Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 142 / Friday, July 24, 1998 / Notices 39809

feeding period. Form CCC–648, Area

Designation and Feed Loss Assessment,

it will be necessary for a tribal

government to provide the name,

address, and phone number of their

tribal government for identification

purposes, in addition to the name of the

tribal contact person who could assist

FSA if any questions should arise. Form

CCC–453, American Indian Livestock

Feed Program Contract to Participant,

tribal governments will define the

region where the natural disaster has

taken place in order to determine if the

region meets the requirements of the

regulations.

Need and Use of the Information: FSA

will collect information to determine if

the tribal government recommended

disaster region meets the criteria set

forth and to determine if the conditions,

such as eligible payees, meet the criteria

and also determine the amount of

benefits the applicant may be entitled to

receive.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households; State, Local

or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 45,000.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion; Other (when losses occur)

Total Burden Hours: 22,563

Emergency approval for this

information collection has been

requested by July 31, 1998.

Farm Service Agency

Title: Tree Assistance Program 7 CFR

783.

OMB Control Number: 0560–NEW.

Summary of Collection: Pub. L. 105–

174, the 1998 Supplemental

Appropriation and Recessions Act of

1998 (the Act), authorizes the Secretary

of Agriculture to implement a Tree

Assistance Program (TAP) for losses of

eligible trees and vines that were lost

due to natural disasters during fiscal

year 1998. Owners of eligible trees or

vines applying for the TAP Program

must meet the program requirements as

set forth in 7 CFR part 783. Owners will

be reimbursed for practice costs which

may not exceed 100 percent of the

eligible replanting or rehabilitation costs

and may be based on average costs or

the actual costs for the eligible

replanting or rehabilitation practices, as

determined by the Farm Service Agency

(FSA). The intended effect of this action

is to provide assistance to eligible

owners to replace or rehabilitate eligible

trees and vines damaged by natural

disasters occurring in fiscal year 1998.

To qualify for this program, owners

must certify that each ‘‘person’’, as

defined by FSA, who is an owner or coowner of eligible trees or vines had an

annual qualifying gross revenue of less

than $2.5 million in the 1997 tax year.

FSA will use forms CCC–434 and CCC–

435 to collect information from the

owners.

Need And Use of The Information:

FSA uses form CCC–434 to collect

information on the total number of trees

or vines in the individual stand, total

number of trees or vines lost or

damaged, acres in need of site

preparation, and extent of losses

requested for payment. Form CCC–435

is used by FSA to collect information on

the lost or damaged trees or vines for

which replanting or rehabilitation

assistance is requested, including

species, location, average number

planted per acre, total acres in an

individual stand, and cause and

percentage of mortality.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

Business or other for-profit; Individuals

or households.

Number of Respondents: 1,000.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: Other (Once).

Total Burden Hours: 291.

Emergency approval for this

information collection has been

requested by July 20, 1998.

Farm Service Agency

Title: Report of Acreage.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0004.

Summary of Collection: Land and

crop information is the basic foundation

upon which many of Farm Service

Agency (FSA) programs operate. The

report of acreage is conducted on an

annual basis and is used by FSA’s

county offices to determine eligibility

for benefits that are available to

producers on the farm. The actual

number of producers who must supply

information varies depending on 1) the

type of farming operations, and 2) the

mix of crops planted (which has a direct

relationship to the type of program the

producer is eligible to participate in). In

order to establish eligibility annually for

these programs a minimal amount of

land and crop data about a producer’s

farming operation is required. The

information is subsequently used to

ensure compliance with program

provisions, to determine actual

production histories, and when disaster

occurs, to verify crop loss. Producers

must provide the information each year

because variables such as previous year

experiences, weather projections,

market demand, new farming

techniques and personal preferences

affect the amount of land being farmed,

the mix of crops planted, and the

projected harvest. FSA will collect

information verbally from the producers

during visit to the county offices and

also through the use of postcards.

Need and Use of the Information: FSA

will collect information on crop

planted, planting date, crop’s intended

use (e.g. fresh or processing), type or

variety (e.g. sweet cherries or tart

cherries), practice (irrigated or

nonirrigated), acres, location of the crop

(tract and field), and the producer’s

percent share in the crop along with the

names of other producers having an

interest in the crop. Once the

information is collected and eligibility

established, the information is used

throughout the crop year to ensure the

producer remains complaint with

program provisions. Without a certain

level of information provided each crop

year by the producer, a significant

misues of public funds occurs.

Description of Respondents: Farms.

Number of Respondents: 639,008.

Frequency of Responses: Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 479,255.

Ruth Brown,

Acting Departmental Information Clearance

Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–19679 Filed 7–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Lake Tahoe Basin Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice, establishment, and

request for nominations.

SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture

is establishing an advisory committee,

chartered under the Federal Advisory

committee Act, to provide advice to the

Secretary of Agriculture on

implementing the terms of the Federal

Interagency Partnership on the Lake

Tahoe Region. Nominations of persons

to serve on the Committee are invited.

DATES: Nominations for membership on

the Committee must be received in

writing by August 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send nominations with

telephone numbers for membership on

the Committee to: FACA Nomination,

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit,

870 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake

Tahoe, California 96150.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Juan Palma, Forest Supervisor, Lake

Tahoe Basin Management Unit,

telephone (530) 573–2641.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(5 U.S.C. App.), notice is hereby given

that the Secretary of Agriculture intends

to establish a Lake Tahoe Basin Federal

Advisory Committee. The purpose of

the Committee is to provide advice to
39810 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 142 / Friday, July 24, 1998 / Notices

the Secretary of Agriculture on

implementing the terms of the Federal

Interagency Partnership on the Lake

Tahoe Basin and other matters raised by

the Secretary.

The Secretary has determined that the

work of the Committee is in the public

interest and relevant to the duties of the

Department of Agriculture.

The Committee will meet on a

quarterly basis, conducting public

meetings to discuss management

strategies, gather information and

review federal agency accomplishments,

and prepare a progress report every six

months for submission to regional

federal executives.

The Committee will consist of no

more than 20 members representing a

broad array of interests in the Lake

Tahoe Region. Representatives will be

selected from the following sectors: (1)

gaming; (2) environmental; (3) national

environmental organizations; (4) ski

resorts; (5) North Shore economic and

recreation interests; (6) South Shore

economic and recreation interests; (7)

resort associations; (8) education; (9)

property rights advocates; (10) memberat-large; (11) member-at-large; (12)

science and research; (13) local

government; (14) Washoe Tribe; (15)

State of California; (16) State of Nevada;

(17) Tahoe Regional Planning Agency;

(18) union/labor interests, and (19)

transportation. Nominations to the

Committee should describe and

document the proposed member’s

qualifications for membership on the

Lake Tahoe Basin Advisory Committee.

The Committee Chair will be

recommended by the Committee and

approved by the Secretary. Vacancies on

the Committee will be filled in the

manner in which the original

appointment was made.

Appointments to the Committee will

be made by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Equal opportunity practices, in line

with USDA policies, will be followed in

all appointments to the Committee. To

ensure that the recommendations of the

Committee have taken into account the

needs of the diverse groups served by

the Department, membership should

include to the extent practicable

individuals with demonstrated ability to

represent minorities, women, persons

with disabilities, and senior citizens.

Dated: July 21, 1998.

G. Lynn Sprague,

Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region.

[FR Doc. 98–19926 Filed 7–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Salmon River Canyon Project; Nez

Perce National Forest, Payette National

Forest, Bitterroot National Forest,

Salmon/Challis National Forest, Idaho

County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will

prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to analyze and disclose

the environmental effects of fuels

reduction within the Salmon River

Canyon. The area is located between

Cottonwood, ID and North Fork, ID.

Some activities are proposed within the

Gospel Hump and Frank Church—River

of No Return Wildernesses. This EIS

will tier to the Nez Perce National

Forest Land and Resource Management

Plan, the Bitterroot National Forest

Forest Plan, the Land and Resource

Management Plan for the Salmon

National Forest, and the Payette

National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan which provide overall

guidance for achieving the desired forest

condition of the area. The purpose of

the proposed action is to reduce fuels

that have accumulated as a result of fire

suppression in areas of historic high

frequency, low intensity fires.

DATES: Written comments and

suggestions should be received by

August 24, 1998 to receive timely

consideration in the preparation of the

Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and

suggestions on the proposed action or

requests for a map of the proposed

action or to be placed on the project

mailing list to Coy Jemmett, Forest

Supervisor, Nez Perce National Forest,

Route 2 Box 475, Grangeville, ID 83530.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bill Shields, Planner, Nez Perce

National Forest, Route 2 Box 475,

Grangeville, ID, 83530, Phone (208)

983–1950.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Activities

are proposed on the following Ranger

Districts: Salmon River and Red River

Districts, Nez Perce NF; New Meadows,

McCall, and Krassell, Payette NF; West

Fork, Bitterroot NF; and North Fork,

Salmon NF. Activities are also proposed

on the Cottonwood Resource Area of the

Bureau of Land Management. The

proposed activity is ignition of

approximately 210,000 acres through

the use of helicopter and hand ignition

over a ten-year period. This treatment is

expected to reduce fuels in the Salmon

River Canyon area. The following goals

will be achieved:

1. Reintroduce fire as a primary

ecological disturbance process in

ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir types, to

initiate the restoration of vegetation

densities toward historic levels.

2. Increase the opportunities to allow

lightning fires to play, as nearly as

possible, their natural ecological role

within wilderness in accordance with

Wilderness Fire Management Plans.

3. Reduce the risk from wildland fire

to private land and structures within

and adjacent to the Salmon River

Canyon .

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 actions will be implemented.

Additional alternatives will examine

varying levels and locations for the

proposed activities, including entry into

wilderness areas, 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