45618 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices

6. What can be done to assist

beginning farmers and farm workers to

become farm owners?

7. What role should the Federal

government play to ensure a diversified,

decentralized and competitive farm

structure?

8. What do small farms contribute to

your community and your state?

9. What other generic issues

pertaining to small farms should the

Commission consider?

Interested parties wishing to testify at

these subcommittee meetings must

contact the office of the National

Commission on Small Farms by

September 5, 1997, in order to be placed

on a list of witnesses. Oral presentations

will be limited to 5 minutes. Individuals

will be accepted on a first come, first

served basis. Due to limited time, each

organization or group is asked to have

only one representative testify before

the Commission on September 10.

Written statements will be accepted at

the meeting or may be mailed or faxed

to the Commission office by September

12, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written statements should

be sent to National Commission on

Small Farms, USDA, P.O. Box 2890,

Room 5237, South Building,

Washington, D.C. 20013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer Yezak Molen, Director, National

Commission on Small Farms, at the

address above or at (202) 690–0648 or

(202) 690–0673. The fax number is (202)

720–0596.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the Commission is to gather

and evaluate background information,

studies, and data pertinent to small

farms and ranches, including limitedresource farmers. On the basis of the

review, the Commission shall analyze

all relevant issues and make findings,

develop strategies, and make

recommendations for consideration by

the Secretary of Agriculture toward a

national strategy on small farms. The

national strategy shall include, but not

be limited to: changes in existing

policies, programs, regulations, training,

and program delivery and outreach

systems; approaches that assist

beginning farmers and involve the

private sectors and government,

including assurances that the needs of

minorities, women, and persons with

disabilities are addressed; areas where

new partnerships and collaborations are

needed; and other approaches that it

would deem advisable or which the

Secretary of Agriculture or the Chief of

the Natural Resources Conservation

Service may request the Commission to

consider.

The Secretary of Agriculture has

determined that the work of the

Commission is in the public interest and

within the duties and responsibilities of

USDA. Establishment of the

Commission also implements a

recommendation of the USDA Civil

Rights Action Report to appoint a

diverse commission to develop a

national policy on small farms.

Dated: August 25, 1997.

Pearlie S. Reed,

Acting Assistant Secretary for

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–22976 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 97–055–2]

Availability of an Addendum to the

Environmental Assessment and

Finding of No Significant Impact for

Field Testing Vaccine Containing

Canarypox-Vectored Rabies Fraction

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public

that the Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service has prepared an

addendum to the environmental

assessment and finding of no significant

impact that were prepared for the

shipment of an unlicensed veterinary

vaccine containing a canarypoxvectored rabies fraction for field testing

in cats. The availability of the original

environmental assessment and finding

of no significant impact was announced

in the Federal Register on July 10, 1997.

The addendum addresses the expansion

of the scope of the field trials to include

veterinary clinics in two additional

States.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the addendum, as

well as copies of the original

environmental assessment and finding

of no significant impact, may be

obtained by contacting the person listed

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. Please refer to the docket

number, date, and complete title of this

notice when requesting copies. Copies

of the original environmental

assessment and finding of no significant

impact and the addendum (as well as

the risk analysis with confidential

business information removed) are also

available for public inspection at USDA,

room 1141, South Building, 14th Street

and Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except holidays. Persons wishing to

inspect those documents are requested

to call ahead on (202) 690–2817 to

facilitate entry into the reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Jeanette Greenberg, Technical WriterEditor, Center for Veterinary Biologics,

Licensing and Policy Development,

Veterinary Services, APHIS, USDA,

4700 River Road Unit 148, Riverdale,

MD 20737–1231; telephone (301) 734–

8400; fax (301) 734–8910; or e-mail:

jgreenberg@aphis.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the

Virus-Serum-Toxin Act (21 U.S.C. 151

et seq.), a veterinary biological product

must be shown to be pure, safe, potent,

and efficacious before a veterinary

biological product license may be

issued. Field trials are generally

necessary to satisfy prelicensing

requirements for veterinary biological

products. In order to ship an unlicensed

veterinary biological product for the

purpose of conducting field trials, a

sponsor must receive authorization from

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS).

On July 10, 1997, we published in the

Federal Register (62 FR 37010–37011,

Docket No. 97–055–1) a notice

announcing the availability of an

environmental assessment (EA) that had

been prepared for the shipment of an

unlicensed veterinary vaccine

containing a canarypox-vectored rabies

fraction for field testing. APHIS had

concluded that such shipment would

not significantly affect the quality of the

human environment. Based on that

finding of no significant impact

(FONSI), we determined that there was

no need to prepare an environmental

impact statement.

With this notice, APHIS is

announcing that the scope of the field

trials has been expanded to include

veterinary clinics in two more States—

Arkansas and Indiana—in addition to

the eight States indicated in the July 10,

1997, notice. The addition of these two

States is addressed in an addendum to

the original EA and FONSI. The EA and

FONSI and the addendum were

prepared by APHIS for the shipment of

the following unlicensed veterinary

biological product for field testing:

Requester: Rhone Merieux, Inc.,

Establishment License No. 298.

Product: Feline LeukemiaRhinotracheitis-Calici-PanleukopeniaChlamydia Psittaci-Rabies Vaccine,

Modified Live and Killed Virus and

Chlamydia, Canarypox Vector, (Code

16A9.R0).
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