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

19177 

Vol. 77, No. 62 

Friday, March 30, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National 

Forest, Jefferson Ranger District, 

Montana, Boulder River Salvage and 

Vegetation Management Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The project proposes to 

salvage by clearcut harvest dead and 

lodgepole pine infested or at risk of 

infestation with mountain pine beetle; 

use biomass removal, commercial 

thinning, and prescribed fire to reduce 

stand density on lodgepole pine and 

Douglas-fir stands; and remove Douglasfir that is encroaching upon quaking 

aspen clones and shrublands/ 

grasslands. Treatments would occur on 

about 24,940 total acres (346 total units) 

of National Forest System Lands north 

of Whitehall, MT. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

April 30, 2012. The draft environmental 

impact statement is expected in May 

2013 and the final environmental 

impact statement is expected in May 

2014. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

District Ranger, Beaverhead-Deerlodge 

National Forest, Butte-Jefferson Ranger 

District, 1820 Meadowlark Lane, Butte, 

MT 59701. Comments may also be sent 

via email to comments-northernbeaverhead-deerlodge-butte@fs.fed.us, 

please indicate Boulder River Project in 

the subject line or via facsimile to (406) 

494–0269; again please indicate Boulder 

River Project. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Gallogly, Project Coordinator, at 

kgallogly@fs.fed.us (406–683–3853); or 

Peri Suenram, Acting District Ranger at 

psuenram@fs.fed.us (406–494–2147). 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose and need for this project 

is to harvest merchantable wood 

products from larger diameter lodgepole 

pine forested stands infested, or at risk 

for infestation, with bark beetles, before 

the value of the wood deteriorates; 

reduce stand density in lodgepole pine 

and Douglas-fir stands to maintain or 

improve resilient forest conditions; 

remove encroaching Douglas-fir from 

shrublands and grasslands that 

historically lacked conifir species; 

create early seral conditions in mid to 

higher-elevation lodgepole pine stands 

to improve resiliency to natural 

disturbances; and improve riparianassociated aspen and upland aspen 

clones by removing encroaching 

conifers to improve growing conditions. 

Proposed Action 

The Proposed Action would (1) 

salvage dead and dying lodgepole pine 

using clearcut harvest methods on 6,174 

acres over 106 units; (2) use biomass 

removal to treat 2,626 acres within 36 

units of younger, predominantly 

lodgepole pine stands, many of which 

have been previously harvested; (3) use 

a combination of commercial thinning 

and lodgepole pine salvage (clearcut 

harvest) on 439 acres in three units; (4) 

remove conifers for aspen restoration on 

2,892 acres within 86 units; (5) use 

prescribed fire on 4,596 acres across 13 

units in Restoration and Fish Key 

Watersheds that are are inoperable and 

unfeasible for conventional mechanized 

harvest; (6) non-commercially thin 

Douglas-fir and burn slash on 8,212 

acres within 102 units. 

Approximately 210 miles of existing 

roads would be used as haul routes 

within the project area and 

approximately 8 to16 miles of 

temporary roads would be constructed 

for access to some commercial units. No 

temporary roads would cross streams 

and all temporary roads would be 

obliterated after use. 

Responsible Official 

Forest Supervisor for the BeaverheadDeerlodge National Forest, Dave Myers, 

420 Barrett St., Dillon, MT 59725–3572. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

Given the purpose and need for the 

proposal the Responsible Official will 

decide whether or not to implement 

salvage harvest of dead and dying 

lodgepole pine infested with mountain 

pine beetle and which units to harvest; 

whether or not to reduce stand density 

in lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir 

stands, which methods to use and what 

units to treat; whether or not to remove 

encroaching conifers from grasslands 

and shrublands, and which units to 

treat; and whether or not to restore 

aspen clones and which units to treat. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. A scoping package, 

including a detailed description and 

map of the project will be sent to 

individuals, groups and organization 

already expressing interest in the project 

and anyone requesting further 

information. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such manner that they are useful to the 

agency’s preparation of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

become part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered; however, anonymous 

comments will not provide the Agency 

with the ability to provide the 

respondent with subsequent 

environmental documents. 

Dated: March 23, 2012. 

Charles A Mark, 

Deputy Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2012–7685 Filed 3–29–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit to the Office of Management and 

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19178 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2012 / Notices 

Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35). 

Agency: National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST). 

Title: Survey of the Need for the 

Improvement of the Infrared Reflectance 

Measurements Standards. 

OMB Control Number: None. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Request: Regular submission 

(new information collection). 

Burden Hours: 50 Hours. 

Number of Respondents: 100. 

Average Hours Per Response: 30 

minutes. 

Needs and Uses: The Sensor Science 

Division (SSD) of the Physical 

Measurement Laboratory (PML) of NIST 

is responsible for providing standards 

for the characterization of the optical 

properties of materials for the United 

States. This serves the needs of a wide 

range of industries as well as 

government and academic laboratories. 

For many years, the SSD has been 

working to establish physical standards, 

measurement methods and 

measurement services in the infrared, 

and in recent years there have been 

numerous inquiries and requests for 

NIST to address specific needs, many of 

which are related to infrared reflectance. 

The purpose of this survey is to assess 

infrared optical properties measurement 

community needs for standard reference 

materials, calibration services, 

workshops, courses, and other means 

for improvement of the quality of their 

measurement data and traceability to 

national standards. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations; Not-for-profit 

institutions; Federal government; State, 

local, or tribal government. 

Frequency: Once. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. 

OMB Desk Officer: Jasmeet Seehra, 

(202) 395–3123. 

Copies of the above information 

collection proposal can be obtained by 

calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, 

Departmental Paperwork Clearance 

Officer, (202) 482–0336, Department of 

Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and 

Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, 

DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 

JJessup@doc.gov). 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to, OMB Desk Officer, Jasmeet 

Seehra, (202) 395–3123, Fax Number 

(202) 395–5167, or 

Jasmeet_K._Seehra@omb.eop.gov). 

Dated: March 27, 2012. 

Gwellnar Banks, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–7641 Filed 3–29–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Economic Development Administration 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Comprehensive 

Economic Development Strategy 

AGENCY: Economic Development 

Administration (EDA), Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as 

amended. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before May 29, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 

14th Street and Constitution Avenue 

NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at JJessup@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument and instructions should be 

directed to John Cobb, Program Analyst, 

Office of Regional Affairs, Room 7009, 

Economic Development Administration, 

Washington, DC 20230, telephone (202) 

482–0951, facsimile (202) 482–2838 (or 

via the Internet at John.f.cobb@eda.gov). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The mission of the Economic 

Development Administration (EDA) is 

to lead the Federal economic agenda by 

promoting innovation and 

competitiveness, preparing American 

regions for growth and success in the 

worldwide economy. In order to 

effectively administer and monitor its 

economic development assistance 

programs, EDA collects certain 

information from applications for, and 

recipients of, EDA investment 

assistance. This 60-day Federal Register 

Notice covers: Comprehensive 

Economic Development Strategy. 

A Comprehensive Economic 

Development Strategy (CEDS) is 

required to qualify for EDA investment 

assistance under its Public Works, 

Economic Adjustment, and most 

planning programs, and is a prerequisite 

for a region’s designation by EDA as an 

Economic Development District (see 13 

CFR 303, 305.2, and 307.2 of EDA’s 

regulations). This collection of 

information is required to ensure that 

the recipient is complying with EDA’s 

CEDS requirement. 

II. Method of Collection 

Paper and electronic submissions. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0610–0093. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Affected Public: Not-for-profit 

institutions; Federal government; State, 

local, or tribal government; Business or 

other for-profit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 552. 

Estimated Time per Response: 480 

hours for the initial CEDS for a District 

organization or other planning 

organization funded by EDA; 160 hours 

for the CEDS revision required at least 

every 5 years from an EDA-funded 

District or other planning organization; 

40 hours for the annual updated CEDS 

performance report required of EDAfunded District or other planning 

organizations; 40 hours per applicant for 

EDA Public Works or Economic 

Adjustment assistance with a project 

deemed by EDA to ‘merit further 

consideration’ that is not located in an 

EDA-funded District. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 31,295. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $0. 

IV. Request for Comments 

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden 

(including hours and cost) of the 

proposed collection of information; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including through the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval of this information collection; 

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