Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 2014 / Notices 70845 

desirable vegetation characteristics in 

previously treated areas and, when 

necessary, reduction of surface and 

ladder fuels, stand density, and canopy 

biomass to emulate fire intensities, and 

associated fire severities, associated 

with a particular Fire Regime. 

Prescribed fire entry will be utilized to 

rehabilitate decadent grass and shrub to 

improve wildlife forage in big game 

winter range and bighorn sheep habitat, 

dispose of activity fuels created by 

harvest, and as site preparation for 

planting. Treatment objectives would be 

achieved through a combination of the 

following activities such as whole-tree 

yarding, prescribed burning in harvest 

units (approximately 2,300 acres), 

grapple piling of activity fuels 

(approximately 600 acres). 

Landscape prescribed fire— 

Landscape prescribed fire would occur 

across approximately 11,500 acres 

within the Sunrise project area. This 

treatment would reintroduce fire to a 

fire-dependent ecosystem to lessen the 

impact of a future uncharacteristic 

wildfire and improve forage quality for 

big game (Management area direction 

for C3, C3A, C4, and C8). 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. Consistent with the mixedseverity fire regimes which have long 

characterized some parts of the project 

area, individual tree and group torching 

would likely occur in areas where there 

is sufficient ladder fuels and in timber 

stands with high occurrences of 

mistletoe. Upon completion the 

landscape could be described as a 

mosaic of unburned, lightly burned, 

moderately burned, and intensely 

burned patches. 

Road management—To accomplish 

implementation of proposed activities 

approximately 39 miles of open system 

roads, about 42 miles of closed system 

roads, and 46 miles of seasonally open 

roads would be used as haul routes. 

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 11 miles of temporary 

road would be constructed of which 9 

miles would be constructed over 

previous road templates. All temporary 

roads would be decommissioned after 

project activity use. No new specified 

road construction is proposed. 

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. 

Responsible Official 

Monte Fujishin, District Ranger of 

Pomeroy Ranger District will be the 

responsible official for making the 

decision and providing direction for the 

analysis. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The responsible official will decide 

whether or not to implement the 

proposed action or an alternative to the 

proposed action, including the no 

action, and what monitoring will be 

appropriate. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. A scoping letter will 

be sent to interested and/or affected 

members of the public, non-profit 

organizations, and other agencies. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such 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 

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 Agency 

with the ability to provide the 

respondent with subsequent 

environmental documents. 

Dated: November 19, 2014. 

Monte Fujishin, 

Pomeroy District Ranger. 

[FR Doc. 2014–28069 Filed 11–26–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

[Docket No. NRCS–2014–0006] 

Notice of Meeting of the Agricultural 

Air Quality Task Force 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Air 

Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet 

for discussions on critical air quality 

issues relating to agriculture. Special 

emphasis will be placed on obtaining a 

greater understanding about the 

relationship between agricultural 

production and air quality. The meeting 

is open to the public, and a draft agenda 

is included in this notice. 

DATES: The meeting will convene at 7:30 

a.m. MST on Thursday and Friday, 

December 4–5, 2014. A public comment 

period will be held on the morning of 

December 5. The meeting will end at 

approximately noon on December 5. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Hilton Ft. Collins, 425 West 

Prospect Road, Fort Collins, Colorado 

80526; telephone: (970) 482–2626. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Questions and comments should be 

directed to Dr. Greg Johnson, Designated 

Federal Official, USDA, NRCS, 1201 

Lloyd Boulevard, Suite 1000, Portland 

Oregon 97232; telephone: (503) 273– 

2424; fax: (503) 273–2401; or email: 

greg.johnson@por.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of 

this meeting is given under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 

2. Additional information concerning 

AAQTF, including any revised agendas 

for the December 4–5, 2014, meeting 

that occurs after this Federal Register 

Notice is published, may be found at: 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/

detail/national/air/taskforce. 

Draft Agenda Meeting of the AAQTF 

December 4–5, 2014, Fort Collins, 

Colorado 

A. Welcome remarks and introductions 

B. Colorado air quality and agriculture 

C. Update on agricultural air quality 

regulatory issues at the Environmental 

Protection Agency 

D. AAQTF Subcommittee reports 

E. Carbon credits and environmental 

markets 

F. Rocky Mountain National Park 

Nitrogen Deposition Issues 

G. Updates from USDA agencies (Forest 

Service, NRCS, NIFA, ARS) 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
70846 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 2014 / Notices 

H. Selected agricultural air quality 

research presentations 

I. Public Input (Individual presentations 

limited to 5 minutes) 

Please note that the timing of events 

in the agenda is subject to change to 

accommodate changing schedules of 

expected speakers and or extended 

discussions. 

Procedural 

This meeting is open to the public. On 

December 5 the public will have an 

opportunity to provide up to 5 minutes 

of input to the AAQTF. 

Information on Services for Individuals 

With Disabilities 

For information on facilities or 

services for individuals with disabilities 

or to request special assistance at the 

meeting, please contact Greg Johnson 

(contact information listed above). 

USDA prohibits discrimination in its 

programs and activities on the basis of 

race, color, national origin, gender, 

religion, age, sexual orientation, or 

disability. Additionally, discrimination 

on the basis of political beliefs and 

marital or family status is also 

prohibited by statutes enforced by 

USDA. (Not all prohibited bases apply 

to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternate means 

for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, audio 

tape, etc.) should contact the USDA’s 

Target Center at (202) 720–2000 (voice 

and TDD). 

Signed this 21st day of November 2014, in 

Washington, DC. 

Jason A. Weller, 

Chief, Natural Resources Conservation 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–28067 Filed 11–26–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Energy Answers Arecibo Puerto Rico 

Renewable Energy Project: Notice of 

Cancellation of a Supplemental Final 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

Notice of Public Scoping and Intent To 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of a 

Supplemental Final Environmental 

Impact Statement and notice of public 

scoping and intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: On April 12, 2013, Rural 

Utilities Service (RUS) published a 

Notice of Intent (NOI) announcing its 

intent to prepare a Supplemental Final 

Environmental Impact Statement 

(SFEIS) in association with a financial 

assistance request for a proposal 

submitted to the Agency by Energy 

Answers Arecibo, LLC (Energy 

Answers). RUS is cancelling its NOI for 

the SFEIS. RUS intends to conduct 

public scoping and prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

to meet its responsibilities under the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), the Council on Environmental 

Quality’s regulations for implementing 

NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), and 

RUS’s Environmental and Policies and 

Procedures (7 CFR part 1794) in 

connection with potential impacts 

related to the Energy Answers proposal. 

The proposal consists of constructing a 

waste-to-energy generation and resource 

recovery facility in the Cambalache 

Ward of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. RUS is 

providing notice of the intention to 

conduct public scoping and prepare an 

EIS related to the proposal submitted by 

Energy Answers. 

RUS is considering funding this 

application, thereby making the 

proposal an undertaking subject to 

review under Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA), 16 U.S.C. 470(f), and its 

implementing regulation, ‘‘Protection of 

Historic Properties’’ (36 CFR part 800). 

Any party wishing to participate 

directly with RUS as a ‘‘consulting 

party’’ in Section 106 review may 

submit a written request to the RUS 

contact provided below. Pursuant to 36 

CFR 800.3(f)(3), RUS will consider, and 

provide a timely response to, any and 

all requests for consulting party status. 

RUS will publish a Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) in the Federal 

Register and in local newspapers to 

announce its review period. 

DATES: Written requests to participate as 

a ‘‘consulting party’’ and/or comments 

concerning the public scoping or about 

this Notice of Intent must be received on 

or before December 29, 2014. A notice 

of availability of a Draft EIS will be 

published in the Federal Register and 

local newspapers announcing its review 

period. 

ADDRESSES: Project-related information 

will be available at RUS’s Web site 

located at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ 

UWP-AreciboPuertoRico.html. To 

request ‘‘consulting party’’ status, 

submit comments or for further 

information, please contact: Ms. 

Stephanie Strength, Environmental 

Protection Specialist, USDA/RUS, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW., Room 2244–S, 

Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250– 

1571, Telephone: (970) 403–3559, fax: 

(202) 690–0649, or email: 

stephanie.strength@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 

12, 2013, RUS published a Notice of 

Intent (NOI) to prepare a Supplemental 

Final Impact Statement (SFEIS) in the 

Federal Register. RUS is canceling the 

SFEIS published on April 12, 2013, and 

is soliciting public comments on the 

scope of an EIS that it intends to prepare 

for Energy Answers’ proposal. In 

accordance with 7 CFR 1794.74 and 40 

CFR 1502.21, RUS intends to 

incorporate by reference the 

environmental impact analyses and 

documentation prepared by the Puerto 

Rico Industrial Development Company 

(PRIDCO). PRIDCO served as a lead 

agency in preparation of an EIS 

prepared under the Puerto Rico 

Environmental Public Policy Act, 

Article 4(B)(3), (Law No. 416, September 

22, 2004). RUS has copies of this EIS 

and all associated appendices posted on 

this Web site: http://

www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWPAreciboPuertoRico.html. RUS also 

intends to incorporate by reference all of 

the environmental impact and air 

quality analyses and responses to public 

comments prepared by the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA) as part of its Clean Air Act, 

Prevention of Significant Deterioration 

(PSD) permit. USEPA issued a final PSD 

permit on June 11, 2013, and 

information related to the PSD permit 

can be found on USEPA’s Web site— 

see: http://www.epa.gov/region02/air/

permit/energyanswers/. 

RUS is in receipt of all past public 

involvement activities, public 

comments, and responses to public 

comments from both PRIDCO and 

USEPA actions. While RUS understands 

the concerns expressed in the past by 

the public, the Agency strongly 

encourages all interested parties to 

submit scoping comments to the RUS 

contact listed the ADDRESSES section of 

this Notice. 

Energy Answers proposes to construct 

a waste-to-energy generation and 

resource recovery facility in the 

Cambalache Ward of Arecibo, Puerto 

Rico. The proposed facility would 

process approximately 2,100 tons of 

municipal waste per day and generate a 

net capacity of 77 megawatts (MW). The 

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority 

will purchase the power generated from 

the facility. The preferred location of the 

facility is the former site of the Global 

Fibers Paper Mill and would encompass 

approximately 79.6 acres of the 90-acre 

parcel. The proposal would include the 

following facility components: a 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES