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

11709 

Vol. 74, No. 52 

Thursday, March 19, 2009 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Fremont Winema National Forests; 

Oregon; Proposed Forest Plan 

Amendments for the Ruby Pipeline 

L.L.C. Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement (FERC 

Ruby Pipeline Project) and request for 

comments on the proposed forest plan 

amendments for the Fremont Land and 

Resource Management Plan to be 

included in the Ruby Project. 

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service 

(Forest Service), Fremont Winema 

National Forests, is proposing to prepare 

an amendment to the Fremont National 

Forest Land and Resource Management 

Plan (Forest Plan) for the proposed Ruby 

Pipeline Project (Project). The Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 

is the lead agency for this proposed 

natural gas pipeline (Docket No. CP09– 

54–000). The staff of FERC is preparing 

an Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) that will discuss the 

environmental impacts that could result 

from the construction and operation of 

a new underground natural gas pipeline 

proposed by Ruby Pipeline, LLC (Ruby). 

The Project’s proposed facilities consist 

of 675.2 miles of 42-inch-diameter 

natural gas pipeline, four new 

compressor stations, and related 

facilities. The USDA Forest Service, 

Fremont Winema National Forests is 

participating as a cooperating agency 

because the Project traverses the 

Fremont Winema National Forests in 

Oregon. As a cooperating agency, the 

U.S. Forest Service, Fremont Winema 

National Forests intends to adopt the 

FERC EIS per Title 40 CFR 1506.3, to 

meet its National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) responsibilities. 

FERC, as lead federal agency in the 

preparation of the EIS, is preparing the 

EIS to satisfy the requirements of NEPA. 

NEPA requires FERC to take into 

account the environmental impacts that 

could result from an action when it 

considers whether or not an interstate 

natural gas pipeline should be issued a 

Certificate of Public Convenience and 

Necessity for construction of the 

pipeline. FERC will use the EIS to 

consider the environmental impacts that 

could result if it issues project 

authorizations. FERC will use the EIS in 

its decision-making processes to 

determine whether or not to authorize 

the Project. FERC initiated its pre-filing 

process on January 31, 2008 and issued 

a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an 

EIS for this Project on September 26, 

2008. 

The USDA Forest Service will use the 

EIS to evaluate the proposed 

amendments to the Fremont Forest Plan 

and for any forest plan amendment 

decisions made subsequently should 

FERC authorize this Project. The Forest 

Service has determined that an 

amendment to the Fremont Forest Plan 

would be needed because the Project 

would not meet the plan Standards and 

Guidelines for soil disturbance, visual 

quality, mechanical disturbance in 

seeps and springs, and old growth 

management. Analysis of the effects of 

the amendment will be included in the 

FERC EIS. This notice announces the 

intention to prepare an amendment to 

the Fremont Forest Plan. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

April 20, 2009. The draft environmental 

impact statement is expected in June, 

2009 and the final environmental 

impact statement is expected in October 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Glen Westlund, Forest Environmental 

Coordinator, 2819 Dahlia Street, 

Klamath Falls, OR 97601. Comments 

may also be sent via e-mail to 

comments-pacificnorthwest-fremontwinema@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 

541–883–6709. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such a way that they are useful to the 

Agency’s preparation of the EIS. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. The submission of timely 

and specific comments can affect a 

reviewer’s ability to participate in 

subsequent administrative review or 

judicial review. 

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 participate 

in subsequent administrative review or 

judicial review. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glen 

Westlund; Phone 541–883–6743; e-mail 

at gwestlund@fs.fed.us; or by mail at the 

above address. 

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 

If the Ruby Pipeline is approved and 

constructed there will be a need to 

exempt the construction activity from 

several standards and guidelines found 

in the Fremont National Forest Land 

and Resource Management Plan (Forest 

Plan) or to relocate a management area. 

The route of the pipeline crosses eastwest through the forest and could not 

avoid passing through portions of 

Management Areas: 6—Scenic; 14—Old 

Growth; and 15—Fish and Wildlife 

Habitat and Water Quality as well as 

portions of soil capability areas 1, 2, 3 

and scabland portions of capability area 

13 covered by general forest standards 

and guidelines. Resource protection was 

considered in the route location and the 

current route reflects resource concerns 

like avoiding special interest areas in 

MA 7 or inventoried roadless areas. The 

general forest standard and guideline for 

detrimental soil conditions would not 

be met because equipment activity 

would be confined to the clearing limits, 

causing more than 20 percent of soil in 

the activity area to be detrimentally 

impacted. For the construction to occur, 

the Forest Plan will need amending. 

Proposed Action 

Approximately 14 miles of right-ofway (ROW) will be located on the 

Fremont National Forest disturbing 

about 328 acres, including temporary 


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11710 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 52 / Thursday, March 19, 2009 / Notices 

storage and staging areas. Ruby is 

proposing to use a 115 foot wide 

construction right-of-way with a 50 foot 

wide permanent ROW over the top of 

the pipeline. All work sites would be 

restored. The following Forest Plan 

amendments are proposed: 

1. General Forest Plan Standard and 

Guideline for Soils Management, Forest 

Plan pages 80 to 81. Add item (5) under 

the Operational Considerations for 

Surface Soil Condition which says: 

During and immediately after 

construction of the Ruby Pipeline the 

soil conditions within the activity area 

(construction right-of-way) will be 

permitted to exceed the 20 percent 

standard and guideline for detrimental 

soil condition. The implementation of 

Ruby’s Upland Erosion, Revegetation 

and Mitigation Plan would reduce 

erosion impacts and minimize impacts 

to soil productivity. 

2. General Forest Standard and 

Guideline for Soils Management, Forest 

Plan pages 83 and 84. Add a statement 

under item 4, operational considerations 

‘‘During installation of the Ruby 

pipeline exposed mineral soil standards 

displayed in Table 21 will be exceeded; 

however with the extra mitigation 

proposed in Ruby’s Upland Erosion, 

Revegetation and Mitigation Plan, these 

standards would be achieved.’’ 

3. Management Area 6—Scenic 

Viewsheds: The pipeline crosses 

through a portion of Management Area 

6 when it crosses FR 3915; the area has 

a VQO of foreground retention and 

middleground partial retention. Item B 

will be added to Land Uses on Forest 

Plan page 154: B. The cleared corridor 

needed to install the Ruby pipeline will 

not immediately meet VQO objectives of 

retention and partial retention. 

Mitigation measures, including 

vegetation management and restoration 

actions, will occur to move the 

construction corridor toward current 

visual quality objectives over an 

extended timeframe. 

4. Management Area 14—Old Growth 

habitat: The pipeline crosses through a 

stand of dedicated old growth. The best 

stands either meeting or soon to meet 

old growth standards will be designated 

as replacement. 

5. Management Area 15—Fish and 

Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality: The 

crossing of seeps and springs is 

expected to be uncommon. The pipeline 

is known to cross one seasonal seep. 

The following statement will be added 

under Seeps and Springs, management 

treatments on Forest plan page 204. (d) 

Construction equipment necessary to 

install the Ruby pipeline will be 

permitted in the area of seeps and 

springs. Implementation of Ruby’s 

Upland Erosion, Revegetation and 

Mitigation Plan and special construction 

measures would minimize impacts. 

Responsible Official 

The responsible official of the Forest 

Plan amendments will be the Forest 

Supervisor of the Frement Winema 

National Forests. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

Determine what forest plan standards 

and guideline would need to be 

amended to allow the construction of 

the Ruby pipeline if FERC approves the 

project. These amendments would 

apply only to Ruby pipeline and are 

expected to be limited in scope. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process for the forest plan 

amendment. The decision will be tiered 

to the analysis contained in the FERC 

EIS for the Ruby Pipeline Project. FERC 

has already performed the scoping 

process for the EIS. This NOI is to 

inform about the Fremont Winema 

National Forest’s need to amend the 

Fremont Forest Plan, which did not get 

included in the original FERC NOI 

scoping period for the Ruby Project. A 

scoping letter will be mailed to those 

currently on the Forests’ mailing list. No 

other methods of scoping will be used. 

The Fremont Forest Plan can be found 

on the Forests’ Web page at http:// 

www.fs.fed.us/r6/frewin/projects/ 

forestplan/index.shtml. Comments 

should be focused on the forest plan 

amendments and not about the decision 

whether to construct the pipeline or not. 

There will be another opportunity to 

comment on the construction aspect 

when the DEIS is available in June 2008. 

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, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. The submission of timely 

and specific comments can affect a 

reviewer’s ability to participate in 

subsequent administrative appeal or 

judicial review. 

March 11, 2009. 

Karen Shimamoto, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. E9–5989 Filed 3–18–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Notice of Central Idaho Resource 

Advisory Committee Meeting 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Meeting. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authorities in 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(Pub. L. 92–463) and under the Secure 

Rural Schools and Community Self 

Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106– 

393), the Salmon-Challis National 

Forest’s Central Idaho Resource 

Advisory Committee will conduct a 

business meeting which is open to the 

public. 

DATES: Friday, March 20, 2009, 

beginning at 10 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: Salmon-Challis N.F. South 

Zone Office, Highway 93, Challis, Idaho. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Agenda 

topics will include review and approval 

of project proposals, and is an open 

public forum. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

William A. Wood, Forest Supervisor 

and Designated Federal Officer, at 208– 

756–5111. 

Dated: March 11, 2009. 

Larry Svalberg, 

Acting Forest Supervisor, Salmon-Challis 

National Forest. 

[FR Doc. E9–5813 Filed 3–18–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–01–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Hood/Willamette Resource Advisory 

Committee (RAC) 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Hood/Willamette 

Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) 

will meet on Friday, April 24, 2009. The 

meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 

a.m. and will conclude at approximately 

12 p.m. The meeting will be held at 

Salem Office of the Bureau of Land 

Management Office; 1717 Fabry Road 

SE; Salem, Oregon; (503) 375–5646. The 

tentative agenda includes: (1) 

Orientation; (2) Election of chairperson; 

(3) Decision on overhead rate for 2009 

and 2010 projects; (4) Presentation of 

2009 and 2010 Projects; and (5) Public 

Forum. 

The Public Forum is tentatively 

scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. Time 

allotted for individual presentations 

will be limited to 4–5 minutes. Written 


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