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

1087

Vol. 62, No. 5

Wednesday, January 8, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Coconino National Forest, Arizona;

Draft Environmental Impact Statement,

Windmill Range Allotment

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Coconino National Forest

of the Forest Service is planning to

prepare an environmental impact

statement on proposals to change cattle

management on the 248,792 acre

Windmill Allotment planning area.

DATES: This analysis has been ongoing

and public participation has occurred at

various stages. The Draft Environmental

Impact Statement will be published in

February of 1997. Preliminary

comments can be made on this Notice

of Intent before January 31, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Peaks

Ranger District, 5075 N. Hwy 89,

Flagstaff, Arizona 86004, Reference:

Windmill EIS.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL: Fred Trevey,

Coconino Forest Supervisor.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Peaks District Range Staff, Mike

Hannemann, (520) 526–0866.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Windmill Allotment Management Plan

was updated in 1982 to improve the

distribution of areas scheduled for cattle

use. In 1988 the Allotment plan for the

Winter Division was updated to change

the grazing system to improve the

growth of cool-season Stipa grasses and

overall range conditions.

In 1994, the Peaks, Mormon Lake and

Sedona Ranger Districts in partnership

with the Arizona Game and Fish

Department initiated the comprehensive

analysis for the Windmill Allotment to

update the Allotment Management Plan.

The Allotment was selected for this

update for the following reasons: Large,

open meadows are in poor condition

indicating an imbalance between plant

growth and use of plants throughout the

meadows; riparian conditions could be

improved on the Allotment; a need

exists to address threatened, endangered

and sensitive species; an opportunity

exists to increase administrative

efficiency by consolidating the three

portions of the Allotment under one

Allotment Management Plan; an

opportunity exists to examine the forest

floor on a broad landscape scale; the

Arizona Game and Fish Department can

help describe existing conditions on the

Allotment by combining the

Department’s information on elk with

that obtained from joint-agency

utilization monitoring.

Under the 1995 Range Permit

Issuance effort, a Burns amendment

permit was issued for 10 years for the

Windmill Allotment. As required by the

Burns amendment the Allotment was

than scheduled for comprehensive

analysis within the 10 year period. The

Burns decision for Windmill included

some mitigating measures which

included fencing riparian and sensitive

plant habitats, sweeping cattle from

driveways and shipping culled cows.

Public participation occurred prior to

issuance of the Burns Amendment

decision in the form of public response

to a proposed action.

In 1996, the comprehensive analysis

was re-initiated and will result in

publication of an Environmental Impact

Statement. This analysis attempts to

gain more understanding about the

relationship of the lands forage

production which is affected by soils,

tree densities, climatic conditions and

past grazing and the dietary needs of

cattle and elk. We had the opportunity

to judge where forage dietary needs and

grazing use were out of balance with the

lands ability to produce forage in

upward trends. We then had the

opportunity to determine management

actions which responded to what we

found. A 10-year adaptive management

plan will be developed which strives to

take advantage of future opportunities,

adapt to changing landscape conditions

and progress toward a better balance

between the landscape and forage

grazers.

A new Allotment management plan

will be developed to guide grazing

practices and a new permit may be

issued. The option of eliminating cattle

grazing from this Allotment will also be

cosnidered.

Tentative alternatives are,

1. Alternative A is designed to meet

all the current grazing management

issues while maintaining a viable

ranching operation. This alternative

uses permittee and range

conservationist knowledge to determine

proper livestock numbers, graze periods,

graze rotations, and pasture splits. Total

livestock numbers are 1,252 to 1,257.

2. Alternative B is the no action

alternative as required by the National

Environmental Policy Act regulations.

Selection of this alternative would mean

that no cattle grazing would occur on

this allotment for the next 10 years.

3. Alternative C is the management

system currently in place. This

alternative permits a total of 1,252 to

1,257 cattle to graze year-round on the

Windmill Range Allotment.

4. Alternative D is designed to

respond to grazing capacity and proper

use guideline issues. This alternative

uses timber stand data base and

Terrestrial Ecosystem Survey data to

project total yearly forage production for

each pasture. Total livestock numbers

are 635.

5. Alternative F is the same as

Alternative A except for adjusting the

Luke Mountain pasture of the Foxboro

Herd from a two-way pasture split to a

three-way pasture split. This third

pasture reduces graze periods in Little

T-Six from 20 to 10 days and Highway

Camp from 14–20 days to 10 days. This

responds to concerns over poor and

declining range conditions in the

Foxboro summer range area. Total

livestock numbers are 1,252 to 1,257.

6. Alternative G is designed to better

meet resource concerns of poor and

declining range conditions in parts of

Munds-Pocket and Foxboro Herd areas.

This alternative improves on Alternative

A in these areas by reducing livestock

numbers, adjusting graze periods and

providing additional pasture splits.

Total livestock numbers are 1,090 to

1,125.

Items common to alternatives include

fencing some riparian areas to exclude

livestock. The areas chosen for fencing

are easily accessed by cattle, are fairly

large and have adjacent wet meadows

and are estimated to have high potential

for improvement. Not all riparian

springs located on the Allotment are

fenced. Those not chosen for fencing are
1088 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 5 / Wednesday, January 8, 1997 / Notices

less accessible to cattle, are not

associated with wet meadows and are

very small. Major creeks and rivers will

not have direct cattle access under any

of the alternatives. Other items common

to all alternatives include tank relocation and/or waterlot construction

where tanks occur in dry meadows.

Pastures that will not be used in the 10

year management plan period are also

identified.

Environmental analysis has been

ongoing. It is anticipated that a draft

environmental impact statement will be

published in February of 1997. A ninety

day comment period pursuant to 36 CFR

219.10(b) will be provided for the public

to make comments on the draft

environmental impact statement. A

record of decision will be prepared and

filed with the final environmental

impact statement. A ninety day appeal

period pursuant to 36 CFR 217.8(a) will

be applicable. The ninety day comment

period on the draft environmental

impact statement will begin when the

Environmental Protection Agency’s

Notice of Availability appears in the

Federal Register.

To be 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 Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations for

implementing the procedural provisions

of the National Environmental Policy

Act at 40 CFR 1503.3).

Fred Trevey,

Coconino Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–353 Filed 1–7–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 0521–00–M

Rural Utilities Service

Central Virginia Electric Cooperative;

Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of finding of no

significant impact.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has

made a finding of no significant impact

(FONSI) with respect to a request by

Central Virginia Electric Cooperative for

financing assistance to construct a

headquarters office facility in Nelson

County, Virginia. The FONSI is based

on a borrower’s environmental report

(BER) submitted to RUS by Central

Virginia Electric Cooperative. RUS

conducted an independent evaluation of

the report and concurs with its scope

and content. In accordance with RUS

Environmental Policies and Procedures,

7 CFR part 1794.61, RUS has adopted

the BER as its environmental assessment

for the project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob

Quigel, Environmental Protection

Specialist, Engineering and

Environmental Staff, RUS, Stop 1571,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, D.C. 20250–1571,

telephone (202) 720–1784.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

headquarters office facility is proposed

to be located west of the unincorporated

community of Colleen, Virginia, south

of the intersection of State Routes 56/

158 and 665. The size of the proposed

site for the headquarters office facility is

approximately 170 acres of which

approximately 40 acres would be

developed.

The headquarters office facility would

consist of a 23,000 square foot

headquarters office building, a 15,000

square foot combination warehouse/

division office building, a 6,500 foot

mechanics garage and electrical

equipment maintenance shop, a 4,000

square foot open sided covered truck

shed, a 1-acre pole storage yard, a 2-acre

electrical equipment storage area, a 50

foot, self-supporting steel pole to

support microwave and radio

communications equipment, a 100

kilowatt diesel electric generator, a 200

gallon fuel storage tank, and parking for

100 employee vehicles, 10 visitor

vehicles, and 50 service vehicles.

RUS considered the alternatives of no

action, expansion of Central Virginia

Electric Cooperative’s existing facilities,

renovation of an existing commercial

building, and four alternative site

locations. Under the no action

alternative, RUS would not approve

financing assistance for construction of

the headquarters office facility. Since

RUS believes that Central Virginia

Electric Cooperative has a need to

expand its headquarters facility to

adequately accommodate employees,

vehicles, and equipment, RUS

considered the no action alternative

unacceptable.

Copies of the BER and FONSI are

available for review at, or can be

obtained from, RUS at the address

provided herein or from Mr. Darryl

Mawyer, Central Virginia Electric

Cooperative, Front Street, P.O. Box 247,

Lovingston, Virginia, 22949, telephone

(804) 263–8336.

Dated: January 3, 1997.

Blain D. Stockton,

Assistant Administrator, Electric Program.

[FR Doc. 97–00389 Filed 1–7–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–M

ARCHITECTURAL AND

TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS

COMPLIANCE BOARD

Telecommunications Access Advisory

Committee; Meeting

AGENCY: Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance

Board.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance

Board (Access Board) gives notice of the

dates and location of the meetings of the

Telecommunications Access Advisory

Committee.

DATES: The Telecommunications Access

Advisory Committee will meet on

January 13 and 14, 1997 beginning at

9:00 a.m. each day.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

1331 F Street, NW., Washington, DC in

the 8th floor conference room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

further information regarding the

meetings, please contact Dennis

Cannon, Office of Technical and

Information Services, Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance

Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000,

Washington, DC 20004–1111.

Telephone number (202) 272–5434

extension 35 (voice); (202) 272–5449

(TTY). Electronic mail address:

cannon@access-board.gov. This

document is available in alternate

formats (cassette tape, braille, large

print, or computer disk) upon request. It

is also available on the Internet at http:/

/www.access-board.gov/notices/

taacmtg.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May

24, 1996, the Access Board published a

notice appointing members to its

Telecommunications Access Advisory

Committee (Committee). 61 FR 26155

(May 24, 1996). The Committee will

make recommendations to the Access

Board on accessibility guidelines for

telecommunications equipment and

customer premises equipment. These

recommendations will be used by the

Access Board to develop accessibility

guidelines in conjunction with the

Federal Communications Commission

(FCC) under section 255(e) of the

Telecommunications Act of 1996. The

Committee is composed of

representatives of manufacturers of

telecommunications equipment and

customer premises equipment;

organizations representing the access

needs of individuals with disabilities;

telecommunications providers and

carriers; and other persons affected by

the guidelines.