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

37314

Vol. 63, No. 132

Friday, July 10, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[TM–98–00–5]

Notice of Meeting of the National

Organic Standards Board

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as

amended, the Agricultural Marketing

Service (AMS) announces a forthcoming

meeting of the National Organic

Standards Board (NOSB).

DATES: July 21, 1998, at 1:30 p.m. to 5:00

p.m.; July 22, 1998, from 8:00 a.m. to

5:00 p.m.; and July 23, 1998, from 8:00

a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the NOSB.

PLACE: U.S. Department of Agriculture,

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Jefferson Auditorium (July 21, 1998) and

Room 3501 South Building (July 22–23,

1998), Washington, D.C. 20250. Phone:

(202) 690–3655.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Keith Jones, Program Manager, Room

2510 South Building, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, AMS, Transportation

and Marketing, National Organic

Program Staff, P.O. Box 96456,

Washington, D.C. 20090-6456. Phone

(202) 720–3252.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

2119 (7 U.S.C. 6518) of the Organic

Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA),

as amended (7 U.S.C. Section 6501 et

seq.) requires the establishment of

NOSB. The purpose of NOSB is to assist

in the development of standards for

substances to be used in organic

production and to advise the Secretary

on any other aspects of the

implementation of OFPA. NOSB met for

the first time in Washington, D.C., in

March 1992 and currently has six

committees working on various aspects

of the program. The committees are:

Crops Standards; Processing, Labeling

and Packaging; Livestock Standards;

Accreditation; Materials; and

International Issues. In August 1994,

NOSB provided its initial

recommendations for the National

Organic Program (NOP) to the Secretary

of Agriculture and since that time has

submitted 30 addenda to the

recommendations and reviewed more

than 170 substances for inclusion on the

National List of Allowed and Prohibited

Substances. The last meeting of NOSB

was held in March 1998, in Ontario,

California. The Department of

Agriculture (USDA) published its

proposed rule for NOP in the Federal

Register (62 FR 65849) on December 16,

1997. An extension of the comment

period on the proposed rule was

published in the Federal Register (63

FR 6498–6499) on February 9, 1998. The

comment period was extended until

April 30, 1998.

PURPOSE AND AGENDA: The main

purposes of this meeting are to review

committee reports; continue dialog on

unresolved issues from the March 1998

meeting, including fees, peer review

panels, treated seeds, and aquaculture;

elect new officers; appoint committee

chairpersons; and plan future activities

of the Board.

A final agenda for this meeting will be

available on July 7, 1998. Persons

requesting copies of the final agenda

should contact Karen Thomas at the

above address or phone (202) 690–3655.

TYPE OF MEETING: All meetings will be

open to the public. NOSB has scheduled

time for public input on July 21, 1998,

beginning at 1:30 p.m. and continuing

until 5:00 p.m. Individuals and

organizations wishing to make an oral

presentation at the meeting on any

organic issue should forward the request

to Ms. Thomas at the above address or

by FAX to (202) 205–7808 by July 15,

1998, in order to be scheduled. While

persons wishing to make a presentation

may sign up at the door, advance

registration will ensure an opportunity

to speak during the allotted time period

and will help NOSB better manage the

meeting and accomplish its agenda.

Individuals or organizations will be

given approximately 5 minutes to orally

present their views. All persons making

an oral presentation are requested also

to provide their comments in writing, if

possible. Written submissions may of

course expand on or supplement the

oral presentation with additional

material. Attendees who do not wish to

make an oral presentation are invited to

submit written comments to NOSB at

the meeting. All persons submitting

written comments should provide 20

copies to NOSB.

Dated: July 7, 1998.

Eileen S. Stommes,

Deputy Administrator, Transportation and

Marketing.

[FR Doc. 98–18540 Filed 7–8–98; 11:55 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Sierra Nevada Conservation Planning

for National Forests in California

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Announcing the beginning of a

planning process that will: (1) Examine

existing management direction for the

National Forests in the Sierra Nevada in

light of new scientific information, and

(2) develop new management direction

where necessary, supported by an

environmental impact statement to be

completed by July 31, 1999. After an

initial public involvement period, the

Agency will amend this notice with a

Notice of Intent that will more fully

describe an Agency proposed action.

SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service,

Pacific Southwest Region, is beginning

a planning process to ensure that new

scientific information is adequately

considered in management direction

contained in the Pacific Southwest

Regional Guide and the ten Forest Plans

for the National Forests in the Sierra

Nevada. The Pacific Southwest Regional

Forester, in consultation with the

Director of the Pacific Southwest

Research Station, anticipates (1) having

a completed and peer reviewed report

that synthesizes new scientific

information of rangewide urgency to the

National Forests in the Sierra Nevada by

late-July, 1998; (2) having completed an

examination of current management

direction in light of the new scientific

information and the identification of

weaknesses in current management

direction along with possible changes

that could be made in management

direction to rectify those weaknesses by

the end of July, 1998; (3) providing a 60-
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 132 / Friday, July 10, 1998 / Notices 37315

day opportunity for the public to

comment on the new scientific

information, the identified weaknesses

in current management direction, and

possible changes that could be made in

management direction to rectify those

weaknesses by mid-October, 1998; and

(4) by October 31, 1998, issue a Notice

of Intent, which will amend this Notice,

to fully articulate the Agency’s proposed

action to change management direction

in the Pacific Southwest Regional Guide

and the Forest Plans for the ten National

Forests in the Sierra Nevada.

Publication of the Notice of Intent will

initiate a 60-day public comment period

wherein the public will be asked to

provide any additional information they

feel the Forest Service may still not have

at that time, and to submit any issues

regarding potential effects of the

proposed action. More specific

information regarding the proposal,

decision-making process, and schedule

for completion will be included in the

Notice of Intent.

ADDRESS: Send written comments to

Dick Andrews, Regional Environmental

Coordinator, Ecosystem Planning, Room

859A, 630 Sansome Street, San

Francisco, CA 94111.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dick

Andrews, Regional Environmental

Coordinator, Ecosystem Planning, (415)

705–2557.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

announcement is being published by the

Forest Service in an effort to ensure an

open and inclusive public process is

employed in gathering information that

may be used to formulate a proposed

action and articulate the purpose and

need for amending the management

direction specified in the Pacific

Southwest Regional Guide and the

Forest Plans for the Eldorado, Inyo,

Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sequoia, Sierra,

Stanislaus, and Tahoe National Forests

and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management

Unit.

In preparation for this planning

process, the USDA Forest Service

Pacific Southwest Research Station is

reviewing recently developed scientific

information relevant to the Sierra

Nevada. A report summarizing this

work is currently in draft and may be

viewed at the Research Station’s

internet website, www.psw.fs.fed.us/

sierra/. By mid-July additional

information about the planning process

and opportunities for public

involvement will be available through

the Pacific Southwest Region’s internet

website, www.r5.fs.fed.us/.

Date: July 6, 1998.

G. Lynn Sprague,

Regional Forester.

[FR Doc. 98–18387 Filed 7–9–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Southwest Washington Provincial

Advisory Committee Meeting Notice

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Southwest Washington

Provincial Advisory Committee will

meet on Thursday, May 16, 1998, in

Toppenish, Washington, at the Yakama

Indian Nation Cultural Center (Highway

97 and Buster Road) in the 14 Tribes

Room. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m.

and continue until 5 p.m. The purpose

of the meeting is to provide information

on (1) Water Quality Issues, (2) Tribal

Hunting and Wildlife Concerns, (3)

Huckleberry and other Special Forest

Product concerns, (4) Timber

Management by the Yakama Nation

during the listing of the Spotted Owl,

and (5) Public Open Forum. All

Southwest Washington Provincial

Advisory Committee meetings are open

to the public. Interested citizens are

encouraged to attend. The ‘‘open forum’’

provides opportunity for the public to

bring issues, concerns, and discussion

topics to the Advisory Committee. The

‘‘open forum’’ is scheduled as part of

agenda item (5) for this meeting.

Interested speakers will need to register

prior to the open forum period. The

committee welcomes the public’s

written comments on committee

business at any time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this meeting

to Linda Turner, Public Affairs

Specialist, at (360) 891–5195, or write

Forest Headquarters Office, Gifford

Pinchot National Forest, 10600 NE. 51st

Circle, Vancouver, WA 98682.

Dated: July 2, 1998.

Larry I. Seekins,

Deputy Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 98–18311 Filed 7–9–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Extension of Currently Approved

Information Collection for the

Stewardship Incentive Program (SIP)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of information collection;

request for comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Forest Service announces its intent to

seek extension of the approval of an

existing information collection

authorized under Office of Management

and Budget number 0596–0120. Several

Forest Service information collection

forms are approved under this

authorization number: SIP 36,

Assignment of Payment; SIP 211, Power

of Attorney; SIP 211–1, Power of

Attorney for Husband and Wife; and SIP

502, Payment Limitation Review. Nonindustrial private forest owners

complete these forms to participate in

the Forest Service State and Private

Forestry Stewardship Incentive

Program.

DATES: Comments must be received in

writing on or before September 8, 1998.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be

addressed to: Stewardship Coordinator,

Cooperative Forestry Staff, mail stop

1123, Forest Service, USDA, P.O. Box

96090, Washington, D.C. 20090–6090.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan Stein, Cooperative Forestry Staff,

at (202) 205–0837.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest

Service is seeking extension of the

approval of an existing information

collection authorized under Office of

Management and Budget number 0596–

0120. Several Forest Service information

collection forms are approved under

this authorization number: SIP 36,

Assignment of Payment; SIP 211, Power

of Attorney; SIP 211–1, Power of

Attorney for Husband and Wife; and SIP

502, Payment Limitation Review. An

additional form, AD–245, SIP Request

for Cost-Shares, formerly named SIP

245, SIP Request for Cost-Shares, also

must be completed by non-industrial

private forest owners. A separate request

for extension of approval of form AD–

245 is being processed by the Farm

Service Agency departmental request for

extensions of information collections

authorized under Office of Management

and Budget approval number 0560–

0082. The Forest Service and the Farm

Service Agency cooperatively

administer the Forest Service State and

Private Forestry Stewardship Incentive

Program.

Non-industrial private forest owners

complete these forms to participate in

the Forest Service State and Private

Forestry Stewardship Incentive

Program. The collected information

identifies 1) the Stewardship Incentive

Program assignment of payment, 2)

Internal Revenue Service income