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

9076 

Vol. 74, No. 39 

Monday, March 2, 2009 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Divide Ranger District, Rio Grande 

National Forest; Colorado; Big Moose 

Vegetation Management Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, Rio Grande 

National Forest, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Rio Grande National 

Forest proposes to harvest and 

regenerate timber stands killed by or 

infested with spruce beetle on the 

Divide Ranger District of the Rio Grande 

National Forest, and treat portions of the 

analysis area to promote aspen 

regeneration and healthy stands of 

young aspen. The proposed treatments 

would ensure moving towards or 

maintaining Forest Plan Desired 

Conditions and would contribute to 

societies need for wood fiber. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

April 1, 2009. The draft environmental 

impact statement is expected November 

2009 and the final environmental 

impact statement is expected March 

2010. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Paul Hancock, Team Leader, Rio Grande 

National Forest, Divide Ranger District, 

13308 W. Highway 160, Del Norte, CO 

81132. Comments may also be sent via 

e-mail (with subject, Big Moose 

Vegetation Management Project Public 

Comment) to comments-rockymountain-rio-grande-divide@fs.fed.us or 

via facsimile to (719) 657–6035. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered; however, anonymous 

comments will not provide the 

respondent with standing to appeal the 

subsequent decision. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

Hancock at (719) 657–3321. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of the Big Moose 

Vegetation Management Project 

proposal is to meet the desired 

conditions and objectives of the Forest 

Plan. Action is needed to maintain or 

move existing forest conditions toward 

desired conditions. The proposed 

treatments would ensure moving 

towards or maintaining Forest Plan 

Desired Conditions and would 

contribute to societies need for wood 

fiber. 

Proposed Action 

The Rio Grande National Forest 

proposes to harvest and regenerate 

timber stands killed by or infested with 

spruce beetle on the Divide Ranger 

District southwest of Creede, Colorado, 

and treat portions of the analysis area to 

promote aspen regeneration and healthy 

stands of young aspen. 

In order to promote aspen 

regeneration and healthy stands of 

young aspen, we propose to use 

prescribed fire. In some areas, 

prescribed fire would be used in 

conjunction with timber harvest 

methods to promote aspen regeneration. 

Other areas not treated with timber 

harvesting would be treated with 

prescribed fire to create a mosaic 

landscape where fuel loads would be 

reduced and openings would be created 

to promote additional areas for aspen 

regeneration. 

Most of the proposed treatment areas 

would use the existing transportation 

system. New temporary road 

construction would occur. This work 

would be needed for access, improved 

safety, and additional resource 

protection. Non-system and new 

temporary roads would also be closed 

following their use. 

Responsible Official 

Thomas Malecek, District Ranger, 

Divide Ranger District, 13308 W. 

Highway 160, Del Norte, CO 81132. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

An environmental impact statement 

(EIS) that discloses the environmental 

consequences of implementing the 

proposed action and alternatives to that 

action will be prepared. A separate 

Record of Decision (ROD) will explain 

the responsible official’s decision of 

whether or not to implement some level 

of timber sale harvest and other 

proposed activities on all, part, or none 

of the Analysis Area given 

considerations of multiple-use goals and 

objectives. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. The Rio Grande 

National Forest invites public comment 

and participation regarding this project 

and subsequent EIS through scoping 

efforts in the form of this notice in the 

Federal Register; the Schedule of 

Proposed Actions (SOPA); public notice 

in the Valley Courier—the newspaper of 

record; and letters sent to potentially 

concerned public, tribal governments, 

and State and other Federal agencies. 

Scoping meetings will be announced in 

the Valley Courier. Information will also 

be posted on the Rio Grande National 

Forest Web site as the project 

progresses. Comments received during 

these scoping efforts will be considered 

in this EIS. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such manner that they are useful to the 

agency’s preparation of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Therefore, substantive comments should 

be provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s ability to 

participate in subsequent administrative 

appeal or judicial review. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22, 36 

CFR 220.5(b) and Forest Service Handbook 

1909.15, section 21. 

Dated: February 19, 2009. 

Thomas Malecek, 

District Ranger/Field Office Manager. 

[FR Doc. E9–4267 Filed 2–27–09; 8:45 am] 

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