This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

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Notices Federal Register

4088 

Vol. 76, No. 15 

Monday, January 24, 2011 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Research Service 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Research 

Service, U.S. Sheep Experiment Station 

(USSES), Dubois, Idaho is proposing 

sheep grazing and associated activities 

to achieve its research goals and 

objectives (to develop integrated 

methods for increasing production 

efficiency of sheep and to 

simultaneously improve the 

sustainability of rangeland ecosystems). 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

March 10, 2011. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected June 2011 and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected March 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to Dr. Andrew C. Hammond, 

Director, USDA, ARS, Pacific West 

Area, ATTN: USSES Grazing Project 

2010 Scoping. E-mail comments to: 

USSES@fs.fed.us (preferred). Written 

comments may be sent to: 800 

Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue 

Wingate at USSES@fs.fed.us. 

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 of the proposed action is 

to achieve the research goals and 

objectives (to develop integrated 

methods for increasing production 

efficiency of sheep and simultaneously 

to improve the sustainability of 

rangeland ecosystems) of the 

Agricultural Research Service, U.S. 

Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, 

Idaho. 

Proposed Action/No New Action 

Alternative 

To achieve those goals and objectives, 

the Sheep Station is proposing to 

continue historic (approximately 92 

years) sheep grazing and associated 

activities currently occurring on 

Agricultural Research Service lands, 

U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land 

Management allotments, and a 

Department of Energy feed lot. The 

proposed action would maintain the 

status quo and would be considered a 

‘‘no new federal action’’ alternative. 

In addition to grazing sheep on an 

annual rotation across Agricultural 

Research Service lands at the U.S. 

Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, 

Idaho and nearby Forest Service and 

Bureau of Land Management allotments, 

the following activities would occur: 

• Sheep trail and driveway use and 

maintenance. 

• Maintenance and continuation of 

stock water operations. 

• Camp tending—use of sheep herder 

camps and summer range camps. 

• Maintenance and repair of existing 

permanent fence. 

• Maintenance and repair of existing 

roads and fire breaks. 

• Range improvement—prescribed 

burning and seeding. 

• Cattle and horse grazing. 

• Predator avoidance and abatement. 

• Integrated pest management for 

noxious weeds. 

Detailed information can be found in 

the Scoping Information document 

posted on the ARS Web site at: http:// 

www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?

modecode=53-64-00-00 under ‘‘News 

and Events’’. 

Possible Alternatives 

Four alternatives to the proposed 

action may be considered: 

• No grazing. Under this alternative 

no grazing would occur; any sheep kept 

by the Station would be permanently 

housed at the Department of Energy feed 

lot. 

• No grazing would occur on the East 

Summer, West Summer, and Humphrey 

Pastures as well as on the following 

Forest Service allotments: East Beaver 

and Meyers Creek. 

• No grazing would occur on the East 

Summer Range as well as on the Forest 

Service Meyers Creek allotment. 

• No grazing would occur on the 

Forest Service Snakey and Kelly 

allotments and the Bureau of Land 

Management Bernice allotment. 

Responsible Official 

Andrew C. Hammond, Agricultural 

Research Service Pacific West Area 

Director. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

With respect to the operations at the 

Agricultural Research Service U.S. 

Sheep Experiment Station, Dubois, 

Idaho, the responsible official will 

determine: 

• Which actions, if any, will be 

approved, and 

• What additional mitigation 

measures and monitoring requirements 

may be needed to protect resources. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such a way that they are useful to the 

Agency’s preparation of the EIS. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. The submission of timely 

and specific comments can affect a 

reviewer’s ability to participate in 

subsequent judicial review. 

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 

respondent with standing to participate 

in subsequent administrative review or 

judicial review. 

Dated: November 22, 2010. 

Edward B. Knipling, 

Administrator, ARS. 

[FR Doc. 2011–1333 Filed 1–21–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–03–P 

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