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

34845

Vol. 63, No. 123

Friday, June 26, 1998

1No agricultural special uses authorization shall

be issued for agricultural purposes which has a

term extending beyond the date 20 years from the

date of the enactment of this title, except that

nothing in this title shall preclude the Secretary of

Agriculture from issuing agricultural special use

authorizations or grazing permits * * * after

twenty years * * * for purposes primarily related

to * * * resource management activities consistent

with the purpose of the Midewin National Tallgrass

Prairie (Section 2915 [b][3]).

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Development of the Land and

Resource Management Plan for the

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie; Will

County, IL

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to inform the public that the Forest

Service intends to prepare an

environmental impact statement for the

development of the Midewin National

Tallgrass Prairie Land and Resource

Management Plan (Prairie Plan)

(pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 1604 and 36 CFR

219.12).

We are now soliciting comments and

suggestions from individuals,

organizations, Federal agencies, State

and local governments, and the Native

American community on the scope of

the analysis to be included in the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement for the

Prairie Plan (40 CFR 1501.7). To be most

useful, comments should (1) consider

the purposes for which Midewin was

established as outlined in the Illinois

Land Conservation Act of 1995 (PL 104–

106, section 2914); (2) identify specific

concerns about the Prairie Plan

Proposal, and; (3) offer possible

alternatives for addressing issues

associated with the proposal.

Forest Service Land and Resource

Management Plans set forth goals,

objectives, advisable courses of action,

and limitations to actions for National

Forest System lands. The advisable

courses of action and limitations to

actions are called standards and

guidelines. Some standards and

guidelines will apply prairie-wide,

while others will apply only to specific

subdivisions, or management areas, of

the prairie. The Prairie Plan will include

a framework for monitoring and

evaluation to determine whether

progress is being made toward reaching

the goals, objectives, standards, and

guidelines established in the plan.

Monitoring and evaluation allows for

adaptive management so adjustments

can be made to the Prairie Plan as

needed. There are six primary decisions

that are made in Forest Service Land

and Resource Management Plans as

follows:

1. Unit-wide multiple-use goals and

objectives (36 CFR 219.11 (b))

2. Unit-wide management requirements

(36 CFR 219.27)

3. Management Area direction (36 CFR

219.11 (c))

4. Monitoring and evaluation

requirements (36 CFR 219.11 (d))

5. Lands suited/not suited for timber

production (36 CFR 219.14)

6. Recommendations to Congress (if

any) (36 CFR 219.17)

For purposes of writing the Prairie

Plan versus those plans written for

National Forests, items 1–4 above will

serve as the primary decisions to be

made. With reference to item 5, the

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie does

not contain lands suited for timber

production because ‘‘the land is not

forest land * * * (36 CFR 219.14 (a)

(1)).’’ The reference for item 6

specifically mentions recommendations

of ‘‘potential wilderness areas’’ which,

given the cultural history, existing roads

and railroad beds, is not relevant to

Midewin lands.

In addition, project and activity level

decisions may be made so long as they

are specifically identified in the Record

of Decision and site specific

environmental effects are disclosed in

the Environmental Impact Statement as

required by the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA).

In June, 1992, the U.S. Army

confirmed its intentions to

decommission the Joliet Army

Ammunition Plant (JAAP) located just

north of Wilmington, Illinois, and 40

miles southwest of Chicago, Illinois. As

a result of the issues and attention the

closure of the JAAP generated, the Joliet

Arsenal Citizen Planning Commission

(JACPC), comprised of 24 members

representing various conservation

organizations and State and local

governments, was formed and assigned

the task of developing a concept plan

that would outline a strategy for the

future ownership and management of

the decommissioned arsenal. The plan

was a concept map that provided for the

conversion of 3,000 acres into two

industrial parks, the development of a

910-acre National Veterans Cemetery,

the creation of a 455-acre County

landfill, and the establishment of a

19,000-acre prairie. The concept map

was unanimously approved by the

JACPC on May 30, 1995.

Legislation was drafted based on the

JACPC concept map and signed as the

Illinois Land Conservation Act of 1995

on February 10, 1996, adopting the

JACPC concept map and establishing

the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

(MNTP). MNTP is a unit of the National

Forest System and will be managed in

cooperation with the State of Illinois in

accordance with the Illinois Land

Conservation Act of 1995 and the ‘‘laws,

rules, and regulations pertaining to the

National Forest System * * * (Section

2914 (b) (1)).’’

That portion of the Illinois Land

Conservation Act of 1995 that is most

significant to the planning process is

Section 2914(c) which states that ‘‘(t)he

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

(MNTP) is established to be managed for

National Forest System purposes,

including the following:

I. To manage the land and water

resources of the MNTP is a manner that

will conserve and enhance the native

populations and habitats of fish,

wildlife, and plants.

II. To provide opportunities for

scientific, environmental, and land use

education and research.

III. To allow the continuation of

agricultural uses of lands within the

MNTP consistent with section 2915(b).1

IV. To provide a variety of recreation

opportunities that are not inconsistent

with the preceding purposes.

This is the public’s opportunity to get

involved with the planning process for

a new unit for the Forest Service that

has been closed to public access for

more than 50 years. The site has had

little or no established uses other than

agricultural leases and some hunting
34846 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 123 / Friday, June 26, 1998 / Notices

opportunities. The MNTP is in its

infancy of development and, within the

parameters of the Illinois Land

Conservation Act of 1995 and the laws

and regulations that guide Forest

Service programs, the Forest Service

needs to know how the public would

like to see the MNTP developed and

managed.

Numerous site tours, presentations,

displays, Focus Group Sessions,

meetings, and a Trails Working group

have already taken place to provide

information regarding Midewin, its

history, the legislation, and the Forest

Service planning process to individuals

and organizations that have expressed

an interest in the development and

management of the MNTP. The

meetings included two pre-Notice of

Intent public workshops hosted by

Midewin, in May, 1998, to review a

draft Notice of Intent. Information

gathered from these opportunities has

been used to identify an initial set of

significant issues that will need to be

addressed in the Environmental Impact

Statement. Those issues include:

automobiles, bison and/or elk

reintroduction, camping, cultural

resources, dog trialing, emergency

response, environmental education and

interpretation, fishing, herbicide

treatment, hunting, internal

transportation system, prescribed fire,

recreation facilities, trail systems,

wetland restoration, and woody

vegetation management.

Based on the issues identified to date,

the purposes for the management of the

MNTP as outlined in the Illinois Land

Conservation Act of 1995 and listed in

this Notice of Intent, and the JACPC

concept map, Medewin has developed a

Prairie Plan proposal. This proposal will

serve as the basis upon which

individuals and organizations may

comment regarding issues, concerns, or

opportunities provided or not provided

by the proposal. Issues, concerns, and

opportunities already identified (listed

above) and others raised through the

comment period for this Notice of Intent

will be evaluated and used to develop

alternatives to the proposal for the

Environmental Impact Statement.

The primary activities that would

occur under the proposal include:

development of seed-producing nursery

beds; reintroduction of bison and elk;

integrated pest management; gradual

conversion of cultivated row crops to

prairie habitats; prescribed fire; wetland

restoration; woody vegetation

management; environmental education

and interpretation programs; research

opportunities; use of domestic livestock;

designated access points; fishing for

educational programs; hunting; internal

transportation system (e.g., bus or tram);

rail line access; recreation facilities (e.g.,

shelters picnic areas); an automobile

loop; and a system of trails.

The environmental analysis and

decision-making process leading to the

Prairie Plan will include opportunities

for public participation and comment,

so that individuals interested in this

proposal may contribute to the decisionmaking process:

Tentative date Step Public involvement

June 1998 .............. Notice of Intent, Plan proposal .............................................. 60-day formal comment period, written comments, open

house meeting.

Fall, 1998 ............... Alternative Development ........................................................ Public workshops.

February, 1999 ...... Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Proposed Plan ........ 90-day formal comment period, written comments, open

house meetings.

August, 1999 .......... Final Environmental Impact Statement, Final Plan ................ Informational meetings to explain Plan decisions.

We will provide the public with

general notices of opportunities to

participate through mailings, news

releases, an public meetings, various

organizational newsletters, and the

internet. Midewin’s internet address is

http://www.fs.fed.us/mntp/. In addition

to formal opportunities for public

comment, we will consider comments

received at any time throughout the

planning process. Midewin will host

open house meetings to: 1) explain the

planning process; 2) provide

clarification of the proposal for the

Prairie Plan; 3) describe ways that

individuals can respond to this Notice

of Intent; and 4) accept comments from

the public on the propsoal for the

Prairie Plan.

The following open house meetings

will be held from 5 PM to 8PM:

July 21, 1998—Beverly Bank,

Wilmington, IL

July 23, 1998—Morton Arboretum,

Lisle, IL

July 28, 1998—Governor State

University, University Park, IL

July 29, 1998—Evanston Public Library,

Evanston, IL

July 30, 1998—Morris Public Library,

Morris, IL

DATES: Comments on this Notice of

Intent should be received in writing by

August 31, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to:

Prairie Planning, Midewin National

Tallgrass Prairie, 30071 South State

Route 53, Wilmington, Illinois 60481.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen Nash, Planning Team Leader, at

(815) 476–3135 or, to leave a message,

(815) 423–6370. E-mail address: knash/

r9lmidewin@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional detail on this propsoal is

provided in the ‘‘Notice of Intent to

Prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement, Description of the Proposal

for the Prairie Plan, and Supplementary

Information’’ and is available upon

request. Those interested in Midewin

and the planning process are

encouraged to review this additional

document prior to commenting on the

Notice of Intent.

The DEIS and the proposed Prairie

Plan are expected to be be published

early in 1999. The public comment

period for the DEIS and proposed

Prairie Plan will be 90 days from the

date the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency publishes the Notice of

Availability in the Federal Register.

Comments received in response to

this solicitation, including names and

addresses of those who comment, will

be considered part of the public record

on this proposed action and will be

available for public inspection.

Comments submitted anonymously will

be accepted and considered; however,

those who submit anonymous

comments will not have standing to

appeal the subsequent decision under

36 CFR parts 215 or 217.

Additional, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d),

any person may request the agency to

withhold a submission from the public

record by showing how the Freedom of

Information Act (FOIA) permits such

confidentiality. Persons requesting such

confidentiality should be aware that,

under the FOIA, confidentiality may be

granted in only very limited

circumstances, such as to protect trade

secrets.

The Forest Service will inform the

requester of the agency’s decision

regarding the request for confidentiality,

and, where the requester is denied, the

agency will return the submission and

notify the requester that the comments
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 123 / Friday, June 26, 1998 / Notices 34847

may be resubmitted with or without

name and address within 10 days.

The Forest Service believes that, at

this early stage, it is important to give

notice to those intending to review the

DEIS of court rulings related to public

participation in the environmental

review process. First, reviewers of a

DEIS must structure their participation

in the environmental review of the

proposal so that it is meaningful and

alerts an agency to the reviewer’s

position and contentions (Vermont

Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC

U.S. 519, 533 [1978]). Also,

environmental objections that could be

raised at the DEIS stage but are not

raised until after completion of the Final

Environmental Impact Statement 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, 409 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 90-day comment period on

the DEIS, so that substantive comments

and objections are made available to the

Forest Service at a time when it can

meaningfully consider them and

respond to them in the Final

Environmental Impact Statement.

To assist the Forest Service in

identifying and considering issues and

concerns on the proposed action,

comments on the DEIS should be as

specific as possible. It is also helpful if

comments refer to specific pages or

chapters of the DEIS or the merits of the

alternatives formulated and discussed in

the statement.

Reviewers may wish to refer to the

Control on Environmental Quality

regulations for implementing the

procedural provisions of the National

Environmental Policy Act (at 40 CFR

1503.3) in addressing these points.

The responsible official is Robert T.

Jacobs, Regional Forester, Eastern

Region, 310 W. Wisconsin Avenue,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203.

Dated: June 22, 1998.

Robert T. Jacobs,

Regional Forester.

[FR Doc. 98–17093 Filed 6–25–98; 8:45 am]

BILIING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Oregon Coast Provincial Advisory

Committee Meeting

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Meeting.

SUMMARY: The Oregon Coast Provincial

Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet on

July 9, 1998, in Tillamook, Oregon, at

the Shilo Inn, 2515 N. Main Street

(Highway 101), Tillamook, OR. The

meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and

continue until 3:30 p.m. Agenda items

to be covered include: (1) Reports from

PAC Subcommittees (Adapative

Management Area and Water Quality/

Fish); (2) flood analyses by State of

Oregon and other agencies, (3) road

management, and (4) landscape level

research. All Oregon Coast Provincial

Advisory Committee meetings are open

to the public. Two 15-minute open

public forums are scheduled for 10 a.m.

and 2:15 p.m. Interested citizens are

encouraged to attend. The committee

welcomes the public’s written

comments on committee business at any

time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this meeting

to Trish Hogervorst, Public Affairs

Officer, Bureau of Land Management, at

(503) 375–5657, or write to Forest

Supervisor, Siuslaw National Forest,

P.O. Box 1148, Corvallis, Oregon 97339.

Dated: June 18, 1998.

James R. Furnish,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 98–16987 Filed 6–25–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Cochgalechee Creek Watershed,

Russell County, AL; Availability of No

Significant Impact

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of a Finding Of No

Significant Impact.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969; the Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations (40

CFR part 1500); and the Natural

Resources Conservation Service

Regulations (7 CFR part 650); the

Natural Resources Conservation Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives

notice that an environmental impact

statement is not being prepared for the

Cochgalechee Creek Watershed, (Russell

County, Alabama).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ronnie D. Murphy, State

Conservationist, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, 3381 Skyway

Drive, Auburn, Alabama, 36830, (334)

887–4535.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

environmental assessment of this

federally assisted action indicates that

the project will not cause significant

local, regional, or national impacts on

the environment. As a result of these

findings, Ronnie D. Murphy, State

Conservationist, has determined that the

preparation and review of an

environmental impact statement are not

needed for this project.

The project purpose is flood

prevention. The planned works of

improvement include: selective clearing

and snagging, and sediment removal in

Cochgalechee Creek from 1000 feet

downstream of Brickyard Road to Seale

Road (2 miles), and selective placement

of riprap around bridges.

The notice of a Finding Of No

Significant Impact (FONSI) has been

forwarded to the Environmental

Protection Agency and to various

Federal, State, and local agencies and

interested parties. A limited number of

copies of the FONSI are available to fill

single copy requests at the above

address. Basic data developed during

the environmental assessment are on

file and may be reviewed by contacting

Ronnie D. Murphy, State

Conservationist.

No administrative action on

implementation of the proposal will be

taken until 30 days after the date of this

publication in the Federal Register.

Ronnie D. Murphy,

State Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 98–16988 Filed 6–25–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–M

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List Additions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Additions to the Procurement

List.

SUMMARY: This action adds to the

Procurement List services to be

furnished by nonprofit agencies

employing persons who are blind or

have other severe disabilities.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase

From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled, Crystal Gateway 3, Suite 310,

1215 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, Virginia 22202–4302.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beverly Milkman (703) 603–7740.