Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 10 / Thursday, January 15, 2015 / Notices 2095 

• Tree species compositions are 

outside the historic range of variability. 

• A reduction in Late and Old 

Structured forest (LOS); especially 

single-strata LOS. 

• A reduction in open-canopy stands 

accompanied by an increase in stand 

densities and multi-storied stands. 

• An increased risk of large-scale loss 

of forest to wildfire. 

• An increased risk of insect 

infestation and/or disease that can 

impact forested stands. 

• A decline in riparian/aquatic 

conditions and hardwood communities. 

Based upon direction from the 

Ochoco Forest Plan and an evaluation of 

the project area existing condition, the 

Paulina Ranger District has determined 

that within the Black Mountain project 

area: 

1. There is a need to manage 

vegetation towards the historic range of 

variability and provide a range of forest 

conditions and habitats that would 

support historic disturbance processes, 

native wildlife, and plant species; this 

includes maintaining and increasing 

Late Old Structure (LOS), especially 

single-strata LOS. 

2. There is a need to reduce forest 

density and fuel loadings in order to 

reduce the risk that disturbance events 

such as insect, disease, and wildfire will 

lead to a loss of desired forest 

conditions. 

3. There is a need to maintain existing 

old trees, especially early-seral and fire 

tolerant species, i.e. ponderosa pine, 

and western larch. 

4. There is a need to improve riparian 

and aquatics condition along with 

associated vegetation within Riparian 

Habitat Conservation Areas (RHCAs) 

and maintain and enhance hardwood 

communities. 

5. There is a need to contribute to the 

local and regional economies through 

restoration activities including 

providing timber and other wood 

products now and in the future. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action includes a 

variety of management strategies and 

activities, including commercial 

thinning with follow-up noncommercial 

thinning and/or slashes treatment (5,364 

acres), noncommercial treatment with 

slash treatment (1,040 acres), 

underburning (3,234 acres) and 

hardwood enhancement (151 acres). 

Implementation of the proposed action 

would require some connected actions; 

these include use of temporary roads on 

existing disturbance (25.4 miles), use of 

new temporary roads (.86 mile), stream 

restoration (7 miles), and material 

source expansion (1 location, 5 acres). 

Implementation of the proposed action 

would require the following mitigation 

to reduce or eliminate unwanted effects; 

these include road closure (1 mile) and 

road decommission (1.86 miles). 

Responsible Official 

The responsible official will be Stacey 

Forson, Forest Supervisor, Ochoco 

National Forest, 3160 NE Third Street, 

Prineville, Oregon 97754 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

Given the purpose and need, the 

deciding official will review the 

proposed action, the other alternatives, 

and the environmental consequences in 

order to determine whether and under 

what circumstances vegetation and fuels 

management will be implemented in the 

Black Mountain project area. 

Preliminary Issues 

The project’s interdisciplinary team 

has developed a list of preliminary 

issues that will be used during the 

analysis of effects. Other issues may 

arise as a result of public comment and 

further analysis. Preliminary issues 

include: 

• Invasive Plant Species (Noxious 

Weeds). Several populations of noxious 

weeds are known to exist within the 

project area. There is a risk that 

management activities may exacerbate 

the weed situation by spreading existing 

populations or introducing new ones. 

• Peck’s Mariposa Lily. Management 

activities can improve habitat for this 

sensitive species, but there is also risk 

of impacting individual plants and/or 

habitat where it occurs in the project 

area. 

• Soil Productivity. Maintenance of 

soil productivity is an important 

objective for management of National 

Forest Lands. When mechanized 

equipment is used in the Forest, soil can 

become displaced and compacted, 

which can impact productivity. 

• Water Quality. The main streams in 

the project area, Peterson, Porter and 

Allen Creeks, are listed on Oregon 

DEQ’s 303(d) list due to high summer 

temperatures. Management activities 

can result in reduced shade on streams, 

as well as contribute sediment into the 

streams, which impacts water quality 

and decreases habitat quality for fish 

and other riparian fauna. 

• Wildlife Habitat. Activities 

intended to improve forest health and 

resiliency may reduce habitat 

effectiveness for some wildlife species, 

including forest raptors and big game. 

Scoping Process 

The 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 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 

comments 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. 

Dated: January 9, 2015. 

Sandra Henning, 

District Ranger. 

[FR Doc. 2015–00537 Filed 1–14–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Forestry Research Advisory Council 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Forestry Research 

Advisory Council (FRAC) will meet in 

Washington, DC. The Council is 

required by Section 1441 of the 

Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 to 

provide advice to the Secretary of 

Agriculture on accomplishing efficiently 

the purposes of the Act of October 10, 

1962 (16 U.S.C. 582a, et seq.), 

commonly known as the McIntireStennis Act of 1962. The Council also 

provides advice relative to the Forest 

Service research program, authorized by 

the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 

Resources Research Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 

95–307, 92 Stat. 353, as amended; 16 

U.S.C. 1600 (note)). The meeting is open 

to the public. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

February 18 and 19, 2015, from 8:30 

a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Forest Service International 

Programs office located at 1 Thomas 

Circle, Suite 400, Washington, DC. 

Written comments may be submitted as 

described under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. All comments, including 

names and addresses, when provided, 

are placed in the record and available 

for public inspection and copying. The 

public may inspect comments received 

at the USDA Forest Service— 

Washington Office. Visitors are 

encouraged to call ahead at 202–205– 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
2096 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 10 / Thursday, January 15, 2015 / Notices 

1665 to facilitate entry into the USDA 

Forest Service building. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Daina Dravnieks Apple, USDA Forest 

Service, Office of the Deputy Chief for 

Research and Development, by phone at 

202–205–1665. Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., 

Eastern Standard Time, Monday 

through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

purpose of the meeting is to: 

(1) Discuss current and emerging 

forestry and natural resource research 

issues; 

(2) provide a presentation and 

discussion on budget outlooks and 

program priorities of the US Forest 

Service Research and Development, and 

USDA National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture, including the McIntireStennis Cooperative Forestry Research 

Program, and 

(3) discuss anticipated matters that 

may include USDA engagement in 

natural resource-related STEM research 

and education, partnerships with other 

agencies, interdisciplinary research, 

research in urban forestry, wood 

products development, and landscapescale forest management. 

The discussion is limited to the Forest 

Service, National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture staff and Council members; 

however, persons who wish to bring 

forestry research matters to the attention 

of the Council may file written 

statements with the Designated Federal 

Officer before or after the meeting. 

Written comments concerning this 

meeting should be addressed to Daina 

Dravnieks Apple, Designated Federal 

Officer, Forestry Research Advisory 

Council, USDA Forest Service, Office of 

Research and Development, Mail Stop 

1120, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., 

Washington DC 20250–1120, or via 

fascimile to 202–401–1189 by February 

1, 2015. Additional information 

concerning the Council, including the 

meeting summary/minutes, can be 

provided by contacting Ms. Apple by 

email at dapple@fs.fed.us. 

Meeting Accommodations: If you 

require sign language interpreting, 

assistive listening devices or other 

reasonable accommodation, please 

request this in advance of the meeting 

by contacting the person listed in the 

section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. All reasonable 

accommodations requests are managed 

on a case-by-case basis. 

Dated: January 9, 2015. 

Carlos Rodriguez-Franco, 

Associate Deputy Chief, Research and 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2015–00547 Filed 1–14–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Final Record of Decisions for Kootenai 

and Idaho Panhandle National Forest 

Land Management Plans 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of plan approval for the 

Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle National 

Forests. 

SUMMARY: Regional Forester Faye 

Krueger signed the final Record of 

Decisions (RODs) for the Kootenai and 

Idaho Panhandle National Forests 

revised Land Management Plans (Plans) 

on January 5, 2015. The Final RODs 

document the Regional Forester’s 

decision and rationale for approving the 

revised Plans. 

DATES: The effective date of the Plans is 

February 17, 2015. To view the final 

RODs, FEIS and revised Plans please 

visit the Kootenai National Forest Web 

site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/

kootenai or Idaho Panhandle National 

Forest Web site at: http://

www.fs.usda.gov/main/ipnf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Further information about the Kootenai 

National Forest’s revised Plan can be 

obtained from Chris Savage during 

normal office hours (weekdays, 8:00 

a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time) at the 

Kootenai National Forest Supervisor’s 

Office (Address: Kootenai National 

Forest, 31374 US Highway 2, Libby, MT 

59923–3022); Phone/voicemail: (406) 

293–6211. 

Further information about the Idaho 

Panhandle National Forests’ revised 

Plan can be obtained from Mary 

Farnsworth during normal office hours 

(weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific 

Time) at the Idaho Panhandle National 

Forests Supervisor’s Office (Address: 

Idaho Panhandle National Forests, 3815 

Schreiber Way, Coeur D’Alene, ID 

83815); Phone/voicemail: (208) 765– 

7369. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., 

Eastern Standard Time, Monday 

through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

revised Plans describe desired 

conditions, include objectives, 

standards and guidelines, and identify 

lands suitable for various uses. The 

Plans will guide project and activity 

decision making and all resource 

management activities on the Forests for 

the next 15 years. They are part of the 

long-range resource planning framework 

established by the Forest and Rangeland 

Renewable Resources Planning of 1974 

(RPA), the Government Performance 

and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), and the 

2012 Revision of the USDA Forest 

Service Strategic Plan. 

The development of the revised Forest 

Plans spanned more than 13 years and 

was shaped by the best available 

science, current laws, public input from 

numerous public meetings and open 

houses, and more than 100 communitybased work group sessions. These open 

meetings identified the core values of 

local communities regarding natural 

resource management and highlighted 

the many points of agreement that exist 

among diverse participants. Our 

national forests face many new 

challenges including increasing 

demands for multiple uses, increasing 

population pressures and development 

of neighboring lands. The revised Plans 

lay the foundation to address and 

balance the economic, ecological and 

social needs of forest stakeholders, 

while continuing the legacy of 

protecting water and restoring forest 

health. The Plans are designed to 

facilitate management that will: Supply 

clean water, provide economic 

opportunities for local communities, 

restore and maintain ecosystems, 

improve the resistance and resiliency of 

the forest vegetation to undesirable 

disturbances and potential climate 

change effects, offer a diversity of 

recreation opportunities including 

remote settings, and utilize best 

available science. 

Dated: January 8, 2015. 

Faye Krueger, 

Regional Forester. 

[FR Doc. 2015–00538 Filed 1–14–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Notice of Request for Extension of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments 

requested. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES