Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 24 / Friday, February 5, 2010 / Notices 5941 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

200. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 8. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 646 hours. 

Progress Reports are required at the 

midpoint of projects approved for one 

year and at six-month intervals for 

projects of longer duration. Progress 

Reports should (1) briefly summarize 

activities performed and milestones 

achieved for each objective or subelement of the narrative; (2) note 

unexpected delays or impediments as 

well as favorable or unusual 

developments; (3) outline work to be 

performed during the succeeding 

period; and (4) indicate the amount of 

grant and matching funds expended to 

date. We expect that grantees will 

submit a total of two Progress Reports 

during the grant period. 

Estimate of Burden: The public 

reporting burden for two Progress 

Reports is estimated to average 14 hours 

per response. 

Respondents: State departments of 

agriculture, State agricultural 

experiment stations, and other 

appropriate State Agencies. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

50. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses per Respondent: 2. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 700 hours. 

Not later than 90 days following the 

ending date of the Grant Agreement the 

grantee must submit Standard Form 

425, Federal Financial Report (approved 

under OMB #0348–0061), to document 

the final financial status of the grant 

project and to indicate that the one-toone matching requirement has been met. 

In the past, grantees used Standard 

Form 269A (or Standard Form 269 if the 

grant involved program income) to 

document the final financial activity of 

the grant. Standard Forms 269A and 269 

were discontinued by OMB as of 

October 1, 2009. AMS has determined 

that a new form, Standard Form 425 

(OMB Approval Number 0348–0061), is 

an acceptable replacement that will 

allow grantees to report the final 

financial activity of the grant. The 

public reporting burden for Standard 

Form 425 is estimated to average 1.5 

hours per response, which is the same 

as the reporting burden for Standard 

Form 269A. 

The grantee must also submit a Final 

Report of results and accomplishments 

within 90 days following the grant 

ending date. The Final Report will 

include: 

• An outline of the issue or problem. 

• A description of how the issue or 

problem was approached via the project. 

• A description of the contribution of 

public or private agency cooperators. 

• A description of results, 

conclusions and lessons learned. 

• A summary of current or future 

benefits to be derived from the project. 

• Additional information available 

(publications, Web sites). 

• Recommendations for future 

research needed, if applicable. 

• A description of the project 

beneficiaries. 

• The contact person for the project 

with telephone number and e-mail 

address. 

Estimate of Burden: The public 

reporting burden for completing 

Standard Form 425 and the Final Report 

is estimated to average 16.78 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: State departments of 

agriculture, State agricultural 

experiment stations, and other 

appropriate State agencies. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

50. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 2. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 838 hours. 

In accordance with 7 CFR 3016.42, 

grantees are required to maintain all 

financial and programmatic records, 

supporting documents, statistical 

records, and other records of grantees or 

sub-grantees for a period of three years 

from the day the grantee submits the 

final financial report. 

Estimate of Burden: The public 

reporting burden for maintaining 

required records relating to the grant is 

estimated to average 1 hour per 

response. 

Respondents: State departments of 

agriculture, State agricultural 

experiment stations, and other 

appropriate State agencies. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

25. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 25 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 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to Janise 

Zygmont, FSMIP Staff Officer, USDA, 

AMS, 1800 M Street, NW., Room 3002– 

South Tower, Washington, DC 20036. 

All comments received will be available 

for public inspection during regular 

business hours at the same address. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

Dated: February 2, 2010. 

Rayne Pegg, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–2543 Filed 2–4–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Umatilla National Forest, Walla Walla 

Ranger District, Walla Walla, WA; 

Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels 

Reduction Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) to disclose 

environmental effects on proposed 

resource management actions in Cobbler 

II project planning area. This project 

would improve the health, vigor, and 

resilience to fire, insects, and disease in 

upland forest stands that are outside 

their historical pre-fire conditions for 

species composition, structural 

diversity, stocking densities, and fuel 

loads. The project planning area is 

approximately 34,000 acres in size. 

Proposed project activities consist of 

commercial timber harvest, including 

treatment of activity and natural fuels 

within harvest units, temporary road 

construction (that will be 

decommissioned after project use), new 

road construction, danger tree removal 

along haul routes, non-commercial 

thinning, hardwood restoration, 

meadow restoration, and landscape 

prescribed burning. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
5942 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 24 / Friday, February 5, 2010 / Notices 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

February 26, 2010. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected to be available in April 2010 

and the final environmental impact 

statement in July 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Mike Rassbach, District Ranger, Walla 

Walla Ranger District, 1415 West Rose 

Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362. 

Comments may also be sent via e-mail 

to comments-pacificnorthwest-umatillawallawalla@fs.fed.us or via facsimile to 

(509) 522–6000. Comments may be hand 

delivered to the Walla Walla Ranger 

District office between the hours of 8 

a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, excluding Federal holidays. 

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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Betsy Kaiser, Project Team Leader, 

Walla Walla Ranger District, telephone 

(509) 522–6290 or e-mail 

bkaiser@fs.fed.us. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background Information—An 

environmental assessment (EA) for 

Cobbler Timber Sale and Fuels 

Reduction Project was prepared by the 

Forest Service and issued to the public 

in May 2009. A decision notice and 

finding of no significant impact for the 

May 2009 EA was signed by the 

responsible official, Kevin Martin, 

Umatilla National Forest Supervisor, on 

May 18, 2009. This decision was 

appealed, and on July 29, 2009, 

Supervisor Martin sent a memo to the 

Regional Forester to withdraw his May 

18th decision. 

After the withdrawal of the decision, 

the Forest Service decided to initiate the 

Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels 

Reduction Project environmental 

assessment (EA) and scoped with a 

letter dated November 20, 2009, and 

comment letters were received. Since 

that scoping letter was mailed, the 

Forest Service has decided to issue an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

for this project. The project file for the 

May 2009 EA and the Cobbler II EA will 

be incorporated in the Cobbler II EIS. 

Information regarding the May 2009 

Cobbler EA documents and the Cobbler 

II EA scoping letter are available for 

review at the following Web site 

address: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/ 

projects/readroom/. 

Project Information—Cobbler II 

project planning area is primarily 

located in Wallowa County and a small 

portion in Union County, Oregon within 

portions of T. 4N., R. 40E., sections 1, 

2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15; T.5 N., 

R.40 E., sections 1, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 

25, 26, 34, 27, 33, 34, 35, and 36; T. 4N., 

R. 41E., sections 5, 6, 7, and 18; T. 5N., 

R. 41E., sections 1 to 34; T. 5N., R. 42E., 

sections 4, 5, 6, and 7; T. 6N., R. 41E., 

sections 25, 26, 27, 33, 34, 35, and 36; 

and T. 6N., R. 42E., sections 29, 30, 31, 

32, 33, and 34. It is in the Lower Grande 

Ronde subbasin, within the Grande 

Ronde River and Wenaha Watersheds. 

Cobbler II project planning area is 

bounded by the Wenaha-Tucannon 

Wilderness to the north and west and 

the Grande Ronde River to the 

southeast. Grande Ronde River has been 

designated as a Wild and Scenic River 

by the Omnibus Oregon Wild and 

Scenic Rivers Act of 1988, and the 

segment bordering the project planning 

area has been designated as wild. The 

town of Elgin, Oregon, is approximately 

20 miles to the southwest. Troy and 

Eden Bench Wildland Urban Interface 

(WUI) areas are approximately 5 miles 

east of the project planning area, and are 

identified in the Wallowa County 

Community Wildfire Protection Plan 

(CWPP). A portion (approximately 7,700 

acres) of the Grande Ronde inventoried 

roadless area (IRA) is within the project 

planning area. 

Purpose and Need for Action—The 

purpose and need for action in this 

project is to improve health, vigor, and 

resilience to fire, insects, and disease in 

upland forests that are outside their 

historical pre-fire suppression 

conditions for species composition, 

structural diversity, stocking densities, 

and fuel loads. Additionally, there is a 

need to provide sawlogs and wood fiber 

products for utilization by regional and 

local industry. 

Forest stands in the project planning 

area have been altered from historical 

conditions due to fire suppression and 

past forest management practices. A 

majority of current forest stands 

originated as a result of fire disturbances 

occurring over one hundred years ago, 

and they have not experienced fire since 

then. There have been repeated insect 

defoliation episodes followed by salvage 

harvest. Lodgepole pine stands have 

been harvested, and the remaining 

mature stands in the project planning 

area are at the age to be highly 

susceptible to mountain pine beetle, 

which is currently experiencing an 

increasing population. Late seral tree 

species have become dominant after 

long periods without disturbance and 

generally are more susceptible to 

disturbance-caused mortality than early 

seral species. Forest stands have become 

overstocked and are above 

recommended stocking levels that 

would maintain stand growth and vigor. 

Timber stands of seral tree species such 

as western larch and ponderosa pine are 

infilling with grand fir. 

Findings from the historical range of 

variability (HRV) analysis for Eastside 

Screens show that old forest structure is 

within historical range for moist forest 

biophysical group, but outside of 

historical range for dry forest 

biophysical group in old forest single 

stratum (OFSS) structural stage. 

Proposed Action—Following are brief 

descriptions of activities proposed for 

implementation, along with associated 

activities that would occur 

concurrently. 

Timber Harvest—Commercially 

harvest approximately 2,500 acres. In 

some treatment units timber harvest 

would include the removal of sawlogs 

and small diameter trees in the 3–9 inch 

diameter at breast height (DBH) range 

which would be used as a woody 

biomass product. In some treatment 

units only biomass products would be 

removed with incidental removal of 

sawlogs. Commercial thinning is the 

primary silviculture prescription with 

some shelterwood and seed-tree 

prescriptions used in decadent stands 

where thinning would not restore 

growth or vigor. Harvest objectives 

would vary by stand condition and fuel 

management objectives. Treatments 

would tend to favor early seral tree 

species such as ponderosa pine and 

western larch. Harvest methods would 

include conventional ground based 

(approximately 380 acres) logging, using 

a harvester/forwarder (approximately 

1,830 acres), and skyline logging 

(approximately 230 acres). 

Fuel Treatments (activity and 

natural)—Activity fuels and existing 

natural fuels would be treated in harvest 

units. Treatments would include 

mechanical mastication, grapple piling, 

hand piling, jackpot burning, and 

yarding with tops attached depending 

on slash loads and the amount of fire 

sensitive species remaining after 

harvest. Mastication would be used to 

treat both activity fuels and remaining 

ladder fuels when small diameter 

understory is removed for woody 

biomass products (3–9 inch DBH) and a 

high density of understory trees still 

remains. Hand piling would be used in 

portions of units where visual quality is 

a concern, mainly along Forest Road 

(FR) 62. 

Road Management—To accomplish 

implementation of proposed activities, 

approximately 50 miles of open system 

roads, about 40 miles of closed system 

roads, and 1.5 miles of seasonally open 

roads would be used as haul routes. Of 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 24 / Friday, February 5, 2010 / Notices 5943 

the open system roads approximately 14 

miles are outside of the project planning 

area and represent haul routes to county 

roads. Closed system roads used for 

project activities would not be opened 

to the public. All system roads would 

remain the same after project 

implementation; open roads would 

remain opened, closed roads would 

continue to be closed, and seasonally 

open roads would continue with that 

designation. Approximately 0.25 miles 

of new road construction would occur 

to access an activity unit and be used for 

future access for vegetation and fuels 

treatments. This new construction 

would become a closed system road 

after project use. Approximately 0.20 

miles of temporary road construction 

would occur and would be 

decommissioned after project activity 

use. Normal routine road maintenance 

would occur. 

Danger Tree Removal—Danger trees 

would be felled and removed along all 

previously described haul routes used 

for timber sale activity. If considered 

economically feasible, they would be 

sold as part of a timber sale. Danger 

trees within Riparian Habitat 

Conservation Areas (RHCAs) would not 

be removed; they would be cut and left 

to provide additional coarse woody 

debris. 

Landscape Prescribed Fire— 

Landscape prescribed fire would occur 

across approximately 8,000 acres within 

the Grande Ronde River canyon. No 

timber harvest or mechanical fuel 

treatments would occur in these 

canyons. This treatment would 

reintroduce fire to a fire-dependent 

ecosystem blackening about 60 percent 

of the area to lessen the impact of a 

future uncharacteristic wildfire and 

improve forage quality for big game. In 

the majority of the project area, fire 

intensities would be kept low by 

keeping fire out of the overstory and 

burning mainly surface fuels. This 

activity would occur in almost all of the 

acres of the Grande Ronde inventoried 

roadless area (IRA) that are within the 

project planning area. 

Hardwood Restoration—Twenty-three 

hardwood sites (aspen, black 

cottonwood, and mountain mahogany) 

totaling about 115 acres are proposed for 

treatment that includes release from 

conifers and fencing of these sites. 

Reduction of conifer competition in 

some aspen stands would be achieved 

by girdling trees or cutting and leaving 

the trees on site. Most of these stands 

have only mature or over-mature 

hardwood trees with little or no 

regeneration, or regeneration that is 

being severely browsed. Fencing would 

occur at these 23 hardwood sites. 

Meadow Restoration—An estimated 

275 acres of dry meadows would be 

treated to reduce conifer encroachment. 

Trees less than or equal to 6 inches DBH 

would be cut by hand followed by a 

prescribed underburn through the grass. 

Non-commercial Thinning—This 

activity would cut excess trees that are 

less than 6 inches DBH on 

approximately 1,900 acres. Some units 

may have special conditions where trees 

up to 9 inches DBH would be cut. Either 

manual or mechanical methods would 

be use. 

Forest Plan Amendment—In order to 

manage aspen stands in the project 

planning area, the Forest Plan would be 

amended to reallocate acres in 

management area allocations of D2– 

Research Natural Area, E2–Timber and 

Big Game, and A9–Special Interest Area. 

Elk Flats Meadow (D2), which is 

currently a proposed candidate for 

designation as a Research Natural Area 

(RNA), would be reallocated to 

management area A9–Special Interest 

Area in order to allow vegetation 

management, including cutting of trees, 

to maintain or enhance existing aspen 

and encourage aspen regeneration. In 

summary, approximately 70 acres of 

management area D2 (Elk Flats 

Meadow) would become management 

area A9; approximately 30 acres of 

management area E2 would become 

management area A9, and 

approximately 10 acres of management 

area D2 would become management 

area E2. This amendment would remain 

in effect until the current Forest Plan is 

revised. 

Possible Alternatives—An alternative 

that would have fewer impacts on elk 

cover and/or old forest habitat was 

identified for this project. Commercial 

harvest would occur on approximately 

1,300 acres using the same silviculture 

prescriptions and harvest methods. No 

timber harvest would occur in old forest 

stands or in areas of satisfactory cover. 

All other activities would remain the 

same but would occur on fewer acres. 

Another alternative identified would be 

to take no action at this time in the 

project planning area. 

Responsible Official 

Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor, 

Umatilla National Forest, 2517 S.W. 

Hailey Avenue, Pendleton, Oregon 

97801. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decision to be made is whether to 

approve the proposed action or any 

alternative way to achieve the desired 

outcome. A Forest Plan amendment is 

proposed. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

development of an EIS for the Cobbler 

II project and seeks any additional 

scoping comments not previously 

submitted. The comment period begins 

on the date of publication of this notice 

of intent and ends on February 26, 2010. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such a manner that they are useful to 

the agency’s preparation of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

comments. The submission of timely 

and specific comments can affect a 

reviewer’s ability to participate in 

subsequent administrative appeal or 

judicial review. 

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, anonymous 

comments will not provide the 

respondent with standing to participate 

in subsequent administrative appeal or 

judicial review. 

Dated: February 1, 2010. 

Kevin Martin, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2010–2505 Filed 2–4–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting 

of the Utah Advisory Committee 

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to 

the provisions of the rules and 

regulations of the U.S. Commission on 

Civil Rights and the regulations of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA), that a meeting of the Utah 

Advisory Committee will convene at 

5:30 p.m. and adjourn at 8 p.m. (MST) 

on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at the 

451 South State Street, Salt Lake City, 

UT 84111. The purpose of the meeting 

is for the committee to discuss recent 

Commission and regional activities, 

discuss current civil rights issues in the 

state and plan future activities. The 

Committee will also be briefed on 

education issues affecting minority 

students as it prepares to select a project 

topic. 

Members of the public are entitled to 

submit written comments; the 

comments must be received in the 

regional office by March 25, 2010. The 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES