Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 200 / Friday, October 17, 1997 / Notices 54039

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). Secondly, environmental

objections that could be raised at the

draft environmental impact statement

stage, but that are not raised until after

completion of the FEIS 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. 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 objects are made

available to the Forest Service and

Bureau of Land Management at a time

when they can meaningfully consider

them and respond to them in the FEIS.

To assist the Forest Service and

Bureau of Land Management in

identifying and considering issues and

concerns on the proposed action,

comments on the DEIS 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 DEIS 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.)

After the comment period ends on the

DEIS, the comments will be analyzed

and considered by the Forest Service

and Bureau of Land Management in

preparing the FEIS. The FEIS is

expected to be filed in July 1998.

Dated: October 6, 1997.

Tom Clifford,

Forest Supervisor, Helena National Forest.

Dated: September 29, 1997.

James R. Owings,

Butte District Manager, Bureau of Land

management.

[FR Doc. 97–27542 Filed 10–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Squirrel Meadows-Grand Targhee

Resort Land Exchange; Targhee

National Forest, Teton County,

Wyoming

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare

an environmental impact statement

(EIS) to document the analysis and

disclose the environmental impacts of a

proposed land exchange with Booth

Creek, Inc., dba Grand Targhee Resort.

In this proposed exchange the

Targhee National Forest would trade

parcels of National Forest System Lands

totaling about 265 acres to Booth Creek,

Inc., for a private parcel totaling

approximately 330 acres. The National

Forest System lands to be conveyed are

located at the base of the Grand Targhee

Resort, 7 miles east of Alta, Wyoming.

The lands to be acquired are located at

Squirrel Meadows, 26 miles east of

Ashton, Idaho.

Values of the parcels will be

appraised following a process stipulated

for Federal land adjustments. In order

for the exchange to take place, the

appraised values of the lands must be

equal. Differences in appraised values

may be made up by reducing the acreage

of National Forest System lands offered

for exchange, or by including a cash

payment. The cash value may not

exceed 25 percent of the appraised

value of the Federal lands to be

conveyed.

DATES: Written comments concerning

the scope of the analysis described in

this notice should be received on or

before December 1, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

Teton Basin Ranger District, Attn: Jack

Haddox, PO Box 777, Driggs, ID 83422.

The responsible official for this decision

is Robert W. Ross, Jr., Director,

Recreation and Lands, USDA Forest

Service, Intermountain Region, 324 25th

Street, Ogden, UT 84401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions concerning the proposed

action and EIS should be directed to

Patty Bates, Teton Basin District Ranger,

Targhee National Forest, phone: (208)

354–2312.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Targhee National Forest is proposing to

exchange up to 265 acres of National

Forest System lands within the Grand

Targhee Resort permit area for 330 acres

of private land at Squirrel Meadows.

The final acreage will be decided

through an appraisal process pursuant

to the Uniform Federal Appraisal

Standards for land adjustments. Values

must be equal in order for the exchange

to proceed. If it becomes necessary to

equalize values the National Forest

System acreage may be reduced from

the proposed 265 acres. In the event the

values cannot be equalized by the

adjustment a cash equalization payment

of up to 25 percent of the appraised

value of the Federal lands may be made

by either party.

The decision to be made is whether to

proceed with the exchange as proposed;

modify the exchange; or withdraw from

the exchange. Public scoping will be

completed through letters, news releases

and public meetings. Dates have not yet

been set.

Preliminary issues identified are:

(1) Impacts from potential

development of the exchanged lands at

Grand Targhee on the base area and in

Teton Valley, Idaho.

(2) Impacts on wildlife in the area of

Grand Targhee from potential

development and increased use of the

area in general.

(3) Impacts on the Jedediah Smith

Wilderness from the potential increased

use and development of the grand

Targhee area.

(4) Creation of a private inholding

within the boundary of the Targhee

National Forest.

(5) The effects on grizzly bears (listed

as threatened under the Endangered

Species Act) and other threatened,

endangered and sensitive species from

the potential development of the

exchanged lands and potential

development of the lands if they are not

exchanged.

Other issues may be identified during

the scoping period. Written suggestions

and comments are invited on the issues

related to the proposal and the area

being analyzed. Information received

will be used in the preparation of the

Draft EIS and Final EIS. For most

effective use, comments should be

submitted to the Forest Service within

45 days from the date of publication of

this notice in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service is the lead agency.

The Forest Service estimates the draft

EIS will be filed in May, 1998, and the

final EIS will be filed in December,

1998.

The comment period on the draft

environmental impact statement will be

45 days from the date the

Environmental Protection Agency’s

notice of availability appears in the

Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes, at this

early stage, it is important to give
54040 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 200 / Friday, October 17, 1997 / Notices

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 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, 533 (1978). Also,

environmental objections that could be

revised 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 Circ 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 environmental

impact 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 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 Parts 215 or 217. 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. Persons requesting such

confidentiality should be aware that,

under the FOIA, confidentiality 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 15 days.

Dated: October 9, 1997.

Jack A. Blackwell,

Deputy Regional Forester, Intermountain

Region, USDA Forest Service.

[FR Doc. 97–27569 Filed 10–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Use of Certified Forage To Prevent the

Spread of Noxious Weeds on National

Forest System Lands in Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice: adoption of final policy.

SUMMARY: The Regional Forester for the

Northern Region of the Forest Service

has adopted a final policy which

prohibits the use of hay, grain, straw,

cubes or pelletized feed on National

Forest System lands in Montana unless

it is certified as free of noxious weeds

or noxious weed seeds. This

requirement will affect such users as

recreationists using pack and saddle

stock, ranchers operating under Forest

Service grazing permits, outfitters and

guides operating under Forest Service

permits, and contractors who use straw

or hay for reseeding or erosion control

purposes on National Forest Systemadministered lands in Montana. This

proposal has been developed in

coordination with the State of Montana

and Bureau of Land Management

Montana State Office, which is

publishing a similar decision in a

separate notice in this same part of

today’s Federal Register. The intended

effect is to coordinate prevention of the

spread of undesirable weeds on federal

lands in Montana.

DATES: Effective immediately.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James Olivarez, Forest and Rangeland

Staff, Northern Region, Forest Service,

(406) 329–3621.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to 36 CFR 261.50, the Regional Forester

is issuing orders to close or restrict uses

on National Forest System lands. As

adopted, this requirement to close

National Forest System lands to users

who do not use a certified weed-free

forage or similar products results in a

standard closure order applicable to all

National Forest System lands in

Montana. The Northern Regional

Forester has been implementing a

similar policy on a forest-by-forest basis

in Montana since 1989. The Montana

State Office of the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) is adopting a

similar standard requirement for all

public lands under its jurisdiction. The

BLM decision appears in a separate

notice in this part of today’s Federal

Register.

Response to Public Comments

There was one written comment

received. It was in support of this policy

implementation via a closure order.

The text of the Special Closure Order

shall be published in newspapers across

the State of Montana, as well as direct

notification by mail of interested and

effected groups and individuals.

Dated; October 9, 1997.

Hal Salwasser,

Regional Forester.

[FR Doc. 97–27574 Filed 10–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

U.S. ARCTIC RESEARCH

COMMISSION

Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the U.S.

Arctic Research Commission will hold

its 49th Meeting in Arlington, VA on

November 3 and 4, 1997. On Monday,

November 3, the Commission will

conduct an invitation only program

review. This review will concentrate on

three topics:

(1) Global Change in the Arctic.

(2) Arctic Native Environmental Health

Issues.

(3) Petroleum Exploitation in the Arctic.

On Tuesday, November 4 the

Commission will hold a Business

Session. Agenda items include:

(1) Call to order and approval of the

Agenda.

(2) Approval of the minutes of the 48th

Meeting.

(3) Reports of Congressional Liaisons.

(4) Agency Reports.

Any person planning to attend the

Tuesday meeting who requires special

accessibility features and/or auxiliary

aids, such as sign language interpreters

must inform the Commission in advance

of those needs.

Contact Person for More Information:

Dr. Garrett W. Brass, Executive Director,