Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 37 / Monday, February 25, 2008 / Notices 9985 

announces the Agricultural Marketing 

Service’s (AMS) intention to request a 

revision to the currently approved 

collections for 7 CFR Part 54—Meats, 

Prepared Meats, and Meat Products 

(Grading, Certification, and Standards), 

which includes Form LS–313, 

‘‘Application for Service,’’ Form LS–

315, and ‘‘Application for Commitment 

Grading or Certification Service’’. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received on or before April 25, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit comments. Comments 

must be posted online at 

www.regulations.gov or sent to Larry R. 

Meadows, Chief; USDA, AMS, LS, MGC; 

13952 Denver West Parkway Building 

53, Suite 350, Lakewood, Colorado 

80401. Comments will be available for 

public inspection at the above address 

during regular business hours or via the 

Internet at www.regulations.gov. All 

comments should reference the docket 

number (Docket No. AMS-LS–08–0012), 

the date, and the page number of this 

issue of the Federal Register. All 

responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Title: 7 CFR Part 54—Meats, Prepared 

Meats, and Meat Products (Grading, 

Certification, and Standards). 

OMB Number: 0581–0124. 

Expiration Date of Approval: August 

31, 2008. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved collection of 

information. 

Abstract: The application for meat 

grading and certification services 

requests the Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) employees to perform such 

services in the requesting establishment. 

The information contained on the 

applications constitutes an agreement 

between USDA and the requesting 

establishment. 

The Agricultural Marketing Act of 

1946, as amended, authorizes the 

Secretary of Agriculture to provide 

voluntary Federal meat grading and 

certification services that facilitate the 

marketing of meat and meat products. 

The Meat Grading and Certification 

(MGC) Branch provides these services 

pursuant to 7 CFR Part 54—Meats, 

Prepared Meats, and Meat Products 

(Grading, Certification, and Standards). 

Due to the voluntary nature of grading 

and certification services, 7 CFR Part 54 

contains provisions for the collection of 

fees from users of MGC Branch services 

that equal the cost of providing the 

requested services to the closest extent 

possible. Applicants (individual or 

businesses with financial interest in the 

product) may request MGC Branch 

services through either submission of 

Form LS–313 or Form LS–315. 

Congress did not specifically 

authorize this collection of information, 

but completion and submission of Form 

LS–313 or Form LS–315 serves as an 

agreement by the requester to pay for 

services provided. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average .21 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: Livestock and meat 

industry or other for-profit businesses. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

951 respondents. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

6,666 responses. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 7 responses. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 1,391 hours. 

Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) 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; (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 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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Larry R. Meadows, Chief, Meat Grading 

and Certification Branch, telephone 

(720) 497–2550, facsimile (720) 497–

0569, or e-mail at 

Larry.Meadows@usda.gov. 

Dated: February 19, 2008. 

Lloyd C. Day, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–3496 Filed 2–22–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Shasta-Trinity National Forest, 

California; Algoma Vegetation and 

Road Management Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest proposes to thin stands and 

remove accumulations of down wood 

(fuels) on approximately 5,300 acres of 

National Forest System lands. Trees in 

the project area would be thinned by 

removing a portion of the trees from 

overcrowded forest stands. Trees to be 

removed will generally be smaller in 

size than trees that will be retained. In 

some stands, trees to be removed would 

be those infected with disease or 

insects. Young tree seedings would be 

planted in any openings created in these 

areas. A roads analysis will be prepared 

to identify management opportunities 

(road closures and improvements) for 

the road system within the proposed 

project area. The project area is in T40N, 

R1W & R1E, MDM and T39N, R1W & 

R1E MDM, about 10 miles east of the 

town of McCloud, California. The 

project area is zoned by the Forest Land 

and Resource Management Plan as LateSuccessional Reserve. About 15 percent 

of the area is zoned as Riparian Reserve 

(wetlands, areas adjacent to streams and 

unstable areas). 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis should be received no 

later than 30 days after the publication 

of this notice in the Federal Register. 

The draft environmental impact 

statement is expected in May 2008 and 

the final environmental impact 

statement is expected in September 

2008. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

District Ranger Michael Hupp, ShastaMcCloud Management Unit, 204 W. 

Alma St., Mt. Shasta, California 96067. 

Electronic comments can be sent via email to: comments-pacificsouthwestshasta-trinity-mtshastamccloud@fs.fed.us. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ricardo Velarde, McCloud Ranger 

Station, P.O. Box 1620, McCloud, 

California 96057, telephone (530) 964–

3770 or via e-mail at rvelarde@fs.fed.us. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of the proposed action is 

to protect and enhance conditions of 

late-successional forest ecosystems, 

which serve as habitat for latesuccessional and old-growth related 

species, including the northern spotted 

owl. 

Fire exclusion over the last 100 years 

has led to dense forest conditions and 

excessive ground fuels. The 

overcrowded conditions have had a 

negative impact on tree vigor and forest 

health. Increased competition for 

available resources, such as water, 

nutrients and sunlight has made trees 


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9986 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 37 / Monday, February 25, 2008 / Notices 

more susceptible to drought, disease 

and insect infestation. A dense 

understory of trees coupled with an 

accumulation of ground fuels increases 

the chances of a wildfire reaching the 

forest canopy and spreading. These 

conditions limit and delay the 

development of early-successional and 

mid-successional stands towards latesuccessional forest conditions and place 

existing late-successional forest habitat 

at risk. 

There is a need to reduce tree density 

in older tree plantations and natural 

forest stands where overcrowded 

conditions exist. Thinning will reduce 

competition and make additional 

resources available to remaining trees, 

resulting in improved tree vigor and 

greater resistance to drought, disease 

and insects. Furthermore, the use of 

variable thinning treatments to promote 

structural and age variability within 

stands will accelerate their development 

towards late-successional forest 

conditions and, consequently, enhance 

habitat in the project area. 

There is a need to break the current 

cycle of re-infection in areas heavily 

infected by black stain root disease. 

Sanitizing (removing) dead and dying 

trees will remove the source of infection 

from affected areas. Replanting with a 

mix of species will enhance diversity 

and aid in breaking the disease cycle 

within the project area protecting both 

developing and existing latesuccessional forest habitat. 

There is a need to reduce 

accumulations of ground fuels to levels 

where flames are not likely to reach the 

canopy layer in case of wildfire. Fuel 

treatments will reduce fuel loads and 

reduce the chances of a wildfire 

destroying late-successional forest 

habitat in the project area. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action is to thin on 

approximately 5,300 acres. In all 

thinning treatments, trees will be 

thinned to a density that is appropriate 

for the species, age and site. The smaller 

trees will generally be removed from the 

stand leaving the healthier dominant 

and co-dominant trees at an appropriate 

stocking level. 

(a) On approximately 1,050 acres of 

25–40 year old ponderosa pine 

plantations, trees will be thinned to a 

variable spacing, generally by removing 

the smaller trees. 

(b) On approximately 2,900 acres of 

50–85 year old mixed conifer and 

ponderosa pine stands, trees will be 

thinned from below to a density that is 

appropriate for the species, age and site. 

The smaller trees will generally be 

removed from the stand leaving the 

healthier dominant and co-dominant 

trees at an appropriate stocking level. 

Interspersed among some of the treated 

areas will be unthinned patches of trees 

and areas of black oak release, intended 

to provide structural diversity and 

variability on the landscape. Up to 15% 

of the resultant area would be left in 

unthinned patches. 

(c) On approximately 1,050 acres of 

75 year old ponderosa pine and mixed 

conifer stands with areas of heavy 

mortality from root disease, trees will be 

thinned as described in ‘‘b’’ above. In 

addition, there will be sanitation 

treatments in those stands that are 

heavily infected with root disease, in 

which dead, dying and infected trees 

will be removed from the site to break 

the cycle of re-infection. Resulting 

understocked areas will be replanted 

with an appropriate mix of species to 

increase diversity. 

(d) On approximately 300 acres of 50–

75 year old ponderosa pine and mixed 

conifer stands, trees will be thinned 

using an uneven-aged, single-treeselection method. The objective is to 

create stands composed of trees in a 

wide range of diameter classes to 

promote greater structural and age 

variability. 

On all proposed treatments, excess 

trees will be removed as commercial 

wood products wherever possible. 

Small-diameter trees will be removed as 

wood chips while larger trees will be 

removed as saw logs. All fresh conifer 

stumps greater than 14 inches will be 

treated with borax to prevent the spread 

of annosus root disease. Whole tree 

removal will be used wherever possible 

to minimize the accumulation of 

additional ground fuels. Excess ground 

fuels will be treated by mastication, 

removal and utilization, or piling and 

burning. After harvest prescribed fire 

may be used in units that are deemed 

suitable. Treatment will be deferred on 

approximately 4,100 acres within the 

project area. These areas are 

experiencing northern spotted owl 

nesting/roosting activity or currently 

have suitable nesting stand structure 

and composition characteristics. 

Hardwoods, particularly black oaks, 

will be enhanced in select areas. 

Encroaching conifers will be thinned 

away from hardwoods that are healthy, 

well established and likely to benefit 

from treatment. 

Riparian Reserves will be treated in 

limited areas to improve, maintain or 

protect late-successional forest habitat 

conditions. Project related actions 

within Riparian Reserves will meet the 

objectives of the Aquatic Conservation 

Strategy in the Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest Land and Resource Management 

Plan. 

To meet management objectives, this 

project may include the construction of 

approximately 2 miles of temporary 

short length roads, the reconstruction of 

approximately 21 miles of road and the 

closure or decommissioning of 

approximately 25 miles of road. 

Decisions involving roads will be based 

on a roads analysis for the project area. 

An inter-disciplinary team will evaluate 

current road conditions and weigh the 

risks and benefits of any changes to the 

existing road system. 

Lead and Cooperating Agencies 

Lead Agency: USDA, Forest Service. 

Responsible Official 

J. Sharon Heywood, Forest 

Supervisor, Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest. 

Nature of Decision To be Made 

The Forest Supervisor will decide 

whether to implement the proposed 

action, take an alternative action that 

meets the purpose and need or take no 

action. 

Scoping Process 

The project is included in the ShastaTrinity National Forest’s quarterly 

schedule of proposed actions (SOPA). 

Information on the proposed action will 

also be posted on the forest Web site, 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/ 

projects and advertised in both the 

Redding Record Searchlight and the 

Mount Shasta Herald. This notice of 

intent initiates the scoping process, 

which guides the development of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Comments submitted during this 

scoping process should be in writing 

and should be specific to the proposed 

action. The comments should describe 

as clearly and completely as possible 

any issues the commenter has with the 

proposal. The scoping process includes: 

(a) Identifying potential issues. 

(b) Identifying issues to be analyzed 

in depth. 

(c) Eliminating non-significant issues 

or those previously covered by a 

relevant previous environmental 

analysis. 

(d) Exploring additional alternatives. 

(e) Identifying potential 

environmental effects of the proposed 

actions and alternatives. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review: A draft 

environmental impact statement will be 

prepared for comment. The comment 

period on the draft environmental 

impact statement will be 45 days from 


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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 37 / Monday, February 25, 2008 / Notices 9987 

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 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 are not raised until after completion 

of the final environmental impact 

statement may be dismissed by the 

courts. (City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 

F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and 

Wisconsin Hereitages, 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. Timely 

submittal of comments and objections to 

the Forest Service ensures they can be 

meaningfully considered and responded 

to 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. 

In addressing these points, 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. 

Comments received, including the 

names and addresses of those who 

comment, will be considered part of the 

public record on this proposal, and will 

be available for public inspection. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 

21) 

Dated: February 14, 2008. 

J. Sharon Heywood, 

Forest Supervisor, Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest. 

[FR Doc. 08–800 Filed 2–22–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit to the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35). 

Agency: U.S. Census Bureau. 

Title: Shipper’s Export Declaration 

(SED)/Automated Export System (AES) 

Program. 

OMB Control Number: 0607–0152. 

Form Number(s): 7525-V, AES. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Burden Hours: 817,941. 

Number of Respondents: 239,094. 

Average Hours per Response: 7525- 

V—11 minutes; AES—3 minutes. 

Needs and Uses: The current 

clearance under Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) Number 0607–0152 

covers the paper SED, Commerce Form 

7525–V and its electronic equivalent, 

the AES and related documents (e.g., 

Letter of Intent, AESDirect Registration 

and Certification Quiz). 

The Census Bureau will be using the 

paper SED for a limited period of time 

during 2008. This is due to the expected 

implementation of mandatory electronic 

filing of all export information via the 

AES. This requirement is mandated 

through Public Law 107–228, of the 

Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 

2003. 

This law authorizes the Secretary of 

Commerce with the concurrences of the 

Secretary of State and the Secretary of 

Homeland Security to require all 

persons who file export information 

according to Title 13, United States 

Code (U.S.C.), Chapter 9, to file such 

information through the AES. Since 

2005, the Census Bureau and the U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

have implemented the following 

enhancements to the AES: (1) Edits for 

rough diamond shipments for the 

Kimberly Process; (2) E-mail messaging; 

(3) Created the Validated End-User 

license code; (4) Automated carrier code 

updates; (5) Developed background 

Standard Carrier Alpha Codes (SCAC) 

update process from National Motor 

Freight Traffic Association file; (6) 

Developed SCAC maintenance log list; 

(7) Developed Consignee screens; (8) 

Allowed Option 4 vessel shipments to 

proscribed countries; (9) Developed 

method of transportation maintenance 

screens; and (10) Developed edit value 

type screens. The revisions should not 

affect the average three-minute response 

time for the completion of the AES 

record. There will be no changes to the 

paper SED; therefore, there is no 

expected change to the existing 11- 

minute response time to complete this 

form. 

The Census Bureau will allow the 

trade community to continue using the 

paper SED until the actual 

implementation of the mandatory 

electronic filing requirement occurs. 

Implementation of the mandatory 

electronic filing requirement is expected 

to take place in the second quarter of 

2008. Currently, the Census Bureau is 

involved in the rulemaking process that 

will notify the trade community of the 

mandatory requirement for electronic 

filing. 

The SED form and its electronic 

equivalent, the AES record, provide the 

means for collecting data on U.S. 

exports. The official export statistics 

collected from these tools provide the 

basic component for the compilation of 

the U.S. position on merchandise trade. 

These data are an essential component 

of the monthly totals provided in the 

U.S. International Trade in Goods and 

Services Press Release, a principal 

economic indicator and a primary 

component of the Gross Domestic 

Product (GDP). 

The data collected from the SED and 

the AES records are also used for export 

control purposes under Title 50, U.S.C., 

Export Administration Act, to detect 

and prevent the export of certain items 

by unauthorized parties or to 

unauthorized destinations or end users. 

The information collected on the 

paper SED and the AES record shows 

what is being exported (description and 

commodity classification number), how 

much is exported (quantity, shipping 

weight, and value), how it is being 

exported (mode of transport, exporting 

carrier, and whether containerized), 

from where (state of origin and port of 

export), to where (port of unloading and 

country of ultimate destination), and 

when a commodity is exported (date of 

exportation). The identification of the 

U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) 

shows who is exporting goods for 

consumption (control purposes), while 

the USPPI and/or the forwarding or 

other agent information provides a 

contact for verification of the 

information. 

The information is used by the 

Federal Government and the private 

sector. The Federal Government uses 

every data element on the SED/AES 

record for statistical purposes, export 

control, and/or to obtain data to avoid 

taking additional surveys. 

Data collected from the SED/AES 

serves as the official records of export 


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