69930 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 222 / Friday, November 18, 2005 / Notices 

pertaining to grant and cooperative 

agreement awards and authorizations, 

obligations, un-obligated balances, assets, 

liabilities, outlays, and income. 

(b) Effective control over and 

accountability for all funds, property, and 

other assets. Cooperator shall adequately 

safeguard all such assets and shall ensure 

that they are used solely for authorized 

purposes. 

(c) Accounting records supported by 

source documentation. 

7. To retain financial records, supporting 

documents, statistical records, and all other 

records pertinent to the Cooperative 

Agreement for a period of at least 3 years 

after the closeout, except that the records 

shall be retained beyond the 3-year period if 

audit findings have not been resolved or if 

requested by FSA. Microfilm, photocopies or 

similar methods may be substituted in lieu of 

original records. FSA and the Comptroller 

General of the United States, or any of their 

duly authorized representatives, shall have 

access to any books, documents, papers, and 

records of the Cooperator that are pertinent 

to this Cooperative Agreement for the 

purpose of making audits, examinations, 

excerpts, and transcripts. 

8. Not encumber, transfer, or dispose of the 

equipment or any part thereof, acquired 

wholly or in part with FSA funds provided 

under this Cooperative Agreement without 

the written consent of FSA. 

9. Not duplicate other program purposes 

for which monies have been received, are 

committed, or are applied to from other 

sources, public or private. 

FSA agrees to make available to Cooperator 

for the purpose of this Agreement funds in 

an amount not to exceed the cooperative 

agreement funds. The funds will be 

reimbursed or advanced based on submission 

of Standard Form 270. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Cooperator has 

this day authorized and caused this 

Agreement to be executed by 

Attest 

By lllllllllllllllllll

(Title) lllllllllllllllll

(Cooperator) 

United States of America, Farm Service 

Agency 

By lllllllllllllllllll

(Title) lllllllllllllllll

(Grantor) 

[FR Doc. 05–22821 Filed 11–17–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Information Collection; Request for 

Comment; Valuation of Private Forest 

Ecosystem Services in North Carolina 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Forest Service is seeking comments 

from all interested individuals and 

organizations on a new research study 

to evaluate the value of the ecosystem 

benefits provided by private forests in 

North Carolina to residents of that State. 

DATES: Comments must be received in 

writing on or before January 17, 2006 to 

be assured of consideration. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this 

notice should be addressed to Thomas 

P. Holmes, Forestry Sciences Lab, 

Southern Research Station, USDA 

Forest Service, P.O. Box 12254, 

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 

27709. 

Comments also may be submitted via 

facsimile to (919) 549–4047 or by e-mail 

to: tholmes@fs.fed.us. 

The public may inspect comments 

received at Forestry Sciences Lab, 3041 

Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle 

Park, North Carolina, 27709 main 

building reception area during normal 

business hours. Visitors are encouraged 

to call ahead to (919) 549–4000 to 

facilitate entry to the building. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas P. Holmes, Southern Research 

Station, (919) 549–4031. Individuals 

who use telecommunication devices for 

the deaf may call the Federal Relay 

Service at 1–800–877–8339, 24 hours a 

day, every day of the year, including 

holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Valuation of Private Forest 

Ecosystem Services in North Carolina. 

OMB Number: 0596–New. 

Expiration Date of Approval: N/A. 

Type of Request: New. 

Abstract: Private forests provide many 

benefits to the owners of forest land. 

Trees can be sold to mills that produce 

lumber or paper products; fuelwood can 

be sold or used by landowners; and the 

forest landscape may provide 

opportunities for landowners to hunt, 

fish, go walking, observe wildlife, or 

simply enjoy their privacy. In addition 

to private benefits, private forests 

provide ecosystem services to the 

general public. The public ecosystem 

services provided by private forests 

include supplying clean water, 

protecting wildlife habitat, maintaining 

populations of a variety of plants, and 

providing scenic views. Although 

private forest owners supply ecosystem 

services that benefit the public, 

members of the public usually do not 

have to pay for these services. Because 

ecosystem services provided by private 

forests are usually not bought or sold, 

forest landowners do not have an 

incentive to produce the amount of 

ecosystem services that the public 

demands. 

Forest Service and university 

researchers will collect information 

from residents of North Carolina about 

the value of the ecosystem services 

provided by private forest landowners 

in the State. The data and analyses will 

provide information to natural resource 

managers on the value of ecosystem 

services provided by private forests and 

the level of public support for 

alternative forestry programs that would 

enhance the supply of forest ecosystem 

services in the State. 

To gather the information, a random 

sample of people living in North 

Carolina will be contacted by mail and 

invited to participate in the study. The 

mailing will include a cover letter 

describing the purpose of the study, an 

information booklet describing current 

forest conditions and forest management 

practices in North Carolina, and a 

questionnaire to determine what the 

recipient thinks about forestry issues 

and alternative forestry programs in the 

State. 

The information will be collected by 

a university survey research center 

using scientific data collection methods. 

The information will be analyzed both 

by university and Forest Service 

researchers. The data and analyses will 

be provided to State and federal forest 

land managers and decision-makers to 

assist their development and 

implementation of programs that benefit 

forest landowners and the general 

public. 

Estimate of Annual Burden: The 

average annual burden estimated per 

respondent is 30 minutes. 

Type of Respondents: Respondents 

will be a random sample of heads of 

households in North Carolina. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Respondents: The total number of 

respondents per year is 1,500. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses per Respondent: Only one 

response per respondent will be 

requested. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: The total annual burden 

for this information collection, 

computed as the number of minutes per 

respondent times the number of 

respondents, is 750 hours. 

Comment is invited on: (1) Whether 

this collection of information is 

necessary for the stated purposes and 

the proper performance of the functions 

of the agency, including whether the 

information will have practical or 

scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

collection of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 222 / Friday, November 18, 2005 / Notices 69931 

assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (4) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents, including the use of 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. 

All comments received in response to 

this notice, including names and 

addresses when provided, will be a 

matter of public record. Comments will 

be summarized and included in the 

request for Office of Management and 

Budget approval. 

Dated: November 3, 2005. 

Ann M. Bartuska, 

Deputy Chief for Research & Development. 

[FR Doc. 05–22900 Filed 11–17–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Revision of Land Management Plan for 

the Uwharrie National Forest 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of initiation to revise the 

Uwharrie National Forest Land 

Management Plan. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is revising 

the Land and Resource Management 

Plan (hereafter referred to as Forest 

Plan) for the Uwharrie National Forest 

(UNF). This notice provides: 

1. A summary of the need to change 

the Forest Plan; 

2. Information on how the public can 

comment on the need to change, when 

those comments are due, and how 

comments can be submitted; 

3. A list of documents available for 

review and how to get them; 

4. How the public can participate in 

the planning process; 

5. Who to contact for more 

information. 

DATES: Revision formally begins with 

publication of this notice in the Federal 

Register. Many public comments 

regarding Forest Plan revision have 

already been received at public 

meetings and through e-mail. 

Additional comments on the need to 

change the Forest Plan should be 

submitted within 30 days of the date 

this notice is published in the Federal 

Register. 

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments 

to: Uwharrie Plan Revision, National 

Forests in North Carolina, P.O. Box 

2750, Asheville, NC 28802. Electronic 

mail should include ‘‘Uwharrie Plan 

Revision’’ in the subject line and be sent 

to: comments-southern-northcarolina@fs.fed.us. More information on 

the UNF and Forest Plan revision 

process is available at: http://www. 

cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/uwharrie_plan/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ruth Berner, National Forests in North 

Carolina, Planning Team Leader, (828) 

257–4862. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Uwharrie National Forest is managed as 

part of the National Forests in North 

Carolina. The original Forest Plan for 

the UNF was completed in 1986. 

Documents Available for Review 

Several reports and draft documents 

written over the past few years help 

identify how the existing Forest Plan 

might need to change to be more useful 

in the future. These documents include: 

1. Uwharrie National Forest 

Recreation Realignment Report (August 

2001), hardcopy available by sending a 

request to comments-southern-northcarolina@fs.fed.us. 

2. Roads Analysis Process Report 

Uwharrie National Forest (December 

2003), available online at http:// 

www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/roads/ 

uwharrie_rap.pdf. 

3. Uwharrie National Forest 

Watershed Analysis Draft Report 

(September 2004), hardcopy available 

by sending a request to commentssouthern-north-carolina@fs.fed.us. 

4. Uwharrie National Forest—A 

Strategic View (July 2005, Initial Draft 

Comprehensive Evaluation Report), 

available online at http:// 

www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/uwharrie_plan/ 

, or by requesting a copy. 

Need for Change 

Growing as a Tourist Destination: As 

population in the area grows, local 

public lands are increasingly being seen 

as a place of relaxation; a quiet, peaceful 

retreat. The UNF is the top tourist 

destination in Montgomery County, and 

one of several popular tourist 

destinations in Randolph County. There 

may be tourism-related opportunities to 

provide more economic benefits to local 

communities. 

Nature Hikes Becoming More Popular: 

Most visitors to the UNF seek a place to 

walk, view nature, and perhaps picnic, 

swim, or fish. The UNF, with its lake 

and river frontage, rolling topography, 

and existing road and trail system, is 

currently providing a variety of these 

opportunities. There may be ways to 

make visits more enjoyable, especially 

along the Uwharrie Trail and the 

Uwharrie River. 

Game Lands Heavily Hunted: Hunting 

definitely has a place on the UNF; the 

Forest has the highest hunting use per 

acre of any North Carolina Wildlife 

Resources Commission (NCWRC) game 

land. There may be opportunities to 

better provide the types of wildlife 

habitat that are in short supply on 

nearby private land. 

Providing Wood Products: Timber 

harvested from the UNF helps to meet 

increasing American consumer demand 

for wood products while at the same 

time providing a cost-effective way to 

create and maintain wildlife habitat. 

Wood products also provide economic 

benefits to local communities. There 

may be opportunities to change the 

amount or type of timber products 

offered to the local forest products 

industry. 

Opportunities To Improve the 

Transportation System: There may be 

opportunities to improve the existing 

UNF road and trail system, to enhance 

public access while minimizing visitor 

conflicts and resource damage. 

Opportunity for Off-Highway 

Vehicles: Off-highway vehicles (OHV) 

currently have access to a sixteen-mile 

trail system. There are few other known 

opportunities in the Piedmont for this 

type of experience, and demand is 

increasing. OHV use on NFS lands is 

controversial due to potential resource 

impacts and incidents when OHV users 

have strayed from the trail system. 

There may be opportunities to better 

manage the OHV trail system to provide 

the desired experience while lessening 

impacts to the forest resources. 

Interpreting History: Archeological 

and historical resources on the UNF 

provide a unique opportunity for 

current forest visitors to learn about 

those who lived here in the past, and at 

the same time provide an outdoor 

recreation experience. Careful, 

innovative planning may ensure that 

historically important sites are protected 

yet still accessible. 

Restoring Native Ecosystems: Existing 

UNF ecosystems include native pine 

and hardwood communities, but also 

include loblolly pine communities on 

sites that once supported longleaf pine. 

Vegetation management could restore 

longleaf pine and other historic plant 

communities on appropriate sites. 

Using Fire as a Tool: Restoring the 

natural role of fire is important in 

sustaining some ecosystems such as 

longleaf pine and the open woodland 

conditions used by a number of rare 

plants. Increasing use of prescribed fire 

may better maintain these native plant 

communities. 

Controlling Non-native Invasive 

Plants: Controlling non-native invasive