This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

53817 

Vol. 73, No. 181 

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 

1 16 U.S.C. 472a(c). 

2 Id. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Office of the Secretary 

Privacy Act of 1974; Abolish System of 

Records 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of abolishment of 

Department of Agriculture System of 

Records, USDA/FS–12 Incident 

Management and Prescribed Fire 

Qualification and Experience Records. 

SUMMARY: The records formerly 

maintained in the Privacy Act System of 

Records, USDA/FS–12 Incident 

Management and Prescribed Fire 

Qualification and Experience Records 

are now maintained in another Privacy 

Act System of Records USDA/BLM–40 

Incident Qualification and Certification 

System (IQCS). Therefore, this system is 

being abolished and removed from the 

inventory of USDA Systems of Records 

in accordance with the Privacy Act of 

1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended. 

DATES: This notice is effective on 

September 17, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: For additional information 

contact the Director of Fire and Aviation 

Management, Forest Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Mailstop 

1107, Washington, DC 20250–1107. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom 

Harbour, Director of Fire and Aviation 

Management, Forest Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, telephone: 

(202) 205–1483. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as 

amended, requires that each agency 

publish a notice of the existence and 

character of each new or altered ‘‘system 

of records.’’ 5 U.S.C. 552a(a)(5). This 

notice identifies a Forest Service System 

of Records that is no longer in use, 

USDA/FS–12 Incident Management and 

Prescribed Fire Qualification and 

Experience Records. The records which 

were formerly maintained in this system 

are now maintained in another Privacy 

Act System of Records, USDA/BLM–40 

Incident and Certification System 

(IQCS); as published in the Federal 

Register on February 6, 2008. The 

System of Records, USDA/FS–12, 

Incident Management and Prescribed 

Fire Qualification and Experience 

Records is abolished as absolute and no 

longer used, and it is removed from the 

inventory of the USDA System of 

Records. 

Dated: September 3, 2008. 

Edward T. Schafer, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E8–21726 Filed 9–16–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Determination of Substantial 

Overriding Public Interest for 

Extending Certain Timber Sale 

Contracts 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Determination of 

Substantial Overriding Public Interest. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 472a(c) of 

the National Forest Management Act of 

1976 (NFMA), and the authority 

delegated at 7 CFR 2.20, the Under 

Secretary of Agriculture for Natural 

Resources and Environment has 

determined that the substantial 

overriding public interest (SOPI) 

justifies the use of market-related 

contract term adjustments (MRCTA) to 

extend beyond 10 years, certain existing 

green timber sale contracts tied to 

Softwood Lumber index #0811 and 

Hardwood Lumber index #0812 that 

were awarded prior to January 1, 2007. 

This SOPI determination is based on the 

sustained drastic reduction in softwood 

lumber prices since 2004 and the more 

recent hardwood lumber decline. 

DATES: The determination was made on 

September 10, 2008 by the Under 

Secretary of Agriculture for Natural 

Resources and Environment. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lathrop Smith, Forest Management 

Staff, (202) 205–0858 or Richard 

Fitzgerald, Forest Management Staff 

(202) 205–1753; 1400 Independence 

Ave., SW., Mailstop 1103, Washington, 

DC 20250–1103. 

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. 

Background 

Section 472a(c) of NFMA provides, in 

part, as follows: 

Unless there is a finding by the Secretary 

of Agriculture that better utilization of the 

various forest resources (consistent with the 

provisions of the Multiple-Use, SustainedYield Act of 1960) will result, sales contracts 

shall be for a period not to exceed 10 years: 

Provided, That such period may be adjusted 

at the discretion of the Secretary to provide 

additional time due to time delays caused by 

an act of an agent of the United States or by 

other circumstances beyond the control of 

the purchaser.1

Although the Forest Service generally 

does not allow the extension of timber 

sale contracts beyond 10 years, the 

Secretary of Agriculture may extend 

such contracts beyond 10 years if he 

determines doing so will result in the 

better utilization of the various forest 

resources. However, the Secretary ‘‘shall 

not extend any contract period with an 

original term of 2 years or more unless 

he finds (A) that the purchaser has 

diligently performed in accordance with 

an approved plan of operation or (B) 

that the substantial overriding public 

interest justifies the extension.’’ 2

The Under Secretary of Agriculture 

for Natural Resources and Environment 

has determined that a healthy timber 

industry infrastructure results in the 

better utilization of the various forest 

resources. The grant of additional 

MRCTA time to purchasers eligible for 

relief under this SOPI is intended to 

help maintain that infrastructure by 

preventing timber sale purchasers from 

defaulting on their contracts, closing 

their mills, and filing for bankruptcy 

protection. Having numerous 

economically viable timber sale 

purchasers is in the substantial 

overriding public interest for many 

reasons, including the following: (1) It 

allows the Forest Service to accomplish 

land management objectives in a costeffective manner; (2) it increases 

competition for National Forest System 

timber sales and can result in higher 

prices paid for timber; (3) it helps 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
53818 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 181 / Wednesday, September 17, 2008 / Notices 

3The number of consecutive qualifying quarters 

if MRCTA had been in effect at that time. 

4The decline period begins with the month the 

index peaked and ends respectively (1) when the 

1980s index bottomed out and (2) June 2008, which 

is the last quarter with data available for the current 

decline. 

5The decline period begins with the month the 

index peaked and ends respectively (1) when the 

1980s index bottomed out and (2) June 2008, which 

is the last quarter with data available for the current 

decline. 6See Extension of Certain Timber Sale Contracts, 

48 FR 38,862, 38,863 (Aug. 26, 1983) (describing the 

SOPI determinations made in the early 1980s). 

7Extension of Certain Timber Sale Contracts, 48 

FR 54,812 (Dec. 7, 1983). 

8Extension of Certain Timber Sale Contracts, 48 

FR 38,862 (Aug. 26, 1983). 

9 Id. 

provide a continuous timber supply to 

the public in accordance with the 

Organic Administration Act; (4) it helps 

accomplish fuels reduction projects; and 

(5) it helps maintain the economic 

stability of communities dependent 

upon the timber industry. 

MRCTA relief granted pursuant to this 

SOPI must be made in accordance with 

36 CFR 223.52, subject to the following 

exceptions: 

(a) Notwithstanding 36 CFR 

223.52(c)(3), up to 4 years may be added 

to a contract’s length by MRCTA; 

(b) Notwithstanding 36 CFR 

223.52(c)(4), the revised contract term 

may exceed 10 years; and 

(c) No contract subject to this SOPI 

may have its termination date extended 

past December 31, 2013. 

Periodic payments shall be adjusted 

pursuant to 36 CFR 223.52(d). 

The following types of contracts are 

not eligible for relief under this SOPI: 

(1) Contracts the Forest Service 

determines are in urgent need of 

harvesting for reasons including, but not 

limited to, deteriorating timber 

conditions or public safety and (2) 

contracts that are in breach. 

To determine when there is a drastic 

decline in lumber prices sufficient to 

trigger a market-related contract term 

addition, the Forest Service monitors 

two producer price indices maintained 

by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): 

#0811 Softwood Lumber and #0812 

Hardwood Lumber. These indices are 

published monthly by the BLS, but the 

Forest Service only uses the indices 

from the last month of each calendar 

quarter (March, June, September, and 

December) to calculate when MRCTA 

triggers. Because the BLS indices are not 

adjusted for inflation, the Forest Service 

uses a relative index adjusted for 

inflation that allows comparisons to be 

made over time on a constant dollar 

basis. The relative index is calculated 

each quarter by dividing 100 by the BLS 

all commodities index for that month 

and multiplying the result times the 

monthly indices #0811 and #0812. All 

references to BLS indices #0811 and 

#0812 in this notice are to the Forest 

Service’s relative index. 

The current decline in the softwood 

lumber index is the worst on record 

going back to March 1949. After peaking 

in the third quarter 2004, softwood 

lumber index #0811 steadily declined so 

that by the end of the second quarter 

(June) 2008, it had decreased by 47 

percent. Beginning with the third 

quarter of 2005 and continuing through 

the second quarter of 2008, there were 

12 consecutive calendar quarters where 

the declines were large enough to trigger 

MRCTA. The only other comparable 

market decline took place during the 

early 1980’s, but the current decline in 

the index value is worse as can be seen 

in the table below.3

SOFTWOOD LUMBER INDEX

Decline period 4 Number of 

months High index Low index Point drop % Drop Trigger quarters 

9/78—9/82 ........................................................................ 48 155.8 99.8 56.0 35.9 3 12 

9/04—6/08 ........................................................................ 45 156.5 83.8 72.7 46.4 12 

After peaking in the second quarter 

2003, the hardwood lumber index 

steadily declined through the second 

quarter 2008. During this 42-month 

period, the index dropped 46.3 percent 

and triggered MRCTA for three 

consecutive quarters (September 2005, 

December 2005 and March 2006), 

followed by seven quarters that did not 

trigger. The hardwood lumber index has 

triggered again in the first and second 

quarters of 2008. The table below 

compares the current decline to that in 

the early 1980s. 

HARDWOOD LUMBER INDEX

Decline period 5 Number of 

months High index Low index Point drop % drop Trigger quarters 

9/78–3/82 ......................................................................... 42 131.7 99.6 32.1 24.3 3 7 

12/03–6/08 ....................................................................... 54 138.8 92.5 46.3 33.3 5 

During the decline in the early 1980s, 

purchasers faced low demand, 

decreased product prices and severe 

competition from Canadian lumber, 

which resulted in many purchasers 

being unable to operate their timber sale 

contracts. As a result, a large number of 

purchasers were in danger of defaulting 

on their contracts and possibly being 

forced into bankruptcy. Such an 

outcome could have had a devastating 

effect on the economic health of the 

timber industry, as well as communities 

surrounding National Forests. 

Accordingly, in 1980, 1981, and 1982, 

the Forest Service determined that the 

substantial overriding public interest 

justified granting extensions to certain 

timber sale contracts.6

However, the adverse market 

conditions continued beyond 1982. In 

July 1983, the President authorized the 

Secretary of Agriculture, upon a finding 

of substantial overriding public interest, 

to grant additional extensions to certain 

timber sale contracts without interest for 

a maximum of 5 years beyond their 

present termination dates.7 On August 

18, 1983, the Chief of the Forest Service 

made such a finding, and the Forest 

Service published a notice of interim 

policy establishing the multi-sale 

extension program.8 Under this 

program, total sale life could extend 

beyond 10 years.9 The Forest Service 

published a final policy on December 7, 


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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 181 / Wednesday, September 17, 2008 / Notices 53819 

10Extension of Certain Timber Sale Contracts, 48 

FR 54,812 (Dec. 7, 1983). After the housing market 

decline of the 1980s, the Forest Service 

promulgated 36 CFR 223.52, which provides for 

market-related contract term additions in response 

to adverse timber market conditions. See Sale and 

Disposal of National Forest Timber; Market-related 

Contract Term Adjustments, 55 Fed. Reg. 50,643 

(Dec. 7, 1990). 

11 16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq. 

12See e.g. 16 U.S.C. 6531. 

13See Extension of Certain Timber Sale Contracts; 

Finding of Substantial Overriding Public Interest, 

71 FR 66,160 (Nov. 13, 2006); Extension of Certain 

Timber Sale Contracts; Finding of Substantial 

Overriding Public Interest, 72 FR 64,991 (Nov. 19, 

2007). 

14Pub. L. No. 110–234, 122 Stat. 93 (May 22, 

2008). Section 8401, depending on the 

circumstances, allows for the following types of 

contract modifications: (1) Rate redetermination; (2) 

contract cancellation; (3) index substitution; and (4) 

MRCTA extension. 

15Pub. L. No. 110–246, 122 Stat. 1651 (June 18, 

2008). 

1983.10 Current market conditions 

justify a similar use of discretion. 

Substantial Overriding Public Interest 

Determination 

The Under Secretary of Agriculture 

for Natural Resources and Environment 

has concluded that a viable timber 

industry infrastructure results in the 

better utilization of the various forest 

resources. Accordingly, the Under 

Secretary has determined that helping to 

maintain numerous economically viable 

timber sale purchasers is in the 

substantial overriding public interest. 

The public benefits when defaulted 

timber sale contracts, mill closures, and 

bankruptcies can be avoided by granting 

additional contract time to purchasers. 

For example, government resources that 

might otherwise be spent recovering 

losses can be focused elsewhere. 

Further, a large pool of timber sale 

purchasers allows the Forest Service to 

accomplish its land management 

objectives in a more cost-effective 

manner by increasing competition for 

National Forest System timber sales, 

which can result in higher contract 

prices. In addition, a large number of 

timber purchasers can provide a more 

continuous supply of timber to the 

public in accordance with the Organic 

Administration Act. The timber 

industry also helps to maintain the 

stability of dependent communities. 

Further, the timber industry is a 

valuable partner in the fight against 

catastrophic fires, especially those in 

urban interface areas found throughout 

the western United States. In December 

2003, President Bush signed the Healthy 

Forests Restoration Act (HFRA), which 

contains a variety of provisions that 

speed up hazardous-fuel reduction and 

forest-restoration projects on specific 

types of federal land at risk for wildland 

fires and/or insect and disease 

epidemics.11 The Act also encourages 

biomass removal from public and 

private lands.12 Byproducts removed 

during hazardous fuels reduction and 

landscape restoration activities are often 

utilized in certain forest products (e.g., 

timber, engineered lumber, paper, pulp 

and furniture) and bio-energy and biobased products (e.g., plastics, ethanol, 

and diesel). The value of these products 

helps offset the Forest Service’s 

hazardous fuels removal costs, making 

treatment of substantially more acreage 

possible. 

Maintaining a viable industry 

infrastructure capable of processing 

material removed during HFRA projects 

is essential; it allows fuels reduction 

projects to be accomplished with timber 

sale contracts that return money to the 

Treasury. The loss of a viable industry 

in many parts of the country, including 

the Southwest and the Intermountain 

West, has limited the opportunities to 

harvest insect and fire damaged trees. 

Without a viable infrastructure, the 

Forest Service would have to pay a 

service contractor to perform the work. 

However, when trees are harvested for 

products, those products provide a 

valuable commodity to the American 

public and reduce the government’s cost 

of removing or disposing material that 

might otherwise have to be burned, 

chipped, or masticated. In some market 

areas where little industry infrastructure 

remains, the loss of a single mill can 

significantly increase the government’s 

costs of fuels reductions projects. 

Further, in many places, particularly in 

the western states, the industry 

infrastructure is already too small to 

respond to urgent needs; additional mill 

closures will aggravate this situation. 

An example of the problems 

associated with limited industry 

resources is Colorado, where a 

mountain pine beetle epidemic is 

impacting over 1.5 million acres. 

Remaining industry in Colorado is too 

small to keep up with the urgent need 

to reduce the fire danger posed by this 

epidemic by harvesting dead and dying 

trees around communities and within 

municipal watersheds. In a June 4, 2008 

letter to the Chief of the Forest Service, 

Colorado Senator Wayne Allard stated 

the following: ‘‘Providing relief on the 

ten-year deadline for green sales has 

become a pivotal issue this year. Under 

existing policy, operators will be forced 

to log green sales that are reaching their 

termination dates, rather than treating 

much more urgent areas. More 

important, forcing them to do so during 

the worst market they have ever 

experienced could hasten the loss of our 

last remaining infrastructure—without 

which the Forest Service would be 

incapable of performing its mission.’’ 

Considering the extraordinary market 

conditions currently facing the forest 

products industry, and recognizing the 

need to maintain a viable forest 

products industry, the Forest Service 

has implemented a variety of relief 

options over the past few years. For 

example, in 2006 and 2007, the Forest 

Service issued SOPI determinations 

intended to help timber purchasers cope 

with steadily declining timber 

markets.13 However, the 2006 and 2007 

SOPIs, like those issued from 1980– 

1982, did not provide adequate relief. 

Accordingly, in May 2008, Congress 

passed section 8401 of the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

(Farm Bill) to provide additional 

relief.14 Then, as the result of an error 

in the Farm Bill that did not affect 

Section 8401, the May 2008 Farm Bill 

was repealed. However, on June 18, 

2008, Congress reenacted the Farm Bill, 

which included an identical section 

8401.15 In part, section 8401 recognized 

that, due to the severity of the current 

market decline, many contracts had 

already received the maximum MRCTA 

time allowed under 36 CFR 223.52(c)(3): 

‘‘No more than twice the original 

contract length or 3 years, whichever is 

less, shall be added to a contract’s term 

by market-related contract term 

addition.’’ Therefore, Congress enacted 

section 8401(c), which provides as 

follows: 

(c) EXTENSION OF MARKET-RELATED 

CONTRACT TERM ADDITION TIME LIMIT 

FOR CERTAIN CONTRACTS.— 

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

upon the written request of a timber 

purchaser, the Secretary may, at the sole 

discretion of the Secretary, modify a timber 

sale contract (including a qualifying contract) 

awarded to the purchaser before January 1, 

2007, to adjust the term of the contract in 

accordance with the market-related contract 

term addition provision in the contract and 

section 223.52 of title 36, Code of Federal 

Regulations, as in effect on the date of the 

modification, except that the Secretary may 

add no more than 4 years to the original 

contract length. 

Section 8401(c) changed 36 CFR 

223.52(c)(3) by giving the Secretary of 

Agriculture discretion to award certain 

contracts with up to four years of 

MRCTA to the original contract term. 

However, section 8401 did not change 

§ 223.52(c)(4)’s requirement that total 

sale length not exceed 10 years. 

Nationally, there are up to 46 

contracts that are prevented from 

receiving the up to 4 years of MRCTA 

authorized by the Farm Bill because of 

the 10-year limit on total sale length. 

Nine of those contracts are scheduled to 


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53820 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 181 / Wednesday, September 17, 2008 / Notices 

16At this time, the softwood lumber is expected 

to recover sufficiently by December 31, 2013. 

terminate before the end of 2008 and 18 

have termination dates in 2009. Six of 

the 46 contracts have current 

termination dates of December 31, 2013 

or later. Contracts with termination 

dates after December 31, 2013 are not 

eligible for relief under this SOPI.16

Therefore, up to 40 timber sales could 

benefit from using MRCTA to extend 

contract length beyond 10 years. While 

this number is not large, the Secretary 

of Agriculture agrees with Senator 

Allard’s observation that forcing those 

sales to be operated in the current 

market situation could hasten the loss of 

infrastructure needed by the Forest 

Service to perform its mission. 

Extending these sales and other sales 

allows purchasers to delay harvest of 

green timber while harvesting damaged 

timber. 

Purchasers of the 40 sales potentially 

eligible for relief under this SOPI face 

the same market conditions as 

purchasers eligible for the additional 

MRCTA time authorized by the Farm 

Bill. Further, some of these green timber 

sales have been delayed as a result of 

the Forest Service requesting that the 

purchasers harvest salvage timber 

instead. Without this SOPI, many of 

these purchasers may be forced to 

harvest sales that are uneconomical or 

may face default if their contracts can’t 

be extended. An indication of the 

economic problems facing existing 

green sales is that over 360 applications 

have been made for a rate 

redetermination under the Farm Bill. 

These applications show how much the 

market has changed over the past few 

years and that without some economic 

or time-frame relief, older green timber 

sales can not be harvested economically. 

The 2006 and 2007 SOPI 

determinations and section 8401 of the 

Farm Bill provided relief options for 

most National Forest System timber sale 

contracts suffering under the ongoing 

drastic decline in forest product 

markets. The principal exceptions are 

the contracts ineligible for additional 

MRCTA time because of the ten-year 

limit on total contract length. 

Therefore, pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 

472a(c) of NFMA, and the authority 

delegated to me at 7 CFR 2.20, I, Mark 

E. Rey, Under Secretary of Agriculture 

for Natural Resources and Environment, 

have determined that the substantial 

overriding public interest justifies the 

use of MRCTA to extend beyond 10 

years certain existing green timber sale 

contracts awarded prior to January 1, 

2007, that are tied to Softwood Lumber 

index #0811 and the Hardwood Lumber 

index #0812. 

MRCTA relief granted pursuant to this 

SOPI must be made in accordance with 

36 CFR 223.52, subject to the following 

exceptions: 

(a) Notwithstanding 36 CFR 

223.52(c)(3), up to 4 years may be added 

to a contract’s length by market-related 

contract term addition; 

(b) Notwithstanding 36 CFR 

223.52(c)(4), the revised contract term 

may exceed 10 years; and 

(c) No contract’s termination date 

shall be set past December 31, 2013. 

Periodic payments shall be adjusted 

pursuant to 36 CFR 223.52(d). 

The following types of contracts are 

not eligible for relief under this SOPI: 

(1) Contracts the Forest Service 

determines are in urgent need of harvest 

for reasons including, but not limited to, 

deteriorating timber conditions or 

public safety, and (2) contracts that are 

in breach. 

To be considered for additional 

MRCTA time under this SOPI, eligible 

purchasers must make a written request 

to the Contracting Officer. The timber 

purchaser must also agree to release the 

United States from all liability resulting 

from (1) any relief provided by this 

SOPI, and (2) a decision by the Forest 

Service not to provide relief under this 

SOPI. 

Dated: September 10, 2008. 

Mark Rey, 

Under Secretary, NRE. 

[FR Doc. E8–21613 Filed 9–16–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Forest Certification and Its 

Implications for America’s National 

Forests 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service is 

seeking comments on forest certification 

and its implications for America’s 

national forests. This Federal Register 

notice is to serve as a formal public 

solicitation of views on the question of 

National Forest System certification and 

its implications, if national forest lands 

were to become certified under one or 

both of the two major certification 

systems being used in the United States. 

The U.S. Forest Service, which manages 

193 million acres, or approximately 

eight percent of the nation’s land, 

believes that it is important to better 

understand the implications of thirdparty certification of National Forest 

System (NFS) lands and, in 2005, began 

exploring independent, third party 

certification as a potential option. To 

this end, the Forest Service initiated the 

National Forest Certification Study, 

which resulted in the report, ‘‘National 

Forest Certification Study: An 

Evaluation of the Application of Forest 

Stewardship Council (FSC) and 

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) 

Standards on Five National Forests.’’ 

This report documents the study in 

which third-party auditors evaluated 

current forest management practices on 

five national forest units using the 

existing certification standards of two 

certification programs, Sustainable 

Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Forest 

Stewardship Council (FSC). 

Recognizing that the Forest Service 

has not decided whether it will seek 

certification, public outreach and 

discussion is requested to obtain public 

and stakeholder views on the National 

Forest Certification Study and its 

associated report, as well as the 

potential implications of NFS 

certification in general before 

determining how to proceed. 

In addition to comments on the 

National Forest Certification Study, the 

Forest Service is particularly interested 

in public views on the following 

questions: 

1. What are your general views on the 

implications of independent, third party 

certification of NFS lands? 

2. Would certification improve the 

management of national forests? 

3. Could certification make it more 

difficult to achieve national forest 

management goals? 

4. What questions would certification 

be able to answer, and what needs 

would it be able to meet, on national 

forest lands? 

5. Are there key questions or needs 

that certification would be unable or 

poorly suited to address? 

6. Would independent, third party 

certification be an appropriate or 

effective tool, given the unique role of 

national forests? Or, because of that 

unique role, would certification be 

particularly inappropriate or 

ineffective? 

Detailed information about the NFS 

Certification Study is available on the 

following Web site: http:// 

www.fs.fed.us/projects/ 

forestcertification/index.shtml. 

DATES: Comments must be received, in 

writing, on or before November 17, 

2008. Comments received after that date 

will be considered to the extent 

praticable. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this 

notice should be addressed to Doug 


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