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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 93548-93549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27781]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Intent To Renew the Northwest Forest Plan Area Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to renew the Charter for the Northwest Forest 
Plan Area Advisory Committee.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 
as amended, the United States Department of Agriculture announces its 
intent to renew the Charter for the Northwest Forest Plan Area Advisory 
Committee (Committee). The Charter for the Northwest Forest Plan Area 
Advisory Committee is being renewed so that the Committee may provide 
continued advice and recommendations on landscape management approaches 
and implementation of such approaches that promote sustainability, 
climate change adaptations, and wildfire resilience while providing for 
increasing use of and demands from National Forest System lands in the 
Northwest Forest Plan area. The Committee will be governed by the 
provisions of FACA. Duration of the Committee is for two years unless 
renewed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

ADDRESSES: USDA Forest Service, 1220 Southwest 3rd Avenue, Ste. G015, 
Portland, OR 97204. Committee information can also be found on the 
Northwest Forest Plan Federal Advisory Committee website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd1076013 or 
by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Inquiries may be sent to Ann Eberhart 
Goode, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, by phone at 
(707) 562-8738 or email at [email protected] or Delaney Caslow, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, by phone at (503) 804-3545 
or email at [email protected]. Individuals who use 
telecommunications devices for the hearing impaired may call 711 to 
reach the Telecommunications Relay Service, 24 hours a day, every day 
of the year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the provisions of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended (5 U.S.C. app. 2), 
with the concurrence of the General Services Administration (GSA), and 
subject to the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture, the USDA 
Forest Service intends to renew the Federal Advisory Committee for 
sustainable, climate-adapted, wildfire-resilient landscapes across the 
Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area. The Committee will be a 
discretionary advisory committee. The Committee will operate under the 
provisions of the FACA and will report to the Secretary of Agriculture 
through the Chief of the Forest Service. The purpose of the Committee 
is to provide advice and recommendations on landscape management 
approaches and implementation of such approaches that promote 
sustainability, climate change adaptations, and wildfire resilience 
while providing for increasing use of and demands from National Forest 
System lands in the NWFP area. Accordingly, the Committee will be asked 
to perform the following duties or fulfill other requests made by the 
Secretary of Agriculture or the Chief of the Forest Service by offering 
recommendations on:
    1. Planning and implementation options that complement the national 
Wildfire Crisis Strategy to assist the USDA Forest Service to 
transition to greater proactive wildfire risk reduction and address key 
obstacles related to existing vegetation management.
    2. Approaches to address the dynamic nature of ecosystems, utilize 
adaptive management, monitoring, and integration of future uncertainty 
into land management planning.
    3. Application of the best available science regarding the 
following primary issues: (a) the ecological importance of old forests; 
(b) climate change, fire, and associated disturbance processes; (c) 
terrestrial and aquatic reserved land use allocations and the 
relationship between the two; (d) the climatic diversity of forests 
encompassed by the NWFP area; and (e) habitat connectivity at multiple 
scales in light of changed conditions.
    4. Incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge and indigenous 
perspectives and values into Federal forest planning and management.
    5. Communication tools and strategies to: (a) help provide greater 
understanding of landscape or programmatic level planning and 
implementation options and requirements and (b) enhance outreach 
efforts, public engagement, meaningful Tribal consultation and 
participation, targeted outreach to underserved communities, and 
stakeholder collaboration within the scope of the Committee.
    6. Issue preliminary discrete recommendations in sequence with 
Forest Service NWFP planning and implementation timelines.

[[Page 93549]]

    All deliverables will be submitted to the Designated Federal 
Official (DFO) at USDA Forest Service, 1220 Southwest 3rd Avenue, Ste. 
G015, Portland, OR 97204.
    The Committee will meet approximately four to six times annually or 
as often as necessary and at such times as designated by the DFO. 
Subcommittees may meet more frequently. Attendance may be in-person, by 
telephone, or by other electronic means. Meetings of the Committee 
whether in person, by telephone or electronic means shall be announced 
15 calendar days in advance in the Federal Register. As required by the 
FACA, the Committee will hold open meetings unless the Secretary 
determines that a meeting or a portion of a meeting may be closed to 
the public in accordance with subsection C of section 522(b) of title 
5, United States Code. All proceedings and relevant documents will be 
posted and made accessible to the public. No individual who is 
currently registered as a Federal lobbyist is eligible to serve as a 
member of the Committee.

Overview and Membership

    The Committee will be comprised of up to 23 members approved by the 
Secretary of Agriculture, and each will serve a two-year term. The 
Committee membership will be fairly balanced in terms of the points of 
view represented and functions to be performed. Members of the 
Committee will serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for 
travel expenses while performing duties on behalf of the Committee, 
subject to approval by the DFO and the Department. The Committee should 
represent to the extent possible, a balance across the three states 
covered by the NWFP (Oregon, Washington, and California) and reflect 
the demographic diversity of the NWFP area. The Committee shall include 
representation from experts in the following interest areas:
    (1) Science: Up to 9 members who represent the scientific 
community, and have an understanding in the following disciplines and 
how they relate to the NWFP area:

(a) Forest ecology
(b) Vegetation management
(c) Fire ecology
(d) Terrestrial wildlife ecology
(e) Aquatic and riparian ecosystems and species
(f) Climate change
(g) Social science
(h) Adaptive management and planning
(i) Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) practitioners

    (2) Organizations: Up to 8 members who represent a broad array of 
organizations with an interest in NWFP forests:

(a) National, regional, or local conservation organizations with staff 
and active programs in the Pacific Northwest
(b) Forest products industry
(c) Recreation organization
(d) Organization involved in outreach with underserved communities
(e) Forest collaborative groups
(f) Wildlife organization
(g) Watershed organization

    (3) Government and public: Up to 6 members who represent 
governmental entities or the public at large:

(a) Member of the affected public at large
(b) Represent state governments
(c) Represent counties
(d) Represent American Indian Tribes

    Meeting locations will be compliant with the Americans with 
Disabilities Act, and the USDA provides reasonable accommodation to 
individuals with disabilities where appropriate. If you are a person 
requiring reasonable accommodation, please make requests in advance for 
sign language interpretation, assistive listening devices, or other 
reasonable accommodation to the person listed under the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section or contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 
720-2600 (voice and TTY) or USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 
(800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available 
in languages other than English.
    USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, 
color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 
status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA 
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing 
deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Equal opportunity practices in accordance with USDA policies shall 
be followed in all membership appointments to the Committee. To ensure 
that the recommendations of the Committee have taken into account the 
needs of the diverse groups served by USDA, membership shall include, 
to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to 
represent the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, 
backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and beliefs of the American people, 
including underserved communities. Persons with disabilities who 
require alternative means of communication for program information 
(Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should 
contact the responsible agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-
2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service 
at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made 
available in languages other than English. USDA is an equal opportunity 
provider, employer, and lender.

    Dated: November 21, 2024.
Cikena Reid,
USDA Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-27781 Filed 11-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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