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: 

25486 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 101 / Thursday, May 28, 2009 / Notices 

June 16, 2009, Plainview-Elgin-Millville 

High School, 500 West Broadway, 

Plainview, Minnesota; June 17, 2009, 

Wanamingo Community Center, 401 

Main Street, Wanamingo, Minnesota; 

June 18, 2009, City of St. Charles 

Community Meeting Room, 830 

Whitewater Avenue, St. Charles, 

Minnesota; June 23, 2009, La Crescent 

American Legion, 509 N. Chestnut, La 

Crescent, Minnesota; June 24, 2009, 

Centerville/Town of Trempealeau 

Community Center, W24854 State Road 

54/93, Galesville, Wisconsin; and June 

25, 2009, Cochrane-Fountain City High 

School, S2770 State Road 35, Fountain 

City, Wisconsin. All meetings will be 

held between 6–8:00 PM local time. 

Comments regarding the proposed 

project may be submitted (orally or in 

writing) at the public scoping meetings 

or in writing to RUS at the address 

listed in this notice no later than June 

29, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: To send comments or for 

further information, contact Stephanie 

Strength, Environmental Protection 

Specialist, USDA, Rural Utilities 

Service, Engineering and Environmental 

Staff, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250– 

1571, telephone: (202) 720–0468 or email: stephanie.strength@usda.gov. 

An Alternative Evaluation Study 

(AES) and Macro Corridor Study (MCS), 

prepared by Dairyland Power 

Cooperative, will be presented at the 

public scoping meetings. The reports are 

available for public review at the RUS 

address provided in this notice and at 

Dairyland Power Cooperative, 3251 East 

Avenue, South, La Crosse, WI 54602. In 

Addition, the reports will be available at 

RUS’ Web site, http://www.usda.gov/ 

rus/water/ees/eis.htm and at the 

following repositories: 

Alma Public Library, 312 North Main 

Street, Alma, WI 54610, Phone: 608– 

685–3823. 

Arcadia Public Library, 406 E Main 

Street, Arcadia, WI 54612, Phone: 

608–323–7505. 

Blair-Preston Library, 122 Urberg Street, 

Blair, WI 54616, Phone: 608–989– 

2502. 

Campbell Library, 2219 Bainbridge 

Street, La Crosse, WI 54603, Phone: 

608–783–0052. 

Cannon Falls Library, 306 West Mill 

Street, Cannon Falls, MN 55009, 

Phone: 507–263–2804. 

Dairyland Power Cooperative, 500 Old 

State Highway 35, Alma, WI 54610, 

Phone: 608–685–4497. 

Galesville Public Library, 16787 South 

Main Street, Galesville, WI 54630, 

Phone: 608–582–2552. 

Hokah Public Library, 57 Main Street, 

Hokah, MN 55941, Phone: 507–894– 

2665. 

Holmen Area Library, 16787 South 

Main Street, Galesville, WI 54630, 

Phone: 608–526–4198. 

Kenyon Public Library, 709 2nd Street, 

Kenyon, MN 55946, Phone: 507–789– 

6821. 

Riverland Energy Cooperative, N28988 

State Road 93, Arcadia, WI 54612, 

Phone: 608–323–3381. 

Rochester Public Library, 101 2nd Street 

SE., Rochester, MN 55963, Phone: 

507–328–2309. 

Shirley M. Wright Memorial Library, 

11455 Fremont Street, Trempealeau, 

WI 54650, Phone: 608–534–6197. 

St. Charles Public Library, 125 W 11th 

Street, St. Charles, MN 55927, Phone: 

507–932–3227. 

Tri-County Electric, 31110 Cooperative 

Way, Rushford, MN 55971, Phone: 

507–864–7783. 

La Crescent Public Library, 321 Main 

Street, La Crescent, MN 55947, Phone: 

507–895–4047. 

La Crosse Public Library, 800 Main 

Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, Phone: 

608–789–7109. 

Onalaska Public Library, 741 Oak 

Avenue, South, Onalaska, WI 54650, 

Phone: 608–781–9568. 

People’s Cooperative Services, 3935 

Hwy 14 E, Rochester, MN 55903, 

Phone: 507–288–4004. 

Plainview Public Library, 115 SE 3rd 

Street, Pine Island, MN 55963, Phone: 

507–534–3425. 

Van Horn Public Library, 115 SE 3rd 

Street, Pine Island, MN 55963, Phone: 

507–356–8558. 

Winona Public Library, 151 West 5th 

Street, Winona, MN 55987, Phone: 

507–452–4582. 

Xcel Energy, 5050 Service Drive, 

Winona, MN 55987, Phone: 800–422– 

0782. 

Xcel Energy, 1414 West Hamilton 

Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54701, Phone: 

715–839–2621. 

Zumbrota Public Library, 100 West 

Avenue, Zumbrota, MN 55992, Phone: 

507–732–5211. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Preliminary proposed transmission line 

corridors and siting areas for substations 

have been identified. The EIS will 

address the construction, operation, and 

management of the proposed project, 

which includes a 345-kV transmission 

line and associated infrastructure 

between Hampton, Minnesota and the 

La Crosse area of Wisconsin; 161-kV 

transmission lines in the vicinity of 

Rochester, Minnesota; construction and 

maintenance of access roads for all 

proposed transmission lines; 

construction of up to three new 

substations, and expansion of up to 

three existing substations. Total length 

of the transmission lines for the 

proposed project will be approximately 

150 miles. The project study area 

includes part or all of the following 

counties in Minnesota: Dakota, 

Goodhue, Wabasha, Winona, Houston, 

Olmsted, Rice, and Dodge. In 

Wisconsin, the project area includes 

parts of the following counties: La 

Crosse, Trempealeau, and Buffalo. 

Among the alternatives RUS will 

address in the EIS is the No Action 

alternative, under which the project 

would not be undertaken. In the EIS, the 

effects of the proposed project will be 

compared to the existing conditions in 

the area affected. Alternative 

transmission line corridors and 

substation locations will be refined as 

part of the EIS scoping process and will 

be addressed in the Draft EIS. RUS will 

carefully study public health and safety, 

environmental impacts, and engineering 

aspects of the proposed project and all 

related facilities. 

RUS will use input provided by 

government agencies, private 

organizations, and the public in the 

preparation of the Draft EIS. The Draft 

EIS will be available for review and 

comment for 45 days. A Final EIS that 

considers all comments received will 

subsequently be prepared. The Final EIS 

will be available for review and 

comment for 30 days. Following the 30- 

day comment period, RUS will prepare 

a Record of Decision (ROD). Notices 

announcing the availability of the Draft 

EIS, the Final EIS, and the ROD will be 

published in the Federal Register and in 

local newspapers. 

Any final action by RUS related to the 

proposed project will be subject to, and 

contingent upon, compliance with all 

relevant federal, state, and local 

environmental laws and regulations and 

completion of the environmental review 

requirements as prescribed in the RUS 

Environmental Policies and Procedures 

(7 CFR part 1794). 

Dated: May 22, 2009. 

Mark S. Plank, 

Director, Engineering and Environmental 

Staff, USDA/Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–12407 Filed 5–27–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P