23230 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Notices

and Resource Management Plan (Forest

Plan) is amended to authorize the

Keenes Horse Camp Project, which was

analyzed in the Keenes Horse Camp

Environmental Assessment. This project

is located in Township 11 North, Range

10 East, Section 34, Skamania County,

Washington State. The project will

close, rehabilitate and relocate eight of

the existing 13 campsites at Keenes

Horse Camp to better meet long-term

Aquatic Conservation Strategy

objectives regarding water quality and

riparian condition. Construction of an

access road for the relocated sites would

be contrary to the Gifford Pinchot Forest

Plan, which precludes new

developments and road construction in

the vicinity of the Keenes Horse Camp.

The decision amends the Forest Plan to

make an exception for relocation of the

campsites and construction of the

associated 400 feet of access road. A

copy of the Environment, Decision

Notice and Forest Plan Amendment #15

is available upon request from the

Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, P.O. Box

670, Randle, WA 98377–0670.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

further information, contact Lynn

Schinnell, Cowlitz Valley Ranger

District, P.O. Box 670, Randle, WA

98377–0670, or phone (370) 497–1121.

Dated: April 30, 2001.

Claire Lavendel,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–11458 Filed 5–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Clancy-Unionville Vegetation

Manipulation and Travel Management

Project; Including Timber Harvest,

Prescribed Fire, and Noxious Weed

Control Activities. Helena National

Forest, Lewis & Clark and Jefferson

Counties, MT

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare

Supplement to Environmental Impact

Statement.

SUMMARY: The NOI to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for

this project was published in the

October 17, 1997 issue of the Federal

Register. The FEIS was released to the

public in February 2000. A Record of

Decision was issued in November, 2000,

but was subsequently reversed on

appeal due to insufficient cumulative

effects analysis. At this time, the Helena

National Forest is soliciting comments

which would help to identify past,

ongoing, or reasonably foreseeable

activities which could reasonably

interact cumulatively with the activities

considered with the Clancy-Unionville

Vegetation Manipulation and Travel

Management Project. The agency will

use the information received in

conjunction with other compiled

information to develop the Draft

Supplement EIS. A 45-day comment

period will provide, and all comments

will be used to develop a Final

Supplemental EIS.

ADDRESSES: The responsible official is

Thomas J. Clifford, Forest Supervisor,

Helena National Forest, Supervisor’s

Office, 2880 Skyway Drive, Helena, MT.

59602, Phone: (406) 449–5201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry

Meyer, Interdisciplinary Team, Leader,

Helena National Forest, Supervisor’s

Office, 2880 Skyway Drive, Helena, MT.

59602, Phone: (406) 446–5201,

extension 278.

Dated: April 24, 2001.

Thomas J. Clifford,

Forest Supervisor, Helena National Forest.

[FR Doc. 01–11447 Filed 5–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

North Belts Travel Plan/MagpieConfederate Vegetation Restoration

Project; This project Will Henceforth

be Entitled the North Belts Travel Plan

Project; Helena National Forest,

Broadwater, Lewis & Clark and

Broadwater Counties, MT

AGENCIES: Forest Service, USDA; Bureau

of Land Management, USDI.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare

Supplement to Environmental Impact

Statement.

SUMMARY: The NOI to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for

this project was published in the

February 25, 1998 issue of the Federal

Register. A Draft EIS was released to the

public in March 1999. In July and

August of 2000, an extensive wildfire

called the Cave Gulch Fire burned a

high percentage of the project area being

considered for vegetation treatments

(The Magpie-Confederate Vegetation

Restoration portion of the original

project). Because of this changed

condition, the Forest Service is

withdrawing all vegetation management

proposals from the project including

treatment of noxious weeds, renaming

the project, and proceeding with the

travel planning portion of the project.

The Forest Service feels this is the

appropriate approach with this project

in that it retains a considerable amount

of public input received in conjunction

with previous scoping efforts. The BLM

has considered only travel management

throughout the course of the project.

The agencies expect to release a Draft

Supplement EIS in June, 2001. A 45 day

comment period will be provided, and

all comments will be used to develop a

Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: The responsible official is

Thomas J. Clifford, Forest Supervisor,

Helena National Forest, Supervisor’s

Office, 2880 Skyway Drive, Helena, MT.

59602. Phone: (406) 449–5201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois

Olsen, Interdisciplinary Team Leader,

Helena National Forest, Supervisor’s

Office, 2880 Skyway Drive, Helena, MT.

59602. Phone: (406) 449–5201,

extension 251.

Dated: April 24, 2001.

Thomas J. Clifford,

Forest Supervisor, Helena National Forest.

[FR Doc. 01–11446 Filed 5–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Pineknot Shortleaf Pine Restoration

Project, Mark Twain National Forest,

Carter County, MO

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA Forest

Service.

ACTION: Notice, intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The 10,831 acre Pineknot

project area is located on National

Forest lands within the Current River

watershed south of Fremont, Missouri

and southwest of Van Buren, Missouri

T26N, R1W sections 18–20, 29–32 and

T26N, R2W sections 13–16 and 21–36,

Fifth Principal Meridian.

The Forest Service will prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS) to

analyze and disclose the effects of

restoring a closed, densely stocked

shortleaf pine forest to the open pine

woodland conditions described by early

explorers in southern Missouri.

The primary purpose of this project is

restoration of a large landscape (around

10,000-acre) of native shortleaf pine

community in the Ozarks of southern

Missouri. A secondary purpose of this

project is to showcase a federal, state,

and private partnership to manage a

native, biologically diverse forest

ecosystem that can provide a

sustainable source of revenue.

Additionally, analysis will be

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Notices 23231

conducted to determine an appropriate

road system for this project.

DATES: Initial comments concerning the

scope of this analysis should be

received on or before June 7, 2001 to

receive timely consideration in the

preparation of the draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and

suggestions on the proposed action or

requests to be placed on the project

mailing list to: Jerry Bird, District

Ranger, Doniphan/Eleven Point District,

Rt. 1, Box 1908, Winona, Missouri 6558.

E-mail should have a subject heading

that reads ‘‘NEPA Doniphan’’ and be

sent to: mailroom r9 mark

twain@fs.fed.us

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jody

Eberly, Project Leader, Doniphan/Eleven

Point District, Rt. 1, Box 1908, Winona,

Missouri 65588, phone (573) 325–4233,

FAX (573) 325–4325.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

shortleaf pine community on the Mark

Twain National Forest is unique to

southern Missouri and exists nowhere

else in the world. Although shortleaf

pine is at the northern edge of its range

in the southern Missouri Ozarks, it

actually achieves its optimum growth

rate here. And while shortleaf pine

occurs as a co-dominant in other areas

of the country, it is the only native pine

species in the Missouri Ozarks and the

dominant member of the pine

community.

Historically, shortleaf pine covered

almost 6.6 million acres in the Missouri

Ozark Highlands. About 10% of that

remains today. The Doniphan/Eleven

Point Ranger District is in the heart of

the historic shortleaf pine range. About

30% of the district is composed of

shortleaf pine and pine/oak forest

communities.

Over a decade of past management of

small areas (50–200 acres) on the

district has demonstrated that biological

diversity can be increased in these

communities by reducing the canopy

cover of overstory trees, and conducting

periodic prescribed burning.

Nongovernmental partners, including

The Nature Conservancy and National

Wild Turkey Federation were so

impressed by the results on these

smaller areas; they contacted the Forest

Service to see if a larger landscape

project was possible. Partners who have

already contributed time, funding, and

expertise to this project include: The

Nature Conservancy, The National Wild

Turkey Federation, Bat Conservation

International, Missouri Department of

Conservation and Ozark National Scenic

Riverways (National Park Service). The

project has been considered worthy of

special funding by Senator Kit Bond of

Missouri.

Five units on the Doniphan/Eleven

Point District of the Mark Twain

National Forest were evaluated during

1999–2000. The Pineknot area was

selected because it was the largest of the

five units, had the least amount of

private land interspersed with National

Forest land, is almost 50% pine and oak

pine, had a high potential for

restoration, offers good possibilities for

natural fire control lines, is easily

accessible, and is located where smoke

management will be relatively easy.

An EIS is being prepared for this

project because we anticipate significant

environmental and social benefits as a

result of the activities proposed.

Because of this, an EIS is the

appropriate way to meet our obligation

to the public for disclosure of effects of

this project. An EIS will also give the

responsible official a clear basis for

making this decision.

Objectives of the proposed action are

to increase the proportion of shortleaf

pine in the project area, increase the

growth rate of both young and mature

pine trees, increase the spacing between

trees to open the canopy and allow

sunlight to reach the ground, increase

the number and types of native

herbaceous ground vegetation, and

enhance people’s enjoyment of the pine

woodlands through various recreation

opportunities. Part of the analysis will

focus on determining the appropriate

road system for this project area to

support various resource and recreation

needs. Activities proposed to meet these

objectives include:

(1) Prescribed burning of 6,454 acres

in seven units.

(2) Control of invasive/exotic plant

species where they are encountered

through the most effective measure for

that species (including manual,

mechanical, herbicide, or prescribed

fire).

(3) Clean up of illegal garbage dumps

where they are encountered.

(4) Development of a 5.5-mile

interpretive drive through the project

area.

(5) Improving 22 dispersed hunter

camps by providing fire rings and

lantern posts.

(6) Development of a 1⁄2-mile walking

trail with interpretive signs.

(7) Development of a ‘‘watchable

wildlife’’ brochure highlighting species

that may be seen in the project area.

(8) Precommercial thin of 377 acres of

young pine and oak-pine to encourage

growth and increase the proportion of

pine.

(9) Selective thinning of 1171 acres of

pine and oak-pine to encourage growth

and increase the proportion of pine.

(10) Harvest 15 acres by shelterwood

preparation to regenerate a pine stand.

(11) Maintain 15.9 miles of Forest

System roads to provide safe public

access to the project area.

The expected results of project

activities are that approximately 10,800

acres of shortleaf pine community will

be restored to the open woodland

condition typical of this natural

community before the logging boom of

the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. A fire

regime will be reestablished over a

landscape scale at the approximate

intensity and interval with which this

community evolved. The extent of reintroduction of fire as a primary

disturbance force will depend in part on

the ability of fire managers to effectively

and safely conduct prescribed burns.

With restoration of open pine

woodlands, we expect at least two and

possibly more species will be

reestablished in their former ranges.

Bachman’s sparrow and brown-headed

nuthatch both use the type of open pine

woodland that we are trying to

reestablish. In addition, there are many

plant species that may reappear in

treated areas. The addition of these

birds and plants back to Missouri’s

landscape will attract serious birders

and botanists who would like to add

these species to their life lists.

An increase in the quantity and

species diversity of ground flora will

create additional food sources for both

bobwhite quail, white-tailed deer, and

eastern wild turkey. This type habitat

will provide a different hunting

experience (open woodland as opposed

to farm fields and/or closed woodlands)

than that typically associated with

upland bird and deer hunting in

Missouri.

Several eastern forest bat species

forage among upper and mid-story tree

canopies. The proposed action would

create more open foraging conditions

that may be beneficial to the federally

endangered Indiana bat. This bat prefers

foraging where there is about 50–70%

canopy closure (which is about the

objective for this project). Snags created

through prescribed burning will be

located where solar exposure makes

them ideal for bat roost trees.

While the primary focus of the

analysis is to identify activities to

accomplish ecological restoration other

activities that enhance recreational

opportunities, result in better water

quality, or move the area toward the

Forest Plan’s desired future condition

(Forest Plan pages IV 125–131) may also

23232 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Notices

be considered in the draft and/or final

EIS.

The scope of this analysis is limited

to those activiites related to the purpose

and need and measures necessary to

mitigate the effects these activities may

have on the environment. The decision

will include if, when, how,and where to

schedule restoration activities,

recreation opportunity enhancement,

interpretive activities, water quality

improvement actions, resource

protection measures, monitoring, and

other follow-up activities. The

appropriate road system for this project

area will also be determined.

Public participation will be an

important part of the project,

commencing with the EIS initial

scoping process (40 CFR 1 501.7), which

starts with publication of this notice and

continues for the next 30 days. In

addition, the public is encouraged to

visit with the District Ranger and Project

Leader 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, Indian Tribes,

landowners adjacent to the project area,

and other individuals or organizations

that 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: identify potential issues;

identify additional alternatives to the

proposed action; and, 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

in September 2001. A 45-day comment

period will follow publication of a

Notice of Availability of the draft EIS in

the Federal Register. The comments

received will be analyzed and

considered in preparation of the final

EIS, which we expect to file in

December 2001. A Record of Decision

will be issued not less than 30 days after

publication of a Notice of Availability of

the final EIS in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes it is

important at this early stage to give

reviewers notice of several court rulings

related to public participation in the

environmental review process. First,

reviewers of the draft EIS must structure

their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal in such a way

that it is meaningful and alerts an

agency to the reviewer’s position and

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear

Power Corp. v. NRDS, 435 U.S. 519, 513

(1978). Also, environmental objections

that could be raised at the draft EIS

stage but that are not raised until after

completion of the final EIS 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, 490 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 45-

day comment period of the draft EIS in

order that substantive comments and

objections are available to the Forest

Service at a time when it can

meaningfully consider them and

respond to them in the final EIS. To

assist the Forest Service in identifying

and considering issues and concerns on

the proposed action, comments should

be as specific as possible. Reviewers

may wish to refer to the Council 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 for this

environmental impact statement is

Randy Moore, Forest Supervisor, Mark

Twain National Forest.

Dated: April 20, 2001.

Sharon Metzler,

Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor, Mark Twain

National Forest, 401 Fairgrounds Road, Rolla,

MO 65401.

[FR Doc. 01–11445 Filed 5–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Modification to Wetland Reserve

Program Easements, Madison Parish,

Louisiana

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service, DOA.

ACTION: Notice of 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

Regulation (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

Modification to Wetland Reserve

Program Easements (WRP) Madison

Parish, Louisiana.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donald W. Gohmert, State

Conservationist, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, 3737 Government

Street, Alexandria, Louisiana, 71302,

telephone (318) 473–7751.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Environmental impacts associated with

the modification of the WRP Easements

are minimal. A total of 20.1 acres of

forested wetlands impacted by the

pipeline will be restored, 1.2 acres will

be subordinated, and 11.2 additional

wetland acres will be mitigated by

incorporation into a future WRP

easement. As a result of these findings,

Donald W. Gohmert, State

Conservationist has determined that the

preparation and review of an

environmental impact statement is not

needed for this project. The Notice of a

Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI) has been forwarded to the

Environmental Protection Agency. 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 Billy Moore,

Assistant State Conservationist, Natural

Resources Conservation Service, 3737

Government Street, Alexandria,

Louisiana 71302, telephone (318) 473–

7756.

No administrative action on

implementation of the proposal will be

taken until 30 days after the date of this

publication in the Federal Register.

Dated: March 20, 2001.

Donald W. Gohmert,

State Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 01–11468 Filed 5–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A–580–825]

Oil Country Tubular Goods from

Korea: Extension of Time Limit for

Preliminary Results of Antidumping

Administrative Review

AGENCY: Import Administration,

International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Extension of Time

Limit For Preliminary Results of

Administrative Review.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 8, 2001.