67882 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 231 / Monday, December 3, 2007 / Notices 

2See footnote 1. 

3The reading room is located in room 1141 of the 

USDA South Building, 14th Street and 

Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. 

Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be 

sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 

690–2817 before coming. 

site 2 or in our reading room.3 You may 

request paper copies of the 

environmental assessment and finding 

of no significant impact by calling or 

writing to the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please 

refer to the title of the environmental 

assessment when requesting copies. 

The environmental assessment and 

finding of no significant impact have 

been prepared in accordance with: (1) 

The National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of the 

Council on Environmental Quality for 

implementing the procedural provisions 

of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3) 

USDA regulations implementing NEPA 

(7 CFR part 1), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 

372). 

Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day of 

November 2007. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–23369 Filed 11–30–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

List of Newspapers To Be Used by the 

Alaska Region for Publication of Legal 

Notices of Decisions Subject to 

Administrative Appeal Under 36 CFR 

Part 217 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice lists the 

newspapers that Forests and the 

Regional Office of the Alaska Region 

will use to publish legal notice of all 

decisions subject to appeal under 36 

CFR part 217. The intended effect of this 

action is to inform interested members 

of the public which newspapers will be 

used to publish legal notice of decisions 

subject to appeal under 36 CFR part 217, 

thereby allowing them to receive 

constructive notice of a decision, to 

provide clear evidence of timely notice, 

and to achieve consistency in 

administering the appeals process. 

DATES: Publication of legal notices in 

the listed newspapers begins on 

December 1, 2008. This list of 

newspapers will remain in effect until it 

is superceded by a new list, published 

in the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Robin Dale, Alaska Region 

Group Leader for Appeals, Litigation 

and FOIA; Forest Service, Alaska 

Region; P.O. Box 21628; Juneau, Alaska 

99802–1628. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robin Dale, Alaska Region Group 

Leader for Appeals, Litigation and 

FOIA; (907) 586–9344. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice provides the list of newspapers 

that Responsible Officials in the Alaska 

Region will use to give notice of 

decisions subject to appeal under 36 

CFR part 217. The timeframe for appeal 

under 36 CFR part 217 shall be based on 

the date of publication of the legal 

notice of the decision in the newspaper 

of record identified in this notice. 

The newspapers to be used for giving 

notice of Forest Service decisions in the 

Alaska Region are as follows: 

Alaska Regional Office 

Decisions of the Alaska Regional 

Forester: Juneau Empire, published 

daily except Saturday and official 

holidays in Juneau, Alaska; and the 

Anchorage Daily News, published daily 

in Anchorage, Alaska. 

Chugach National Forest 

Decisions of the Forest Supervisor: 

Anchorage Daily News, published daily 

in Anchorage, Alaska. 

Tongass National Forest 

Decisions of the Forest Supervisor: 

Ketchikan Daily News, published daily 

except Sundays and official holidays in 

Ketchikan, Alaska. 

Supplemental notices may be 

published in any newspaper, but the 

timeframes for filing appeals will be 

calculated based upon the date that 

notices are published in the newspapers 

of record listed in this notice. 

Dated: November 21, 2007. 

Paul K. Brewster, 

Acting Regional Forester. 

[FR Doc. 07–5895 Filed 11–30–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests 

and Thunder Basin National 

Grassland; Wyoming; Inyan Kara 

Analysis Area Vegetation Management 

Phase II 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is 

analyzing the management of rangeland 

vegetation resources, which includes 

livestock grazing, on the National Forest 

System (NFS) lands within the Thunder 

Basin National Grasslands. NFS lands 

that comprise the Inyan Kara Analysis 

Area Vegetation Management Phase II 

will be assessed to determine how 

existing resource conditions compare to 

the desired conditions outlined in the 

Thunder Basin National Grassland Land 

and Resource Management Plan 

(LRMP). A management strategy will be 

developed in order to maintain or 

improve rangeland and vegetation 

conditions toward LRMP desired 

conditions. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by the 

30th day after the publication in the 

Federal Register. The draft 

environmental impact statement (EIS) is 

expected February 11, 2008 and the 

final environmental impact statement is 

expected May 12, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Marilee Houtler, NEPA Coordinator, 

Douglas Ranger District, 2250 East 

Richards Street, Douglas, Wyoming 

82633 or e-mail to comments-rockymountain-medicine-bow-routt-douglassthunder-basin@fs.fed.us All comments, 

including names and addresses when 

provided, are placed in the record and 

are available for public inspection. The 

public may inspect comments received 

at Douglas Ranger District, 2250 E. 

Richards, Douglas, WY 82633. Visitors 

are encouraged to call ahead to (307) 

358–4690 to facilitate entry into the 

building. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ernie Gipson, Rangeland Management 

Specialist or Misty Hays, Deputy 

District Ranger, Douglas Ranger District, 

2250 E. Richards Street, Douglas, WY 

82633 (307) 358–4690. 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 Standard Time, Monday 

through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Vegetation 

resources on approximately 135,405 

acres of NFS lands, lying within the 

Thunder Bassin National Grassland 

boundaries and within portions of 

Weston and Niobrara Counties, 

Wyoming (Townships 41–48 North, 

Ranges 62–68 West), are being analyzed 

to determine if and how existing 

conditions differ from desired 

conditions outlined in the 2001 LRMP. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 231 / Monday, December 3, 2007 / Notices 67883 

Vegetation in the Analysis Area is 

characteristic of shortgrass prairie, 

mixed grass prairie and lesser amounts 

of Ponderosa Pine/Juniper habitats. 

Johnson and Larson (1999) describe the 

majority of the Analysis Area as a Big 

Sagebrush-Wheatgrass Plains Major 

Vegetation Type, dominated by fairly 

dense dwarf shrubs, of which most are 

Wyoming big sagebrush. The midgrass 

prairie component of the Analysis Area 

as described by Barker and Whitman 

(1998) consists of a plant association 

dominated by needleandthread grass, 

western wheatgrass and blue grama. A 

large portion of the Inyan Kara Analysis 

Area evolved under a history of 

homesteading in the early twentieth 

century, but a prolonged drought period 

combined with the economic depression 

of the late 1920’s and early 1930’s 

caused many of these homesteads to 

fail. Starting in 1935, land was 

purchased through the Northeastern 

Wyoming Land Utilization Project 

initiated by the Agricultural Adjustment 

Administration, and continued with the 

Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act of 

1937, which was designed to develop a 

program of land conservation. 

Administration of these lands was 

turned over to the Soil Conservation 

Service the following year, and 

transferred to the United States Forest 

Service in 1954. 

Today the Thunder Basin National 

Grassland supports and provides a 

variety of multiple resource uses and 

values. Livestock ranching operations in 

the area depend on National Grassland 

acreage to create logical and efficient 

management units. Cattle, sheep, and 

horses, in accordance with 10-year term 

and/or annual temporary livestock 

grazing permits, are currently 

authorized to graze the allotments 

within the Analysis Area. In order to 

determine how existing resource 

conditions compare to desired 

conditions, date collection was 

conducted from 2005 to 2007. During 

this period, moderate drought 

conditions impacted plant vigor, canopy 

and litter cover in some parts of the 

Analysis Area. Data analysis indicates 

that seral stage and structural objectives 

are currently generally meeting 

vegetation health desired conditions in 

most portions of the Analysis Area. 

Other areas of concern based on data 

analysis include enhancing vegetation 

conditions in riparian areas and 

decreasing the frequency and density of 

non-native invasive species within the 

analysis area. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

Need: To continue to authorize 

livestock grazing and associated 

vegetation management actions with 

appropriate identified management 

options within the Inyan Kara Analysis 

Area, and to do so in a manner that will 

resolve any disparities between existing 

and desired conditions in a suitable 

timeframe. 

Purpose: To implement vegetation 

management objectives in the Thunder 

Basin National Grassland Land and 

Resource Management Plan with goals 

of increasing native forb and perennial 

grass diversity, improving riparian area 

conditions, improving or maintaining 

vegetation health, and slowing or 

decreasing the frequency and density of 

non-native invasive species. This 

analysis will serve as a guide for 

implementation of LRMP vegetation 

management objectives aimed at 

improving or maintaining vegetation 

and riparian area conditions, providing 

desired mixes of seral and structural 

stages of vegetation, as well as 

establishing appropriate monitoring 

techniques that will measure the 

effectiveness of management activities. 

Proposed Action 

The Forest Service proposes the 

following actions to meet the purpose 

and need described above: 

—Manage vegetation through an 

adaptive management process, which 

includes authorizing livestock grazing 

on allotments within the Inyan Kara 

Analysis Area of the Thunder Basin 

National Grasslands, that will meet or 

move toward desired resource 

conditions. 

—Define an allotment specific starting 

point in which management is 

believed to be capable of meeting or 

moving toward desired conditions in 

a timely manner. 

—Monitor to evaluate both 

implementation and effectiveness of 

management actions. 

In all cases, management will use 

vegetation management tools that will 

meet LRMP Objectives, Standards and 

Guidelines, and maintain or move 

existing resource conditions toward 

Geographic Area desired conditions. If 

monitoring indicates that practices are 

being properly implemented and that 

resource trends are moving toward 

meeting desired conditions in a timely 

manner, management may continue. If 

monitoring indicates that there is a need 

to modify management practices, 

adaptive options as analyzed in the EIS 

will be selected and implemented. 

Possible Alternatives 

(1). No action 

(2). Continue current management. 

Responsible Official 

Robert M. Sprentall, District Ranger, 

Douglas Ranger District, 2250 East 

Richards Street, Douglas, Wyoming 

82633, is the official responsible for 

making the decision on this action. He 

will document his decision and 

rationale in a Record of Decision. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The Responsible Official will consider 

the results of the analysis and its 

findings and then document the final 

decision in a Record of Decision (ROD). 

The decision will determine whether or 

not to authorize livestock grazing on all, 

part, or none of the allotments within 

the Inyan Kara Analysis Area, and if so, 

what adaptive management design 

criteria, adaptive options, and 

monitoring will be implemented so as to 

meet or move toward the desired 

conditions in the defined timeframe. 

Scoping Process 

Concurrent with this NOI, letters 

requesting comments will be sent to 

interested parties. Anyone who provides 

comments to the DEIS or expresses 

interest during the comment period will 

have eligibility. 

Preliminary Issues 

The Forest Service has identified the 

following preliminary issues: (1) 

Current impacts to riparian resources 

from moderate drought, and livestock 

and wildlife grazing/browsing; (2) 

Potential impacts to livestock grazing 

permits on National Grasslands; (3) 

Current impacts to soil resources from 

livestock and wildlife grazing/browsing 

and drought. 

Comment Requested 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process which guides the 

development of the EIS. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review: A draft EIS will 

be prepared for comment. The comment 

period on the draft environmental 

impact statement will be 45 days from 

the date the Environmental Protection 

Agency publishes the notice of 

availability in the Federal Register. 

The Forest Service believes it is 

important to give reviewers notice of 

several court rulings related to public 

participation in the environmental 

review process. First, reviewers of draft 

environmental impact statements must 

structure their participation in the 

environmental review of the proposal so 

that it is meaningful and alerts an 

agency to the reviewer’s position and 

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

67884 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 231 / Monday, December 3, 2007 / Notices 

Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 

(1978). 

Also, environmental objections that 

could be raised at the draft 

environmental impact statement stage 

but that are not raised until after 

completion of the final environmental 

impact statement 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 so that comments and 

objections are made available to the 

Forest Service at a time when it can 

meaningfully consider them and 

respond to them in the final 

environmental impact statement. 

To assist the Forest Service in 

identifying and considering issues and 

concerns on the proposed action, 

comments on the draft environmental 

impact statement should be as specific 

as possible. It is also helpful if 

comments refer to specific pages or 

chapters of the draft statement. 

Comments may also address the 

adequacy of the draft environmental 

impact statement or the merits of the 

alternatives formulated and discussed in 

the statement. 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. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 

20, Section 21). 

Dated: November 20, 2007. 

Misty A. Hays, 

Deputy District Ranger. 

[FR Doc. 07–5894 Filed 11–30–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Black Hills National Forest Advisory 

Board Public Meeting Dates 

Announced 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Black Hills National 

Forest Advisory Board (NFAB) has 

announced its meeting dates for 2008. 

These meetings are open to the public, 

and public comment is accepted at any 

time in writing and at the pleasure of 

the Board chair at each meeting for 

verbal comments. Persons wishing to 

speak may be given three minutes to 

address the Board. 

Meeting dates are the third 

Wednesday of each month unless 

otherwise indicated: 

January 3. 

February 20. 

March 19. 

April 16. 

May 21. 

June 18. 

July (No Meeting). 

August 20 (Summer Field Trip—TBA). 

September 17. 

October 15. 

November 19. 

December (No Meeting). 

January 6, 2009 (Tentative). 

ADDRESSES: Meetings will begin at 1 

p.m. and end no later than 5 p.m. at the 

Forest Service Center, 8221 S. Highway 

16, Rapid City, SD 57702. 

Agendas: The Board will consider a 

variety of issues related to national 

forest management. Agendas will be 

announced in advance in the news 

media but principally concern 

implementing phase two of the forest 

land and resource management plan. 

The Board will consider such topics as 

integrated vegetation management (wild 

and prescribed fire, fuels reduction, 

controlling insect epidemics, invasive 

species), travel management (off 

highway vehicles, the new OHV rule, 

and related topics), and forest 

fragmentation, among others. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Frank Carroll, Committee Management 

Officer, Black Hills National Forest, 

25041 North Highway 16, Custer, SD 

57730, (605) 673–9200. 

Dated: December 1, 2007. 

Craig Bobzien, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 07–5896 Filed 11–30–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration 

Opportunity To Comment on the 

Applicants for the North Central Texas 

Region, and the South Central 

California Region 

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: GIPSA requests comments on 

the applicants for designation to provide 

official services in north central Texas, 

and the applicant for south central 

California. Enid Grain Inspection 

Company, Inc. (Enid) and Plainview 

Grain Inspection and Weighing Service, 

Inc. (Plainview) applied for counties in 

Texas, and California Agri Inspection 

Company, Ltd. (California Agri) applied 

for counties in California that were open 

for designation. 

DATES: Comments must be postmarked 

or electronically dated on or before 

January 2, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit 

comments on these applicants. You may 

submit comments by any of the 

following methods: 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver to 

Karen Guagliardo, Review Branch Chief, 

Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, 

Room 1647–S, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250. 

• Fax: Send by facsimile transmission 

to (202) 690–2755, Attention: Karen 

Guagliardo. 

• E-mail: Send via electronic mail to 

Karen.W.Guagliardo@usda.gov. 

• Mail: Send hardcopy to Karen 

Guagliardo, Review Branch Chief, 

Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, 

STOP 3604, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–

3604. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments and reading any comments 

posted online. 

Read Applications and Comments: All 

applications and comments will be 

available for public inspection at the 

office above during regular business 

hours (7 CFR 1.27(b)). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Guagliardo at 202–720–7312, email Karen.W.Guagliardo@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

Action has been reviewed and 

determined not to be a rule or regulation 

as defined in Executive Order 12866 

and Departmental Regulation 1512–1; 

therefore, the Executive Order and 

Departmental Regulation do not apply 

to this action. 

Amarillo Grain Exchange, Inc., 

currently designated October 1, 2007 

through September 30, 2010, asked 

GIPSA to remove the north central 

Texas region from its assigned 

geographical area. The north central 

Texas region is comprised of the 

following nineteen counties: Archer, 

Baylor, Callahan, Clay, Cottle, Fisher, 

Foard, Hardeman, Haskell, Jones, King, 

Knox, Nolan, Shackelford, Stonewall, 

Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, and 

Wilbarger. 

In the September 4, 2007, Federal 

Register (72 FR 50654), GIPSA asked 

persons interested in providing official 

services in the north central Texas 

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