Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 23 / Thursday, February 4, 2010 / Notices 5757 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Additional Public Notification 

Public awareness of all segments of 

rulemaking and policy development is 

important. Consequently, in an effort to 

ensure that the public and in particular 

minorities, women, and persons with 

disabilities, are aware of this notice, 

FSIS will announce it on-line through 

the FSIS Web page located at http:// 

www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/ 

2009_Notices_Index/index.asp. 

FSIS also will make copies of this 

Federal Register publication available 

through the FSIS Constituent Update, 

which is used to provide information 

regarding FSIS policies, procedures, 

regulations, Federal Register notices, 

FSIS public meetings, and other types of 

information that could affect or would 

be of interest to our constituents and 

stakeholders. The Update is 

communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail 

subscription service consisting of 

industry, trade, and farm groups, 

consumer interest groups, allied health 

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and other individuals who have 

requested to be included. The Update 

also is available on the FSIS Web page. 

Through Listserv and the Web page, 

FSIS is able to provide information to a 

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Done at Washington, DC, on January 25, 

2010. 

Alfred V. Almanza, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2010–2290 Filed 2–3–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

Notice of Availability of Final 

Environmental Assessment and 

Finding of No Significant Impact for 

the Delta-Clearwater Remediation 

Project, Delta Junction, AK 

AGENCY: Alaska State Office, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS) has 

prepared an Environmental Assessment 

(EA) and Finding of No Significant 

Impact (FONSI) consistent with the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, to 

construct the Delta-Clearwater 

Remediation Project, authorized under 

the Watershed Protection, Watershed 

Surveys, and Flood Prevention Act of 

1954 (Pub. L. 83–566, 83d Cong., 68 

Stat. 666), as amended. Upon review 

and analysis of potential environmental 

impacts, the State Conservationist 

(Alaska) found that the project would 

not result in a significant impact on the 

quality of the human environment. 

Therefore, a FONSI was issued and no 

environmental impact statement is 

required. 

DATES: The Final EA and FONSI are 

available for review through March 8, 

2010. 

ADDRESSES: Public review copies are 

available at the following locations: 

1. Natural Resources Conservation 

Service, Palmer State Office, 800 West 

Evergreen, Suite 100, Palmer, AK 99645. 

2. Natural Resources Conservation 

Service, 1420.5 Alaska Highway, Jarvis 

Office Building, Delta Junction, AK 

99737. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Copies of the Final EA and FONSI, or 

additional information on matters 

related to the project, can be obtained by 

contacting Mr. Phil Naegele, Assistant 

State Conservationist (Operations), 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation 

Service, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 100, 

Palmer, AK 99645. Telephone: (907) 

761–7758. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. 

Department of Agriculture Natural 

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 

is proposing a watershed remediation 

project within the Rhoads Creek and 

Granite Creek sub-watersheds of the 

Delta-Clearwater River. The project 

would involve removing the structural 

watershed control measures installed by 

NRCS in 2001 and remediation of the 

site to prevent further erosion and 

channelization of surface water flows. 

The project is located in portions of 

Sections 27, 28, 33, 34, and 35 of 

Township 11 South, Range 12 East, and 

Sections 3 and 4 of Township 12 South, 

Range 12 East, of the Fairbanks 

Meridian, near Mile 1408 of the Alaska 

Highway (Latitude 63.914° North, 

Longitude 145.388° West). 

NRCS, in cooperation with the 

Salcha-Big Delta Soil and Water 

Conservation District (SWCD), Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), 

Alaska Department of Environmental 

Conservation (ADEC) and the Alaska 

Department of Natural Resources 

(ADNR), conducted a watershed 

planning effort which was completed in 

1995. This plan included structural and 

non-structural measures intended to 

reduce sediment deposition into the 

Delta-Clearwater River and Clearwater 

Bog as well as reducing flood and 

sediment damage to cropland, the 

Alaska Highway, local roads, and 

recreation areas. A supplement to this 

plan was completed in 1998 in order to 

address a reduction in the infiltration 

rate from the original estimate to that 

identified during field tests. 

Phase I of construction, initiated in 

September 1999, consisted of 

approximately 5,000 linear feet of 

infiltration basin along with side inlets 

and training dikes installed at Mile 1408 

Road on the south side of the Alaska 

Highway. Construction of Phase I was 

completed in July 2001. Flow events 

during and after construction identified 

numerous problems with the project as 

designed. In response to these issues, a 

formal engineering investigation was 

completed in 2002. The report 

recommended a revised planning effort 

analyzing a wide variety of alternatives. 

An extended planning effort involving 

the project sponsors, other local, State 

and Federal agencies, and the general 

public was conducted between 2003 

and 2008. The proposed project is the 

outcome of this 5-year multi-agency 

planning effort. 

The proposed project would restore 

the entire project site as closely as 

practical to pre-project topography and 

conditions. Site restoration would 

involve removing the training dikes, 

filling the side inlets, filling the 

infiltration basin, removing the built-up 

portion of 1408 Road, providing a 

reasonable planting medium on the 

restored surface of the site, either 

seeding or relying on natural 

regeneration, removal of the flow 

splitting channels near the Alaska 

Highway, and purchasing flood 

easements for affected private property. 

It is currently anticipated that topsoil 

material for site restoration would be 

obtained from berm piles located on 

nearby agricultural land. These berms 

are remnant from the land clearing 

efforts that were part of the original 

State of Alaska Delta Agricultural 

Projects, and contain topsoil mixed with 

high concentrations of organic matter 

and some woody debris. Using the berm 

material has numerous benefits as a 

planting medium. The high 

concentration of organic matter provides 

both soil fertility and moisture retention 


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5758 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 23 / Thursday, February 4, 2010 / Notices 

benefits. The berms also serve as seed 

banks for native vegetation, and the 

woody debris can be used on the 

restored site to disrupt overland flow. 

The berms screened for removal and use 

will be selected based on criteria that 

are currently being developed by NRCS. 

Berms which are growing species which 

are listed on the State of Alaska list of 

noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020) will be 

eliminated from consideration, and no 

berms will be removed from lands 

currently enrolled in the Cropland 

Reserve Program. 

The cost of this alternative is roughly 

estimated at $8 to $10 million dollars. 

Even with site restoration, some shortterm maintenance will be required if the 

recently restored site is damaged by 

flow events. While it will be relatively 

expensive to restore the project site, the 

re-planning team considered the 

expense justifiable in light of current 

conditions and public concerns. This 

justification is premised on the 

reduction of erosion from the existing 

project site by removing the training 

dikes and side inlets that concentrate 

inflow to the basin, as well as removing 

the artificially steep flow gradient into 

the existing basin. In addition, 

restoration efforts would involve 

removing the built-up 1408 Road. The 

road currently functions as a levee and 

concentrates flow from the infiltration 

basin to the Alaska Highway. 

Agency scoping letters for the 

proposed project were sent on July 10, 

2009, with a scoping meeting and site 

visit conducted on August 5, 2009. The 

Draft Environmental Assessment was 

made available for public and agency 

review on September 17, 2009, with a 

public open house being held in Delta 

Junction on September 28, 2009. A 

follow-up meeting with agencies was 

held on September 29, 2009 also in 

Delta Junction. Details regarding the 

public and agency involvement are 

discussed in the Final Environmental 

Assessment. 

Based on the information in the Final 

Environmental Assessment the 

proposed action is not a major Federal 

action significantly affecting the quality 

of the human environment, and a 

Finding of No Significant Impact was 

issued on January 11, 2010. 

Signed in Palmer, Alaska, on January 11, 

2010. 

Robert N. Jones, 

State Conservationist (Alaska). 

[FR Doc. 2010–2403 Filed 2–3–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–2D–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Bridger-Teton National Forest, Big 

Piney Ranger District, WY; Piney 

Creeks Vegetation Treatment 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Big Piney Ranger District 

is proposing to implement vegetation 

management in the Piney Creek 

drainages throughout the next five– 

seven years. The need for vegetation 

management in this area has previously 

been identified and studied in the 

Bridger-Teton Forest Plan implemented 

in 1990, in public meetings held on the 

revision of the Forest Plan in 2008 and 

comprehensive evaluation reports for 

aspen, lodge pole pine, Douglas fir, 

spruce fir and white bark pine. The 

analysis area is approximately 20,000 

acres within this watershed and 

includes the creeks of South, Middle 

and North on the Big Piney Ranger 

District of the Bridger-Teton National 

Forest. The area also includes Middle 

and North Piney Lakes, Wyoming Peak 

the Middle Piney Summer homes, 

Sacajawea and Middle Piney Lake 

campgrounds. Management 

opportunities, practices, standards and 

guidelines, and mitigation have been 

developed to help achieve desired 

resource conditions. These are the basis 

for this proposal and for further site 

specific analysis of effects. It is 

approximately 25 miles west of Big 

Piney, Wyoming in the Green River 

drainage, on the east slope of the 

Wyoming range. All lands within the 

analysis area are National Forest System 

lands within Sublette County, 

Wyoming. The legal description 

includes portions of T28N through 

T31N and R112W through R114W. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

March 15, 2010. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in November 2011 and the 

final environmental impact statement is 

expected in April 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

District Ranger, Big Piney Ranger 

District, Box 218, Big Piney, Wyoming 

83113. Comments may also be sent via 

e-mail to 

mailroorn_r4_bridger_teton@fs.fed.us 

and on the subject line put only ‘‘Piney 

Creeks Vegetation Treatment’’, or via 

facsimile to 307–276–5250. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such a way that they are useful to the 

Agency’s preparation of the EIS. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered, however. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

District Ranger, Big Piney Ranger 

District, Box 218, Big Piney, Wyoming 

83113 or phone (307) 276–3710. 

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 

Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of this proposal is to 

improve Forest resource conditions in 

the South, Middle and North Piney 

Creek drainages, bringing them closer to 

desired conditions. Desired conditions 

for each of the DFC’s would help restore 

healthy ecosystem functioning and 

support sustainable resource use. 

Proposed Action 

This proposal was developed in 

response to public issues from changes 

since the approval of the Forest Plan in 

1990, Forest Plan Revision meetings, 

and recent resource issues. Treat up to 

8,000 acres of aspen stands and the 

surrounding sagebrush with mechanical 

treatments and prescribed fire to 

regenerate healthy aspen and sagebrush 

and remove conifers. Harvest trees on 

approximately 4,000 acres using various 

cutting practices. This is to provide for 

regeneration of the declining lodge pole 

pine and mixed conifer forests and for 

age class diversity across the landscape. 

Possible Alternatives 

This alternative is required under 

NEPA regulations and also serves as a 

baseline of information for comparison 

of other alternatives. Though this 

alternative does not respond to the 

purpose and need for action, it does 

address some issues. 

Responsible Official 

District Forest Ranger, Big Piney 

Ranger District, P.O. Box 218, Big Piney, 

Wyoming 83113. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

This decision will be whether or not 

to implement specific vegetation 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES