55710 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 177 / Tuesday, September 14, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

36 CFR Part 200 

RIN 0596–AC89 

Enhancing Policies Relating to 

Partnerships 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rule 

making; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is 

proposing to establish an internal 

directive at Forest Service Handbook 

(FSH) 1509.14 that would enhance 

policies related to partnerships. We 

invite public comment on assessing 

what changes or additions are needed 

relating to the Agency’s use of 

partnership arrangements in carrying 

out our mission. These comments will 

be considered in developing the 

proposed directive. 

DATES: Comments must be received in 

writing by November 15, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments 

concerning this notice should be 

addressed to Forest Service, USDA, 

Attn: Director, National Partnership 

Office, Joe Meade, Mailstop 1158, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW., Washington, 

DC, 20250–1125. 

Comments may also be sent via e-mail 

to abloucks@fs.fed.us, or by the 

electronic process available at Federal eRulemaking portal at http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

All comments, including names and 

addresses when provided, are placed in 

the record and are available for public 

inspection and copying. The public may 

inspect comments received at 201 14th 

Street, SW., Room 3NE, Washington, DC 

20250. Visitors are encouraged to call 

ahead 202–205–1055 to facilitate 

entrance into the building. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Andrea Bedell-Loucks, Deputy Director, 

National Partnership Office, 202–205– 

8336 or abloucks@fs.fed.us. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339, 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Standard Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Need for the Proposed 

Directive 

Strong partnerships are vital to the 

Forest Service’s mission, and by 

ensuring clear guidance on the use of 

such arrangements, the Forest Service 

will be better able to promote their use. 

Throughout its 100-year history, the 

Forest Service has utilized partnership 

arrangements with States, Tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and others 

to help carry out the motto ‘‘Caring for 

the Land and Serving People.’’ These 

arrangements are used in a variety of 

ways to support Forest Service programs 

on Federal, State, Tribal and private 

lands, including ecological restoration 

and enhancement, interpretation and 

educational services, enhancement of 

recreation opportunities, and wildlife 

habitat improvements. These programs 

readily provide a spectrum of benefits to 

the Forest Service, its partners, and the 

public and may include various 

instruments to formalize relationships, 

including grants, contracts or ‘‘mutual 

benefit’’ agreements. 

A number of statutory authorities 

govern how and when the Forest 

Service may work cooperatively with 

partners, such as the Cooperative Funds 

Act, Cooperative Funds and Deposits 

Act, Cooperative Forestry Assistance 

Act, Granger-Thye Act, Federal Grants 

and Cooperative Agreements Act, and 

Public Law 105–277, Section 323 as 

amended by Public Law 111–11, Section 

3001, Watershed Restoration and 

Enhancement Agreements. (For more 

background on the Forest Service’s use 

of partnership arrangements, readers are 

referred to the Partnership Guide, 

http:// 

www.partnershipresourcecenter.org/ 

resources/partnership-guide/ 

Partnership-Guide.pdf). 

Establishing partnerships and 

utilizing them to their greatest potential 

has not always been a simple matter for 

the Forest Service and its partners. 

Challenges have resulted, in part, from 

the multiplicity of partnership 

authorities, varying interpretation of 

these authorities, and time-consuming 

processes for consummating partnership 

agreements. To address such challenges, 

the Forest Service has taken a number 

of steps in recent years, including 

creating an internal task force, to 

identify barriers to partnership 

utilization, establishing the National 

Partnership Office, and developing 

various legislative proposals. 

In 2007, the Forest Service embarked 

on an initiative to institute needed 

modifications to Agency policy 

intended to reduce barriers to 

partnership arrangements. An essential 

part of this initiative was the review of 

a number of policy issues raised over 

the years by those inside and outside 

the Forest Service that impede effective 

use of partnerships. Based on that 

review, these issues fall into several 

broad categories: Administrative 

processes; interpretation of legal 

authorities; accountability and 

reporting; human resources and ethics; 

and funding. 

Public Input Requested On Policy 

Needs 

The Forest Service is requesting 

public input with respect to Agency 

policy. Our intent with the issuance of 

this notice is to consider such input 

and, as appropriate, incorporate it in 

developing this policy. Certain 

suggestions, whether due to legislative 

or other limitations, may not be 

implemented through Agency policy, 

and we wish for the public to 

understand that as well. 

The Forest Service is especially 

interested in receiving input to the 

following questions: 

1. Purposes served by partnership 

arrangements: What should be the 

purpose(s) of partnership arrangements 

between the Forest Service and State, 

Tribal, non-governmental, or other 

organizations or individuals? Where can 

or should partnerships have the greatest 

impact in the future, and toward what 

ends? 

2. Essential characteristics of 

partnerships: When the Forest Service 

and a partner work together, what are 

the essential characteristics that are 

needed in that relationship to lead to a 

successful outcome? In what ways does 

Agency guidance regarding the essential 

characteristics of the partnership 

relationship need clarification? 

3. Reaching new partners: As the 

Nation’s demographics change, the 

people served by the Forest Service are 

becoming increasingly diverse. The 

Agency wants to reflect this diversity in 

its partnership activities. We are 

interested in hearing from the public 

about: (a) Which potential partners are 

under-represented and under-served; (b) 

what kinds of work are these 

individuals or organizations involved 

in; (c) how engaging these partners will 

be beneficial; and (d) how the Forest 

Service can better access and 

communicate with under-represented 

and under-served groups. 

4. Partner recognition and 

sponsorship: Increasingly, nongovernmental organizations and 

individuals are expressing interest in 

working with the Forest Service to 

improve the condition of our 

environment, including our Nation’s 

forests. The Forest Service is able to 

work with many of these organizations 

directly, as well as indirectly through 

established non-profits (for example, the 

National Forest Foundation and others). 

As a Federal agency, there are 

limitations on how we work with and 

recognize particular partners (for 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 177 / Tuesday, September 14, 2010 / Proposed Rules 55711 

example, signage, plaques, media and 

communication). What are the 

appropriate ways the Forest Service 

should recognize our partners, both 

non-profit and for-profit? 

Conclusion 

The Forest Service is considering how 

best to proceed with policy 

development relating to partnership 

arrangements. Public input relating to 

the questions listed above will be 

helpful in developing the Agency’s 

policy. 

Dated: September 8, 2010. 

Thomas L. Tidwell, 

Chief, Forest Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22819 Filed 9–13–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Parts 51, 52, 72, 78, and 97 

[EPA–HQ–OAR–2009–0491; FRL–9201–6] 

RIN 2060–AP50 

Federal Implementation Plans To 

Reduce Interstate Transport of Fine 

Particulate Matter and Ozone; 

Correction 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Proposed rule; correcting 

amendments. 

SUMMARY: The preamble to the proposed 

Transport Rule contains minor, 

technical errors that EPA is correcting in 

this action. In the portion of the 

preamble discussing in detail the 

proposed trading programs, EPA states 

clearly that it is proposing provisions 

that allow units to opt into these trading 

programs. Moreover, the proposed rule 

text for the Transport Rule includes 

detailed opt-in provisions for each 

proposed trading program. However, 

two sentences in other portions of the 

Transport Rule preamble erroneously 

state that the proposed trading programs 

do not allow units to opt in. In this 

proposed rule, EPA is correcting these 

technical errors. 

DATES: Effective Date: These correcting 

amendments are effective on September 

14, 2010. 

Comments: The deadline for receipt of 

comments on the proposed Transport 

Rule (including the corrections 

proposed by this action) continues to be 

October 1, 2010, the same date set forth 

in the proposed Transport Rule (75 FR 

45210, August 2, 2010) as the deadline 

for receipt of comments. 

Public Hearing: As explained in the 

proposed Transport Rule, three public 

hearings were scheduled to be held 

before the end of the comment period. 

The dates, times and locations were 

announced separately. Please refer to 

the notice of public hearings (75 FR 

45075, August 2, 2010) on the proposed 

Transport Rule for additional 

information on the comment period and 

the public hearings. 

ADDRESSES: The EPA has established a 

docket for the proposed Transport Rule, 

including this action, under Docket ID 

EPA–HQ–OAR–2009–0491. All 

documents in the docket are listed in 

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

Although listed in the index, some 

information is not publicly available, 

e.g., confidential business information 

or other information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. Certain other 

material, such as copyrighted material, 

will be publicly available only in hard 

copy. Publicly available docket 

materials are available either 

electronically in http:// 

www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at 

the EPA Docket Center EPA/DC, EPA 

West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution 

Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The Public 

Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

excluding legal holidays. The telephone 

number for the Public Reading Room is 

(202) 566–1744, and the telephone 

number for the EPA Docket Center is 

(202) 566–1742. This action and other 

rulemaking actions related to the 

proposed Transport Rule are also 

available at EPA’s Air Transport Web 

site at http://www.epa.gov/airtransport. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Tim Smith, Air Quality Policy Division, 

Office of Air Quality Planning and 

Standards (C539–04), Environmental 

Protection Agency, Research Triangle 

Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 

(919) 541–4718; fax number: (919) 541– 

0824; e-mail address: 

smith.tim@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The proposed Transport Rule contains 

minor, technical errors in two sentences 

in the preamble. In the portion of the 

preamble (i.e., section V.D.4.a (75 FR 

45307–9)) that discusses in detail the 

proposed Transport Rule trading 

programs, EPA states clearly that it is 

proposing provisions that allow units to 

opt into the proposed trading programs. 

Moreover, the proposed rule text in the 

proposed Transport Rule (75 FR 45389– 

92, 45414–17, 45438–41, and 45462–65) 

includes detailed opt-in provisions for 

each of these trading programs. 

However, subsequent portions (i.e., 

sections V.F.3 (75 FR 45338) and V.G.1 

(75 FR 45340)) of the preamble compare 

the proposed rule with the Clean Air 

Interstate Rule and the Acid Rain 

Program and mention in a summary way 

the treatment of opt-in units in the 

proposed rule. Two sentences in those 

portions of the preamble erroneously 

state that the proposal does not allow 

units to opt in. 

EPA believes that the proposed 

Transport Rule, as written, makes it 

clear that the Agency is proposing to 

allow units to opt into the Transport 

Rule trading programs. Furthermore, on 

July 15, 2010, EPA put a statement on 

its Web site noting that the proposed 

trading programs allow for opt-in units 

and explaining that the two sentences 

on 75 FR 45338 and 45340 are in error. 

On August 2, 2010, the docket for the 

proposed Transport Rule, including a 

memorandum noting that this statement 

had been put on EPA’s Web site, became 

publicly available. 

While EPA maintains that its proposal 

is clear in proposing to allow opt-in 

units, EPA is publishing this 

amendment to the proposed Transport 

Rule to eliminate any possible claim of 

confusion. Specifically, EPA is 

amending the two erroneous sentences 

in the proposed Transport Rule 

preamble as follows. The second 

sentence in section V.F.3 of the 

preamble (75 FR 45338 (col. 1)) is 

amended to read: ‘‘First, the proposed 

Transport Rule allows units to opt into 

the trading programs.’’ The seventh 

sentence of section V.G.1 of the 

preamble (75 FR 45340 (col. 2)) is 

amended to read: ‘‘The Transport Rule 

programs as proposed have opt-in 

provisions, so sources, including those 

that have opted into the Acid Rain 

Program, would be able to opt into the 

Transport Rule programs.’’ These 

amendments are technical changes that 

do not alter the substance of the 

proposal. On the contrary, the 

amendments simply make two 

sentences in the preamble that 

summarily refer to the treatment of optin units in the proposal consistent with 

the portions of the preamble and rule 

text that contain not only a 

comprehensive, detailed discussion of 

EPA’s proposed inclusion of opt-in 

units in the proposed Transport Rule 

programs, but also the proposed opt-in 

provisions themselves. 

Statutory and Executive Order Reviews 

A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory 

Planning and Review 

This action only corrects minor, 

technical errors in the proposed 

Transport Rule and, as discussed above, 

does not make any substantive change 


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