Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 228 / Monday, November 27, 2000 / Notices 70729

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[HCFA–1165–N]

Medicare Program; December 11, 2000,

Meeting of the Practicing Physicians

Advisory Council

AGENCY: Health Care Financing

Administration (HCFA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee

Act, this notice announces a meeting of

the Practicing Physicians Advisory

Council. This meeting is open to the

public.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for

December 11, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. until

5 p.m., e.s.t.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in

Room 800, 8th Floor, Hubert H.

Humphrey Building, 200 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

Rudolf, M.D., J.D., Executive Director,

Practicing Physicians Advisory Council,

Room 435–H, Hubert H. Humphrey

Building, 200 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, D.C. 20201, (202)

690–7874. News media representatives

should contact the HCFA Press Office,

(202) 690–6145. Please refer to the

HCFA Advisory Committees

Information Line (1–877–449–5659 toll

free)/(410–786–9379 local) or the

Internet (http://www.hcfa.gov/fac) for

additional information and updates on

committee activities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Secretary of the Department of Health

and Human Services (the Secretary) is

mandated by section 1868 of the Social

Security Act to appoint a Practicing

Physicians Advisory Council (the

Council) based on nominations

submitted by medical organizations

representing physicians. The Council

meets quarterly to discuss certain

proposed changes in regulations and

carrier manual instructions related to

physicians’ services, as identified by the

Secretary. To the extent feasible and

consistent with statutory deadlines, the

consultation must occur before

publication of the proposed changes.

The Council submits an annual report

on its recommendations to the Secretary

and the Administrator of the Health

Care Financing Administration not later

than December 31 of each year.

The Council consists of 15 physicians,

each of whom has submitted at least 250

claims for physicians’ services under

Medicare or Medicaid in the previous

year. Members of the Council include

both participating and nonparticipating

physicians, and physicians practicing in

rural and underserved urban areas. At

least 11 members must be doctors of

medicine or osteopathy authorized to

practice medicine and surgery by the

States in which they practice. Members

have been invited to serve for

overlapping 4-year terms. In accordance

with section 14 of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act, terms of more than 2

years are contingent upon the renewal

of the Council by appropriate action

before the end of the 2-year term.

The Council held its first meeting on

May 11, 1992.

The current members are: Jerold M.

Aronson, M.D.; Richard Bronfman,

D.P.M.; Joseph Heyman, M.D.; Sandral

Hullett, M.D.; Stephen A. Imbeau, M.D.;

Jerilynn S. Kaibel, D.C.; Angelyn L.

Moultrie, D.O.; Derrick K. Latos, M.D.;

Dale Lervick, O.D.; Sandra B. Reed,

M.D.; Amilu Rothhammer, M.D.; Maisie

Tam, M.D.; Victor Vela, M.D.; Kenneth

M. Viste, Jr., M.D.; and Douglas L.

Wood, M.D. The Council Chairperson is

Derrick L. Latos, M.D.

Council members will be updated on

the following subjects—status of the

Stark II Regulations and Advance

Beneficiary Notices.

The agenda will provide for

discussion and comment on the listed

following topics:

• Proposed Program Integrity

Customer Service Project.

• Health Care Financing

Administration/Office of the Inspector

General Audits.

• Guidelines for Documenting

Evaluation and Management Services.

• Physician Regulatory Issues Team

(Sentinel Clinicians, Sentinel Data,

Frequently Asked Questions and

Medicare Basics).

For additional information and

clarification on the topics listed, call the

contact person in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section of this

notice.

Individual physicians or medical

organizations that represent physicians

that wish to make 5-minute oral

presentations on agenda issues should

contact the Executive Director by 12

noon, December 1, 2000, to be

scheduled. Testimony is limited to

listed agenda issues only. The number

of oral presentations may be limited by

the time available. A written copy of the

presenter’s oral remarks should be

submitted to the Executive Director no

later than 12 noon, December 4, 2000,

for distribution to Council members for

review prior to the meeting. Physicians

and organizations not scheduled to

speak may also submit written

comments to the Executive Director and

Council members. The meeting is open

to the public, but attendance is limited

to the space available. Individuals

requiring sign language interpretation

for the hearing impaired or other special

accommodation should contact John

Lanigan at (202) 690–7418 at least 10

days before the meeting.

(Section 1868 of the Social Security Act (42

U.S.C. 1395ee) and section 10(a) of Public

Law 92–463 (5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 10(a));

45 C.F.R. Part 11)

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital

Insurance; and Program No. 93.774,

Medicare—Supplementary Medical

Insurance Program)

Dated: November 22, 2000.

Michael M. Hash,

Acting Administrator, Health Care Financing

Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–30271 Filed 11–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of a Draft Environmental

Assessment and Preliminary Finding

of No Significant Impact, and Receipt

of an Application for an Incidental Take

Permit for Forest Management and

Timber Harvest in Mississippi and

Alabama

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

International Paper (Applicant) has

requested an incidental take permit

(ITP) pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of

the Endangered Species Act of 1973

(U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as amended (Act).

The Applicant anticipates taking the

threatened gopher tortoise (Gopherus

polyphemus) over the next 5 years

incidental to forest management for

timber production and wildlife

enhancement, road construction,

research, and timber harvest. The

anticipated take and measures to

minimize and mitigate these takings

will occur on 80,000 acres of the

Applicant’s fee simple and leased lands

in Lamar, George, Pearl River, Greene,

Stone, Harrison, Perry, Forrest, and

Jackson counties, Mississippi; and in

Washington and Mobile counties,

Alabama. The proposed permit would

authorize incidental take of up to 1,420

tortoises that are not associated with

gopher tortoise colonies. Of the tortoises

incidentally taken, most would be

harmed but not actually killed or

70730 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 228 / Monday, November 27, 2000 / Notices

physically injured during this 5-year

plan.

To minimize and mitigate for taking

of gopher tortoises, the Applicant will

protect, restore, and maintain habitat for

1,280 tortoises within 240 gopher

tortoise colonies within stands where

timber will be thinned or regenerated.

Adaptive management will be used to

ensure that at least 10 colony tortoises

are conserved in restored and managed

habitat for every 11 tortoises potentially

subject to incidental take. The

Applicant’s Habitat Conservation Plan

(HCP) is an interim 5-year plan and

permit during which time additional

research and planning will be

completed for a more long-term

comprehensive HCP. A more detailed

description of the mitigation and

minimization measures to address the

effects of the Project to the gopher

tortoise is provided in the Applicant’s

HCP, the Service’s draft Environmental

Assessment (EA), and in the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section

below.

The Service announces the

availability of a draft EA and HCP for

the incidental take application. Copies

of the draft EA and/or HCP may be

obtained by making a request to the

Regional Office (see ADDRESSES).

Requests must be in writing to be

processed. This notice also advises the

public that the Service has made a

preliminary determination that issuing

the ITP is not a major Federal action

significantly affecting the quality of the

human environment within the meaning

of Section 102(2)(C) of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as

amended (NEPA). The preliminary

Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI) is based on information

contained in the draft EA and HCP. The

final determination will be made no

sooner than 30 days from the date of

this notice. This notice is provided

pursuant to Section 10 of the Act and

NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

The Service specifically requests

information, views, and opinions from

the public via this Notice on the federal

action, including the identification of

any other aspects of the human

environment not already identified in

the Service’s draft EA. Further, the

Service specifically solicits information

regarding the adequacy of the HCP as

measured against the Service’s ITP

issuance criteria found in 50 CFR Parts

13 and 17.

If you wish to comment, you may

submit comments by any one of several

methods. Please reference permit

number TE033112–0 in such comments.

You may mail comments to the

Service’s Regional Office (see

ADDRESSES). You may also comment via

the internet to ‘‘davidldell@fws.gov’’.

Please submit comments over the

internet as an ASCII file avoiding the

use of special characters and any form

of encryption. Please also include your

name and return address in your

internet message. If you do not receive

a confirmation from the Service that we

have received your internet message,

contact us directly at either telephone

number listed below (see FURTHER

INFORMATION). Finally, you may hand

deliver comments to either Service

office listed below (see ADDRESSES). Our

practice is to make comments, including

names and home addresses of

respondents, available for public review

during regular business hours.

Individual respondents may request that

we withhold their home address from

the administrative record. We will

honor such requests to the extent

allowable by law. There may also be

other circumstances in which we would

withhold from the administrative record

a respondent’s identity, as allowable by

law. If you wish us to withhold your

name and address, you must state this

prominently at the beginning of your

comments. We will not; however,

consider anonymous comments. We

will make all submissions from

organizations or businesses, and from

individuals identifying themselves as

representatives or officials of

organizations or businesses, available

for public inspection in their entirety.

DATES: Written comments on the ITP

application, draft EA, and HCP should

be sent to the Service’s Regional Office

(see ADDRESSES) and should be received

on or before December 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the application, HCP, and EA may

obtain a copy by writing the Service’s

Southeast Regional Office, Atlanta,

Georgia. Documents will also be

available for public inspection by

appointment during normal business

hours at the Regional Office, 1875

Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta,

Georgia 30345 (Attn: Endangered

Species Permits), or Field Supervisor,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6578

Dogwood View Parkway, Suite A,

Jackson, Mississippi 39213. Written data

or comments concerning the

application, or HCP should be

submitted to the Regional Office. Please

reference permit number TE033112–0 in

requests of the documents discussed

herein.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

David Dell, Regional HCP Coordinator,

(see ADDRESSES above), telephone: 404/

679–7313, facsimile: 404/679–7081; or

Mr. Will McDearman, Fish and Wildlife

Biologist, Jackson Field Office,

Mississippi (see ADDRESSES above),

telephone: 601/321–1124.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

gopher tortoise was listed in 1987 as a

threatened species in the western part of

its geographic range, west of the

Tombigbee and Mobile Rivers in

Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

The gopher tortoise is a burrowing

animal that historically inhabited firemaintained longleaf pine communities

on moderately well drained to xeric

soils in the Coastal Plain. These longleaf

pine communities consisted of

relatively open fire-maintained forests,

without a closed overstory, with a well

developed herbaceous plant layer of

grasses and forbs. About 80% of the

original habitat for gopher tortoises was

lost by the time the species was listed

due to conversions to urban and

agricultural land use. On remaining

forests, management practices

converting longleaf pine to densely

planted pine stands for pulpwood

production, fire exclusion, and

infrequently prescribed fire further

reduced the open forest with grasses

and forbs that tortoises need for

burrowing, nesting, and feeding. Over

19,000 gopher tortoises have been

estimated to occur in the listed range.

The tortoise, however, is a long-lived

animal with low reproductive rates.

Remaining populations, though

relatively widespread, are individually

small, fragmented, and usually in poor

habitat without adequate reproduction

for a self-sustaining viable population.

Frequent fire no longer naturally occurs

in the listed range due to past effects of

habitat alteration and fragmentation.

Without prescribed fire and other

restoration actions the quality of gopher

tortoise habitat continues to decline.

Land management to avoid the

incidental take of tortoises will not

recover the species since restoration and

active management to maintain habitat

is required.

Under section 9 of the Act and its

implementing regulations, ‘‘taking’’ of

endangered and threatened wildlife is

prohibited. However, the Service, under

limited circumstances, may issue

permits to take such wildlife if the

taking is incidental to and not the

purpose of otherwise lawful activities.

The Applicant has prepared an HCP as

required for the incidental take permit

application.

The biological goal of the Applicant’s

HCP is to conserve, restore, and sustain

all gopher tortoise colonies for a 5-year

period in stands where timber will be

thinned or regenerated. Prior to timber

harvests, each stand will be

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 228 / Monday, November 27, 2000 / Notices 70731

comprehensively surveyed for gopher

tortoise colonies. A management area

will be designated for each colony

where thinning, prescribed fire, and

other measures will be used to reduce

or eliminate encroaching shrubs,

hardwoods, and as necessary pine trees

to create an open forest and optimal

conditions for gopher tortoises. Since

the density of tortoises is greater in

colonies, the objective of the plan is to

conserve and manage segments of the

population that most likely continue to

breed.

Gopher tortoise surveys on 20,000

acres of transects on the Applicant’s

land have not identified any colonies or

populations that are potentially viable

with 50 or more interbreeding tortoises.

Gopher tortoises occur, overall, at low

densities on the Applicant’s land. The

focus of this interim plan is to conserve

the most likely breeding segments of the

population that are important for shortterm survival. During this period, a

long-term plan will be developed based

on additional research and

comprehensive surveys on up to 80,000

acres of habitat. The goal of the future

plan is restore and manage habitat for

aggregations of colonies with the

greatest potential to contribute to

recovery.

The HCP has the following objectives:

1. Survey Applicant’s lands within

the historic gopher tortoise range to

identify tortoise occurrence in relation

to soil type and other habitat parameters

in order to develop predictive models of

tortoise occurrence.

2. Conduct research to form a

scientific basis for submission of an

HCP for at least an additional 25 years

that would seek to build and maintain

viable gopher tortoise populations on

the Applicant’s lands.

3. Conduct research to evaluate

adverse effects of mechanized forest

management and harvesting, and other

silvicultural practices on gopher

tortoises.

4. Identify gopher tortoise colonies

and designate management areas around

these sites. Improve and perpetuate

favorable habitat conditions around

these management areas.

5. Conduct research necessary to

implement long term mitigation with

the goal of creating larger, contiguous

gopher tortoise management units that

will become viable population centers

contributing to species recovery goals.

6. Demonstrate successful application

of adaptive management, sound science,

and third party involvement in

development of a broad-base HCP that

has the core objective of contributing to

gopher tortoise recovery.

7. Establish management, mitigation,

and monitoring protocol for

implementation of future versions of the

HCP in longer term incidental take

authorizations.

8. Inform and train applicant’s

employees, contractors, and recreational

users on the gopher tortoise

management guidelines specified in the

HCP.

As stated above, the Service has made

a preliminary determination that the

issuance of the ITP is not a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment

within the meaning of section 102(2)(C)

of NEPA. This preliminary information

may be revised due to public comment

received in response to this notice and

is based on information contained in the

draft EA and HCP.

The Service will also evaluate

whether the issuance of a section

10(a)(1)(B) ITP complies with section 7

of the Act by conducting an intraService section 7 consultation. The

results of the biological opinion, in

combination with the above findings,

will be used in the final analysis to

determine whether or not to issue the

ITP.

Dated: November 17, 2000.

H. Dale Hall,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 00–30218 Filed 11–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Notice of Intent To Prepare a ACEC/

River Management Plan and EIS for the

Wild and Scenic Klamath River in

Oregon and That Portion of the

Klamath River Down to the Slack Water

of Copco Reservoir in California

AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management

Oregon and California, Oregon Parks

and Recreation Department.

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an

ACEC/River Management Plan and

Environmental Impact Statement for the

Klamath River in Southern Oregon and

Northern California.

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

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land

Management, Lakeview District/

Klamath Falls Resource Area will be

directing the preparation of an ACEC/

River Management Plan and

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

evaluating the impacts of river uses in

southern Oregon and northern

California.

DATES: This is a scoping notice and

responses to scoping are to be received

at the Klamath Falls Resource Area

Office, 2795 Anderson Avenue, Bldg.

25, Klamath Falls, OR 97603 by January

31, 2001.

Public scoping meetings for the River

Management Plan will be held after the

first of the year, 2001, in Klamath Falls,

Oregon and/or Copco or Yreka or

Redding, California.

The Draft River Management Plan and

DEIS analysis would be available for

public review by the fall of 2001.

Comments will be accepted for the DEIS

for 90 days. After incorporation of DEIS

comments the document will be

finalized and re-sent out for review after

the first of the year, 2002. Comments

will be accepted on the FEIS for 30

days.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

Manager, Bureau of Land Management,

Klamath Falls Resource Area, 2795

Anderson Avenue, Klamath Falls, OR

97603, ATTN: Klamath River Plan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Larry Frazier, Natural Resources Branch

Chief, (541) 883–6916.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

proposed ACEC/River Management Plan

is located on the Klamath Falls Resource

Area of the Lakeview District, Oregon

and the Redding Field Office, California.

An ACEC designation for this project

was completed as part of the Klamath

Falls Resource Area Resource

Management Plan (1995). The Upper

Klamath River was designated by the

Secretary of the Interior as a Scenic

River and was included in the National

Wild and Scenic Rivers system under

section 2(a)(ii) of the National Wild and

Scenic Rivers Act on September 22,

1994. The same reach of river was

designated a State Scenic Waterway in

1988 under Oregon’s State Scenic

Waterway Act.

The ACEC designation begins from

the John C. Boyle Dam.

The purposes of undertaking an

ACEC/River Management Plan and EIS

at this time are to evaluate current river

uses in an environmental document that

will then be included as part of the

environmental review in the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Relicensing process of hydroelectric

uses on the river in 2005. The depth of

analysis on some issues for the ACEC/

River Management Plan will be

dependent upon the results of scoping.

Tentative issues to be addressed are

water quality and quantity, fisheries,

recreation, cultural resources, wildlife,

botanical resources, scenic river, and

hydroelectric relicensing processes.