Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 209 / Friday, October 29, 2010 / Notices 66719 

Responsible Official 

The Responsible Official is Kevin 

Riordan, Helena National Forest 

Supervisor. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decision to be made is whether to 

implement the proposed action or meet 

the purpose and need for action through 

some other alternative. He will consider 

the comments, disclosures of 

environmental consequences, and 

applicable laws, regulations, and 

policies in making the decision and 

stating the rationale in the Record of 

Decision. 

Preliminary Issues 

Public input from previous scoping 

processes, and through input gathered 

from collaboration identified several 

areas of particular interest to the public. 

Many comments spoke specifically to 

the Continental Divide National Scenic 

Trail, the Helmville-Gould trail, grizzly 

bear, elk, and bull trout habitat and 

conflicts with motorized and nonmotorized uses. These topics generated 

the most public interest regarding 

motorized and non-motorized uses. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. 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, anonymous 

comments will not provide the 

respondent with standing to participate 

in subsequent administrative review or 

judicial review. 

Two opportunities to provide public 

comments in person will be provided. 

Staff members will be available on 

November 18 and November 30, 2010 

from 4 p.m.–7 p.m. MDT at the Lincoln 

Ranger District, 1569 Hwy 200 Lincoln, 

Montana to visit with the public and 

discuss site-specific comments. If an 

individual, group or organization has 

any questions or would like to set up a 

meeting or field trip please contact 

Jaclyn Heinert at the Lincoln Ranger 

District of the Helena National Forest 

(406) 362–7000. 

Dated: October 21, 2010. 

Kevin Riordan, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27353 Filed 10–28–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Caribou-Targhee National Forest; 

Idaho and Wyoming; Revision of the 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a 

Supplemental Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Revision of the Notice of Intent 

(NOI) to prepare a Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement for a 

Forest Plan Amendment to the 1997 

Revised Forest Plan for the Targhee 

National Forest, located in Bonneville, 

Clark, Fremont, Lemhi, Madison and 

Teton counties, ID, and Teton and 

Lincoln counties, WY. The previous 

Notices of Intent were published in the 

Federal Register on May 30, 2007 

(72(103):29948–29949, as ‘‘Big Bend 

Ridge Vegetation Management Project 

and Timber Sale Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

Proposed Targhee Revised Forest Plan 

Amendment’’) and on May 21, 2008 

(73(99):29480–29481, as ‘‘Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

Targhee Revised Forest Plan With 

Proposed Forest Plan Amendment’’). 

SUMMARY: The Caribou-Targhee National 

Forest (Forest) published two notices of 

intent (May 2007 and May 2008) to 

prepare a supplemental environmental 

impact statement (EIS) to amend the 

1997 Revised Forest Plan (1997 Plan) for 

the Targhee portion of the Forest 

(Targhee). The Forest has revised the 

proposed amendment and will prepare 

an EIS instead of a supplemental EIS to 

amend the 1997 Plan. The revised 

proposed amendment: (1) Provides 

direction to maintain the characteristics 

of old-growth forests where they exist 

and eliminate a ‘‘quota’’ for old-growth 

and late-seral forested vegetation by 

principal watershed or ecological 

subsection; (2) replaces requirements for 

maintaining ‘‘biological potential’’ with 

clear direction for snag retention to 

provide habitat for cavity-nesting birds; 

and (3) provides direction to maintain 

habitat in northern goshawk, boreal owl 

and great gray owl territories affected by 

vegetation projects. The Forest believes 

these new approaches to vegetation 

management would better provide 

wildlife habitat. The Forest seeks 

comments on the revised proposal in 

order to: (1) Clarify the issues, (2) decide 

how the proposed amendment may 

need to be modified, and (3) determine 

whether or not it is necessary to develop 

additional alternative(s) for analysis in 

the draft EIS. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of this analysis must be received by 

November 29, 2010. The draft EIS is 

expected in January 2011. The final EIS 

is expected in April 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Megan Bogle, Forest Planner, CaribouTarghee National Forest, P.O. Box 777, 

Driggs, Idaho 83422. Electronic 

comments can be sent to commentsintermtn-caribou-targhee@fs.fed.us. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Megan Bogle, Forest Planner, CaribouTarghee National Forest, P.O. Box 777, 

Driggs, Idaho 83422. Additional 

information on the proposed Plan 

Amendment may be accessed by 

clicking on the ‘‘NEPA documents for 

projects’’ link on the Forest Web site: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-targhee/ 

projects/. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 800–877–8339 

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

Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose of and Need for the Action 

The 1997 Plan includes direction that 

has proven difficult to implement. 

Specifically, the 1997 Plan requires 

20 percent of forested vegetation be 

maintained in the old-growth and lateseral age classes in each principal 

watershed. After much deliberation, the 

Forest believes that 1997 Plan direction 

to maintain a certain amount of oldgrowth and late-seral vegetation does 

not reflect the ecological capability of 

the Targhee. Because of the stand 

characteristics of lodgepole pine and 

aspen cover types, and the frequency of 

natural change and disturbances in the 

ecosystem, some principal watersheds 

may never meet the 20 percent 

guideline. Consequently, the Forest 

proposes to amend the 1997 Plan to 

maintain old-growth forests where they 

actually occur. 

The concept of biological potential 

used in the 1997 Plan has also proven 

problematic because of conflicting 

requirements at the watershed scale and 

Management Prescription scale. Clear 

and practical direction is necessary to 

ensure that adequate numbers of snags 

and/or green trees having evidence of 

cavities, nesting activity, or decadence 

would be retained where commercial 

timber harvest occurs. 

WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES

66720 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 209 / Friday, October 29, 2010 / Notices 

Additionally, the elimination of 

redundant guidelines for the 

management of forested vegetation 

could clarify the 1997 Plan direction. 

Proposed Action 

The Forest is proposing to amend the 

1997 Plan to create more consistent and 

clear management direction for oldgrowth forests and snag retention. The 

analysis for this amendment will 

describe habitat relationships for 

selected wildlife species associated with 

forested vegetation. These relationships 

would be described in the proposed 

amendment and monitored through 

time to ensure that adequate habitat is 

maintained for these species. The 

proposed amendment would include 

changes to the associated monitoring 

items and update definitions in the 1997 

Plan glossary. The proposed amendment 

would apply only to the Targhee portion 

of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. 

The proposed amendment would not 

authorize or approve any specific 

actions or activities. Prior to 

implementing any site-specific projects, 

the Forest would determine consistency 

with the 1997 Plan, as amended, to 

ensure compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act and other 

applicable laws and regulations. The 

following amendments to the 1997 Plan 

are proposed: 

Vegetation—Forestwide Direction for 

Old-Growth Forests 

1. Delete the forest-wide guideline for 

old-growth and late-seral forest stages 

listed as number 6 and found on pages 

III–12–13 of the 1997 Plan. 

Exception: Retain standard number 

(6)(3): Use the definition of old-growth 

characteristics by forest type found in 

Characteristics of Old-Growth Forests in 

the Intermountain Region (Hamilton 

1993). 

2. Replace the guideline in Item 1 

above with the following: 

a. Prescribed fire and mechanical 

treatments in old-growth stands shall 

not reduce old-growth characteristics 

below the minimum standards 

described in Characteristics of OldGrowth Forests in the Intermountain 

Region (Hamilton 1993) and further 

defined in the March 2, 2007 Regional 

Forester’s letter of clarification 

(Guideline).′′ 

Exceptions: This guideline does not 

apply to: 

i. Highway and utility corridors where 

hazard tree removal is necessary for 

public safety; 

ii. Management Prescriptions: 

4.1 (Developed Recreation Sites) 

4.2 (Special Use Permit Recreation 

Sites) 

4.3 (Dispersed Camping 

Management) 

8.1 (Concentrated Developed Areas) 

b. Prescribed fire and mechanical 

treatments within old-growth stands 

shall be limited to treatments necessary 

to sustain old-growth forest composition 

and structure and improve the 

likelihood that old-growth forests are 

retained on the landscape. Examples of 

these tools are thinning-from-below and 

under burning to reduce the risk of 

stand-replacing fire (Guideline). 

Wildlife—Direction for Snags/Cavity 

Nesting Habitat 

1. Delete forest-wide guideline 

numbers 1, 2 and 3 for Snag/Cavity 

Nesting Habitat listed on pages III–16– 

17. 

2. Delete the Management 

Prescription guidelines related to snag 

retention and biological potential for 

woodpeckers listed in the table below: 

Management Prescription Biological 

Potential 

(percent) 

2.6.1[a] Grizzly Bear Habitat (No ASQ, no cross-country, no sheep) (III–98) .................................................................. 60 

2.8.3 Aquatic Influence Zone (III–109) .......................................................................................................................... 100 

3.2[b,c,d,g,i,j] Semi-primitive Motorized (III–121) ........................................................................................................................ 60 

5.1[c] Timber Management (III–136) .............................................................................................................................. 40 

5.1.3[a–b] Timber Management (No clear-cutting, urban interface) (III–137) ....................................................................... 40 

5.1.4[a–d] Timber Management (Big Game Security Emphasis) (III–139) ........................................................................... 40 

5.2.1 Visual Quality Improvement (III–143) ................................................................................................................... 40 

5.3.5 Grizzly Bear Habitat (NIC for ASQ, no cross-county, no sheep) (III–148) .......................................................... 60 

5.4[a,b,c] Elk Summer Range (III–153) ................................................................................................................................ 60 

3. Replace the guidelines listed in 

items 1 and 2 above with: 

a. Commercial timber harvest will not 

reduce the number of snags and/or 

green trees below the numbers in the 

table below. This will be calculated as 

an average for the total treatment unit 

acres within a project area to allow 

variability between treatment units and 

retain a more natural, clumped 

distribution of snags and green trees 

(Guideline).′′ 

Vegetation category 

(SAF cover type1) 

Minimum average snags and/or 

green trees per acre to retain 

>= 8′′ dbh2 >= 12′′ dbh Total 

Aspen ............................................................................................................................................................. 8.3 N/A 8.3 

Cottonwood .................................................................................................................................................... 3.2 4.9 8.1 

Douglas-fir and ..............................................................................................................................................

Spruce-Fir ...................................................................................................................................................... 3.7 5.5 9.2 

Lodgepole pine .............................................................................................................................................. 8.7 N/A 8.7 

WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 209 / Friday, October 29, 2010 / Notices 66721 

1Eyre, F.H. editor 1980 Cover Types of the United 

States and Canada Society of American Foresters, 

Washington D.C. pp 80–141. 

2dbh: diameter at breast height. 

Exceptions: This guideline does not 

apply to: 

i. Designated personal-use firewood 

areas; 

ii. Highway and utility corridors where 

hazard tree removal is necessary for 

public safety; 

iii. Management Prescriptions: 

4.1 (Developed Recreation Sites) 

4.2 (Special Use Permit Recreation 

Sites) 

4.3 (Dispersed Camping 

Management) 

8.1 (Concentrated Developed Areas) 

b. Large diameter snags and/or green 

trees having evidence of cavities, 

nesting activity, or decadence would be 

given priority for retention (Guideline). 

c. Public workforce and contractor 

safety will be considered and provided 

for in selecting the arrangement of 

retained snags and trees (Standard). 

Wildlife—Forestwide Direction for 

Northern Goshawk, Boreal and Great 

Gray Owl Habitat 

1. Delete the forest-wide standards 

and guidelines for northern goshawk 

habitat (entire table on III–21), guideline 

number 2 for boreal owl habitat (III–22) 

and standard number 2 for great gray 

owl habitat (III–22). 

2. Replace the above standards and 

guidelines with the following guideline: 

a. Utilize site-specific data to predict 

whether a proposed project may 

negatively impact Northern goshawks, 

boreal owls, and/or great gray owls, and 

whether habitat occurs within the 

project area. If there is habitat and the 

species may be negatively impacted by 

the project: 

i. Survey for the presence of Northern 

goshawks, boreal owls and/or great gray 

owls at least once prior to project 

implementation. 

ii. Design projects to maintain 

adequate amounts of habitat in known 

territories. 

Big Hole Subsection and Caribou 

Subsection—Guidelines for Old-Growth 

1. Delete the following guideline 

applicable in both subsections: ‘‘Within 

one mile of the Palisades Reservoir and 

the South Fork of the Snake River, 

emphasis will be given to managing oldgrowth Douglas-fir, spruce and 

cottonwood habitats for wildlife 

species’’ (III–61 and 62). 

Monitoring 

The proposed amendment would 

update the 1997 Plan monitoring 

requirements related to the proposed 

above changes (Chapter V). 

Glossary and Definitions 

The proposed amendment would 

update 1997 Plan definitions related to 

the above changes (Glossary). 

Name and Address of the Responsible 

Official 

Brent Larson, Forest Supervisor, 1405 

Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83445. 

Nature of the Decision To Be Made (See 

FSH 1909.15, section 11.22) 

The decision to be made is to approve 

the proposed amendment to the 1997 

Plan; approve a modification of the 

proposed amendment; or not to amend 

the 1997 Plan at this time. 

Description of the Scoping Process 

This corrected NOI continues the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the EIS. 

Applicable Planning Rule 

On December 18, 2009 the 

Department reinstated the previous 

planning rule, commonly known as the 

2000 planning rule in the Federal 

Register (Federal Register, Volume 74, 

No. 242, Friday, December 18, 2009, 

pages 67059 thru 67075). The transition 

provisions of the reinstated rule (36 CFR 

219.35 and appendices A and B) allow 

use of the provisions of the National 

Forest System land and resource 

management planning rule in effect 

prior to the effective date of the 2000 

Rule (November 9, 2000), commonly 

called the 1982 planning rule, to amend 

or revise plans. The Caribou-Targhee 

National Forest has elected to use the 

provisions of the 1982 planning rule 

including the requirement to prepare an 

EIS, to complete its plan revision. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1600–1614; 36 CFR 

219.35 (74 FR 67073–67074). 

Dated: October 22, 2010. 

Brent Larson, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27334 Filed 10–28–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Notice of Extension of Comment 

Period 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice: Notice of Extension of 

Comment Period. 

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service 

published a Notice of Intent in the 

Federal Register of October 5, 2010, 

requesting comments concerning a 

Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

Greens Creek Mine Tailings Expansion. 

The comment period is to be extended. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chad VanOrmer, 907–789–6202 or 

Sarah Samuelson, 907–789–6274. 

Correction 

In the Federal Register of October 5, 

2010, in FR Doc. 2010–24907, on page 

61415, in the first column, correct the 

DATES caption to read: 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of 

the analysis must be received by November 

19, 2010. 

Dated: October 22, 2010. 

Forrest Cole, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27361 Filed 10–28–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Newspapers To Be Used for 

Publication of Legal Notice of 

Appealable Decisions and Publication 

of Notice of Proposed Actions for 

Southern Region; Alabama, Kentucky, 

Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, 

Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, West 

Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, 

Puerto Rico 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Deciding Officers in the 

Southern Region will publish notice of 

decisions subject to administrative 

appeal under 36 CFR parts 215 and 219 

in the legal notice section of the 

newspapers listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice. As 

provided in 36 CFR part 215.5 and 36 

CFR part 219.14 the public shall be 

advised through Federal Register 

notice, of the newspaper of record to be 

utilized for publishing legal notice of 

decisions. Newspaper publication of 

notice of decisions is in addition to 

direct notice of decisions to those who 

have requested it and to those who have 

participated in project planning. 

Responsible Officials in the Southern 

Region will also publish notice of 

proposed actions under 36 CFR part 

215.5 in the newspapers that are listed 

in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

section of this notice. As provided in 36 

CFR part 215.5, the public shall be 

advised, through Federal Register 

notice, of the newspaper of record to be 

WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES