with a mailing of information 

about the proposal to interested parties 

during January 2007. Multiple mailings 

to other government agencies, the public 

and organizations are planted to insure 

that interested parties are aware of and 

have an opportunity to comment on the 

proposal. The Forest Service plans on 

issuing news releases periodically 

during the development of this 

proposal. In addition the proposal will 

be included in the Schedule of Proposed 

Actions, which is updated quarterly and 

available on the National Forest Service 

Web site. A public meeting and field 

trip are tentatively planned for the 

June–July 2007 timeframe, the location 

of both of these scoping events will be 

at the Forest Service Condon Work 

Center, Condon, Montana. 

Preliminary Issues 

Preliminary issues identified to-date 

include concerns that the 

implementation of the proposed action 

could result in the loss of white-tailed 

deer winter habitat and could also 

potentially reduce habitat for wildlife 

species associated with closed forest 

canopy communities. 

Comment Request 

This Notice of Intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review 

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 

publishes 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 

environmental review of the proposal so 

that 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 1909.15, Section 

21) 

Dated: December 15, 2006. 

Cathy Barbouletos, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 06–9821 Filed 12–21–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Lake Tahoe Basin Federal 

Advisory Committee will hold a 

meeting on January 17, 2007 at The 

Creekside Room, Lake Tahoe 

Community College, One College Drive, 

South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. This 

Committee, established by the Secretary 

of Agriculture on December 15, 1998 (64 

FR 2876), is chartered to provide advice 

to the Secretary on implementing the 

terms of the Federal Interagency 

Partnership on the Lake Tahoe Region 

and other matters raised by the 

Secretary. 

DATES: The meeting will be held January 

17, 2007, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending 

at 4 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

The Creekside Room, Lake Tahoe 

Community College, One College Drive, 

South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arla 

Hains, Lake Tahoe Basin Management 

Unit, Forest Service, 35 College Drive, 

South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. (530) 

543–2773. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Items to 

be covered on the agenda include: (1) 

The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory 

Committee Communications Plan; (2) 

the Southern Nevada Public Land 

Management Act Round 8; and (3) 

Public Comment. All Lake Tahoe Basin 

Federal Advisory Committee meetings 

are open to the public. Interested 

citizens are encouraged to attend at the 

above address. Issues may be brought to 

the attention of the Committee during 

the open public comment period at the 

meeting or by filing written statements 

with the secretary for the Committee 

before or after the meeting. Please refer 

any written comments to the Lake 

Tahoe Basin Management Unit at the 

contact address stated above. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 246 / Friday, December 22, 2006 / Notices 76965 

Dated: December 15, 2006. 

Terri Marceron, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 06–9819 Filed 12–21–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area 

(SRA) Advisory Council; Notice of 

Meeting. 

SUMMARY: Opal Creek Scenic Recreation 

Area Advisory Council meetings will 

convene in Stayton, Oregon on 

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 and 

March 28, 2007. These meetings are 

scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., and 

will conclude at approximately 8:30 

p.m. Meetings will be held in the South 

Room of the Stayton Community Center 

located on 400 West Virginia Street in 

Stayton, Oregon. 

The Opal Creek Wilderness and Opal 

Creek Scenic Recreation Area Act of 

1996 (Opal Creek Act) (Pub. L. 104–208) 

directed the Secretary of Agriculture to 

establish the Opal Creek Scenic 

Recreation Area Advisory Council. The 

Advisory Council is comprised of 

thirteen members representing state, 

county and city governments, and 

representatives of various organizations, 

which include the mining industry, 

environmental organizations, inholders 

in Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area, 

economic development, Indian tribes, 

adjacent landowners and recreation 

interests. The council provides advice to 

the Secretary of Agriculture on 

preparation of a comprehensive Opal 

Creek Management Plan for the SRA, 

and consults on a periodic and regular 

basis on the management of the area. 

Tentative agenda items include: 

Subcommittees reports and 

recommendations, and Three Pools Site 

Rehabilitation Project Update. 

A direct public comment period is 

tentatively scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. 

Time allotted for individual 

presentations will be limited to 3 

minutes. Written comments are 

encouraged, particularly if the material 

cannot be presented within the time 

limits of the comment period. Written 

comments may be submitted prior to 

scheduled meetings by sending them to 

Designated Federal Official Paul Matter 

at the address given below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

more information regarding this 

meeting, contact Designated Federal 

Official Paul Matter; Willamette 

National Forest, Detroit Ranger District, 

HC 73 Box 320, Mill City, OR 97360; 

(503) 854–3366. 

Dated: December 15, 2006. 

Dallas J. Emch, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 06–9820 Filed 12–21–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Glenn/Colusa County Resource 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Glenn/Colusa County 

Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) 

will meet in Willows, California. 

Agenda items covered include: (1) 

Introductions, (2) Approval of Minutes, 

(3) Public Comment, (4) Status of 

Funding, (5) General Discussion (6) 

Status of Legislation, (7) Next Agenda. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

January 22, 2007, from 1:30 p.m. and 

end at approximately 4:30 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in 

the Mendocino National Forest 

Supervisor’s Office, 825 N. Humboldt 

Ave., Willows, CA 95988. Individuals 

who wish to speak or propose agenda 

items send their names and proposals to 

David A. Mortin, Acting DFO, 825 N. 

Humboldt Ave., Willows, CA 95988. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bobbin Gaddini, Committee 

Coordinator, USDA, Mendocino 

National Forest, Grindstone Ranger 

District, 825 N. Humboldt Ave., 

Willows, CA 95939. (530) 968–1815; 

EMAIL ggaddini@fs.fed.us. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting will be open to the public. 

Committee discussion is limited to 

Forest Service staff and Committee 

members. However, persons who wish 

to bring matters to the attention of the 

Committee will file written statements 

with the Committee staff before or after 

the meeting. Public input sessions are 

provided and individuals who made 

written request by January 19, 2007 

have the opportunity to address the 

committee at those sessions. 

Dated: December 18, 2006. 

David T. Morton, 

Acting Designated Federal Official. 

[FR Doc. 06–9824 Filed 12–21–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

The Secretary of Agriculture’s 

determination of the Primary Purpose 

of Specified State of Florida 

Conservation Programs 

AGENCY: Natural Resources Service 

(NRCS), USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of determination. 

SUMMARY: The Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS) is 

providing public notice that the 

Secretary of Agriculture has determined 

the cost-share payments made under 

specific State of Florida conservation 

programs are primarily for the purposes 

of conserving soil and water resources, 

or protecting and restoring the 

environment. NRCS was assigned 

technical and administrative 

responsibility for reviewing the State of 

Florida’s conservation programs and 

making appropriate recommendations 

for the Secretary’s determination of 

primary purpose. The programs are: 

• Program for Citrus, Cow/Calf, 

Dairies and Other Agriculture in the 

Lake Okeechobee Priority Basins; 

• Program for Indian River Area 

Citrus Groves; 

• Program for Interim Measures for 

Tri-County Agricultural Area Farms; 

• Program for Interim Measures for 

Florida Producers of Container-Grown 

Plants; 

• Program for Best Management 

Practices for Shadehouse Grown 

Leatherleaf Ferns; 

• Nitrogen Best Management 

Practices Program for Florida Ridge 

Citrus; 

• Nitrogen Interim Measure for 

Florida Citrus; 

• Nitrogen Interim Measure for 

Bahiagrass and Bermuda Grass; and 

• Florida Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program. 

This determination is in accordance 

with Section 126 of the Internal 

Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (26 

U.S.C. 126), and permits recipients of 

cost-share payments to exclude from 

gross income to the extent allowed by 

the Internal Revenue Service. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Charles H. Bronson, Commissioner of 

Agriculture, Florida 32399, or Branch 

Chief, Environmental Improvement 

Programs, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 

section 126(a)(10) of the Internal 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES