62758 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 13, 2010 / Notices 

development were to expand in the 

future. Many of these federal lands are 

adjacent to lands extensively impacted 

by past and ongoing mining activities. 

The nonfederal lands offered for 

consideration by PolyMet are located 

throughout the SNF and compliment 

existing federal ownership by 

eliminating or reducing private 

inholdings. The non-federal tracts 

consist of forest and wetland habitat as 

well as some lake frontage, potentially 

enhancing public recreation 

opportunities. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action is a land 

exchange between the United States of 

America, acting through the Forest 

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 

SNF and PolyMet. The land exchange 

would transfer approximately 6,650 

acres of federal land from public to 

private ownership, and approximately 

6,722 acres of land from private to 

public ownership. An in-depth analysis 

of this proposed exchange will be 

disclosed in the supplemental draft and 

final environmental impact statements 

for the NorthMet project. The NorthMet 

project is described in the October 27, 

2009 Draft EIS developed by MNDNR 

and USACE. 

This exchange is proposed under the 

authority of the Weeks Act of March 1, 

1911 as amended; General Exchange Act 

of March 20, 1922; Federal Land 

Exchange Facilitation Act of 1988; and 

the Federal Land, Policy and 

Management Act of October 21, 1976. 

The federal land consists of a single 

contiguous tract of mostly forested land, 

approximately 6,650 acres in size, 

located in the west/central part of the 

SNF on the Laurentian Ranger District 

in the historic Iron Range of 

Northeastern Minnesota. The tract lies 

immediately south of the SNF 

proclamation boundary and is bounded 

on the south by the former LTV Steel 

Mining Company (LTVSMC) railroad 

grade and the Dunka Road. The Dunka 

Road is a private road with sections 

owned and leased by Cliffs Erie, 

PolyMet and Minnesota Power. Access 

is primarily via the Dunka Road and the 

LTVSMC railroad grade. 

Nonfederal properties to the north 

and west of the federal land have been 

extensively impacted over the years by 

open-pit mining, mine waste rock 

stockpiles, tailings basins, mine 

processing facilities, railroad grades, 

and general mining activities. The 

federal land encompasses many acres of 

the 100-mile Swamp, a large black 

spruce, tamarack and cedar wetland. 

Yelp Creek and the Partridge River flow 

through the tract. Mud Lake is also 

located on the federal land. 

The nonfederal lands include five 

different tracts of land that total 

approximately 6,722 acres and include 

predominately forest and wetland 

habitat. 

The largest nonfederal tract, identified 

as Tract 1, consists of approximately 

4,650 acres (Hay Lake tract), located on 

the southeastern portion of the 

Laurentian Ranger District, west of and 

adjoining County Road 715 and north of 

the town of Biwabik in St. Louis 

County. The Hay Lake tract includes 

Hay Lake, identified as a Wild Rice 

Water by the MnDNR, and Little Rice 

Lake, which is used by trumpeter 

swans, a State Threatened species. 

Approximately eight miles of the upper 

Pike River flow through Tract 1. 

Tract 2 (‘‘Lake County lands’’) consists 

of approximately 320 acres of land 

formerly owned by Lake County. The 

tract includes various 40-acre parcels on 

the Laurentian Ranger District southeast 

of Seven Beaver Lake that are mostly 

surrounded by National Forest lands 

and offer significant wetland habitat. 

Tract 3 (‘‘Wolf Lands’’) consists of 

approximately 1,560 acres of land on 

the Laurentian and Tofte Ranger 

Districts, west and southwest of Isabella, 

MN. The tract includes four separate 

parcels that block in or compliment 

National Forest ownership and, like 

Tract 2, offer significant wetland 

habitat. 

Tract 4 (‘‘Hunting Club’’ lands) 

consists of approximately 160 acres on 

the LaCroix Ranger District, 5 miles 

southwest of Crane Lake. Two small 

unnamed lakes are partially included in 

the tract, as well as a large percentage 

of wetland habitats. Tract 4 is 

surrounded by National Forest, St. Louis 

County lands, and private ownership. 

Tract 5 (‘‘McFarland Lake’’) consists of 

approximately 32 acres on the Gunflint 

Ranger District in northeastern Cook 

County. The tract blocks in National 

Forest ownership and includes lakefront property on McFarland Lake, an 

entry point to the Boundary Waters 

Canoe Area Wilderness. Access to the 

property is available by water from a 

landing off County Road 16 (Arrowhead 

Trail) approximately ten miles north of 

Hovland, MN. All tracts were assembled 

by PolyMet for the purpose of this 

proposed exchange. 

Responsible Official and Nature of 

Decision to be Made 

The Responsible Official for the 

proposed land exchange is the Forest 

Supervisor for the SNF. The 

Responsible Official will decide in a 

Record of Decision whether the 

proposed land exchange would result in 

an overall benefit to the public good. 

Scoping Process 

Public scoping for the proposed SNF 

and PolyMet land exchange will include 

notices in the newspaper of record, 

mailing of the scoping package (detailed 

information of the purpose and need for 

the project, the proposed action, 

description of the project area, maps, 

and proposed federal and non-federal 

lands involved in the proposed 

exchange) to interested and affected 

publics and posting of the project on the 

agency’s project planning web pages 

and notice in the Forest Service 

quarterly Schedule of Proposed Actions. 

Comment Requested 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process which guides the 

development and incorporation of the 

proposed land exchange into the 

Northmet Project environmental impact 

statement. 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: September 29, 2010. 

Tamara E. Cameron, 

Chief, Regulatory Branch, St. Paul District, 

Corps of Engineers. 

Dated: October 4, 2010. 

James W. Sanders, 

Forest Supervisor, USDA Superior National 

Forest. 

[FR Doc. 2010–25755 Filed 10–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3140–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Fresno County Resource Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Fresno County Resource 

Advisory Committee will be meeting in 

Prather, California, November 17, 2010 

and in Clovis, California, December 15, 

2010. The purpose of the meetings will 

be to accept and review project 

proposals for the next funding cycle as 

well as review prior year 

accomplishments. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

November 17, 2010 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 

p.m. and December 15, 2010 from 6 p.m. 

to 8:30 p.m. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 13, 2010 / Notices 62759 

ADDRESSES: The meeting on November 

17th will be held at the High Sierra 

Ranger District, 29688 Auberry Rd., 

Prather, CA. The meeting on December 

15th will be held at the Sierra National 

Forest Supervisor’s Office, 1600 

Tollhouse Rd., Clovis, CA. Send written 

comments to Robbin Ekman, Fresno 

County Resource Advisory Committee 

Coordinator, c/o Sierra National Forest, 

High Sierra Ranger District, 29688 

Auberry Road, Prather, CA 93651 or 

electronically to rekman@fs.fed.us. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robbin Ekman, Fresno County Resource 

Advisory Committee Coordinator, (559) 

855–5355 ext. 3341. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting is open to the public. 

Committee discussion is limited to 

Forest Service staff and Committee 

members. However, persons who wish 

to bring Payments to States Fresno 

County Title II project matters to the 

attention of the Committee may file 

written statements with the Committee 

staff before or after the meeting. Agenda 

items to be covered include: (1) Accept 

new project proposals and (2) Discuss 

accomplishments of previous projects. 

Dated: October 4, 2010. 

Ray Porter, 

District Ranger. 

[FR Doc. 2010–25588 Filed 10–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

Notice of Proposed Change to Section 

IV of the Virginia State Technical Guide 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of 

proposed changes in the Virginia NRCS 

State Technical Guide for review and 

comment. 

SUMMARY: It has been determined by the 

NRCS State Conservationist for Virginia 

that changes must be made in the NRCS 

State Technical Guide specifically in the 

following practice standards: #314, 

Brush Management, #324, Deep Tillage, 

#330, Contour Farming, #332, Contour 

Buffer Strips, #344, Residue 

Management, Seasonal, #346, Residue 

Management, Ridge Till, #380, 

Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment, 

#484, Mulching, #512, Forage & Biomass 

Planting, and #603, Herbaceous Wind 

Barriers. These practices will be used to 

plan and install conservation practices. 

DATES: Comments will be received for a 

30-day period commencing with this 

date of publication. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

A. Bricker, State Conservationist, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

(NRCS), 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 

209, Richmond, Virginia 23229–5014; 

Telephone number (804) 287–1691; Fax 

number (804) 287–1737. Copies of the 

practice standards will be made 

available upon written request to the 

address shown above or on the Virginia 

NRCS Web site: http:// 

www.va.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ 

draftstandards.html. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

343 of the Federal Agriculture 

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 

states that revisions made after 

enactment of the law to NRCS State 

technical guides used to carry out 

highly erodible land and wetland 

provisions of the law shall be made 

available for public review and 

comment. For the next 30 days, the 

NRCS in Virginia will receive comments 

relative to the proposed changes. 

Following that period, a determination 

will be made by the NRCS in Virginia 

regarding disposition of those comments 

and a final determination of change will 

be made to the subject standards. 

Dated: October 4, 2010. 

W. Ray Dorsett, 

Acting State Conservationist, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, Richmond, 

Virginia. 

[FR Doc. 2010–25663 Filed 10–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

Notice of Proposed Change to Section 

IV of the Virginia State Technical Guide 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of 

proposed changes in the Virginia NRCS 

State Technical Guide for review and 

comment. 

SUMMARY: It has been determined by the 

NRCS State Conservationist for Virginia 

that changes must be made in the NRCS 

State Technical Guide specifically in 

practice standards: #362, Diversion; 

#412, Grassed Waterway; #430, 

Irrigation Pipeline; #436, Irrigation 

Reservoir; #558, Roof Runoff Structure; 

#600, Terrace; #620, Underground 

Outlet; #313, Waste Storage Facility; 

#359, Waste Treatment Lagoon; #633, 

Waste Utilization; #638, Water and 

Sediment Control Basin. These practices 

will be used to plan and install 

conservation practices on cropland, 

pastureland, woodland, and wildlife 

land. 

DATES: Comments will be received for a 

30-day period commencing with the 

date of this publication. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Inquire in writing to John A. Bricker, 

State Conservationist, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS), 1606 

Santa Rosa Road, Suite 209, Richmond, 

Virginia 23229–5014; Telephone 

number (804) 287–1691; Fax number 

(804) 287–1737. Copies of the practice 

standards will be made available upon 

written request to the address shown 

above or on the Virginia NRCS Web site: 

http://www.va.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ 

draftstandards.html. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

343 of the Federal Agriculture 

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 

states that revisions made after 

enactment of the law to NRCS State 

technical guides used to carry out 

highly erodible land and wetland 

provisions of the law shall be made 

available for public review and 

comment. For the next 30 days, the 

NRCS in Virginia will receive comments 

relative to the proposed changes. 

Following that period, a determination 

will be made by the NRCS in Virginia 

regarding disposition of those comments 

and a final determination of change will 

be made to the subject standards. 

Dated: October 4, 2010. 

John A. Bricker, 

State Conservationist, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, Richmond, Virginia. 

[FR Doc. 2010–25662 Filed 10–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Foreign Agricultural Service 

Trade Adjustment Assistance for 

Farmers 

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

The Administrator of the Foreign 

Agricultural Service (FAS), denied a 

petition (No. 2011019) for trade 

adjustment assistance (TAA) for Tilapia 

filed under the fiscal year (FY) 2011 

program by three producers on behalf of 

Tilapia producers in Arkansas. The 

petition was accepted for review by 

USDA on August 24, 2010. 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES