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

50

Vol. 63, No. 1

Friday, January 2, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Wasatch Powderbird Guides Outfitter

and Guide Special-Use Permit,

Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt

Lake Ranger District, Salt Lake County,

Utah and Uinta National Forest,

Pleasant Grove and Spanish Fork

Ranger Districts, Utah County, Utah

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will

prepare an environmental impact

statement on Wasatch Powderbird

Guides request for a five-year outfitter

and guide special-use permit for guided

helicopter skiing activities on National

Forest Land.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope

of the analysis should be received in

writing by January 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

Michael Sieg, District Ranger, 6944

South 3000 East, Salt Lake City, Utah

84121.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob

Cruz, District Environmental

Coordinator, (801) 943–9483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Wasatch

Powderbird Guides, a current ‘‘Special

Use Permit’’ permittee, is proposing to

operate a heli-skiing operation for

another five-years along the Wasatch

Front of the Wasatch-Cache and Uinta

National Forests. This proposal includes

elements on both public and private

lands. Elements include the landing of

helicopters to drop off and pick-up heliskiers who are skiing across both public

and private land holdings. A complete

description of the proposal is available

from the Salt Lake Ranger District. This

proposal was originally scoped in

January 1997, since then it was decided

that there may be significant impacts,

therefore an environmental impact

statement is being completed. A letter

explaining the decision to conduct an

environmental impact statement, and

soliciting comments will be sent to

nearly 300 individuals, organizations

and government agencies who

responded to the original scoping dated

January 27, 1997. Individuals,

organizations or other government

agencies may request a copy of the

original scoping document and/or send

additional comments by writing to the

Salt Lake Ranger District.

Issues identified since January 1997

include effects on public safety, effects

on Wilderness areas, effects of

snowpack stability testing on vegetation,

effects on wildlife, including golden

eagles and threatened, endangered and

sensitive species, effects on the

economic viability of Wasatch

Powderbird Guides and the local

economy and effects to other winter

recreationalists. Two preliminary

alternatives have been identified. The

proposed action alternative would

permit the aforementioned heli-skiing

operation with the following criteria: a

limit of 2 helicopters, a 5-year average

of 2400 skier days per year, a 5-year

average of 1200 skier days per year in

the Tri-Canyon (Mill Creek, Big, and

Little Cottonwood Canyons) terrain and

a 5-year average of 1000 explosives per

year. The No Action alternative would

eliminate helicopter skiing along the

Wasatch Front and require a change to

the current Forest Plan. Other

alternatives will look at use rotation

methods to reduce conflict between

heli-skiing operations and other winter

recreationalists.

The public is invited to submit

comments or suggestions to the address

above. Comments received from

individuals, groups and government

agencies received from the January 1997

scoping document will be incorporated

into this analysis. The responsible

officials are Bernie Weingardt and Peter

Karp, Forest Supervisors. A draft EIS is

anticipated to be filed in May 1998 and

the final EIS filed in September 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. It is very important

that those interested in this proposed

action participate at that time. To be the

most helpful, comments on the draft

environmental impact statement should

be as specific as possible and may

address the adequacy of the statement or

the merits of the alternatives discussed

(see The Council on Environmental

Quality Regulations for implementing

the procedural provisions of the

National Environmental Policy Act at 40

CFR 1503.3).

In addition, Federal court decisions

have established that 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 reviewers’ position and

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear

Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 533

(1978). Environmental objections that

could have been raised at the draft stage

may be waived if not raised until after

completion of the final environmental

impact statement. City of Angoon v.

Hodel, (9th Circuit, 1986) and

Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490

F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980).

The reason for this is to ensure 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.

Dated: December 23, 1997.

Michael Sieg,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 97–34202 Filed 12–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and

Stockyards Administration

Designation for Lima (OH) and the

State of Virginia

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and

Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: GIPSA announces the

designation of Lima Grain Inspection

Service, Inc., and the Virginia

Department of Agriculture and

Consumer Services (Virginia) to provide

official services under the United States

Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act).

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 1, 1998.

ADDRESSES: USDA, GIPSA, Janet M.

Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance

Division, STOP 3604, Room 1647–S,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–3604.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 1998 / Notices 51

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janet M. Hart, at 202–720–8525.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:This action

has been reviewed and determined not

to be a rule or regulation as defined in

Executive Order 12866 and

Departmental Regulation 1512–1;

therefore, the Executive Order and

Departmental Regulation do not apply

to this action.

In the August 1, 1997, Federal

Register (62 FR 41335), GIPSA asked

persons interested in providing official

services in the geographic areas

assigned to Lima and Virginia to submit

an application for designation.

Applications were due by September 2,

1997. Lima and Virginia, the only

applicants, each applied for designation

to provide official services in the entire

area currently assigned to them.

Since Lima and Virginia were the

only applicants, GIPSA did not ask for

comments on the applicants.

GIPSA evaluated all available

information regarding the designation

criteria in Section 7(f)(1)(A) of the Act

and, according to Section 7(f)(1)(B),

determined that Lima and Virginia are

able to provide official services in the

geographic areas for which they applied.

Effective February 1, 1998, and ending

January 31, 2001, Virginia is designated

to provide official services in the

geographic area specified in the August

1, 1997, Federal Register. Effective

February 1, 1998, and ending January

31, 1999, Lima is designated to provide

official services in the geographic area

specified in the August 1, 1997, Federal

Register.

Interested persons may obtain official

services by contacting Lima at 419–223–

7866 and Virginia at 757–494–2464.

Authority: Pub. L. 94–582, 90 Stat. 2867,

as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.).

Dated: December 10, 1997.

Neil E. Porter,

Director, Compliance Division.

[FR Doc. 97–33829 Filed 12–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–EN–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Santa Cruz River Watershed, Rio

Arriba County, New Mexico

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of a Finding of No

Significant Impact.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969; the Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations (40

CFR Part 1500); and the Natural

Resources Conservation Service Rules (7

CFR Part 650), the Natural Resources

Conservation Service, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, gives notice that an

environmental impact statement is not

being prepared for the repair of

Floodwater Retarding Structure 3 in the

Santa Cruz River Watershed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rosendo Trevino III; State

Conservationist; Natural Resources

Conservation Service; 6200 Jefferson,

NE; Albuquerque, NM 87109–3734;

telephone 505–761–4400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

environmental assessment of this

federally assisted action indicates that

the project will not cause significant

local, regional, or national impacts on

the environment. As a result of these

findings, Rosendo Trevino III, State

Conservationist, has determined that the

preparation and review of an

environmental impact statement are not

needed for this project.

The project purpose is flood

prevention. The action includes the

repair of one floodwater retarding dam.

The Notice of a Finding of No

Significant Impact (FNSI) has been

forwarded to the Environmental

Protection Agency and various Federal,

State, and local agencies and interested

parties. A limited number of copies of

the FNSI are available to fill single copy

requests at the above address. Basic data

developed during the environmental

assessment is on file and may be

reviewed by contacting Rosendo

Trevino III.

No administrative action on

implementation of the proposal will be

taken until 30 days after the date of this

publication in the Federal Register.

(This activity is listed in the Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance under No.

10.904, Watershed Protection and Flood

Prevention and is subject to the provisions of

Executive Order 12372, which requires

intergovernmental consultation with State

and local officials)

Rosendo Trevino III,

State Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 97–34182 Filed 12–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Risk Management Agency

Dairy Options Pilot Program

AGENCY: Risk Management Agency,

USDA.

ACTION: Advanced Notice of

Availability; Request for Comments.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

public comment period on a new Dairy

Options Pilot Program (DOPP) to be

administered by the Risk Management

Agency (RMA) in conjunction with the

private sector. RMA plans to implement

DOPP which would partially subsidize

the purchase of put options for dairy

producers. The objective of DOPP is to

ascertain whether put options can

provide producers with reasonable

protection from the price risk. RMA is

soliciting comments on DOPP, the

method used to select program

participants, and its information

collections. RMA specifically requests

comments on the role of brokers as

outlined in the Broker Agreement

contained in this Advanced Notice of

Availability, whether the tasks required

of the brokers including responsibilities

listed in subsections 3(a) through 3(h),

are appropriate and whether there are

other cost-effective alternatives that

would satisfy the program’s need for

accurate reporting and oversight while

maintaining a significant role for the

private sector in the program. The RMA

was established by Public Law 104–127,

on April 4, 1996.

DATES: Submit data, comments or

opinions on or before February 2, 1998.

The comment period for information

collections under the paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 continues

through March 3, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are

invited to submit written comments on

the DOPP to Risk Management Agency,

United States Department of

Agriculture, Office of Insurance

Services, 1400 Independence Avenue,

S.W., STOP 0830, room 6739–S,

Washington, D.C., 20250–0830. A copy

of each response will be available for

public inspection and copying from 7:00

a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT, Monday through

Friday, except holidays, at the above

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe

Connor, Financial Analyst, Reinsurance

Services Division, Risk Management

Agency, at the Washington, D.C. address

listed above, telephone (202) 720–4232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

The Risk Management Agency is

seeking comments on the following

Information Collection Request (ICR).

Title: Dairy Options Pilot Program.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Parties

affected by the information collection

requirements included in this advanced

notice are producers and brokers.

Abstract: The dairy industry has

recently witnessed unprecedented price

volatility and, after 1999, will no longer