62336 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 225 / Friday, November 21, 1997 / Notices

surveys and population monitoring for

the purpose of enhancing its survival.

Permit No. 836079

Applicant: Richard E. Hill, Fair Oaks,

California.

The applicant requests a permit to

take (harass by survey, capture and

release, collect and sacrifice voucher

specimens) the Conservancy fairy

shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio),

longhorn fairy shrimp (Branchinecta

longiantenna), vernal pool tadpole

shrimp (Lepidurus packardi), San Diego

fairy shrimp (Brachinecta

sandiegonensis), and the Riverside fairy

shrimp (Streptocephalus woottoni) in

conjunction with presence or absence

surveys and ecological research in

vernal pools, throughout the species

range in California for the purpose of

enhancing their survival.

DATES: Written comments on these

permit applications must be received on

or before December 22, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written data or comments

should be submitted to the Chief,

Division of Consultation and

Conservation Planning, Ecological

Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, 911

N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

97232–4181; fax (503) 231–6243. Please

refer to the respective permit number for

each application when submitting

comments. All comments, including

names and addresses, received will

become part of the official

administrative record and may be made

available to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Documents and other information

submitted with these applications are

available for review, subject to the

requirements of the Privacy Act and

Freedom of Information Act, by any

party who submits a written request for

a copy of such documents within 20

days of the date of publication of this

notice to the address above; telephone:

503–231–2063. Please refer to the

respective permit number for each

application when requesting copies of

documents.

Dated: November 17, 1997.

Don Weathers,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–30610 Filed 11–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for

Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit

to the Rellim Redwood Company, Del

Norte County, CA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior; National Marine Fisheries

Service, NOAA, Commerce; California

Department of Forestry and Fire

Protection.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service

and National Marine Fisheries Service

(collectively ‘‘the Services’’), and the

California Department of Forestry and

Fire Protection intend to prepare a joint

National Environmental Policy Act

Environmental Impact Statement

addressing approval and

implementation of a Multi-Species

Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan)

submitted by the Rellim Redwood

Company (Rellim) as part of an

application for an incidental take

permit, pursuant to section 10(a) of the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (Act). The Plan will cover

forest management activities on Rellim’s

forestlands in Del Norte County,

California. Rellim intends to request an

incidental take permit for the northern

spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina),

marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus

marmoratus marmoratus) and coho

salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch); these

species listed as threatened or

endangered under the Act. Rellim is

also seeking coverage under specific

provisions of the permit for

approximately 40 currently unlisted

species (including those with State,

proposed Federal or State, or other

special status) should these species be

listed under the Act in the future. The

Fish and Wildlife Service, the National

Marine Fisheries Service, and the

California Department of Forestry and

Fire Protection are acting as joint lead

agencies on the project. Under the

California Environmental Quality Act

and the state Z’Berg Nejedly Forest

Practice Act, the California Department

of Forestry and Fire Protection must

conduct its own environmental

assessment, and has determined that a

Program Timberland Environmental

Impact Report will be prepared. In

accordance with Federal and State

regulations, a joint Environmental

Impact Statement/Program Timberland

Environmental Impact Report will be

prepared.

Public Involvement

This notice is being furnished

pursuant to the Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations for

implementing the Procedural Provisions

of the National Environmental Policy

Act (40 CFR sections 1501.7 and

1508.22) to obtain suggestions and

information from other agencies and the

public on the scope of issues and

alternatives to be considered in

preparation of the Environmental

Impact Statement.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before December 24, 1997. Public

scoping meetings, at which oral and

written comments can be submitted, are

scheduled for Monday, November 24,

1997, 2:00–4:00 p.m., at the Cultural

Center Atrium, 1001 Front Street,

Crescent City, California, and from

7:00–9:00 p.m. at the Eagles Hall, 1005

J Street, Arcata, California.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the

scope of the Environmental Impact

Statement should be addressed to Mr.

Ken Hoffman, Coastal California Fish

and Wildlife Office, 1125 16th Street,

Room 209, Arcata, California 95521.

Written comments may also be sent by

facsimile to (707) 822–8411. Comments

received will be available for public

inspection, by appointment, during

normal business hours (Monday through

Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at the

above address. All comments received,

including names and addresses, will

become part of the official

administrative record and may be made

available to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Ken Hoffman, at the address above, or

telephone (707) 822–7201.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Rellim

manages approximately 30,000 acres in

Del Norte County, California, as

commercial forestlands that will be

considered for inclusion in the Plan.

Rellim is developing a comprehensive

50-year multi-species Plan, covering

both listed and certain unlisted species.

Rellim’s Plan is expected to combine

several mitigation strategies to ensure

species protection.

Rellim’s multi-species planning

approach is anticipated to include the

northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet,

and coho salmon, which are listed as

threatened or endangered under the Act.

In addition, about 40 currently unlisted

species (including those with State,

proposed Federal or State, or other

special status) are being considered for

inclusion in the Plan.

Once completed, it is expected that

Rellim will submit the Plan as part of

the incidental take permit application
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 225 / Friday, November 21, 1997 / Notices 62337

process, as required under the

provisions of section 10(a) of the Act.

The Services will evaluate the

incidental take permit application and

associated Plan in accordance with

section 10(a) of the Act and its

implementing regulations. The

environmental review of the permit

application and the Plan will be

conducted in accordance with the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act and its

implementing regulations. A No Action

alternative will be considered consistent

with the requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act. Another

possible alternative is a ‘‘Listed Species

Only’’ alternative. A revised Plan under

this alternative would only address the

habitat needs of the northern spotted

owl, marbled murrelet, and coho

salmon; there would be no permit

coverage for species currently not listed

under the Act. Further consideration of

a reasonable range of project alternatives

will be given during and subsequent to

this scoping process.

Dated: November 14, 1997.

Thomas Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–30609 Filed 11–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

Federal Geographic Data Committee

(FGDC); Application Notice

Announcing the Opening Date for

Transmittal of Applications Under

Three FGDC National Spatial Data

Infrastructure (NSDI) Partnership

Funding Programs for Fiscal Year (FY)

1998 Under the Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance No. 15.809

National Spatial Data Infrastructure

Competitive Cooperative Agreements

Program

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for

the NSDI Cooperative Agreements

Program awards, the NSDI Benefits

Program awards, and the NSDI

Framework Demonstration Projects

Program awards, for fiscal year 1998,

with performance to begin in September

1998.

SUMMARY: The purpose of the FGDC

National Spatial Data Infrastructure

(NSDI) Partnership Funding Programs is

to facilitate and foster partnerships and

alliances within and among various

public and private entities to assist in

building the NSDI. The NSDI consists of

policies, standards, agreements, and

partnerships among a variety of sectors

and disciplines that promotes more

cost-effective production, ready

availability, and greater use of high

quality geospatial data. Three separate

but related programs constitute the

FGDC Partnership Funding Programs:

the NSDI Cooperative Agreements

Program, the NSDI Benefits Program,

and the NSDI Framework

Demonstration Projects Program.

The Cooperative Agreements Program

funds projects focused on promoting

metadata collection and creating

clearinghouses of geographic data

linked to the Internet, developing NSDI

standards, advancing the NSDI through

education, and organizing and

strengthening State-wide or regional

programs for geographic data sharing.

The Benefits Program funds projects

that assess the qualitative or

quantitative benefits of using a shared

data resource to solve particular

problems over a given geographic area.

The Framework Demonstration

Projects Program funds projects that

demonstrate technical, operational and

business capabilities to collaboratively

create and maintain certain categories of

commonly needed ‘‘Framework’’ data.

Activities initiated under each of the

three mentioned programs will promote

development and maintenance of and

access to data sets that are needed for

national, regional, State, and local

analyses.

Applications must involve partnering

between two or more organizations.

Applications may be submitted by

Federal agencies, State and local

government agencies, educational

institutions, private firms, private

foundations, and Federally

acknowledged or State-recognized

Native American tribes or groups.

Applications from Federal agencies will

not be competed against applications

from other sources. Participants are

expected to cost share in the project.

Authority for this program is contained

in the Organic Act of March 3, 1879, 43

U.S.C. 31 and Executive Order 12906.

DATES: The program announcements

and application forms for each of the

three aforementioned programs are

expected to be available on or about

November 29, 1997. Applications must

be received on or before February 28,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of Program

Announcement #1434–HQ–98–PA–

00044 for the NSDI Cooperative

Agreements Program, Program

Announcement #1434–HQ–98–PA–

00046 for the NSDI Benefits Program,

and Program Announcement #1434–

HQ–98–PA–00045 for the NSDI

Framework Demonstration Projects

Program may be obtained by writing to

Ms. Karen Staubs, U.S. Geological

Survey, Office of Acquisition and

Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205B,

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston,

Virginia 20192, (703) 648–7372, fax

(703) 648–7901. Also, copies of each

Program Announcement will be

available through the Internet at

<www.usgs.gov\contracts\index.html>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For the NSDI Cooperative Agreements

Program contact Ms. Kathleen Craig,

U.S. Geological Survey, Office of

Acquisition and Federal Assistance,

Mail Stop 205B, 12201 Sunrise Valley

Drive, Reston, Virginia 20192; (703)

648–7357, fax (703) 648–7901.

For the NSDI Benefits Program

contact Ms. Deborah Walsh, U.S.

Geological Survey, Office of Acquisition

and Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205B,

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston,

Virginia 20192; (703) 648–7384, fax

(703) 648–7901.

For the NSDI Framework

Demonstration Projects Program contact

Ms. Tammy Fanning, U.S. Geological

Survey, Office of Acquisition and

Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205B,

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston,

Virginia 20192; (703) 648–7363, fax

(703) 648–7901.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the

NSDI Cooperative Agreements Program

proposals are to be directed towards any

of four components of the NSDI. The

first is the establishment of a National

Geospatial Data Clearinghouse for

finding and accessing geospatial data.

Second is the development and

promulgation of standards in data

collection, documentation, transfer, and

search and query. Third is the

development and implementation of

educational outreach programs to

increase the awareness and

understanding of the NSDI vision and

concepts. Fourth is the building and

strengthening of relationships among

organizations to support digital

geographic data coordination.

Under the NSDI Benefits Program,

proposals are to be directed towards

projects that assess the benefits of using

shared geographic data, or spatially

referenced information, to aid a public

decision-making process within a

particular geographic area. Assessment

of the benefits of data sharing can be by

quantitative or qualitative measures. No

restriction is placed on the primary

issue or problem being addressed. The

problem may be environmental,

economic, social, or cultural. Defined