Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 101 / Thursday, May 28, 2009 / Notices 25483 

Scoring criteria Points 

8. Extent to which the work plan 

clearly articulates a well 

thought out approach to accomplishing objectives; and 

clearly defines who will be 

served by the study.

Up to 40. 

9. Extent to which the evaluation 

methods are specific to the 

program, clearly defined, 

measurable, with expected 

project outcomes.

Up to 20. 

10. Type of technical assistance 

applicant is providing.

Up to 20. 

11. Project duration .................... Up to 5. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. RUS will rank all qualifying 

applications by their final score. 

Applications will be selected for 

funding, based on the highest scores and 

the availability of funding for the Water 

Resource Studies grants. Each applicant 

will be notified in writing of the score 

its application receives. 

B. In making its decision about your 

application, RUS may determine that 

your application is: 

1. Eligible and selected for funding; 

2. Eligible but offered fewer funds than 

requested; 

3. Eligible but not selected for funding; 

or 

4. Ineligible for the grant. 

C. In accordance with 7 CFR part 

1900, subpart B, you generally have the 

right to appeal adverse decisions. Some 

adverse decisions cannot be appealed. 

For example, if you are denied RUS 

funding due to a lack of funds available 

for the grant program, this decision 

cannot be appealed. However, you may 

make a request to the National Appeals 

Division (NAD) to review the accuracy 

of our finding that the decision cannot 

be appealed. The appeal must be in 

writing and filed at the appropriate 

Regional Office, which can be found at 

http://www.nad.usda.gov/offices.htm or 

by calling (703) 305–1166. 

D. Applicants selected for funding 

will complete a grant agreement, which 

outlines the terms and conditions of the 

grant award. 

E. Grantees will be reimbursed as 

follows: 

1. SF–270, ‘‘Request for Advance or 

Reimbursement,’’ will be completed by 

the grantee and submitted to either the 

State or National Office not more 

frequently than monthly. 

2. Upon receipt of a properly 

completed SF–270, payment will 

ordinarily be made within 30 days. 

3. Grantees are encouraged to use 

women- and minority-owned banks (a 

bank which is owned at least 50 percent 

by women or minority group members) 

for the deposit and disbursement of 

funds. 

F. Any change in the scope of the 

project, budget adjustments of more 

than 10 percent of the total budget, or 

any other significant change in the 

project must be reported to and 

approved by the approval official by 

written amendment to RUS Guide 1775– 

1 (Grant Agreement). Any change not 

approved may be cause for termination 

of the grant. 

G. Project reporting. 

1. Grantees shall constantly monitor 

performance to ensure that time 

schedules are being met, projected work 

by time periods is being accomplished, 

and other performance objectives are 

being achieved. 

2. SF–269, ‘‘Financial Status Report 

(short form),’’ and a project performance 

activity report will be required of all 

grantees on a quarterly basis, due 30 

days after the end of each quarter. 

3. A final project performance report 

will be required with the last SF–269 

due 90 days after the end of the last 

quarter in which the project is 

completed. The final report may serve 

as the last quarterly report. 

4. All multi-State grantees are to 

submit an original of each report to the 

National Office. Grantees serving only 

one State are to submit an original of 

each report to the State Office. The 

project performance reports should 

detail, preferably in a narrative format, 

activities that have transpired for the 

specific time period. 

H. The grantee will provide an audit 

report or financial statements as follows: 

1. Grantees expending $500,000 or 

more Federal funds per fiscal year will 

submit an audit conducted in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–133. 

The audit will be submitted within 9 

months after the grantee’s fiscal year. 

Additional audits may be required if the 

project period covers more than one 

fiscal year. 

2. Grantees expending less than 

$500,000 will provide annual financial 

statements covering the grant period, 

consisting of the Grantee’s statement of 

income and expense and balance sheet 

signed by an appropriate official of the 

Grantee. Financial statements will be 

submitted within 90 days after the 

grantee’s fiscal year. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

A. Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/ 

water. The RUS’ Web site maintains upto-date resources and contact 

information for Technical Assistance 

and Training Grants program. 

B. Phone: 202–720–9586. 

C. Fax: 202–690–0649. 

D. E-mail: anita.obrien@wdc.usda.gov. 

E. Main point of contact: Anita 

O’Brien, Loan Specialist, Water and 

Environmental Programs, Water 

Programs Division, Rural Utilities 

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Dated: May 1, 2009. 

James R Newby, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–12344 Filed 5–27–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest; 

Evanston-Mountain View Ranger 

District; Utah; Blacks Fork Salvage 

Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Evanston-Mountain View 

Ranger District of the Uinta-WasatchCache National Forest proposes to treat 

about 3,000 acres of a variety of 

vegetation types within the 39,800 acre 

Blacks Fork project area, located in 

Summit County, Utah approximately 20 

miles southeast of Evanston, Wyoming. 

Proposed treatments include timber 

harvest, prescribed fire, and mechanical 

thinning. This proposal is being 

developed in direct response to the 

continuing mountain pine beetle 

epidemic in the area and its potential 

long-term impacts on the Blacks Fork 

area. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by June 

24, 2009. The draft environmental 

impact statement is expected November 

2009 and the final environmental 

impact statement is expected March 

2010. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: 

Blacks Fork Salvage Project, Attn: 

Stephen Ryberg, P.O. Box 1880, 

Evanston, WY 82931. Comments can 

also be hand delivered Monday through 

Friday 8 to 4:30 at the following 

address: 1565 Highway 150 suite A 

located in Evanston, Wyoming. In 

addition, comments can be submitted 

electronically to: comments-intermtnwasatch-cache-evanstonmtnview@fs.fed.us or submitted via 

facsimile to 307–789–8639. 

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 

25484 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 101 / Thursday, May 28, 2009 / Notices 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. The submission of timely 

and specific comments can affect a 

reviewer’s ability to participate in 

subsequent administrative review 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 review or 

judicial review. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Stephen Ryberg, District Ranger or Amy 

Barker, Environmental Coordinator at 

307–789–3194. 

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. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The primary purpose of this project is 

to salvage dead lodgepole pine. 

Associated with this site is the removal 

of mistletoe infested trees within the 

treatment units which will prevent 

infection onto the lodgepole pine that 

will regenerate in the salvaged 

openings. The need for action now is 

due to the ongoing mountain pine beetle 

epidemic and resulting mortality. Trees 

rapidly lose value as sawtimber once 

they are dead and begin to dry and 

decay. Salvaging dead conifers will 

provide commercial timber that 

contributes to a sustainable level of 

goods and services within area 

communities. The Wasatch-Cache 

Revised Forest Plan (2003) directs the 

use of timber harvest where allowed, to 

contribute to the economy while 

achieving properly functioning 

conditions of vegetation and 

watersheds. 

A second purpose of this project is to 

provide wildlife habitat improvements 

to aspen, willow, and lodgepole habitat 

components. There is concern about the 

loss of aspen to conifer encroachment 

adjacent to riparian areas, wetlands, and 

beaver ponds. Stimulating aspen 

regeneration via salvage harvest and/or 

prescribed fire will improve beaver 

habitat, riparian hardwood health, and 

wetland hydrologic functions. There is 

a need to treat willow to increase vigor 

and age class diversity to improve 

wildlife browse. Salvaged lodgepole 

pine units will regenerate evenly to 

create large and dense lodgepole pine 

stands for future goshawk habitat. 

A third purpose of this project is to 

reduce overall fuel loadings in treated 

stands. This reduction in fuel loading 

within treated stands is expected to 

result in a more patchy mosaic of burn 

conditions (compared to large expanses 

of heavy fuels across the landscape) for 

future wildfires, producing a more 

resilient landscape. Defensible space/ 

fuel breaks created around or on the 

upwind side of the developed sites at 

the Lyman Lake Youth Camp, access 

road, and campground will alter local 

fire behavior and help alleviate 

concerns regarding protection of 

structures and visitors in the event of a 

wildfire. Salvaging lodgepole pine in 

the units adjacent to these 

developments and treating the resulting 

slash will further modify large fire 

behavior in this general vicinity. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed project includes 

treatment over approximately 3,000 

acres of aspen, mixed aspen/lodgepole, 

and willow communities using timber 

harvest, prescribed fire, and mechanical 

fuels treatments. 

Timber salvage harvest would be used 

over approximately 1,880 acres of the 

lodgepole pine and mixed lodgepole 

pine/aspen. Salvage of the dead and 

removal of the beetle infested and/or 

dwarf mistletoe infected trees would 

result in treatments with essentially all 

but the snags removed. Snags would be 

left in clumps and islands to keep them 

wind firm and intact. Regeneration of 

lodgepole pine and/or aspen can be 

expected within the treatment units. 

Approximately 560 acres (primarily 

aspen-conifer communities) of the 1,880 

salvage acres described previously 

would also be treated with prescribed 

fire in a mosaic pattern following the 

timber harvest. This will help stimulate 

aspen regeneration by causing at least 

60% mortality in the aspen overstory. 

Slash from the logging operations would 

create a fuel bed sufficient to carry the 

fire. 

Approximately 980 acres of the mixed 

aspen and conifer type would be 

burned, in a mosaic pattern to stimulate 

aspen and mixed aspen/lodgepole 

regeneration in patches. Approximately 

40% to 80% of these acres would be 

burned with sufficient intensity to 

create these patches. A focus in this is 

to burn areas near old beaver ponds to 

recreate favorable habitat conditions 

and restore hydrologic function in these 

areas. 

Approximately 90 acres of willow, 

along the river’s edge would be treated 

with fire to create openings and patches 

for young willows to become 

established. 

Approximately 50 acres near Lyman 

Lake campground and youth camp will 

be treated by thinning, hand felling, and 

piling of ladder fuels and dead wood to 

create defensible space/fuelbreaks. This 

is likely to be mostly small, noncommercial material, but there may be 

some commercial size trees treated as 

well (such as larger trees overhanging 

buildings). 

The Blacks Fork project area has a 

fairly extensive road system in place 

and most of the general treatment areas 

are accessible. However, approximately 

12.0 miles of temporary roads may be 

constructed to access specific treatment 

units. Of the 12.0 miles, about 3.0 miles 

are old logging roads (2 track) that are 

not considered system roads. While 

these are considered new construction, 

analysis should recognize that the prism 

is in place and construction thus will 

result in less soil disturbance. Following 

treatments, all temporary roads would 

be obliterated, the road prism returned 

to contour, and the surface revegetated. 

Surface roughening and slash will be 

used on the obliterated sections to 

reduce erosion potential while 

vegetation becomes established. 

Approximately 1.1 miles of FS Road 

#80064 that is currently open to four 

wheel drive traffic would be improved 

to accommodate salvage logging traffic. 

Approximately 1.2 miles of the Brush 

Creek Road (#8 1657) would be also 

used. Approximately 3.0 miles of the 

Horse Creek Road (#885 13) and 0.7 

miles of Road #84090 would also be 

improved and used. 

The Brush Creek portion of the 

analysis area contains mixed National 

Forest System land and private land 

ownership. Access to this area has been 

via an old decaying wood bridge which 

was overlaid with a newer railcar bridge 

in 2001. The Brush Creek road was built 

by private parties roughly 40 years ago 

to access their lands south of the West 

Fork Blacks Fork, however, they 

constructed the bridge and portions of 

their access road on National Forest 

System lands. While the area is 

currently accessable using the railcar 

bridge, this type of bridge is not an 

engineered structure and thus cannot be 

certified by Forest Service engineers as 

safe for travel. Until it is replaced with 

a permanent engineer rated bridge, 

proper easements cannot be executed 

between the private landowner and the 

Forest Service to provide legal access to 

the area. The current location of the 

bridge abutments constrain water flow 

in the West Fork Blacks Fork channel 

resulting in downstream erosion of the 

south bank. These abutments are rotting 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 101 / Thursday, May 28, 2009 / Notices 25485 

and the original wooden bridge stringers 

and deck are beginning to fall into the 

stream channel. Constructing the bridge 

so the structure does not impede water 

flow, particularily during periods of 

high water, will be beneficial to the 

aquatic habitats. As part of the proposed 

action the West Fork Blacks Fork bridge 

will be replaced to provide access to 

salvage the lodgepole pine stands in 

Section 18, which are heavily infested 

by mountain pine beetles. Over the long 

term, it would provide access for the 

private property owner while allowing 

fire access, and other types of 

administrative uses on the National 

Forest by the Forest Service. This road 

has been gated for many years and this 

would continue if the bridge were 

replaced. The road would be 

periodically maintained to prevent 

erosion and deterioration of the road 

prism. The execution of easements 

would establish legal access and also 

provide for future maintenance. 

There are five basic techniques that 

will be used to contain prescribed fire 

in the treatment units. Fire will be used 

alone or in conjunction with 

commercial timber harvest to achieve a 

mosaic of burned and unburned patches 

within some of the units. Specific 

methods of line control will be specified 

in the burn plan. Construction of line 

will use the minimum necessary 

disturbance. The following estimates of 

miles of each kind of fire line are 

approximate, but represent the upper 

end (most line construction) for control 

lines. It is likely that firing techniques 

will be utilized more and constructed 

lines less than the estimates given. 

At least 3.9 miles of unit perimeter 

will utilize terrain features in 

conjunction with the firing patterns to 

selectively burn portions of the units. 

Natural features such as rock outcrops, 

openings, and wet riparian/stream 

corridors, will serve as anchors for 

utilizing firing techniques. In particular, 

Blacks Fork will function as the west 

fireline for most of the eastern burn 

unit. Created features such as areas 

where timber has been harvested may 

also be appropriate for control lines, 

depending on fuel conditions. 

Up to about 0.3 miles of handline 

(averaging 24 to 36 inches wide and 

cleared to mineral soil) will be built and 

rehabilitated. Where vegetation is short 

and light, such as in sage and grass, 

fireline constructed by hand will be 

used to anchor the burning. Line will be 

appropriately rehabilitated (by 

mulching, seeding, and/or water 

barring, as needed) following 

completion of the burning to prevent 

erosion. 

Approximately 1.0 miles of machine 

line could be used. Heavy equipment 

will be used to construct fireline where 

fuels are larger than feasible for 

handline, and natural features/firing 

techniques are not adequate for control. 

Line will average 72 to 96 inches in 

width and be cleared to mineral soil. 

Possible equipment includes (but is not 

limited to) bulldozers, rubber tired 

skidders, trail cats, and tracked 

excavators. Following burning, the lines 

will be rehabilitated (seeded and water 

barred as needed, and where available 

woody debris may be scattered along for 

microsite protection). 

Approximately 0.9 miles of skid trails 

(including incidental machine line) will 

be used as fire containment lines. In 

timber sale units that have burning as 

secondary treatments skid trails for log 

removal will be placed along the 

perimeter and used also for containment 

of the fire. Skid trails are generally 

about 96 inches in width and have 

mineral soil exposed throughout much 

of their surface. As in the machine line, 

these will be rehabilitated following 

burning to prevent erosion. In small 

portions where it is not feasible to skid 

along the boundary then machine line 

will be built. 

Approximately 4.1 miles of Forest 

System Road will be used for fire 

containment. Where existing roads 

coincide with burn unit boundaries 

these will be used as fire lines, such as 

along the eastern boundary of the 

eastern burn unit. 

Possible Alternatives 

In addition to the Proposed Action, a 

no action alternative will be considered. 

This alternative would simply continue 

current management without the actions 

of this proposal. Other alternatives may 

be developed in response to issues 

generated during the scoping process. 

Responsible Official 

Evanston-Mountain View District 

Ranger. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The decision to be made is whether or 

not to implement vegetation treatments 

in the Blacks Fork project area, and if 

so, to what degree and where. 

Preliminary Issues 

Preliminary issues are the effects of 

treatments on wildlife habitat, and the 

effects of insect and disease outbreaks 

on current forest health. 

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 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. The submission of timely 

and specific comments can affect a 

reviewer’s ability to participate in 

subsequent administrative appeal or 

judicial review. 

Dated: May 19, 2009. 

Stephen M. Ryberg, 

District Ranger. 

[FR Doc. E9–12124 Filed 5–27–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Dairyland Power Cooperative, Inc.: 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

Hold Public Scoping Meetings 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

Hold Public Scoping Meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) intends to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

and hold public scoping meetings and 

in connection with possible impacts 

related to a project proposed by 

Dairyland Power Cooperative in the 

CapX 2020 Hampton-Rochester-La 

Crosse Transmission Line Project. The 

proposal consists of the construction of 

a 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line 

and associated infrastructure between 

Hampton, Minnesota and the La Crosse 

area in Wisconsin. The project also 

includes construction of new 161-kV 

transmission lines and associated 

facilities in the area of Rochester, 

Minnesota. The total length of 345-kV 

and 161-kV transmission lines 

associated with the proposed project 

will be approximately 150 miles. 

Proposed and alternate transmission 

segments and locations for proposed 

and alternate associated facilities have 

been identified by Dairyland Power 

Cooperative. Dairyland Power 

Cooperative is requesting RUS to 

provide financing for its portion of the 

proposed project. 

DATES: RUS will conduct six public 

scoping meetings in an open-house 

format followed by a discussion period: