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

24769

Vol. 63, No. 86

Tuesday, May 5, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

Notice of Request for Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the intent of the Farm

Service Agency (FSA) to request an

extension of currently approved

information collections for a regulation

used in support of the FSA Farm Loan

Program (FLP) (formerly Farmer

Programs of the Farmers Home

Administration (FmHA)). This renewal

does not involve any revisions to the

program rules.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received on or before July 6, 1998, to be

assured consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

additional information contact Phillip

Elder, Senior Loan Officer, USDA, Farm

Service Agency, Loan Servicing

Division, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW, STOP 0523, Washington, D.C.

20013–0523; Telephone (202) 690–4012;

Electronic mail:

pelder@wdc.fsa.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: 7 CFR part 1951, subpart T,

Disaster Set-Aside Program.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0164.

Expiration Date of Approval: August

31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection.

Abstract: The Disaster Set-Aside

program (DSA) is made available

through the authority granted the

Secretary of Agriculture under the

Consolidated Farm and Rural

Development Act (7 U.S.C.1981a) (The

Act). The set-aside program is designed

to assist borrowers in financial distress

who operated a farm or ranch in an area

that was declared or designated a

disaster area. As provided in Section

331A of the Act, the Secretary has the

authority to defer principal and interest

at the request of the borrower on a loan

made by USDA under the Act. Under

this program, FSA farm loan program

borrowers can receive immediate

financial relief by moving one annual

installment for each loan to the end of

the loan term. DSA allows eligible

borrowers who are unable to make the

payments to quickly eliminate their

immediate financial stress.

The public reporting burden imposed

by this subpart requires borrowers who

request DSA to document that their

income will be reduced to an amount

that will prevent payment of living and

operating expenses, and amounts due

FSA and other creditors. The

information is required of FSA farm

borrowers and collected by loan

servicing officials to support approval of

a set-aside request. The information to

be collected will primarily be financial

data not already on file, such as

borrower asset values, expenses and

income. This information will be

analyzed expediently to determine that

disaster victims need payment relief.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 18 minutes per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households, businesses or other for

profit and farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

10,700.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.75.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 5,646 hours.

The Agency is soliciting comments on

the burden of all of the above subparts

regarding: (a) Whether the 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 burden including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; (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. These comments should be

sent to Desk Officer for Agriculture,

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503 and to

Phillip Elder, Senior Loan Officer,

USDA, FSA, Farm Loan Programs, Loan

Servicing Division, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, STOP 0523, Washington,

D.C. 20250–0523. Copies of the

information collections may be obtained

from Mr. Elder at the above address.

Comments regarding paperwork burden

will be summarized and included in the

request for OMB approval of the

information collection. All comments

will also become a matter of public

record.

Signed in Washington, D.C., on April 28,

1998.

Keith Kelly,

Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

[FR Doc. 98–11886 Filed 5–4–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Goose Creek Watershed Projects,

Payette National Forest, Adams

County, Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service is

proposing to harvest and regenerate

timber, improve watershed conditions,

restore flammulated owl habitat, and

expand the Grouse Campground in the

Goose Creek watershed. The projects

will be administered jointly by the New

Meadows and McCall Ranger Districts of

the Payette National Forest. The Goose

Creek watershed is located on both the

New Meadows and McCall Ranger

Districts, roughly halfway between New

Meadows and McCall, Idaho.

The Payette Forest completed scoping

on the Goose Creek Watershed Projects

in April 1997, with the intent of

analyzing effects on issues and

resources in an environmental

assessment. However, the Forest has

since decided to complete the analysis

in an environmental impact statement

due to the high intensity of public use
24770 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 86 /Tuesday, May 5, 1998 / Notices

and interest in this watershed, and the

potential for the proposed action to

produce significant effects.

DATES: The Forest Service expects to

release a Draft Environmental Impact

Statement for the Goose Creek

Watershed Projects in July 1998. A Final

EIS and Record of Decision are expected

in October 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or

requests for the above documents can be

sent to David Alexander, Forest

Supervisor, Payette National Forest,

P.O. Box 1026, McCall, Idaho 83638.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions about the proposed projects

should be directed to Sue Dixon, Team

Leader, phone no. (208) 347–0331; or

Kimberly Brandel, New Meadows

District Ranger, phone no. (208) 347–

0300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Proposed Action (Alternative B) would

manage forest vegetation to improve

growth, health, and species composition

on an estimated 3,940 acres using

tractor, skyline, and helicopter logging

systems. Silvicultural prescriptions

would include 1,910 acres of

commercial thinning, 730 acres of free

selection thinning, 620 acres of

sanitation salvage, 580 acres of clearcuts

with reserve trees, 50 acres of seed tree

cuts, and 50 acres of overstory removal.

Thinning treatments in lowerelevation stands would be designed to

mimic historic stand conditions and

restore habitat for flammulated owl, a

Region 4 sensitive species that is known

to occur in the watershed.

Treatment of harvest-generated fuels

would include 560 acres of broadcast

burning, 400 acres of tractor piling and

burning, and 261 acres of excavator

piling and burning. Reforestation of

ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western

larch, Engelmann spruce, and lodgepole

pine seedlings would occur on 580

acres. An additional 50 acres would be

monitored for natural regeneration.

An estimated 6.6 miles of new road

would be constructed to support

vegetation management. Another 45

miles of existing roads would be

improved. Improvements include

graveling 14.3 miles of native-surfaced

roads with gravel from two existing

developed sources. All roads would

have surfaces graded and shaped, and

drainage structures improved or

installed as needed. Road stream

crossings would be designed to meet

PACFISH standards and to minimize

potential effects to stream channels and

water quality.

An estimated 7.9 miles of existing

road would be obliterated to improve

soil productivity and hydrologic

function. Obliteration would include

combinations of the following: partial

recontouring, pulling of culverts,

reshaping drainages at culvert sites,

ripping and revegetating road surfaces,

placing slash and coarse wood on

disturbed areas, and restricting

motorized access. Post-sale road

management would include closing an

additional 68.7 miles of existing road to

public motorized access to improve elk

habitat and water quality within the

watershed.

The Grouse Campground near Goose

Lake would be relocated to reduce

impacts to riparian areas, and expanded

to accommodate increasing recreation

use in the area.

The Proposed Action would require

three non-significant amendments to the

Forest Plan; one for exceeding the forage

opening size and distance to cover for

big game; one for not meeting the Elk

Habitat Effectiveness target level, and

one for temporarily changing the

Recreation Opportunity Spectrum

setting in one harvest unit (162 acres)

from non-motorized to motorized.

The Draft EIS will include at least two

other alternatives, including Alternative

A, No Action (continue current

management in the watershed), and

Alternative C, which would differ

mainly from the Proposed Action by

treating less acres (1,600) with timber

harvest, constructing less new road (3.1

miles), obliterating more existing roads

(30.6 miles), and restoring dispersed

camp sites near Goose Lake and

Brundage Reservoir.

The Responsible Official is David F.

Alexander, Forest Supervisor, Payette

National Forest.

Dated: April 27, 1998.

David F. Alexander,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 98–11883 Filed 5–4–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY: Rural Telephone Bank, USDA.

ACTION: Staff briefing for the board of

directors.

TIME AND DATE: 3 p.m., Thursday, May

14, 1998.

PLACE: Room 5030, South Building,

Department of Agriculture, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC.

STATUS: Open.

MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED: General

discussion involving the 1996 Telecom

Act and universal service; the upcoming

Board of Directors election, and

administrative issues.

ACTION: Board of directors meeting.

TIME AND DATE: 9 a.m., Friday, May 15,

1998.

PLACE: The Williamsburg Room, Room

104–A, Jamie L. Whitten Building,

Department of Agriculture, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC.

STATUS: Open.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The

following matters have been placed on

the agenda for the Board of Directors

meeting:

1. Call to order.

2. Action on the February 19, 1998,

Minutes.

3. Report on loans approved in the

second quarter of FY 1998.

4. Summary of financial activity for

the second quarter of FY 1998.

5. Discussion concerning the

allowance for loan losses reserve.

6. Status report on the creation of a

Performance-Based Organization.

7. Consideration of resolution to

adopt a schedule for various actions in

connection with the November 1998

Board of Directors election.

8. Consideration of resolution to

appoint Tellers for the November 1998

Board of Directors election.

9. Establish date and location of next

regular Board meeting.

10. Adjournment.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Orren Cameron, III, Acting Assistant

Governor, Rural Telephone Bank, (202)

720–9554.

Dated: April 30, 1998.

Wally Beyer,

Governor, Rural Telephone Bank.

[FR Doc. 98–11996 Filed 5–1–98; 12:25 pm]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW

BOARD

Sunshine Act Meeting

DATE: May 12–13, 1998.

PLACE: ARRB, 600 E Street, NW,

Washington, DC.

STATUS: Closed. Open: 3:00–4:00 p.m.

May 12.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Closed Meeting:

1. Review and Accept Minutes of

Closed Meeting.

2. Review of Assassination Records.

3. Other Business.

Open Meeting:

1. Discussion of Final Report.

2. Review and Accept Minutes of

April 24 Open Meeting.