7390 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 31 / Thursday, February 15, 2007 / Notices 

for public review in the Research, 

Extension, Education, and Economics 

Advisory Board Office. 

Done at Washington, DC this 9th day of 

February, 2007. 

Gale Buchanan, 

Under Secretary, Research, Education, and 

Economics. 

[FR Doc. E7–2649 Filed 2–14–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Farm Service Agency 

Request for Extension of a Currently 

Approved Information Collection; 

Receiving and Processing 

Applications 

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking 

comments from all interested 

individuals and entities on the revision 

and extension of currently approved 

information collection that supports the 

Direct Loan Program. The collection of 

information from loan applicants and 

commercial lenders is used to determine 

eligibility and financial feasibility when 

the applicant requests direct loan 

assistance. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received on or before April 16, 2007 to 

be assured consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Cathy Quayle, Senior Loan Officer, 

USDA, Farm Service Agency, Loan 

Making Division, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Stop 0522, Washington, 

DC 20250–0522; Telephone (202) 690–

4018; Electronic mail: 

cathy.quayle@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Receiving and Processing 

Applications. 

OMB Control Number: 0560–0178. 

Expiration Date of Approval: 

September 30, 2007. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection. 

Abstract: This information collected 

under OMB Control Number 0560–0178 

is necessary to effectively administer the 

Direct Loan Program in accordance with 

the requirements of 7 CFR Part 1910 

subpart A, as authorized by the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (CONACT). The 

collected information is submitted to 

the Agency loan official by loan 

applicants and commercial lenders for 

use in making program eligibility and 

financial feasibility determinations as 

required by the CONACT. 

Estimate of Annual Respondent 

Burden: Public reporting burden for this 

collection of information is estimated to 

average 1.66 hours per response. 

Respondents: Individuals and entity 

farmers and commercial lenders. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

17,806. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 3.43. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 101,283. 

Comments are invited on the 

following: (a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information being 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. These comments should be 

sent to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget, Washington, DC 20503 and to 

Cathy Quayle, Senior Loan Officer, 

USDA Farm Service Agency, Loan 

Making Division, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., STOP 0522, Washington, 

DC 20250–0522. 

Comments will be summarized and 

included in the request for Office of 

Management and Budget approval of the 

information collection. All comments 

will also become a matter of public 

record. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on February 9, 

2007. 

Teresa C. Lasseter, 

Administrator, Farm Service Agency. 

[FR Doc. E7–2666 Filed 2–14–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Foreign Agricultural Service 

Trade Adjustment Assistance for 

Farmers 

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

The Administrator, Foreign 

Agricultural Service (FAS), today 

accepted a petition filed by the 

California Avocado Commission 

representing California avocado 

producers for trade adjustment 

assistance. The Administrator will 

determine within 40 days whether or 

not increasing imports of avocados 

contributed importantly to a decline in 

domestic producer prices of 20 percent 

or more during the marketing period 

beginning November 1, 2005, and 

ending October 31, 2006. If the 

determination is positive, all producers 

who produce and market their avocados 

in California will be eligible to apply to 

the Farm Service Agency for no cost 

technical assistance and for adjustment 

assistance payments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jean-Louis Pajot, Coordinator, Trade 

Adjustment Assistance for Farmers, 

FAS, USDA, (202) 720–2916, e-mail: 

trade.adjustment@fas.usda.gov. 

Dated: January 26, 2007. 

Michael W. Yost, 

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–2627 Filed 2–14–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Revision of Land Management Plan for 

the George Washington National 

Forest, Virginia and West Virginia 

AGENCY: Forest Service USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of initiation to revise the 

George Washington National Forest 

Land Management Plan. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is revising 

the Land Management Plan (hereafter 

referred to as Forest Plan) for the George 

Washington National Forest (GWNF). 

The notice provides: 

1. A summary of the need to change the 

Forest Plan; 

2. An estimated schedule for the 

planning process; 

3. A list of documents available for 

review and how to get them; 

4. How the public can participate in the 

planning process; 

5. How the public can comment on the 

need for change; 

6. Who to contact for more information. 

DATES: Revision formally begins with 

publication of this notice in the Federal 

Register. A series of public meetings to 

discuss the need for change will begin 

in March, 2007. The dates, times and 

locations of these meetings will be 

posted at our internet Web site: http:// 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 31 / Thursday, February 15, 2007 / Notices 7391 

www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/. This information 

can also be obtained from the contact 

information below. More detailed 

information on the proposed schedule is 

in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Section. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

need for change will also be accepted. 

Send written comments to George 

Washington Plan Revision, George 

Washington & Jefferson National 

Forests, 5162 Valleypointe Parkway, 

Roanoke, Virginia 24019–3050. 

Electronic comments should include 

‘‘GW Plan Revision’’ in the subject line 

and sent to: comments-southerngeorgewashington-jefferson@fs.fed.us 

For further information, mail 

correspondence to George Washington 

Plan Revision, George Washington & 

Jefferson National Forests, 5162 

Valleypointe Parkway, Roanoke, 

Virginia 24019–3050. Additional 

information on the GWNF Forest Plan is 

available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ 

gwj/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Dave Plunkett, Planning Team Leader, 

Ken Landgraf, Planning Staff Officer, or 

JoBeth Brown, Public Affairs Officer, 

George Washington & Jefferson National 

Forests, (540)–265–5100. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The Need for Change 

The GWNF Forest Plan was last 

revised in 1993. Planning regulations 

require that plans be revised at least 

every 15 years. the 1993 revision was a 

major effort that involved the 

participation of many stakeholders. The 

purpose of the current revision is to 

examine management direction that 

needs to change and determine how best 

to make those changes. The Forest 

Service has drafted a Comprehensive 

Evaluation Report. This report is based 

on monitoring information that has been 

collected since 1993. The report 

describes the current social, economic 

and ecological conditions and trends on 

the Forest. Based on this information, 

the Forest Service is proposing a 

number of changes to the current plan. 

The proposed changes include the 

following: 

—Follow the 2005 Planning regulations 

for required components of a Forest 

Plan 

—Change roadless area management to 

address current policy 

—Clarify management of old growth 

—Modify riparian area management 

—Evaluate if additional potential 

wilderness areas exist 

—Address the use of lightning-ignited 

wild fire and the level of prescribed 

burning 

—Utilize, where appropriate, new 

management direction from the 2004 

Jefferson Forest Plan 

—Examine any needs for additional 

special biological areas. 

Planning Schedule 

After initiation of the planning 

process, the Forest Service will hold a 

series of public meetings to discuss the 

need for change and the Draft 

Comprehensive Evaluation Report. At 

the end of these collaborative efforts 

(around May 2007), the Forest 

Supervisor will determine which issues 

will be carried forward for further 

analysis in the revision process. 

Additional public meetings will then 

be held through the summer of 2007 to 

discuss development of the Forest Plan 

components in response to the 

identified needs for change. In 

November of 2007 the Forest Service 

expects to release a Proposed Forest 

Plan for public review and comment. A 

notice will be published in the Federal 

Register that will begin a 90-day 

comment period on the Proposed Forest 

Plan. The Forest Service will review the 

comments and then make any 

appropriate changes to the Proposed 

Forest Plan. Another notice will then be 

published in the Federal Register to 

begin a 30-day objection period. This is 

anticipated to be published around July 

of 2008. After any objections are 

resolved, the Forest Plan will be 

approved by the Forest Supervisor. 

Documents Available for Review 

A number of documents are available 

for review. These are available at the 

Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwi/. 

Additional documents will be added to 

this site throughout the planning 

process. Hard copies or CD–ROM 

versions of the documents can be 

obtained from the addresses listed 

above. The current documents include: 

—Draft Comprehensive Evaluation 

Report 

—Current (1993) George Washington NF 

Land Management Plan 

—Initial Version of Proposed Forest 

Plan. 

How the Public Can Participate in the 

Planning Process 

The planning process will emphasize 

those things that need to change from 

the 1993 Forest Plan. The focus of the 

current planning regulations is on 

establishing a collaborative approach to 

planning. Therefore, the best 

opportunity for dialogue is to 

participate in the discussions at the 

various public meetings to be held 

throughout the process. These meetings 

will all be announced on the GWNF 

Web site. In addition, there will be 

opportunities to provide written 

comments on draft documents and 

analyses as they are prepared. A formal 

comment opportunity will be provided 

when the Proposed Forest Plan is 

completed. 

Only parties that participate in the 

planning process through the 

submission of written comments can 

submit an objection pursuant to 36 CFR 

219.13(a). 

How the Public Can Comment on the 

Need for Change 

A series of public meetings will be 

held beginning in March of 2007 to 

discuss the need for change. The dates, 

times and locations of these meetings 

are posted on the Forest Web site or can 

be obtained from the Contacts named 

above. In addition, written or electronic 

comments can be submitted to the 

previously identified addresses. 

Responsible Official 

The Forest Supervisor, George 

Washington & Jefferson National 

Forests, is the Responsible Official (36 

CFR 219.2(b)(1)). 

Authority: 36 CFR 219.9(b)(2)(i), 70 FR 1023, 

January 5, 2005. 

Dated: February 8, 2007. 

Maureen Hyzer, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 07–693 Filed 2–14–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

RIN 0596–AC34 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Documentation Needed for Oil and 

Natural Gas Exploration and 

Development Activities (Categorical 

Exclusion) 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of issuance of final 

directive. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is revising 

procedures for implementing the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) and Council on Environmental 

Quality (CEQ) regulations. The 

procedures are being revised through 

issuance of a final directive that amends 

Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.15, 

chapter 30. This chapter describes 

categorical exclusions; that is, categories 

of actions which do not individually or 

cumulatively have a significant effect on 

the human environment, and therefore, 

normally do not require further analysis 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES