Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 28 / Thursday, February 10, 2000 / Notices 6583

the final decision. The public is

encouraged to take part in the process

and is encouraged to visit with Forest

Service officials at any time during the

analysis and prior to the decision. The

Forest Service will be seeking

information, comments, and assistance

from Federal, State, local agencies, and

other individuals or organizations that

may be interested in, or affected by the

proposal. This input will be used in

preparation of the Draft EIS. The

scoping process includes:

1. Identifying potential issues.

2. Identifying major issues to be

analyzed in depth.

3. Identifying issues which have been

covered by a relevant previous

environmental analysis.

4. Considering additional alternatives

based on themes which will be derived

from issues recognized during scoping

activities.

5. Identifying potential environmental

effects of this project and alternatives

(i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative

effects and connected actions).

The Draft EIS is expected to be filed

with the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) and to be available to the

public for review by April, 2000. At that

time, the EPA will publish a Notice of

Availability of the Draft EIS in the

Federal Register. The comment period

on the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the

date the EPA publishes the Notice of

Availability in the Federal Register. It is

important that those interested in the

management of the Umatilla National

Forest participate at that time.

The Final EIS is scheduled to be

completed by June, 2000. In the Final

EIS, the Forest Service is required to

respond to comments and responses

received during the comment period

that pertain to the environmental

consequences discussed in the Draft EIS

and applicable laws, regulations, and

policies considered in making a

decision regarding the proposal.

The Forest Service believes it is

important to give reviewers notice, at

this early stage, of several court rulings

related to public participation in the

environmental review process. First,

reviewers of Draft EIS’s must structure

their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so that it is

meaningful and alerts the 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 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 meaningfully consider 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 merits of the

alternatives formulated and discussed in

the statement. (Reviewers may wish to

refer to the Council on Environmental

Quality Regulations for implementing

the procedural provisions of the

National Environmental Policy Act at 40

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points).

The Forest Service is the lead agency.

Craig Smith-Dixon, District Ranger, is

the Responsible Official. As the

Responsible Official, he will decide

which, if any, of the proposed projects

will be implemented. He will document

the decision and reasons for the

decision in the Record of Decision. That

decision will be subject to Forest

Service Appeal Regulations (36 CFR

part 215).

Dated: February 1, 2000.

Craig Smith-Dixon,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 00–3056 Filed 2–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

North Rich Allotment Management

Plan, Wasatch-Cache National Forest,

Logan Ranger District, Cache and Rich

Counties, Utah

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

SUMMARY: The Logan Ranger District, of

the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, will

prepare an EIS on a proposal to

authorize grazing on the North Rich

Allotment at a level and in a manner

consistent with direction set forth in the

Forest Plan, the Rangeland Health EIS,

and other applicable laws.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope

of the analysis should be received in

writing by March 10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

Brian Ferebee, District Ranger, 1500 East

Highway 89, Logan, Utah 84321.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Evelyn Sibbernsen, Environmental

Coordinator, Logan Ranger District,

(435) 755–3620.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Logan

Ranger District proposes to authorize

grazing on the North Rich Allotment at

a level and in a manner consistent with

direction set forth in the Forest Plan, the

Wasatch-Cache Rangeland Health EIS,

and other applicable laws and

guidelines. In conjunction, the District

proposes to revise the Allotment

Management Plan (AMP) and adjust the

resource management of lands within

the North Rich Allotment to reflect

information developed since the Forest

Plan (approved in 1985) and to improve

resource conditions as needed in several

areas.

In an effort to continue moving

present rangeland conditions toward

desired conditions, select improvement

and restoration projects are being

proposed. Livestock grazing would be

managed under a rotation system, to

provide for the longterm health and

sustainability of rangeland and riparian

ecosystems.

Environmental analysis on the

proposal began in the fall of 1998.

Preliminary analysis indicated an

Environmental Impact Statement would

not be required. A scoping letter was

mailed to more than 70 individuals,

organizations, and local and state

government agencies in January, 1999.

An open house was held in January and

a field trip was held in July, 1999. Data

collection and analysis continued

through the fall of 1999. In January of

2000, the responsible official and the

Forest Service interdisciplinary team

decided that an Environmental Impact

Statement should be prepared because

there may be significant environmental

effects associated with the proposal.

Preliminary issues identified by the

interdisciplinary team include the

effects of grazing on riparian conditions,

watershed health, threatened,

endangered, and sensitive species, and

the effects on dispersed recreation in the

area.

A range of alternatives for the

allotment will be considered. One of

these, no action from the current

situation, will be to authorize grazing

under the current regime (number and

type of livestock, grazing system, and

maintenance of improvements). Another

alternative will consider no grazing on

6584 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 28 / Thursday, February 10, 2000 / Notices

this allotment (current permits would be

terminated as they expire). Other

alternatives will consider grazing under

other combinations of number and type

of livestock, grazing systems (including

a rotation system), season and timing of

use, and associated improvements,

mitigation, and monitoring.

A decision will be made on whether

or not to continue authorizing grazing

on the North Rich Allotment, and if so,

under what management system and

with what improvements. If the decision

is made to continue authorizing grazing,

term grazing permits, issued by the

Logan Ranger District, would authorize

this use.

The public is invited to submit

comments or suggestions at the address

above. Comments from the January 1999

scoping will be incorporated into the

analysis and need not be resubmitted.

The responsible official is Brian

Ferebee, District Ranger. A Draft EIS is

expected to be filed in April of 2000 and

the final EIS is scheduled to be filed in

September of 2000.

The comment period on the draft EIS

will be 45 days from the date the

Environmental Protection Agency’s

notice of availability appears in the

Federal Register. It is very important

that those interested in this proposed

action participate during that time. To

be most helpful, comments on the draft

EIS should be as specific as possible and

may address the adequacy of the

statement or the merits of the

alternatives discussed (see The Council

on Environmental Quality Regulations

for implementing the procedural

provisions of the National

Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR

1503.3).

In addition, Federal court decisions

have established that the reviewers of

the draft EIS must structure their

participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so that it 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).

Environmental objections that could

have been raised at the draft stage may

be waived if not raised until after

completion of the final EIS. City of

Angoon v. Hodel, (9th Circuit, 1986),

and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris,

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

1980). The reason for this is to ensure

that substantive comments and

objections are made available to the

Forest Service at a time when it can

meaningfully consider them and

respond to them in the final EIS.

Dated: January 28, 2000.

Brian Ferebee,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 00–3100 Filed 2–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Lake Tahoe Basin Federal

Advisory Committee will hold a

meeting on March 7, 2000, at the

Convention Center, Harrah’s Lake

Tahoe, Highway 50, Stateline, NV. This

Committee, established by the Secretary

of Agriculture on December 15, 1998,

(64 FR 2876) is chartered to provide

advice to the Secretary of Agriculture on

December 15, 1998, (64 FR 2876) is

chartered to provide advice to the

Secretary on implementing the terms of

the Federal Interagency Partnership on

the Lake Tahoe Region and other

matters raised by the Secretary.

DATES: The meeting will be held March

7, 2000, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and

ending at 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Convention Center, Harrah’s Lake

Tahoe, Highway 50, Stateline, NV.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed

Gee or Jeannie Stafford, Lake Tahoe

Basin Management Unit, Forest Service,

870 Emerald Bay Road Suite 1, South

Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, (530) 573–2642.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

committee will meet jointly with the

Lake Tahoe Basin Executives

Committees. Items to be covered on the

agenda include: (1) Budget

Subcommittee, Communications

Subcommittee & Watershed Assessment

Subcommittee Reports; (2) California,

Nevada and Federal Land Acquisition

Processes; (3) Status of Renewing the

Charter; (4) Washoe Lake Access; (5)

Updating the Environmental

Improvement Program (EIP); (6) Open

Public Comment; (7) Vehicle Miles

Traveled, US Postal Service Master

Plan; (8) Status Report on the Lake

Tahoe Science Advisory Team; (9) Lake

Tahoe Watershed Assessment, Adaptive

Management. All Lake Tahoe Basin

Federal Advisory Committee meetings

are open to the public. Interested

citizens are encouraged to attend. Issues

may be brought to the attention of the

Committee during the open public

comment period at the meeting or by

filing written statements with the

secretary for the Committee before or

after the meeting. Please refer any

written comments to the Lake Tahoe

Basin Management Unit at the contact

address stated above.

Dated: February 4, 2000.

Maribeth Gustafson,

Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 00–3130 Filed 2–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Notice of Proposed Changes to

Section 4 of the Iowa State Technical

Guide

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S.

Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of availability of

proposed changes in the Iowa NRCS

State Technical Guide for review and

comment.

SUMMARY: It has been determined by the

NRCS State Conservationist for Iowa

that changes must be made in the NRCS

State Technical Guide specifically in

Section 4, Practice Standards and

Specifications #600, Terrace and #620,

Underground Outlet to account for

improved technology. These practices

can be used in systems that treat highly

erodible land.

DATES: Comments will be received on or

before March 13, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Leroy Brown, State Conservationist,

Natural Resources Conservation Service,

Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street,

Suite 693, Des Moines, Iowa 50309; at

515/284–4260; fax 515/284–4394.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

343 of the Federal Agriculture

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

states that revisions made after

enactment of the law to NRCS State

technical guides used to carry out

highly erodible land and wetland

provisions of the law shall be made

available for public review and

comment. For the next 30 days the

NRCS will receive comments relative to

the proposed changes. Following that

period a determination will be made by

the NRCS regarding disposition of those

comments and a final determination of

change will be made.

Dated: January 19, 2000.

Leroy Brown,

State Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 00–3102 Filed 2–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–18–M