This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

10489 

Vol. 72, No. 45 

Thursday, March 8, 2007 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Selkirk Mountain Range Winter Travel 

Plan, Idaho Panhandle National 

Forests, Bonner and Boundary 

Counties, ID and Pend Oreille County, 

WA 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) to document and 

disclose the potential environmental 

effects of a proposed winter travel plan 

for the Selkirk Mountain Range on the 

Bonners Ferry, Priest Lake and 

Sandpoint Ranger Districts, Idaho 

Panhandle National Forests (IPNF). The 

Selkirk Mountain Range is located 

immediately northwest of Sandpoint, 

Idaho. The geographic area for this 

travel plan is defined as the National 

Forest System lands on the INPF that 

are bounded by US Highway 2 on the 

south, the Pend Oreille Divide on the 

west, the international border with 

Canada on the north, and US Highway 

95 on the east. The proposal was 

designed using science from 

assessments including the Situation 

Summary and Management Strategy for 

caribou and winter recreation prepared 

by the IPNF in 2004. The proposal will 

result in a Selkirk Mountain Range 

winter travel plan reflecting designated 

areas and routes of travel, and 

applicable restrictions and types of use 

for each route or area by: 

(1) Responding to court direction 

relating to winter recreation use within 

the woodland caribou recovery area. 

(2) Adapting management actions and 

land uses to changed information and 

conditions in wildlife management, 

particularly for threatened, endangered 

and sensitive species. 

(3) Providing for public access and 

motorized winter recreation travel in the 

Selkirk Mountain Range considering 

both the quantity and quality of 

opportunities provided. 

(4) Establishing objectives and/or 

restrictions to prevent and/or correct 

any unacceptable resource impacts that 

are occurring. 

Activities would include: (1) 

Developing a winter motorized travel 

plan for public access and recreation 

use considering both the quantity and 

quality of experiences provided, in 

balance with resource management 

objectives, (2) identifying the types of 

use and restrictions associated with 

each resource management objective, 

and (3) developing a new travel map 

reflecting winter motorized use, 

designated areas and routes of travel, 

and applicable restrictions and types of 

use for each route or area. Specifically 

the proposal will allow winter 

motorized travel on 46 miles of 

designated routes, 90,028 acres will be 

closed to winter motorized use based on 

existing yearlong closures, 13,639 acres 

would be closed seasonally to winter 

motorized use from 4/1 until 6/30, and 

40,404 acres would be added as closed 

to winter motorized use. Under the 

proposal the remaining 434,760 acres of 

National Forest Lands within the project 

area would be open to winter motorized 

use. 

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests 

in Bonner and Boundary Counties, 

Idaho and Pend Oreille County, 

Washington will administer these 

activities. The EIS will tier to the Idaho 

Panhandle National Forests Forest Plan. 

(September 1987). 

DATES: Comments should be postmarked 

within 30 days after publication of this 

notice. Please include your name and 

address and the name of the project you 

are commenting on. 

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments 

and suggestions on the proposed 

management activities or request to be 

placed on the project mailing list by 

writing to: Selkirk Mountains Winter 

Travel Plan, Attn: Greg Hetzler, 

Sandpoint Ranger District, 1500 Hwy 2, 

Suite 110, Sandpoint, ID 83864. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg 

Hetzler, Project Team Leader, Sandpoint 

Ranger District at 208–263–5111 or by 

e-mail at ghetzler@fs.fed.us. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be considered part of the public record 

on this proposed action and will be 

available for public inspection. 

Comments submitted anonymously will 

be accepted and considered; however, 

those who submit anonymous 

comments will not have standing to 

appeal the subsequent decision under 

36 CFR part 215. Additionally, pursuant 

to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may 

request the agency to withhold a 

submission from the public record by 

showing how the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA) permits such 

confidentiality. For persons requesting 

such confidentiality, it may be granted 

in only very limited circumstances, 

such as to protect trade secrets. The 

Forest Service will inform the requester 

of the agency’s decision regarding the 

request for confidentiality, and where 

the request is denied; the agency will 

return the submission and notify the 

requester that the comments may be 

resubmitted with or without name and 

address within 10 days. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: More 

information about the Selkirk Mountain 

Range Winter Travel Plan can be found 

on the internet at http://www.fs.fed.us/ 

ipnf/kaniksu/wintertravelplan/. The 

purpose of the EIS will be to analyze 

and disclose a range of appropriate 

winter motorized recreational 

opportunities, while ensuring that these 

recreational activities are in an 

appropriate setting and do not impair or 

irreparably harm national forest 

resources or values. Alternatives to be 

considered in the EIS will respond to 

the purpose and need. Specifically, the 

Forest Service will include alternatives 

allowing varying amounts and types of 

winter motorized use. Major issues to be 

addressed in the EIS include the 

environmental effects of motorized 

winter use on wildlife, providing 

appropriate levels and types of 

motorized use, visitor experience, and 

socioeconomics. 

Two periods are specifically 

designated for comments on this 

analysis: (1) During the scoping period 

which is 30 days from the date of this 

notice in the Federal Register and (2) 

during the draft EIS comment period. In 

accordance with 36 CFR 215.5, as 

published in the Federal Register, 

Volume 68 No. 107, June 4, 2003, the 

draft EIS comment period will be the 

designated time in which comments 

will be considered. The mailing list for 

this project will include those 

individuals who have expressed interest 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
10490 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 45 / Thursday, March 8, 2007 / Notices 

in this project as well as adjacent 

landowners and those responding to 

this NOI or to the Idaho Panhandle 

National Forests Quarterly Schedule of 

Proposed Actions. In addition, the 

public is encouraged to contact or visit 

with Forest Service officials during the 

analysis and prior to the decision. The 

Forest Service will continue to seek 

information, comments, and assistance 

from Federal, Tribal, State, and local 

agencies and other individuals or 

organizations that may be interested in 

or affected by the proposed actions. The 

United States Fish and Wildlife Service 

will be consulted concerning any effects 

to threatened and endangered species. 

The agency invites written comments 

and suggestions on this action, 

particularly in terms of identification of 

issues and alterative development. 

Comments from the public and other 

agencies will be used in preparation of 

the Draft EIS to identify potential issues 

and concerns, potential alternatives to 

the proposed action and to promote 

communications with members of the 

public or other agencies. The draft 

environmental impact statement (DEIS) 

will be field with the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) and made 

available for public review in the 

summer of 2007. The final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected to be completed in winter of 

2008. 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 review 

of the proposal so that it is meaningful 

and alerts and 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 

statement stage but that are not raised 

until after completion of the final 

environmental 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 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 

related to 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. 

The United States Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 

discrimination in its programs on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, sex, 

religion, age, disability, political beliefs, 

and marital or familial status. (Not all 

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means of communication of 

program information (braille, large 

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–

2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint, write the Secretary of 

Agriculture, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or 

call 1–800–245–6340 (voice) or 202–

720–1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

employment opportunity employer. 

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests 

Supervisor is the Deciding Officer on 

this project. The decision will be made 

after considering comments and 

responses, environmental consequences 

discussed in the Final EIS, and 

applicable laws, regulations and 

policies. The decision and supporting 

reasons will be documented in a Record 

of Decision upon release of the Final 

EIS. 

Dated: March 2, 2007. 

Ranotta K. McNair, 

Forest Supervisor, Idaho Panhandle National 

Forests. 

[FR Doc. 07–1082 Filed 3–7–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Roadless Area Conservation National 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Roadless Area 

Conservation National Advisory 

Committee (RACNAC) will meet in 

Washington, DC. The purpose of the 

meeting is to discuss the status of the 

state specific rulemaking for inventoried 

roadless area management in the State 

of Idaho and to discuss temporary roads 

and other related issues. 

DATES: The meeting will be held March 

28 and March 29, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 

5 p.m. each day. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Forest Service’s Yates Building at 

201 14th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20250. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jessica Call, RACNAC Coordinator, at 

jessicacall@fs.fed.us or (202) 205–1056, 

USDA Forest Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Mailstop 

1104, Washington, DC 20250. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Standard Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting is open to the public and 

interested parties are invited to attend; 

building security requires you to 

provide your name to the RACNAC 

Coordinator (contact information listed 

above) by March 23, 2007. You will 

need photo identification to enter the 

building. 

While meeting discussion is limited 

to Forest Service staff and Committee 

members, the public will be allowed to 

offer written and oral comments for the 

Committee’s consideration. Attendees 

wishing to comment orally will be 

allotted a specific amount of time to 

speak during a public comment period 

at the end of the first day’s agenda. To 

offer oral comment, please contact the 

RACNAC Coordinator at the contact 

number above. 

Dated: March 2, 2007. 

Gloria Manning, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

[FR Doc. E7–4143 Filed 3–7–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Earth Resources Inc.; Notice of 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of finding of no 

significant impact. 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES