Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 81 /Tuesday, April 28, 1998 / Notices 23297

(1) To assist States in the

implementation of their mental health

block grant plans and the enhancement

of their comprehensive coordinated

systems of care to better serve adults

with severe mental illness and children

with serious emotional disturbance;

(2) To promote the development of

the Mental Health Planning Councils so

they can assist the States in

implementing mental health block grant

plans and enhance their systems of care;

(3) To collaborate with stakeholders

in the mental health system in the

expansion and dissemination of

knowledge and practices that will result

in long-lasting improvements in the

design, delivery, and evaluation of

public mental health services;

(4) To assist States in developing

mental health systems that are

consumer oriented, sensitive to family

member needs, and culturally

competent;

(5) To be able to determine the

‘‘unmet need’’ and assist States in

developing strategies to ensure that the

gap is bridged between the need for

services and service availability and

delivery.

NASMHPD, through its needs

assessment surveys, frequent contact in

‘‘meet me’’ telephone conferences, focus

groups, semi-annual meetings, and

electronic communication channels, can

rapidly address information to the

specific needs of the States, its

members, and evaluate member

response, and can communicate

technical mental health information

from the States to the TA Center and

vice versa. Such capability provides a

singular benefit to the States in that

information that is invaluable to

program success but generally

unavailable because of Federal process

requirements becomes available to

States through NASMHPD’s close

organizational relationship with its

members.

Because of its research activities, this

organization is also able to identify the

prime movers in the mental health field,

and to enlist them in the creation of

authority-articulated clinical,

management, and fiscal model

standards. Also through NASMHPD’s

membership, the TA Center’s

knowledge base and technical assistance

extends to the State mental health

planning councils, to block grant subrecipient programs, and thence to

consumers and their families.

Availability of Funds

The project will be for a 3-year period

with $700,000 available for the first

year. Future year funding will depend

on the availability of funds and program

performance.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Marie Danforth, M.S.W. or Velva Taylor

Spriggs, L.I.S.W., CMHS/SAMHSA,

Parklawn Building, Room 15C–26, 5600

Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland

20857. Telephone (301) 443–4257.

Dated: April 21, 1998.

Richard Kopanda,

Executive Officer, SAMHSA.

[FR Doc. 98–11157 Filed 4–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4162–20–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV–040–1610–00]

Draft Caliente Management Framework

Plan Amendment and Environmental

Impact Statement for the Management

of Desert Tortoise Habitat

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the

Draft Caliente Management Framework

Plan amendment and environmental

impact statement for the management of

desert tortoise habitat, Lincoln County,

NV; and notice of 90 day public

comment period.

SUMMARY: The Draft Plan Amendment/

Environmental Impact Statement for the

Caliente Management Framework Plan

would implement management goals

and actions for Bureau of Land

Management (BLM)-administered desert

tortoise habitat in Lincoln County,

Nevada. The Mojave desert tortoise

(Gopherus agassizii) was listed as a

threatened species in 1990, based on

declining numbers in some areas of its

range. These goals and actions,

recommended in the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service’s approved Desert

Tortoise (Mojave Population) Recovery

Plan, would assist the recovery and

delisting of the desert tortoise in the

Northeastern Mojave Recovery Unit.

This amendment is required to comply

with the Endangered Species Act of

1973 which mandates that all federal

agencies will conserve and recover

listed species within their

administrative units. The accompanying

EIS satisfies the National Environmental

Policy Act, which mandates that federal

agencies analyze the environmental

consequences of major federal action.

The planning area for this amendment

consists of approximately 754,600 acres

of public land in southern Lincoln

County, administered by the Caliente

Field Station, within BLM’s Ely District.

No private lands would be directly

affected by management direction

described under the Proposed Action or

alternatives. The planning area is

located within the Northeastern Mojave

Recovery Unit, as defined by the

Recovery Plan. The document discusses

several alternatives for the protection of

desert tortoise habitat and recovery of

the species.

DATES: Public Meetings will be held on

June 17, 1998 at the Texas Station, 2101

Texas Star Lane in North Las Vegas, NV

between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on June

18, 1998 at the Caliente Youth Center in

Caliente, NV between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Caliente public meeting will be

held in conjunction with the MojaveSouthern Great Basin Resource

Advisory Council. Written comments on

the Draft EIS will be accepted until

August 14, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Public comments may be

sent to: Bureau of Land Management,

Ely Field Office, Gene L. Drais, Project

Manager, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV

98301–9408.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Write to the above address or call Gene

L. Drais, Project Manager at (702) 289–

1880.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Proposed Action would assist desert

tortoise recovery, while minimizing

effects on human activities that occur

within Desert Tortoise habitat. It

includes recommendations derived from

the Recovery Plan and public input,

multiple use considerations, as well as

management actions designed to be

consistent with those proposed by

adjacent BLM districts. The Proposed

Action would: (1) Designate three Areas

of Critical Environmental Concern

(ACECs); (2) implement management

prescriptions for desert tortoise habitat

outside of the ACECs; (3) ensure BLM

participation in a USFWS-developed

environmental education program; and

(4) implement a USFWS-approved

interagency monitoring program. The

three ACECs, totaling 212,500 acres,

would protect 83 percent of designated

critical habitat.

Management prescriptions, designed

to improve desert tortoise habitat,

would modify or restrict some multiple

uses, including livestock grazing, offhighway vehicle recreation, land use

authorizations, and mineral

development within the ACECs. Section

7 consultation would continue to be

conducted with the USFWS on any

federal action that might affect listed

species.

Alternative A (Habitat Management

Alternative) contains management goals
23298 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 81 /Tuesday, April 28, 1998 / Notices

and actions that are similar to the

Proposed Action, with the exception of

the management direction proposed for

livestock grazing and recreation. Under

this alternative, three ACECs would be

designated and managed to achieve the

recovery of the desert tortoise through

modifications to multiple use within

those special management areas.

Livestock grazing within the ACECs

would be managed according to forage

production criteria intended to meet the

desert tortoise recovery objectives.

Recreation management direction would

also be modified to minimize conflicts

with recovery efforts. Section 7

consultation would continue to be

conducted with the USFWS on any

federal action that might affect listed

species.

Alternative B (DWMA Alternative)

contains most of the management goals

and prescriptions recommended in the

Recovery Plan, with less emphasis on

multiple use management of the public

lands. Two special management areas,

labeled Desert Wildlife Management

Areas (DWMAs), would protect 52

percent of the desert tortoise designated

critical habitat. The DWMAs would

contain approximately 300,800 acres

and would be managed primarily for the

recovery of the desert tortoise.

Management prescriptions would not

authorize livestock grazing, mineral

development, many land use

authorizations, and some types of

recreational activities within the

DWMAs. No special management

attention, other than required Section 7

consultation on federal actions that

might affect listed species, would be

directed to the approximately 454,000

acres of desert tortoise habitat outside of

the DWMAs, unless the desert tortoise

populations occupying that habitat were

in jeopardy.

Alternative C (No Action Alternative)

would continue management under the

approved Caliente MFP. Management

recommendations from the Recovery

Plan either would not be implemented

or would not be systematically or

comprehensively implemented. Section

7 consultation with the USFWS would

continue to be conducted prior to the

authorization of any federal action

affecting listed species. Management

direction would also be provided

through the issuance of Biological

Opinions by the USFWS through

Section 7 consultation. Current

management directions for livestock

grazing and off-highway vehicle events

were developed as a result of Biological

Opinions issued to minimize effects on

desert tortoise habitat. The No Action

Alternative forms the baseline against

which to assess the effects of the

alternatives and is required for a

comprehensive NEPA analysis.

Dated: April 15, 1998.

Robert V. Abbey,

State Director, Nevada.

[FR Doc. 98–11195 Filed 4–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Administration on Aging, HHS

[Program Announcement No. AoA–98–6]

Fiscal Year 1998 Program

Announcement; Availability of Funds

and Notice Regarding Applications

AGENCY: Administration on Aging, HHS.

ACTION: Announcement of availability of

funds and request for applications to

carry out research on Alzheimer’s

disease caregiving options.

SUMMARY: The Administration on Aging

(AoA) announces that under this

program announcement it will hold a

competition for a project to conduct

research on Alzheimer’s disease

caregiving options and best practices,

including respite care, assisted living,

the impact of intervention by social

service agencies on victims, and related

caregiving options.

The deadline date for the submission

of applications is June 29, 1998.

Applicant eligibility for this grant

competition is limited by the applicable

funding provisions of the Omnibus

Consolidated Appropriation Act of 1998

(P.L. 105–78) which, by incorporating

both Senate Report 105–58 and House

Report 105–390 (Conference Committee)

provides $2 million ‘‘for social research

into Alzheimer’s disease care options

* * *’’ The Senate Report urges that the

research ‘‘utilize and give discretion to

municipalities with aged populations

(over the age of 60) of over 1 million

* * *’’ Accordingly, under this AoA

program announcement, to be eligible to

compete an applicant must be

designated by the Mayor as officially

representing a municipality with 1

million or more persons 60 years of age

and older.

Application kits are available by

writing to the Department of Health and

Human Services, Administration on

Aging, Office of Program Development,

330 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room

4274, Washington, DC 20201, or by

calling 202/619–1269.

Dated: April 23, 1998.

Jeanette C. Takamura,

Assistant Secretary for Aging.

[FR Doc. 98–11268 Filed 4–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4150–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Submission of Study

Package to the Office of Management

and Budget; Opportunity for Public

Comment

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of submission to OMB

and request for comments for

reinstatement, with change, of a

previously approved collection for

which approval has expired.

ABSTRACT: The survey is used by NPS

for the purpose of collecting public

interview data which are used to

determine conversion factors used in

converting electro-mechanical visitor

counts into recreation visits.

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5

CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Record

Keeping Requirements, the National

Park Service invites public comments

on a proposed information collection

request (ICR) which has been submitted

to OMB for approval. Comments are

invited on: (1) The need for the

information including whether the

information has practical utility; (2) the

accuracy of the reporting burden

estimate; (3) ways to enhance the

quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected; and (4)

ways to minimize the burden of the

information collection on respondents,

including use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology.

A 60 Day Notice of Request for

Extension of a Currently Approved

Collection of Information; Opportunity

for Public Comment was published in

the Federal Register on February 11,

1997, Volume 62, #28, page 6266. No

replies were received from the public as

a result of the Federal Register Notice.

Past NPS interviewer experiences show

that park visitors have a positive interest

in participating in the surveys and in

volunteering information in response to

the survey questions. Due to

streamlining the scope of the survey,

there has been a reduction in 700

burden hours from the previously

approved survey and as was indicated

in the February 11, 1997 Federal

Register Notice.