This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

9428 

Vol. 80, No. 35 

Monday, February 23, 2015 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket No. FSIS–2014–0039] 

Document Reviews of Foreign Food 

Regulatory Systems: New Web-based 

Self-Reporting Tool 

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Response to comments; notice 

of availability. 

SUMMARY: FSIS is making available to 

the public its new Web-based SelfReporting Tool (SRT) that it will be 

sending to foreign countries to report 

information on their food regulatory 

systems for the purpose of establishing 

that the systems are, or continue to be, 

equivalent to that of the United States’ 

system. The Agency will send a letter to 

foreign countries with instructions on 

how to access and use the Web-based 

SRT. FSIS is also responding to the 

comments on its document review 

process for determining and verifying 

equivalence that the Agency received in 

response to the Federal Register notice 

that it published on January 25, 2013, 

on the use of the SRT. FSIS evaluates 

the information provided in the SRT 

and uses it, along with the results of onsite systems audits and port-of-entry 

(POE) reinspections, to make a 

determination on equivalence. 

DATES: On February 17, 2015, FSIS will 

make available to the public the new 

Web-based SRT. To ensure that a 

complete and up-to-date SRT is being 

considered as part of FSIS’s annual 

assessment of country performance, 

countries that are currently eligible to 

export meat, poultry, and egg products 

to the United States must submit their 

completed SRTs to FSIS before May 18 

of 2015 and annually before May 18 

thereafter. FSIS will send SRTs to all 

countries currently eligible to export 

meat, poultry, and egg products to the 

United States on December 1 of each 

year in the future. 

Countries applying for initial 

equivalence determinations after 

February 23, 2015 must submit their 

completed SRTs within one year of 

receiving the SRT. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Daniel L. Engeljohn, Assistant 

Administrator, Office of Policy and 

Program Development; Telephone: (202) 

205–0495. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

In a notice published in the Federal 

Register of January 25, 2013 (78 FR 

5409) (hereafter ‘‘the Federal Register 

notice’’), FSIS described how it 

conducts ongoing equivalence 

verifications of the food regulatory 

systems of countries that export meat, 

poultry, or processed egg products to 

the United States. FSIS uses a three-part 

approach that includes (1) document 

reviews, (2) on-site system audits, and 

(3) POE reinspections. FSIS determines 

the scope and frequency of on-site 

systems audits based on its analysis of 

the results of its document reviews and 

ongoing assessment of a country’s 

performance. This performance-based 

approach allows FSIS to direct its audit 

resources to foreign food regulatory 

systems that appear to pose a greater 

risk to public health than other foreign 

systems. 

FSIS invited interested persons to 

submit comments on its new 

methodology by March 26, 2013. FSIS 

received approximately 31 comments 

from foreign countries, trade consulting 

groups, consumer groups, private 

citizens, a trade association representing 

the meat industry, and a member of the 

U.S. Congress. Twelve of those 

comments concerned the Agency’s 

document review process. In this notice, 

FSIS is responding only to the 

comments that it received on its 

document review process. A summary 

of comments on the Agency’s document 

review process and the Agency’s 

responses are below. The Agency will 

address the other comments in a future 

Federal Register document. 

On the basis of information provided 

by commenters, FSIS’s experience in 

conducting document reviews, and the 

Agency’s analysis of available SRT data, 

FSIS has decided to make two changes 

to its document review process. The 

changes are explained below and are 

discussed in more detail in the Agency’s 

responses to comments. 

Improvements to the Document Review 

Process 

A foreign country interested in 

exporting to the United States is 

required to submit information 

concerning its food regulatory system to 

FSIS (see 9 CFR 327.2(a)(2)(iii), 

381.196(a)(2)(iii), and 590.910). As 

explained in the January 2013 Federal 

Register notice, FSIS uses the 

equivalence questionnaire, called the 

SRT, to collect this information for the 

Agency’s document review of the food 

regulatory system of foreign countries 

that are listed in the regulations as 

eligible to export meat, poultry, or egg 

products to the United States and for 

countries interested in becoming 

eligible (78 FR 5411). The SRT is a 

repository for key documents about a 

foreign food safety inspection system 

(e.g., inspection system laws, 

regulations, and policy issuances) that 

FSIS uses, in addition to on-site audits, 

to verify whether the laws, regulations, 

and implementing policies of a foreign 

country establish an inspection system 

that is equivalent to the U.S. system. It 

also allows FSIS to evaluate whether a 

country maintains system effectiveness 

and to assess any impacts that an 

administrative or legislative change has 

had on a foreign food regulatory system. 

FSIS conducts a document review at 

least annually. 

The information in the SRT allows 

FSIS to conduct a comprehensive 

assessment of a foreign country’s food 

safety regulatory system. These 

comprehensive assessments inform the 

Agency’s determination of whether a 

country’s system should be found 

equivalent and the country eligible to 

export product into the United States. 

FSIS also assesses information in the 

SRT on an ongoing basis to verify 

whether a country maintains 

equivalence. 

In the past, the SRT was available in 

a Microsoft Word format, and once 

completed by the country, it was 

submitted to FSIS along with 

corresponding supporting 

documentation either by mail or email 

communication. A PDF copy of the 

Microsoft Word version of the SRT is 

available on FSIS’s Web site at: http:// 

www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/


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7893547e-d0d2-4fa9-a984- 

fdc17228bfcd/SRT.pdf?MOD=AJPERES. 

On February 17, 2015, FSIS will launch 

a Web-based version of the SRT within 

its Public Health Information System 

(PHIS) to more efficiently capture up-todate information about foreign food 

regulatory systems. PHIS is a 

comprehensive Web-based dataanalytics and inspection system that 

automates and replaces many of FSIS’s 

paper-based processes. 

The Web-based SRT will be beneficial 

for countries exporting meat, poultry, 

and egg products to the United States; 

countries interested in exporting 

product to the United States and 

applying for equivalence; and FSIS 

personnel. With the Web-based SRT, 

countries can link supporting 

documentation to each question. With 

the Microsoft Word version, the 

supporting documentation is provided 

as a supplement to the SRT. As a result, 

during the review process, FSIS must 

sift through documents to match up 

information with the corresponding 

questions in the SRT. FSIS anticipates 

that use of the Web-based SRT will 

decrease the time it takes the Agency to 

review an SRT submission and thereby 

allow for a quicker response to an 

equivalence request. 

Using PHIS as a platform for the SRT 

allows for a more secure exchange of 

information between FSIS and foreign 

countries because countries will be 

accessing the SRT through a secure 

USDA Web site that requires a unique 

ID and password acquired through an 

authentication process. To guarantee 

that the security of the Web-based SRT 

in PHIS is maintained and to gain access 

to the system, each potential user will 

have to register for a USDA 

eAuthentication (eAuth) Level 2 

account and complete the 

authentication process. FSIS will send a 

letter to foreign countries with 

instructions on obtaining an eAuth 

account and using the Web-based 

version of the SRT. FSIS strongly 

encourages countries to use the Webbased SRT. However, the use of the 

Web-based SRT is voluntary, and FSIS 

will continue to accept the current 

Microsoft Word version of the SRT. To 

ensure that the transition to the Webbased SRT is as seamless as possible, 

FSIS pre-entered into PHIS the SRT 

responses and supporting 

documentation that countries actively 

exporting meat, poultry, or egg products 

to the United States have provided to 

FSIS. FSIS requests that countries 

review the pre-entered responses for 

completeness and accuracy. 

In addition to a Web-based version of 

the SRT, foreign countries will note that 

the revised SRT asks fewer and more 

targeted questions necessary for FSIS to 

verify system equivalence. FSIS expects 

countries to answer all the targeted 

questions in the SRT to facilitate the 

review process. FSIS may not be able to 

make an equivalence determination 

without answers to all of these 

questions. 

The SRT also includes questions for 

FSIS to use in assessing how frequently 

to conduct on-site audits of the country. 

FSIS refers to these questions as level of 

advancement (LOA) questions. As 

explained in the Federal Register 

notice, the sum of the LOA responses is 

one of the factors that FSIS considers as 

part of an annual analysis of country 

performance to determine the frequency 

and scope of on-site audits (78 FR 5412). 

FSIS uses the results from the analysis 

to place exporting countries into one of 

three categories, based on food safety 

performance, with corresponding audit 

frequencies: Well-performing countries 

are to be audited every three years. 

Average-performing countries are to 

be audited every two years. Adequatelyperforming countries are to be audited 

every year. Thus, the completeness of a 

country’s SRT contributes to FSIS’s 

assessment of that country’s 

performance and to FSIS’s 

determination of the appropriate audit 

frequency for that country. Countries 

with incomplete SRTs will not be 

considered ‘‘well-performing’’ because 

they will not have provided the Agency 

enough information to give the Agency 

confidence in their food safety systems. 

FSIS will provide more information on 

LOAs in a subsequent Federal Register 

notice that addresses all comments 

received in the January 2013 Federal 

Register notice and provides additional 

updates on the FSIS equivalence 

determination process. 

To ensure that a complete and up-todate SRT is being considered as part of 

FSIS’s annual assessment of country 

performance, countries must submit 

their completed SRTs to FSIS before 

May 18, 2015, and on an annual basis 

moving forward. If a country submits 

partial or inaccurate information, FSIS 

personnel will follow up with 

additional questions until all 

outstanding issues are resolved. FSIS 

must have complete and accurate 

information to verify that the foreign 

country’s food regulatory system is 

robust, transparent, and science-based. 

If a country does not provide FSIS with 

documentation showing its system is 

equivalent, or if it continues to submit 

inadequate documentation, FSIS will 

not have sufficient information to 

determine the viability of the food safety 

system and may have to pursue a series 

of actions directed at product presented 

for reinspection (e.g., intensified testing 

for microbial adulterants, indicator 

organisms, chemical residues, or 

species) to address the absence of a 

government-supplied explanation of 

inspection system controls. In addition, 

FSIS likely would begin refusing to list 

establishments newly certified by the 

foreign government, or to relist certified 

establishments, because of a lack of 

confidence in the government-supplied 

explanation of its inspection system. 

FSIS may conduct specially designed 

in-country audits to obtain information. 

FSIS may, within a reasonable period of 

time, refuse entry to products exported 

from that country. Finally, if it becomes 

necessary, FSIS will take steps to 

remove the country from the list of 

countries eligible to export meat, 

poultry, or processed egg products. 

Any country can apply for eligibility 

to export meat, poultry, or egg products 

to the United States. The application 

process begins with a letter to FSIS from 

a foreign country asking for 

consideration to export its products for 

sale in the United States. FSIS responds 

to these letters with a standard package 

that contains information on the SRT 

and information on gaining 

eAuthentication. More information on 

how to apply for initial equivalence is 

available on FSIS’s Web site at: http:// 

www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/

topics/international-affairs/importingproducts/equivalence/equivalenceprocess-apply-for-initial-equivalence. 

FSIS asks that a foreign country 

applying for initial equivalence submit 

a complete SRT to FSIS in PHIS within 

one year of receiving the questionnaire. 

If FSIS needs additional information, or 

if FSIS’s regulations change, the Agency 

will request that the country update its 

SRT to provide additional information 

to demonstrate that the country has an 

equivalent food regulatory system to the 

United States’ system. If FSIS’s 

document review supports that the 

foreign country’s food regulatory system 

may be equivalent to the United States’ 

system, the Agency will conduct an onsite audit. 

However, if a foreign government 

applying for initial equivalence does not 

submit a complete SRT or fails to 

respond to additional requests for 

information within one year of receiving 

the SRT, FSIS will not be able to 

determine that the country maintains an 

inspection system equivalent to FSIS’s 

system and will discontinue its analysis. 

FSIS will accept information 

submitted in any one of the three 

official languages of the World Trade 

Organization (WTO)—English, French, 

or Spanish. Please note that it may take 


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the Agency a longer period of time to 

review documents submitted in French 

or Spanish because the information will 

have to be translated. 

Summary of Comments 

Comment: Several commenters were 

pleased to see improvements in the 

document review process; however, 

they asked FSIS to provide more 

guidance on how the SRT will be used. 

They also asked the Agency to share the 

content of the SRT with the public. A 

few commenters asked FSIS to clarify 

whether the document review process is 

limited to the information collected in 

the SRT, or if it also includes 

information from other sources. The 

commenters asked FSIS to explain how 

data outside the SRT would be used in 

the document review process, how the 

Agency would validate the quality of 

data, and how often FSIS would collect 

and use the data. One commenter stated 

that both the National Advisory 

Committee on Meat and Poultry 

Inspection’s (NACMPI’s) 

recommendations and the Codex 

document cited in the Federal Register 

notice (78 FR 5409) support third-party 

audits as a means of informing 

importing countries about the 

knowledge, experience, and confidence 

of an exporting country’s food 

regulatory system. 

Response: The SRT is used to inform 

a determination that a country has or 

has not met the United States’ level of 

protection and is eligible to export 

product into the United States. It is 

reviewed on an ongoing basis to verify 

whether the country maintains 

equivalence. FSIS requires countries to 

update the SRT at least annually and as 

changes are made in the foreign 

country’s food regulatory system. 

FSIS personnel may review outside 

information, such as third-party audit 

reports, in preparation for an on-site 

audit (see FSIS Notice 35–14, Ongoing 

Foreign Equivalence Verification 

Audits). The outside information could 

affect the scope of an on-site audit. 

Comment: Two commenters were 

concerned about the amount of time it 

takes to complete the SRT. One 

commenter asked FSIS to reduce the 

number of questions in the SRT. 

Another commenter requested that FSIS 

limit the level of detail required for 

responses. The commenter stated that 

the SRT focuses too much on individual 

components of the foreign inspection 

system, rather than taking a more 

holistic approach to assessing whether 

defined food safety outcomes are met. 

The commenter recommended that FSIS 

focus more on an evaluation of whether 

food safety and suitability outcomes 

have been achieved rather than whether 

various activities and processes have 

been replicated. The commenter 

suggested that FSIS change the design of 

the SRT so that it is more like the 

‘‘outcome-focused’’ design of the United 

States Food and Drug Administration’s 

(FDA’s) International Comparability 

Tool. 

Response: FSIS reduced the number 

of questions in the SRT to focus on 

those most necessary to determine or to 

verify whether a country’s food 

regulatory system is equivalent and 

those necessary to help inform the 

necessary on-site audit frequency. In the 

past, the SRT included approximately 

500 questions. The new, streamlined 

version has approximately 200 

questions. Foreign countries may 

receive fewer questions depending on 

the number of classes of products 

produced. 

In addition, the Web-based version of 

the SRT is more accessible. Foreign 

countries will be able to log onto PHIS 

at any time to view and update their 

responses and supporting 

documentation. Countries will also be 

able to view the status of their 

individual SRT, as well as a date and 

time stamp for each status update. 

FDA’s International Comparability 

Tool does not provide the information 

that FSIS needs to verify that a foreign 

country’s food regulatory system is 

equivalent to FSIS’s system. The SRT 

focuses on individual components of a 

foreign food regulatory system and 

compares them to components within 

FSIS’s regulations because the Acts and 

regulations (9 CFR 372.2, 381.196, and 

590.910) require that foreign countries 

maintain equivalent requirements to 

those that apply to United States 

domestic meat, poultry, and egg 

products. 

Comment: A few commenters stated 

that FSIS’s review of information in the 

SRT should not be a substitute for onsite audits by FSIS because countries 

may not always report information fully 

or accurately. The commenters argued 

that FSIS will be forced to rely more 

heavily on self-reported data from 

countries, as well as POE reinspections, 

and that these data sources are not an 

adequate substitute for in-person 

inspection. 

Response: The SRT is not a substitute 

for on-site audits. The SRT is one of 

three components to FSIS’s equivalence 

process. As mentioned above and in the 

January 2013 Federal Register notice, 

the SRT provides FSIS with initial 

information that is verified through 

periodic on-site audits and POE 

reinspections (78 FR 5411). FSIS will 

get more accurate information through 

the SRT that will better inform FSIS’s 

audit scheduling. In addition, 

information from the SRT may be used 

to inform reinspection assignments. For 

example, based on information from the 

SRT, FSIS may perform targeted testing 

for residues or pathogens in product 

from certain countries. 

It should also be noted that every 

country now eligible to export meat, 

poultry, or egg products to the United 

States has a food inspection system that 

FSIS has determined to be equivalent to 

the FSIS domestic inspection system. 

FSIS is committed to protecting the 

health of U.S. consumers, and it will 

continue to make every effort to ensure 

that meat, poultry, and egg products 

imported into the United States are as 

safe as products produced in this 

country. 

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement 

No agency, officer, or employee of the 

USDA shall, on the grounds of race, 

color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity, sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, or political 

beliefs, exclude from participation in, 

deny the benefits of, or subject to 

discrimination any person in the United 

States under any program or activity 

conducted by the USDA. 

To file a complaint of discrimination, 

complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, which 

may be accessed online at http://

www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/

docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_

12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you 

or your authorized representative. 

Send your completed complaint form 

or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email: 

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–9410. 

Fax: (202) 690–7442. 

Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

Additional Public Notification 

Public awareness of all segments of 

rulemaking and policy development is 

important. Consequently, FSIS will 

announce this Federal Register 

publication on-line through the FSIS 

Web page located at: http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register. 

FSIS also will make copies of this 

publication available through the FSIS 

Constituent Update, which is used to 

provide information regarding FSIS 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 35 / Monday, February 23, 2015 / Notices 9431 

policies, procedures, regulations, 

Federal Register notices, FSIS public 

meetings, and other types of information 

that could affect or would be of interest 

to our constituents and stakeholders. 

The Update is available on the FSIS 

Web page. Through the Web page, FSIS 

is able to provide information to a much 

broader, more diverse audience. In 

addition, FSIS offers an email 

subscription service which provides 

automatic and customized access to 

selected food safety news and 

information. This service is available at: 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. 

Options range from recalls to export 

information, regulations, directives, and 

notices. Customers can add or delete 

subscriptions themselves, and have the 

option to password protect their 

accounts. 

Done in Washington, DC on: February 18, 

2015. 

Alfred V. Almanza, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03576 Filed 2–20–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Tahoe National Forest; California; 

Tahoe National Forest Over-Snow 

Vehicle (OSV) Use Designation 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture will prepare 

an Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) on a proposal to designate oversnow vehicle (OSV) use on National 

Forest System (NFS) roads, NFS trails, 

and areas on NFS lands within the 

Tahoe National Forest; and to identify 

snow trails for grooming within the 

Tahoe National Forest. In addition, the 

Forest Service is proposing to establish 

snow depths for OSV use and snow 

grooming. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

March 25, 2015. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in January 2016, and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in August 2016. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Michael Woodbridge, on behalf of Tom 

Quinn, Forest Supervisor, Tahoe 

National Forest, 631 Coyote Street, 

Nevada City, CA 95959. Comments may 

also be sent via facsimile to 530–478– 

6109 or submitted on the Tahoe 

National Forest OSV Designation Web 

page: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_

project_exp.php?project=45914. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael Woodbridge, Public Affairs 

Officer, USDA Forest Service, Tahoe 

National Forest, 631 Coyote Street, 

Nevada City, CA 95959; phone 530– 

478–6205; email mjwoodbridge@

fs.fed.us. Hours for personal 

communication at the Supervisor’s 

Office are between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 

p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through 

Friday. 

Individuals with a hearing or speech 

disability may dial 711 for 

Telecommunication Relay Services. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Snow Trail Grooming Program: For 

over 30 years, the Forest Service, Pacific 

Southwest Region, in cooperation with 

the California Department of Parks and 

Recreation Off-Highway Motor Vehicle 

Recreation (OHMVR) Division has 

enhanced winter recreation, and more 

specifically snowmobiling recreation, by 

maintaining NFS trails (snow trails) by 

grooming snow for snowmobile use. 

Most groomed snow trails are co-located 

on underlying NFS roads. Some 

grooming occurs on county roads and 

closed snow-covered highways. Most 

grooming activities are currently funded 

by the state off-highway vehicle trust 

fund. 

The Forest Service manages OSV use 

on the Tahoe National Forest consistent 

with management direction contained 

in the Tahoe National Forest Land and 

Resource Management Plan (Forest 

Plan). The following summarizes 

current management of OSV use on 

approximately 829,510 acres of NFS 

lands in the Tahoe National Forest: 

1. Approximately 236 miles of 

designated NFS OSV trails; 

2. Of the approximately 236 miles of 

designated NFS OSV trails, 

approximately 188 miles are OSV trails 

available for grooming; 

3. Approximately 105 miles of NFS 

trail (Pacific Crest Trail) is closed to 

OSV use; 

4. Approximately 48,756 acres of NFS 

land is restricted to designated routes 

only; 

5. Approximately 1,408 acres of NFS 

land is closed to OSV use from 

September 15 through December 31. 

6. Approximately 669,537 acres of 

NFS land is open to off-trail crosscountry OSV use; and 

7. Approximately 109,808 acres of 

NFS land is closed to OSV use. 

The final amended Subpart C of the 

Travel Management Rule was issued on 

January 28, 2015 (80 FR 4500, Jan. 28, 

2015), and becomes effective on 

February 27, 2015. The final rule states: 

‘‘Over-snow vehicle use on NFS roads, 

on NFS trails, and in areas on NFS lands 

shall be designated by the Responsible 

Official on administrative units or 

Ranger Districts, or parts of 

administrative units or Ranger Districts, 

of the NFS where snowfall is adequate 

for that use to occur, and, if appropriate, 

shall be designated by class of vehicle 

and time of year . . .’’ (36 CFR 212.81 

(a)). Further, under 36 CFR 261.14, it is 

prohibited to possess or operate an OSV 

on NFS lands in that administrative unit 

or Ranger District other than in 

accordance with those designations. 

OSV designations made as a result of 

the analysis in this Environmental 

Impact Statement would conform to the 

final Subpart C of the Travel 

Management Rule. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

One purpose of this project is to 

effectively manage OSV use on the 

Tahoe National Forest to provide access, 

ensure that OSV use occurs when there 

is adequate snow, promote the safety of 

all users, enhance public enjoyment, 

minimize impacts to natural and 

cultural resources, and minimize 

conflicts among the various uses. 

There is a need to provide a 

manageable, designated OSV system of 

trails and areas within the Tahoe 

National Forest that is consistent with 

and achieves the purposes of the Forest 

Service Travel Management Rule at 36 

CFR part 212. This action responds to 

direction provided by the Forest 

Service’s Travel Management Rule at 36 

CFR part 212 and Subpart C of the 

Travel Management Rule. 

The existing system of OSV trails and 

areas open for OSV use on the Tahoe 

National Forest results from 

implementation of Forest Plan 

management direction for OSV use. 

Public OSV use of the majority of this 

existing system continues to be 

manageable and consistent with current 

travel management regulations. 

Exceptions have been identified, based 

on internal and informal public input 

and the criteria listed at 36 CFR 212.55. 

These include needs to protect natural 

resources, provide improved access for 

OSV users, provide improved quiet 

winter recreation opportunities and 

ensure consistency with overall 

management area direction contained in 

the Forest Plan. These exceptions 

represent additional needs for change, 

and in these cases, changes are 

proposed to meet the overall objectives. 

The snow trail grooming analysis 

would also address the need to provide 

a high quality snowmobile trail system 

on the Tahoe National Forest that is 


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