Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices 45619

Field test locations (including States

added): Arkansas, California, Florida,

Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New York,

Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

The EA and FONSI were prepared in

accordance with: (1) The National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as

amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et

seq.), (2) regulations of the Council on

Environmental Quality for

implementing the procedural provisions

of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)

USDA regulations implementing NEPA

(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part

372).

Unless substantial environmental

issues are raised in response to this

notice, APHIS intends to authorize the

shipment of the above product and the

initiation of the field trials after 14 days

from the date of this notice. Because the

issues raised by authorization of field

trials and by issuance of a license are

identical, APHIS has concluded that the

EA and FONSI that were generated for

the field trials would also be applicable

to the proposed licensing action.

Provided that the field trial data support

the conclusions of the original EA and

FONSI and the addendum, APHIS does

not intend to generate a separate EA to

support the issuance of the product

license, and would determine that an

environmental impact statement need

not be prepared. Therefore, APHIS

intends to issue a veterinary biological

product license for this product

following the completion of the field

trials, provided no adverse impacts on

the human environment are identified

as a result of field testing this product

and provided the product meets all

other requirements for licensure.

Simultaneously, APHIS intends to

issue licenses for three additional

combination vaccines produced by

Rhone Merieux, Inc., also for use in cats.

These three vaccines—each of which

contains the same canarypox-vectored

rabies fraction present in the abovementioned product but lacks one or two

components present in that product—

are as follows:

Product: Feline RhinotracheitisCalici-Panleukopenia-Chlamydia

Psittaci-Rabies Vaccine, Modified Live

Virus and Chlamydia, Canarypox Vector

(Code 1619.R1);

Product: Feline RhinotracheitisCalici-Panleukopenia-Rabies Vaccine,

Modified Live Virus, Canarypox Vector,

(Code 16T9.R0); and

Product: Feline LeukemiaRhinotracheitis-Calici-PanleukopeniaRabies Vaccine, Modified Live and

Killed Virus, Canarypox Vector (Code

16S9.R0).

Except for the canarypox-vectored

rabies fraction, all components of the

four products discussed in this notice

are represented in currently licensed

products.

Authority: 21 U.S.C. 151–159.

Done in Washington, DC, this 22nd day of

August 1997.

Craig A. Reed,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–22930 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

South Babione Project, Bighorn

National Forest, Sheridan and Johnson

Counties, Wyoming

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will

prepare an environmental impact

statement to disclose the environmental

impacts on a proposal to harvest timber

in the South Babione area, located on

the Bighorn National Forest within

Sheridan and Johnson Counties,

Wyoming.

The proposal provides for: (1) timber

harvest of approximately 350 acres of

forested land and would result in

approximately 3 million board feet of

sawlog and utility timber; (2)

construction of approximately 8 miles of

permanent and temporary road and

reconstruction of approximately 2 miles

of road; and (3) a change in travel

management by closing the area to offroad motorized travel.

The Forest Service invites comments

and suggestions on the draft

environmental impact statement (DEIS)

from federal, state and local agencies, as

well as individuals and organizations

who may be interested in, or affected by

the proposed action.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope

of the analysis should be received in

writing by September 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

Craig Yancy, District Ranger, Tongue

Ranger District, 1969 South Sheridan

Avenue, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Trish Clabaugh, Interdisciplinary team

leader, (307) 674–2683.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

In 1991, the Babione Timber Sale

Environmental Assessment was signed

which included the South Babione area

currently proposed for study. Since that

time, a different road location has been

proposed and revised harvest methods

have been proposed to better meet the

management area objectives in the 4B

wildlife area within the project area.

The environmental impact statement

for the South Babione Project will tier

to the Final Environmental Impact

Statement for the Bighorn National

Forest Land and Resource Management

Plan of 1985. The project area is located

south of Forest Development Road 299

and west of Antler Creek. The project

area covers approximately 5,000 acres.

Purpose and Need

The South Babione Project is being

scheduled to provide supplemental

environmental analysis for the South

Babione area. The purpose and need for

this project is: (1) to implement the

direction contained in the Bighorn

National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan of 1985, including

goals, objectives, management

prescriptions, and standards and

guidelines; (2) to improve the overall

diversity and wildlife habitat of

management indicator species; (3) to

maintain wood production from suitable

timber lands; (4) to help provide a

supply of timber from the Bighorn

National Forest which meets existing

and potential market demand and is

consistent with sound multiple use and

sustained yield objectives; and (5) to

determine proper travel management in

the area.

Public Comment

Although scoping is reinitiated

through this Notice of Intent, most

comments received during earlier

scoping efforts are considered

applicable and will be retained. People

who wish to update their earlier

comments based on the revised purpose

and need are encouraged to do so.

Following the publication of this

notice, a scoping letter will be mailed to

interested people and organizations.

The letter will briefly describe the

project and area, purpose and need for

the action and will invite public

comment.

Following scoping, the

interdisciplinary team will review

comments received during scoping to

determine which issues are significant.

The team will then develop a range of

alternatives including the ‘‘no action’’

alternative, in which no timber harvest

or road construction is proposed. Other

alternatives will consider various levels

and locations of timber harvest.

The draft environmental impact

statement is expected to be filed with
45620 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices

the Environmental Protection Agency in

April 1998. The comment period on the

draft is 45 days from the date the

Environmental Protection Agency

publishes the Notice of Availability in

the Federal Register. Agencies and

other interested persons or groups are

invited to write or speak with Forest

Service officials at any time during the

planning process until the 45 day

comment period on the draft ends. The

final environmental impact statement

and record of decision is expected to be

completed in June 1998.

The Forest Service believes it is

important to give reviewers notice at

this early stage 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 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.)

Please note that comments you make on

the draft environmental impact

statement will be regarded as public

information.

Decisions to be Made

Abigail Kimbell, Forest Supervisor, is

the Responsible Official and will decide

whether or not to authorize timber

harvest within the South Babione

Project Area. The Responsible Official

will make a decision regarding this

proposal after considering public

comments and the information in the

final environmental impact statement,

and applicable laws, regulations and

policies. The decision and supporting

reason will be documented in the

Record of Decision.

Dated: August 20, 1997.

Abigail R. Kimbell,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–22901 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

California Coast Province Advisory

Committee (PAC)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The California Coast Province

Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet on

September 17 and 18, 1997, in

Garberville and Redway, CA. The PAC

will take a field trip on September 17 to

observe restoration and fisheries

activities in the Garberville area. The

field trip will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the

parking lot of the Best Western

Humboldt House, 701 Redwood Drive,

Garberville, and conclude there at 4:00

p.m. A discussion of the field trip will

be held at the breakfast room of the Best

Western Humboldt House from 4:00 to

5:30 p.m. that day. A business meeting

will be held September 18, from 8:00

a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Brass Rail

meeting room, 3188 Redwood Drive,

Redway, CA. Agenda items to be

covered include: (1) Presentation on

Northwest Forest Plan implementation

concerns; (2) Presentation on

Intergovernmental Advisory Committee

(IAC)/PAC relations; (3) Presentation on

the North Coast Geographic Information

Cooperative; (4) Presentation on

National Marine Fisheries Service

steelhead listing announcement and

clarification of consultation process/

requirements for restoration projects RE:

coho and steelhead; (5) Report and

recommendations from the Public/

Private/Tribal Partnership

Opportunities Subcommittee; (6) Report

and recommendations from the

Monitoring Subcommittee; (7) Report

and recommendations from the Work on

the Ground Subcommittee to include

the Pacific Southwest Research fuels

research proposal; (8) Report and

recommendations from the PAC/SCERT

coordinating committee; (9) Report and

recommendations from Recreation/

Tourism Subcommittee; (10) Report and

recommendations from the Coho

Subcommittee and (11) Open public

forum. All California Coast Province

Advisory Committee meetings are open

to the public. Interested citizens are

encouraged to attend.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this meeting

to Daniel Chisholm, USDA, Forest

Supervisor, Mendocino National Forest,

825 N. Humboldt Avenue, Willows, CA

95988, (916) 934–3316 or Phebe Brown,

Province Coordinator, USDA,

Mendocino National Forest, 825 N.

Humboldt Avenue, Willows, CA, 95988,

(916) 934–3316.

Dated: August 21, 1997.

Arthur Quintana,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–22885 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–FK–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Klamath Provincial Advisory

Committee (PAC)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Klamath Provincial

Advisory Committee will meet on

September 11 and 12, 1997 at the Park

Community Center, Crater Lake

National Park, Steel Circle, Crater Lake,

Oregon. On September 11, the meeting

will begin at 10:00 a.m. and adjourn at

5:00 p.m. The meeting on September 12

will resume at 8:00 a.m. and adjourn at

3:00 p.m. Agenda items to be covered

include: (1) Klamath PAC salvage

subcommittee recommendation update;

(2) Northwest Forest Plan

Implementation; (3) Subcommittee

Reports; and (4) public comment

periods. All PAC meetings are open to

the public. Interested citizens are

encouraged to attend.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Connie Hendryx, USDA, Klamath

National Forest, at 1312 Fairlane Road,

Yreka, California 96097; telephone 916–

842–6131, (FTS) 700–467–1309.

Dated: August 18, 1997.

Robert J. Anderson,

Planning Staff Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–22894 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M