71090 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 230 / Wednesday, November 29, 2000 / Notices

a non-significant amendment to the

Lassen NF Forest Plan.

Alternatives currently being

considered for the Mineral Forest

Recovery Project include: (a) No action;

(b) the proposed action as outlined

above, and; (c) an alternative, based on

the proposed action, that does not enter

into suitable California spotted owl

habitat.

Public Involvement

Comments from the public and other

agencies will be used in preparation of

the draft EIS. The scoping process will

be used to identify questions and issues

regarding the proposed action. An issue

is defined as a point of dispute, debate,

or disagreement relating to a specific

proposed action based on its anticipated

effects. Significant issues brought to our

attention are used during an

environmental analysis to develop

alternatives to the proposed action.

Some issues raised in scoping may be

considered non-significant because they

are: (1) Beyond the scope of the

proposed action and its purpose and

need; (2) already decided by law,

regulation, or the Land and Resource

Management Plan; (3) irrelevant to the

decision to be made; or (4) conjectural

and not supported by scientific or

factual evidence.

While public participation in this

analysis is welcome at any time,

comments received within 30 days of

the publication of this notice will be

especially useful in the preparation of

the draft EIS.

Identification of Permits or Licenses

Required

No permits or licenses have been

identified to implement the proposed

action.

Estimated Dates for Filing

The draft EIS is expected to be filed

with the Environmental Protection

Agency and available for public review

in March 2001. The comment period on

the draft EIS will be 45 days from the

date of the Environmental Protection

Agency publishes the notice of

availability of the draft EIS in the

Federal Register.

The Reviewers Obligation To Comment

The Forest Service believes, at this

early stage, it is important to give

reviewers notice of several court rulings

related to public participation in the

environmental review process. First,

reviewers of draft statements must

structure their participation in the

environmental review of the proposal so

that is meaningful and alerts an agency

to the reviewer’s position and

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear

Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553

(1978). Also, environmental objections

that could be raised at the draft

environmental impact statement stage

but that are not raised until after

completion of the final environmental

impact statement may be waived or

dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon

v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir.

1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v.

Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D.

Wis. 1980). Because of these court

rulings, it is very important that those

interested in this proposed action

participate by the close of the 45 day

comment period so that substantive

comments and objections are made

available to the Forest Service at a time

when it can meaningful consider them

and respond to them in the final

environmental impact statement.

To assist the Forest Service in

identifying and considering issues and

concerns on the proposed action,

comments on the draft environmental

impact statement should be as specific

as possible. It is also helpful if

comments refer to specific pages or

chapters of the draft statement.

Comments may also address the

adequacy of the draft environmental

impact statement or the merits of the

alternatives formulated and discussed in

the statement. Reviewers may wish to

refer to the Council on Environmental

Quality Regulation of implementing the

procedural provisions of the National

Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR

1503.3 in addressing these points.

Dated: November 16, 2000.

Edward C. Cole,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 00–30017 Filed 11–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service

Notice of Intent to Seek Approval to

Conduct an Information Collection

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13) and Office of Management

and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part

1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995),

this notice announces the intent of the

National Agricultural Statistics Service

(NASS) to request approval for a new

information collection, the 2002 Census

of Agriculture Screening.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by February 3, 2001 to be

assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Contact Rich Allen, Associate

Administrator, National Agricultural

Statistics Service, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Room 4117 South Building,

1400 Independence Avenue SW,

Washington, DC 20250–2001, (202) 720–

4333.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: 2002 Census of Agriculture

Screening.

Type of Request: Intent to Seek

Approval to Conduct an Information

Collection.

Abstract: The Census of Agriculture

conducted every 5 years is the primary

source of statistics concerning the

nation’s agricultural industry and

provides the only basis for consistent,

comparable data at the county, state,

and national levels. To ensure that only

active farms are included in the 2002

Census of Agriculture, operations on the

census mail list that have an unknown

farm status will be mailed a ‘‘screener’’

postcard prior to the full census.

Response to the postcard will determine

the operation’s eligibility for the full

census questionnaire. Identifying and

removing non-farms from the census

mail list will significantly reduce

respondent burden and cost for the

census. The screener postcard will be

used in all states. Initial mail out is

planned for late May 2002 with a

follow-up mailing to non-respondents 6

weeks later. Response to this inquiry

will be required by law under 7 U.S.C.

2204g. A voluntary, small-scale test will

be conducted in May of 2001 to evaluate

wording and the effect on the mail list.

These data will be collected under the

authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a).

Individually identifiable data are

governed by Section 1770 of the Food

Security Act of 1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276,

which requires USDA to afford strict

confidentiality to non-aggregated data

provided by respondents.

Estimate of Burden: This information

collection consists of a letter and selfmailing postcard with six questions.

Public reporting burden will be 2

minutes per refusal (non-response), 3

minutes per screen-out (questions 1–4,

6=No), and 4 minutes per positive

response (question 5).

Respondents: Farm and ranch

operators.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

751,500 (mail-out).

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 40,080 hours.

Copies of this information collection

and related instructions can be obtained

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 230 / Wednesday, November 29, 2000 / Notices 71091

without charge from Ginny McBride, the

Agency OMB Clearance Officer, at (202)

720–5778.

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 will have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate

of the burden of the proposed collection

of information including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used;

(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 those who are to respond, including

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to:

Ginny McBride, Agency OMB Clearance

Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Room 5330B South Building, 1400

Independence Avenue SW, Washington,

DC 20250–2009 or

gmcbride@nass.usda.gov. All responses

to this notice will become a matter of

public record and be summarized in the

request for OMB approval.

Signed at Washington, DC., November 9,

2000.

Rich Allen,

Associate Administrator.

[FR Doc. 00–30426 Filed 11–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–20–P

BROADCASTING BOARD OF

GOVERNORS

Sunshine Act Meeting

DATE AND TIME: November 14, 2000, 1:15

p.m.–4:45 p.m.; November 15, 2000, 8

a.m.–2 p.m.

PLACE: Cohen Building, Room 3321, 330

Independence Ave., SW., Washington,

DC 20237.

CLOSED MEETING: The members of the

Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)

will meet in closed session to review

and discuss a number of issues relating

to U.S. Government-funded nonmilitary international broadcasting.

They will address internal procedural,

budgetary, and personnel issues, as well

as sensitive foreign policy issues

relating to potential options in the U.S.

international broadcasting field. This

meeting is closed because if open it

likely would either disclose matters that

would be properly classified to be kept

secret in the interest of foreign policy

under the appropriate executive order (5

U.S.C. 552b.(c)(1)) or would disclose

information the premature disclosure of

which would be likely to significantly

frustrate implementation of a proposed

agency action. (5 U.S.C. 552b.(c)(9)(B))

In addition, part of the discussion will

relate solely to the internal personnel

and organizational issues of the BBG or

the International Broadcasting Bureau.

(5 U.S.C. 552b.(c)(2) and (6))

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Persons interested in obtaining more

information should contact either

Brenda Hardnett or John Lindburg at

(202) 401–3736.

Dated: November 2, 2000.

Carol Booker,

Legal Counsel.

[FR Doc. 00–30569 Filed 11–27–00; 3:53 pm]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 112100C]

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery

Management Council (Council) and its

Executive Committee, Law Enforcement

Committee, and Demersal Species

Committee meeting as a Council

Committee of the Whole, together with

the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

Commission’s (ASMFC) Summer

Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass

Board will hold public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on

Tuesday, December 12, to Thursday,

December 14, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the Trump Plaza Hotel, The Boardwalk

and Mississippi Avenue, Atlantic City,

NJ; telephone: 609-441-2708.

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery

Management Council, 300 S. New

Street, Dover, DE 19904, telephone: 302-

674-2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director,

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; telephone: 302-674-2331, ext.

19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Dates and Times of Meetings

Tuesday, December 12, 2000, 8:30

a.m. until 5 p.m.-- the Council will meet

with the ASMFC Summer Flounder,

Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board.

Wednesday, December 13, 2000, 8:30

- 11 a.m.-- the Council will meet with

the ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup,

and Black Sea Bass Board.

December 13, 2000, 11 a.m. until 1:30

p.m.-- there will be an Information &

Education Program.

December 13, 2000, 1:30 - 5:30 p.m.-

- the Council will convene.

Thursday, December 14, 2000, 8 - 9

a.m.-- the Executive Committee will

meet.

December 14, 2000, from 8 - 9 a.m.-

- the Law Enforcement Committee will

meet concurrently.

December 14, 2000, 9 a.m. until 1

p.m.-- the Council will meet.

Agenda items for this meeting are:

Review and discuss Monitoring

Committee recommendations and

approve recreational management

measures for 2001 for the summer

flounder, scup, and black sea bass

recreational fisheries; review public

comments, review and discuss

Framework 2 management measures

regarding conservation equivalency

(Meeting 1), discuss and prioritize 2001

fishery management plan (FMP) actions

for the summer flounder, scup, and

black sea bass fisheries; review and

discuss Joint Monkfish Committee’s

recommendations on monkfish

management measures, develop and

approve management measures for

2001/02 monkfish fishery; review and

evaluate position paper for Amendment

9 to the Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish

FMP; review and discuss Joint Dogfish

Committee’s recommendations on spiny

dogfish management measures, develop

and approve management measures for

2001/01 spiny dogfish fishery; review

and discuss the New England Council’s

request for opportunity to comment on

the Council’s annual specifications,

review 2001 grant application, review

2001 Annual Work Plan; review Coast

Guard/Law Enforcement Awards

Program actions; review and approve

proposed quota set-aside action; hear

organizational and committee reports,

and if available, comment on NMFS

proposed rule regarding regulations

impacting the summer flounder, scup,

and black sea bass fisheries in 2001.

During the Regional Administrator’s

Report there will be time to take public

comment on Rutgers University’s

Exempted Fishing Permits application,

i.e., mesh selectivity studies.

Although non-emergency issues not

contained in this agenda may come

before the Council for discussion, these

issues may not be the subject of formal

Council action during this meeting.

Council action will be restricted to those