Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 24 / Tuesday, February 5, 2008 / Notices 6691 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 600. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 1. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 600. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 100 hours. (Due to 

averaging, the total annual burden hours 

may not equal the product of the annual 

number of responses multiplied by the 

reporting burden per response.) 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 30th day of 

January 2008. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–2049 Filed 2–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Giant Sequoia National Monument 

Management Plan EIS 

AGENCY: USDA Forest Service. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service is preparing 

an environmental impact statement 

(EIS) to establish management direction 

for the land and resources within the 

Giant Sequoia National Monument 

(GSNM) created by Presidential 

Proclamation on april 15, 2000. The 

Forest Service, as the responsible 

agency, proposes to amend the Sequoia 

National Forest Land and Resource 

Management Plan (FLMP) to provide for 

the protection of the objects of interest 

identified in the Proclamation. 

DATES: The draft EIS for the Giant 

Sequoia National Monument 

Management Plan is expected to be 

available for public comment in the 

early spring of 2009; the final EIS and 

Record of Decision (ROD) are expected 

to be published in the fall of 2009. Soon 

after the ROD is published, a separate 

document representing the Management 

Plan in non-technical language will be 

published. 

ADDRESSES: Tina Terrell, Forest 

Supervisor, USDA Forest Service, 

Sequoia National Forest, 1839 South 

Newcomb Street, Porterville, CA 93257. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie 

Allen, Land Management Planning Staff 

Officer, Sequoia National Forest, at the 

address listed above. The phone number 

is (559) 784–1500. Information 

regarding the monument and the 

planning process can also be found on 

the Giant Sequoia National Monument 

website located at http://www.fs.fed.us./ 

r5/sequoia/gsnm. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On April 15, 200, a Presidential 

Proclamation creating the Giant Sequoia 

National Monument was signed. The 

Proclamation designated 327,769 acres 

within the boundary of the Sequoia 

National Forest as a National Monument 

to provide protection for a variety of 

objects of historic and scientific interest, 

including giant sequoia trees and their 

surrounding ecosystem. The plan will 

provide for and encourage continued 

public access and use consistent with 

the purposes of the Giant Sequoia 

National Monument. A range of 

alternatives will be analyzed, including 

the no-action alternative, which is the 

current management direction. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The Presidential Proclamation creates 

a national monument recognizing and 

protecting forever its unique resources. 

The proclamation also clearly identifies 

opportunities for scientific research, 

interpretation, recreation, and the need 

for a transportation plan. We are 

committed to preparing a management 

plan that is responsive to these needs 

and opportunities and that cares for the 

objects of interest as identified in the 

proclamation. 

Within the context of the 

Proclamation’s statement of need, we 

are committed to developing the 

proposed action and alternatives to it 

through a comprehensive, inclusive, 

collaborative process involving 

stakeholders. This collaborative process 

will be facilitated largely by a third 

party neutral associated with the U.S. 

Institute for Environmental Conflict 

Resolution, an organization chartered by 

Congress for the purpose of resolving 

multi-party environmental issues and 

disputes. Because the Giant Sequoia 

National Monument is a unique treasure 

of international interest, it deserves the 

very best planning approach possible. 

We believe that the very best 

management will result from this 

innovative, collaborative approach 

which taps the knowledge and creative 

energy of those who know and love the 

giant sequoias. 

In the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) process terms, this Notice of 

Intent initiates the scoping period. We 

expect the scoping period to last up to 

one year during which there will be a 

variety of meetings and workshops. The 

collaborative process will thereby be the 

focus, but not the sole means, of this 

extended scoping period during which 

the proposed action will be developed 

and planning issues identified. 

Notification of scoping activities will be 

posted on the Web site, http:// 

www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/gsnm, and 

advertised through the media. The 

collaborative process will continue to 

play a role through development of the 

draft and final environmental impact 

statements. 

Current Management Direction 

Until a new Monument Management 

Plan is implemented, current 

management direction for the GSNM 

includes the Presidential Proclamation, 

the Sequoia National Forest Land and 

Resource Management Plan, as amended 

by the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan 

Amendment (2001), and the Mediated 

Settlement Agreement. 

Commenting 

Comments received in response to 

public scoping or any future solicitation 

for public comments on a draft EIS, 

including names and addresses of those 

who comment, will be considered part 

of the public record and will be 

available for public inspection. 

Comments submitted anonymously will 

be accepted and considered. 

Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), 

any person may request the agency to 

withhold a submission from the public 

record by showing how the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA) permits such 

confidentiality. Persons requesting such 

confidentiality should be aware that 

under the FOIA confidentiality may be 

granted in only very limited 

circumstances, such as to protect trade 

secrets. The Forest Service will inform 

the requester of the agency’s decision 

regarding the request for confidentiality, 

and where the request is denied; the 

agency will return the submission and 

notify the requester that the comments 

may be resubmitted with or without 

name and address. 

The comment period on the draft EIS 

will be 90 days from the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes the notice of availability in 

the Federal Register. 

The Forest Service believes that, at 

this early stage, it is very important to 

give reviewers notice of several court 

rulings related to public participation in 

the environmental review process. First, 

reviewers of a draft EIS must structure 

their participation in the environmental 

review of the proposal so that it is 

meaningful and alerts the agency to the 

reviewer’s position and contentions. 

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
6692 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 24 / Tuesday, February 5, 2008 / Notices 

NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 533 (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 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because 

of these court rulings, it is very 

important that persons interested in this 

proposed action participate by the close 

of the 90-day comment period on the 

draft EIS so that substantive 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 EIS. 

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 specified 

as possible. It is also helpful if 

comments refer to specific pages or 

chapters of the draft statement. 

Comments may also address the 

adequacy 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. 

Dated: January 30, 2008. 

Tina J. Terrell, 

Forest Supervisor, Sequoia National Forest, 

USDA Forest Service. 

[FR Doc. 08–489 Filed 2–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Notice of Intent To Request Approval 

To Revise and Extend an Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intent of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

(NASS) to request revision and 

extension of a currently approved 

information collection, the Livestock 

Slaughter Survey. Revision to burden 

hours may be needed due to changes in 

the size of the target population, 

sampling design, and/or questionnaire 

length. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by April 7, 2008 to be assured 

of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by docket number 0535–0005, 

by any of the following methods: 

• E-mail: ombofficer@nass.usda.gov. 

Include docket number above in the 

subject line of the message. 

• Fax: (202) 720–6396. 

• Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD–

ROM submissions to: NASS Clearance 

Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Room 5336A, Mail Stop 2024, South 

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20250–2024. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand 

deliver to: NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Room 

5336A, South Building, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joseph T. Reilly, Associate 

Administrator, National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, (202) 720–4333. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Livestock Slaughter Survey. 

OMB Control Number: 0535–0005. 

Approval Expires: August 31, 2008. 

Type of Request: Intent to Request 

Approval to Revise and Extend an 

Information Collection. 

Abstract: The primary objective of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

is to prepare and issue State and 

national estimates of crop and livestock 

production, prices, and disposition. The 

livestock survey program collects 

information on livestock slaughter. 

Slaughter data are used to estimate U.S. 

red meat production and reconcile 

inventory estimates which provide 

producers and the rest of the industry 

with current and future information on 

market supplies. This data is also used 

in preparing production, disposition, 

and income statistics which facilitate 

more orderly production, marketing, 

and processing of livestock and 

livestock products. The livestock 

program was approved by OMB for a 3- 

year period in 2005; NASS intends to 

request that the survey be approved for 

another 3 years. 

Authority: These data will be 

collected under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 

2204(a). Individually identifiable data 

collected under this authority are 

governed by Section 1770 of the Food 

Security Act of 1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276, 

which requires USDA to afford strict 

confidentiality to non-aggregated data 

provided by respondents. This Notice is 

submitted in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 

L. 104–113) and Office of Management 

and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 

1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995). 

Estimate of Burden: The Livestock 

Slaughter Survey includes a weekly 

survey of 900 Federally Inspected (FI) 

slaughter plants and monthly/quarterly 

surveys of approximately 2,000 NonFederally Inspected (NFI) slaughter 

facilities. Public reporting burden for 

this collection of information is 

estimated to average 7 minutes per 

response for an estimated annual 

average burden of 370 minutes per 

respondent. 

Respondents: Farmers, USDA 

inspectors, and custom/state inspected 

slaughter plants. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

2,900. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 18,000 hours. 

Copies of this information collection 

and related instructions can be obtained 

without charge from NASS Clearance 

Officer, at (202) 720–2448. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed 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 the burden of the proposed collection 

of information including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

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. 

All responses to this notice will 

become a matter of public record and be 

summarized in the request for OMB 

approval. 

Signed at Washington, DC, January 16, 

2008. 

Joseph T. Reilly, 

Associate Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E8–2041 Filed 2–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–20–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Inviting Applications for Rural 

Business Opportunity Grants 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service, an Agency within 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES