36654 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 141 / Friday, July 24, 2009 / Notices 

grant, or loan guarantee recipient to use 

foreign iron, steel, or manufactured 

goods in a given project. Project specific 

exceptions may not be used unless 

requested by the applicant, approved by 

the Agency, and published in the 

Federal Register as noted below. 

Justifications: Any exception must be 

based on one of the following three 

justifications: 

• Non-availability. Iron, steel, or 

relevant manufactured goods are not 

produced or manufactured in sufficient 

and reasonably available commercial 

quantities of a satisfactory quality. 

• Unreasonable cost. The cost of 

domestic iron, steel, or relevant 

manufactured goods will increase the 

cost of the overall project by more than 

25%. 

• Public interest. The application of 

these restrictions would be inconsistent 

with the public interest. 

(4) International Agreements. Section 

1605(d) does not apply to 

implementation of the Buy American 

provisions in Recovery Act for USDA, 

Rural Development programs. 

Dated: July 17, 2009. 

Judith A. Canales, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–17600 Filed 7–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Shasta-Trinity National Forest, 

California; Harris Vegetation 

Management Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest proposes to improve forest health 

and restore fire-adapted ecosystem 

characteristics on approximately 3,000 

acres of National Forest System Lands 

in and adjacent to the Harris Mountain 

Late-Successional Reserve. Ground and 

ladder fuels would be reduced. In 

addition, forested stands would be 

thinned to yield a fire-resilient forest 

where periodic low-intensity surface 

fires can be safely reintroduced. 

Selective removal of trees is proposed to 

produce forested areas dominated by 

fire-resilient tree species with 

sustainable densities and to exhibit 

stand structure that provides habitat for 

late-seral dependent species. Reducing 

overcrowded conditions will enhance 

tree survival from insects, drought and 

disease, and natural disturbance. Trees 

to be removed would generally be 

smaller in size than trees retained; 

renewable by-products including 

commercial sawtimber and energy from 

biomass are expected. Dying and 

diseased mature lodgepole stands 

within the project area would be 

regenerated through the removal of most 

overstory trees. Aspen and oak 

hardwood trees species will be retained. 

Removal of conifers competing with 

existing aspen and oak hardwood trees 

will enhance the overall diversity of 

forest stands. Surface and ladder fuel 

loads will be reduced through removal 

of brush and small-diameter trees in the 

forest understory and by underburning. 

Proposed road reconstruction, closure 

and decommissioning will aid in 

restoration of drainage patterns and 

sediment regimes supporting aquatic 

systems. The project is located in 

Siskiyou County within portions of 

T41N, R1E, section 1; T42N R1E section 

36; T42N R2E sections 17–21 and 28– 

36; and T41N R2E sections 1–6 and 9 

Mt. Diablo Meridian. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received no later 

than 30 days after the publication of this 

notice in the Federal Register. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in April 2010 and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in September 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

District Ranger Priscila S. Franco, 

Shasta-McCloud Management Unit, 204 

W. Alma St., Mt. Shasta, California 

96067. Electronic comments can be sent 

via e-mail to: commentspacificsouthwest-shasta-trinitymtshasta-mccloud@fs.fed.us. 

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: John 

Natvig, P.O. Box 688, Hot Springs, SD 

57747, telephone (605) 745–3253, e-mail 

jnatvig@fs.fed.us. 

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 purpose of the proposed action is 

to improve forest health and growth, 

protect and enhance conditions of latesuccessional forest ecosystems and 

reduce fuel loading. The 9,100 acre 

project area falls within lands identified 

by the Shasta-Trinity Land and 

Resource Management Plan (Forest 

Plan) as Matrix (76 percent) and LateSuccessional Reserve (24 percent). 

Forest stands are overcrowded resulting 

in competition for water, nutrients and 

sunlight—conditions which increase the 

risk of insect infestation. Lodgepole 

pine stands in the project area are 

overmature and infected with disease. 

The overstory trees are dying and new 

trees are becoming established; 

however, disease is spreading from the 

overstory to the new stand. Natural 

disturbances, such as wildfire that 

released aspen and oak hardwoods, 

have been suppressed over the last 60 

years; hardwoods are in decline as a 

result. Conifer species dominate the 

overstory canopy and out-compete 

aspen and oak hardwoods for available 

sunlight and other site resources. LateSuccessional Reserves are allocated by 

the Forest Plan to provide latesuccessional and old-growth forest; 

however, less than one percent of this 

reserve is currently providing such 

habitat (Shasta-Trinity National Forest 

Wide Late-Successional Reserve 

Assessment, 1999). Dense forest 

conditions delay the development of 

early seral to mid-successional 

conditions and mid-successional to latesuccessional stands. Dense understory 

trees coupled with an accumulation of 

surface fuels increases the chances of a 

wildfire reaching the overstory canopy, 

yielding the potential for stand 

replacement. The proposed action is 

also designed to provide for proper 

drainage of system roads to minimize 

surface erosion. It will also ensure that 

culverts in the area are fully functional 

and of proper size to facilitate area 

drainage and prevent erosion-causing 

water flow over the surface of the road. 

There are approximately two miles of 

unclassified and Forest System roads in 

the project area that are unnecessary for 

long term management; the proposed 

action would decommission these road 

segments. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action includes: (1) 

Thinning in mixed conifer stands; (2) 

lodgepole pine regeneration harvest; (3) 

enhancement and retention of 

hardwood species; (4) fuel treatments; 

(5) road reconstruction; and (6) road 

decommissioning. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 141 / Friday, July 24, 2009 / Notices 36655 

Activities included in this proposal 

would result in: 

(a) Approximately 1,650 acres would 

be thinned by removing understory and 

midstory trees to improve stand health, 

growth and resistance to insect and 

disease; 

(b) Approximately 400 acres of 

overstocked stands within the Harris 

Mountain Late Successional Reserve 

would be thinned by removing 

primarily understory and midstory trees 

to promote the growth of large diameter 

trees, improve stand health and reduce 

ladder fuels. Thinning treatments would 

retain 10 percent or more of the stand 

in unthinned patches and up to 15 

percent of the stand would be in heavily 

thinned patches or openings up to 1⁄4

acre in size for stand diversity; 

(c) Approximately 260 acres of 

overstocked and diseased lodgepole 

pine stands would be regenerated by 

harvesting most overstory trees. A 

minimum of 15 percent of the overstory 

would remain. A new stand would be 

established through natural regeneration 

and targeted planting; 

(d) Oak trees within harvest units and 

one aspen stand of approximately 20 

acres would be released by removing 

conifers; 

(e) Forest fuels would be reduced by 

thinning to decrease understory and 

mid-story stocking on a total of 

approximately 2,050 acres. Following 

harvest, approximately 320 acres of 

heavy surface fuels would be machinepiled and burned. Underburning some 

areas with a relatively cool surface fire 

would reduce surface fuel loading. 

Following thinning, 660 acres would be 

underburned and prescribed fire would 

reduce fuels on 620 acres outside 

harvest units; 

(f) Salvage harvest within the Harris 

Mountain Late-Successional Reserve 

would reduce fuel loading on 30 acres; 

(g) Road management would decrease 

the open-road density by 

decommissioning approximately 1⁄2

mile of Forest System road and 11⁄2

miles of unclassified roads. Erosion of 

existing roads would be decreased 

through improved road drainage, culvert 

replacement and surfacing roads with 

rock. 

Forest thinning and fuels reduction 

would be accomplished primarily 

through commercial harvest. Harvest 

operations would yield sawtimber and 

chip products. Trees would be felled, 

removed and processed with 

mechanized equipment. Harvested trees 

would be transported from the stump to 

central landing areas adjacent to roads 

where they would be limbed and 

processed into sawtimber logs or chips. 

Responsible Official 

J. Sharon Heywood, Forest 

Supervisor, Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The Forest Supervisor will decide 

whether to implement the proposed 

action, take an alternative action that 

meets the purpose and need or take no 

action. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. The project is 

included in the Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest’s quarterly schedule of proposed 

actions (SOPA). Information on the 

proposed action will also be posted on 

the forest Web site (http:// 

www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/projects) 

and advertised in both the Redding 

Record Searchlight and the Mount 

Shasta Herald. 

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: July 16, 2009. 

J. Sharon Heywood, 

Forest Supervisor, Shasta-Trinity National 

Forest. 

[FR Doc. E9–17515 Filed 7–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 

Notice of FCIC’s Proposed Pricing 

Methodology for Grain Sorghum 

AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance 

Corporation, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Section 12009 of the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

(2008 Farm Bill) requires the Federal 

Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) to 

obtain the services of five expert 

reviewers to ‘‘develop and recommend 

a methodology for determining an 

expected market price for grain sorghum 

for both the production and revenuebased plans of insurance to more 

accurately reflect the actual market 

price at harvest’’ and for FCIC to publish 

the selected methodology for notice and 

comment on the methodology. 

DATES: Written comments on this notice 

will be accepted until September 22, 

2009. A public meeting will be held on 

August 20, 2009, at 9 a.m., at 6501 

Beacon Drive, Kansas City, MO 64133 to 

discuss the proposed methodology. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments to 

Quintrell Hollis, United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

Product Design Branch, Federal Crop 

Insurance Corporation, Risk 

Management Agency, 6501 Beacon 

Drive, Mail Stop 813, Kansas City, MO 

64133. Written comments may also be 

submitted electronically to: 

grainpricecomments@rma.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Quintrell Hollis at the Kansas City, MO 

address listed above, telephone (816) 

926–3421. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background: The Risk Management 

Agency (RMA), on behalf of FCIC, uses 

the United States Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) estimates to 

establish grain sorghum price elections. 

The Actual Production History (APH) 

plan of insurance relies heavily on 

projections from USDA’s World 

Agricultural Supply and Demand 

Estimates. The revenue-based plans of 

insurance use USDA grain sorghum-tocorn ratio multiplied by a futures price. 

The USDA’s grain sorghum estimate 

reflects season average price, but the 

National Sorghum Producers did not 

feel that this process offers grain 

sorghum producers a price that 

adequately reflects harvest time price. 

As a result, section 12009 of the 2008 

Farm Bill requires FCIC to contract for 

the services of five expert reviewers to 

‘‘develop and recommend a 

methodology for determining an 

expected market price for grain sorghum 

for both the production and revenuebased plans of insurance to more 

accurately reflect the actual price at 

harvest.’’ The legislation further 

requires FCIC to review the 

recommendations, consider the 

recommendations when determining an 

appropriate methodology, publish its 

proposed methodology for public 

comment, and implement a 

methodology that is transparent and 

replicable for 2010 crop year. The expert 

reviewers, all agricultural economists 

with experience in the grain sorghum 

and corn markets, are from within 

USDA, the grain sorghum industry and 

institutions of higher learning. They are: 

• Dr. Holly Wang, Purdue University. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES