8846 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices 

Scope of Issues 

Extensive prior public involvement 

has resulted in the following key issues 

to be analyzed in the Environmental 

Impact Statement: 1. Impacts of grazing 

on soil and water, 2. Impacts of grazing 

on vegetation, including riparian areas 

and wildflowers, 3. Impacts of grazing 

on recreational experiences, including 

grazing in a Wilderness, and hiker 

interactions with guard dogs, 4. Impacts 

of grazing on wildlife, including habitat 

damage and potential disease 

transmission, 5. Impacts of grazing on 

socio-economics of the local 

communities, and 6. Impacts of grazing 

on cultural resources. 

Scoping Process 

Written comments that were 

submitted during scoping and comment 

periods for the development of the 

preceding Environmental Assessment 

will still be considered and are still part 

of the project record. The Forest Service 

requests that you do not resubmit the 

same comments. Because of extensive 

public input during the Environmental 

Assessment process, the scope of issues 

and alternatives to be analyzed in the 

Environmental Impact Statement have 

already been well examined and the 

Forest Service is considering this prior 

public input as meeting the primary 

requirement for scoping for the 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

This notice of intent initiates a 

supplementary scoping process, which 

is intended to provide the opportunity 

for the public to comment on the scope 

of issues and alternatives to be analyzed 

in the Environmental Impact Statement 

only if there is new or different 

information that has not been 

previously considered. To determine 

whether your comment or concern has 

previously been submitted, please read 

the Scoping Summary and Response to 

Comments documents found on the 

project Web page at www.fs.usda.gov/

projects/sanjuan/landmanagement/

projects, or call Jared Whitmer. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such manner that they are useful to the 

agency’s preparation of the 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns. 

Information regarding this project is 

available at the Columbine Ranger 

District office in Bayfield, Colorado, and 

on the San Juan National Forest Web 

site noted above. Public meetings may 

be scheduled at a later date to provide 

further information as needed. The 

dates of any public meetings will be 

announced by press releases in local 

papers, direct mailings, emails, and will 

be posted on the San Juan National 

Forest Web site. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered; however, anonymous 

comments will not provide the Agency 

with the ability to provide the 

respondent with subsequent 

environmental documents. 

Dated: February 3, 2015. 

Kara L. Chadwick, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03469 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Lewis and Clark National Forest, 

Montana, Castle Mountains 

Restoration Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Lewis and Clark National 

Forest (LCNF) is going to prepare an 

environmental impact statement for 

vegetation management actions in the 

Castle Mountains located in Central 

Montana. The project is designed to 

meet the desired condition of restoring 

forest and grasslands ecosystems to 

promote landscape resiliency over time 

for multiple resource values while 

minimizing the threat of high intensity 

wildfire within the Willow Creek 

municipal watershed and areas of other 

valued resources and infrastructure in 

the 69,610 acre Castle Mountains 

landscape. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

March 23, 2015. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected September 2015 and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected March 2016. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Carol Hatfield White Sulphur Springs 

District Ranger, Lewis & Clark National 

Forest, 204 W. Folsom, P.O. Box A, 

White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645. 

Comments may also be sent via email to 

comments-northern-lewisclark-whitesulphur-sprg@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile 

to 406–547–6023. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such a way that they are useful to the 

Agency’s preparation of the EIS. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered, however. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

Casselli Project Team Lead, at 406–791– 

7723. Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of the project is to move 

toward a resilient forest and grassland 

ecosystem that will mimic a more 

historic natural fire regime to reduce the 

future threat of high intensity wildfire 

and the associated hazards to life, 

valued resources and infrastructure. In 

order to achieve this, there is a need to 

create a mosaic of vegetation and fuel 

structure more resilient to disturbance 

over time that includes improving the 

overall diversity in age classes, species, 

and meadow openings across the 

landscape. The action will provide for 

safer, more effective fire suppression 

actions when needed, reduce threats to 

forest users, to private residences, 

power corridors, agency infrastructure, 

water quality of Willow Creek and to 

valued wildlife habitat. These actions 

will reduce the probability of postwildfire watershed impacts to the 

Willow Creek municipal watershed and 

associated costs. 

Proposed Action 

Approximately 22,124 acres are 

proposed for treatment which includes 

a combination of fuels reduction 

thinning, commercial harvest of trees, 

non-commercial thinning, and 

prescribed fire. Mechanical and/or hand 

treatment methods would be used to 

accomplish the treatment objectives. 

Proposed treatment activities include: 

roughly 1,911 acres of Improvement 

Thinning; 7,329 acres of Prescribed Fire; 

313 acres of Aspen Restoration; 277 

acres of Precommercial Thinning; 856 

acres of White Bark Pine Restoration; 

8,681 acres of meadow Restoration; 

1,519 acres of Douglas-fir Thinning; and 

1,236 acres of Lodgepole Pine 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices 8847 

regeneration harvest. There would be up 

to 57 miles of temporary road utilized 

for the project with approximately 20 

miles of this occurring over existing 

road prisms. Road maintenance or 

reconstruction of existing system roads 

to meet forestry best management 

practices would be necessary to 

implement the proposed action. No new 

permanent roads will be constructed. 

Temporary roads not on the forest road 

system that are utilized will be 

obliterated (stabilized and or restored to 

natural contours) upon completion of 

treatment operations. Roads identified 

in the 2007 Travel Management Record 

of Decision that were removed from the 

road system (decommissioned) would 

be physically stabilized or re-contoured 

as needed to meet the resource 

objectives of travel management. Sitespecific amendments to the Lewis and 

Clark National Forest Plan standards 

pertaining to elk hiding cover, elk 

winter range, and elk thermal cover may 

be necessary in order to meet the 

project’s purpose and need. To address 

potential impacts of proposed 

management activities on cheatgrass 

(Bromus tectorum) in meeting the 

project objectives, the proposal includes 

an integrated management approach to 

control the establishment and spread of 

this invasive grass species. The use of 

applicable EPA approved selective 

herbicides and or biological controls 

would be utilized in units having 

prescribed burning as the treatment 

action. Approximately 42 percent 

(29,498 acres) of the total project area is 

located within the Castles Mountains 

Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA). 

Proposed treatment activities on 

approximately 6,262 acres are planned 

within the IRA. A combination of noncommercial vegetation treatments and 

prescribed fire techniques are proposed. 

Under the proposal, road maintenance 

may occur but no road construction, 

reconstruction of system or temporary 

roads are planned within the IRA. The 

location of this project area is those 

sections of the Castle Mountains within 

the National Forest Boundary; 

Township 8 and 9 N, Range 8, 9 and 10 

E. Principle Meridian, Meagher County, 

Montana. 

Responsible Official 

Helena and Lewis & Clark National 

Forests Forest Supervisor. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decisions to be made include: 

Whether to implement the proposed 

action or an alternative to the proposed 

action, what monitoring requirements 

would be appropriate to evaluate the 

implementation of this project, the 

timing of the project and whether a 

forest plan site specific amendment 

(exemption) would be necessary as a 

result of the decision for this project. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. In February 2015, a 

scoping notice (flyer) will be mailed to 

interested and affected parties directing 

them to the project’s information which 

will be posted to the Lewis and Clark 

National Forest’s projects Web page 

(http://www.fs.usda.gov/lcnf/). The Web 

page will contain detailed project 

information, including when public 

meetings will be scheduled, project 

proposal maps, and other pertinent 

project information. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such manner that they are useful to the 

agency’s preparation of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. The submission of timely 

and specific comments can affect a 

reviewer’s ability to participate in the 

administrative objection process or any 

judicial review. 

Dated: February 11, 2015. 

Robin Strathy, 

Deputy Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03466 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Information Collection Activity; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites 

comments on this information 

collection for which RUS intends to 

request approval from the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by April 20, 2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas P. Dickson, Acting Director & 

Funds Control Officer, Program 

Development and Regulatory Analysis, 

USDA Rural Development, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW., STOP 1522, 

Room 5164 South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–4492. FAX: (202) 

720–8435. Email: Thomas.Dickson@

wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 

regulation (5 CFR part 1320) 

implementing provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 

L. 104–13) requires that interested 

members of the public and affected 

agencies have an opportunity to 

comment on information collection and 

recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 

1320.8(d)). This notice identifies an 

information collection that RUS is 

submitting to OMB for extension. 

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: 

Thomas P. Dickson, Acting Director, 

Program Development and Regulatory 

Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW., STOP 1522, 

Room 5164 South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–4492, FAX: (202) 

720–8435. Email: Thomas.Dickson@

wdc.usda.gov. 

Title: Substantially Underserved Trust 

Areas. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0147. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The RUS provides loan, loan 

guarantee and grant programs for rural 

electric, water and waste, and 

telecommunications and broadband 

infrastructure. The SUTA initiative 

gives the Secretary of Agriculture 

certain discretionary authorities relating 

to financial assistance terms and 

conditions that can enhance the 

financing possibilities in areas that are 

underserved by certain RUS electric, 

water and waste, and 

telecommunications and broadband 

programs. The data covered by this 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES