10254 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 44 / Thursday, March 6, 1997 / Notices

Slate Creek; analyze and implement

access management prescriptions for the

existing road and trail system; develop

and enhance dispersed recreation sites;

and provide interpretive sites for the

public.

No new permanent roads would be

constructed. Some new construction of

temporary roads and helicopter log

landings would occur and some reconstruction of existing roads would

occur. Temporary roads that are

constructed or re-constructed will be

recontoured after use.

A watershed analysis, called the Slate

Creek Implementation Area Assessment,

was recently undertaken for the entire

Slate Creek watershed. The Clean Slate

project is located within the Slate Creek

watershed. One of the primary purposes

of this watershed analysis was to collect

and display historic conditions and

processes and document how

management activities have influenced

the current conditions of the watershed.

From this, management opportunities

were identified that would best fit with

the natural character and processes of

the watershed. This proposal is moving

forward with some of the

recommendations made in the Slate

Creek Watershed Assessment.

The Forest Service will consider a

range of alternatives to the proposed

action. One of these will be the ‘‘no

action’’ alternative, in which none of the

proposed action will be implemented.

Additional alternatives will examine

varying levels and locations for the

proposed activities, including entry into

the Roadless Area, to achieve the

proposal’s purposes, as well as to

respond to the issues and other resource

values.

Public participation is an important

part of the project, commencing with

the initial scoping process (40 CFR

1501.7), which starts with publication of

this notice and continues for the next 30

days. In addition, the public 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, and local agencies, the Nez Perce

Tribe, and other individuals or

organizations who may be interested in

or affected by the proposed action.

Comments from the public and other

agencies will be used in preparation of

the Draft EIS. The scoping process will

be used to:

1. Identify potential issues.

2. Identify major issues to be analyzed

in depth.

3. Eliminate minor issues or those

which have been covered by a relevant

previous environmental analysis, such

as the Nez Perce National Forest Plan

EIS.

4. Identify alternatives to the

proposed action.

5. Identify potential environmental

effects of the proposed action and

alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and

cumulative effects).

While public participation in this

analysis is welcome at any time,

comments received within 30 days of

the publication of this notice will be

especially useful in the preparation of

the draft EIS, which is expected to be

filed with the Environmental Protection

Agency and available for public review

in May, 1997. A 45-day comment period

will follow publication of a Notice of

Availability of the draft EIS in the

Federal Register. The comments

received will be analyzed and

considered in preparation of a final EIS,

which is expected to be filed in [July,]

1997. A Record of Decision will be

issued not less than 30 days after

publication of a Notice of Availability of

the final EIS in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes it is

important at this early stage to give

reviewers notice of several court rulings

related to public participation in the

environmental review process. First,

reviewers of draft EISs must structure

their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so that it is

meaningful and alerts an agency to

reviewer’s position and contentions.

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v.

NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 513 (1978). Also,

environmental objections that could be

raised at the draft EIS stage but that are

not raised until after completion of the

final EIS 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 available to the Forest Service at a

time when it can meaningfully consider

them and respond to them in the final

EIS.

To assist the Forest Service in

identifying and considering issues and

concerns on the proposed action,

comments should be as specific as

possible. 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.

I am the responsible official for this

environmental impact statement.

Dated: January 31, 1997.

Coy G. Jemmett,

Forest Supervisor, Nez Perce National Forest,

Route 2, Box 475, Grangeville, ID 83530.

[FR Doc. 97–5543 Filed 3–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

Yakima Province Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Yakima Province

Advisory Committee will meet on

March 12, 1997, in the Cle Elum Ranger

District office warehouse conference

room, 803 W. 2nd Street, Cle Elum,

Washington. The meeting will begin at

9:00 a.m. and continue until 3:00 p.m.

Agenda items to be covered will include

agency updates and information relative

to the development and role of an

advisory subcommittee in providing

advice on the Snoqualmie Pass

Adaptive Management Area. All Yakima

Province Advisory Committee meetings

are open to the public. Interested

citizens are welcome to attend.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this meeting

to Paul Hart, Designated Federal

Official, USDA, Wenatchee National

Forest, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee,

Washington 98801, 509–662–4335.

Dated: February 25, 1997.

Glenn Hoffman,

Acting Forest Supervisor, Wenatchee

National Forest.

[FR Doc. 97–5458 Filed 3–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

ARCTIC RESEARCH COMMISSION

Notice of Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the U.S.

Research Commission will hold its 46th

Meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, March

24, 1997, at the National Science

Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard,

Arlington, VA 22230. Agenda items

include:

(1) Call to order and approval of the

Agenda

(2) Approval of the minutes of the 45nd

Meeting

(3) Reports of Congressional Liaisons

(4) Agency Reports

(5) Research News

The focus of the meeting will be on

Arctic Ocean Research.

Any person planning to attend this

meeting who requires special

accessibility features and/or auxiliary

aids, such as sign language interpreters

must inform the Commission in advance

of those needs.