Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Notices 67171

4. Draft Guidelines on the Judgement

of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures

Associated with Food Inspection and

Certification Systems—Comments at

Step 6, DOCUMENT CL 2001/25–FICS;

DOCUMENT ALINORM 01/30A,

Appendix III; DOCUMENT CX/FICS 02/

4

5. Proposed Draft Guidelines on the

Judgement of Equivalence of Technical

Regulations Associated with Food

Inspection and Certification Systems—

Comments at Step 3, DOCUMENT CX/

FICS 02/5; DOCUMENT CX/FICS 02/5–

Add.1

6. Proposed Draft Guidelines for the

Utilization and Promotion of Quality

Assurance Systems to Meet

Requirements in Relation to Food—

Comments at Step 3, DOCUMENT CX/

FICS 02/6; DOCUMENT CX/FICS 02/6–

Add.1

7. Proposed Draft Revision to the

Codex Guidelines for the Exchange of

Information in Food Control Emergency

Situations—Comments at Step 3,

DOCUMENT CX/FICS 02/7;

DOCUMENT CX/FICS 02/7–Add.1

8. Other Business and Future Work. In

advance of the meetings, the U.S.

Delegate to CCFICS will have assigned

responsibility for development of U.S.

positions on these issues to members of

the U.S. government. The individuals

assigned responsibility will be named at

the meetings and will take comments

and develop draft U.S. positions. All

interested parties are invited to provide

information and comments on the above

issues, or on any other issues that may

be brought before CCFICS.

Public Meetings

At the January 8th public meeting, the

issues will be reviewed and comments

will be received. At the February 7th

public meeting, the draft United States’

positions on the issues will be described

and discussed, and attendees will have

the opportunity to pose questions and

offer comments.

Please state that your comments relate

to CCFICS activities and specify which

issues your comments address.

Additional Public Notification

Public awareness of all segments of

rulemaking and policy development is

important. Consequently, in an effort to

better ensure that minorities, women,

and persons with disabilities are aware

of this notice, FSIS will announce it and

provide copies of the Federal Register

publication in the FSIS Constituent

Update. FSIS provides a weekly

Constituent Update, which is

communicated via fax to over 300

organizations and individuals. In

addition, the update is available on-line

through the FSIS web page located at

http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is

used to provide information regarding

FSIS policies, procedures, regulations,

Federal Register notices, FSIS public

meeting, recalls, and any other types of

information that could effect or would

be of interest to our constituents/

stakeholders. The constituent fax list

consists of industry, trade, and farm

groups, consumer interest groups, allied

health professionals, scientific

professionals, and other individuals that

have requested to be included. Through

these various channels, FSIS is able to

provide information to a much broader,

more diverse audience.

For more information and to be added

to the constituent fax list, fax your

request to the Congressional and Public

Affairs Office at (202) 720–5704.

F. Edward Scarbrough,

U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.

[FR Doc. 01–31947 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Foreign

Agricultural Service’s (FAS) intention to

request an extension for a currently

approved information collection in

support of the Public Law 480, Title I

program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by February 26, 2002 to be

assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Hawkins, Director, Program

Administration Division, Foreign

Agricultural Service, Room 4077 South

Building, Stop 1031, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave.,

SW., Washington, DC 20250–1031,

telephone (202) 720–3241.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Request for Vessel Approval,

Form CCC–105; and Request for Vessel

Approval Form CCC–105 (cotton).

OMB Number: 0551–0008.

Expiration Date of Approval: April 30,

2002.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: Title I of the Agricultural

Trade Development and Assistance Act

of 1954, as amended (Public Law 480)

authorizes the Commodity Credit

Corporation (CCC) to finance the sale

and exportation of agricultural

commodities on concessional terms. 7

U.S.C. 1701 et seq. Shipping agents or

embassies submit pertinent shipping

information on Form CCC–105 to

facilitate approval by CCC of shipping

arrangements. This approval is

necessary to assure compliance with

cargo preference requirements at the

lowest cost to CCC. Agents submit this

document in order that USDA can

generate the CCC–106, a necessary

payment document. Ocean carriers then

receive payment for ocean freight.

Estimate of Burden: The public

reporting burden is 15 minutes per

response for suppliers of ocean

transportation reporting details of

freight transactions.

Respondents: Business or other forprofit.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 5.

Estimated Total Annual Burden of

Respondents: 9 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Kimberly Chisley,

the Agency Information Collection

Coordinator, at (202) 720–2568.

Requests for comments: Comments

are requested on (a) whether the

proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of

the functions of the agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

through the use of automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

comments may be sent to William

Hawkins, Director, Program

Administration Division, Foreign

Agricultural Service Room 4077 South

Building, Stop 1031, U.S. department of

agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave.,

SW., Washington, DC 20250–1031,

telephone (202) 720–2600 (voice and

TDD). All responses to this notice will

be summarized and included in the

request for OMB approval. All

67172 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Notices

comments will become a matter of

public record.

Frank Lee,

Acting General Sales Manager, Foreign

Agricultural Service and Acting Vice

President, Commodity Credit Corporation.

[FR Doc. 01–31948 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–10–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Star Fire Restoration; Eldorado

National Forest, Placer County, CA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The Star Fire burned 16,800

acres in August and September, 2001,

on the Tahoe and Eldorado National

Forests. Of the total fire, approximately

2,416 acres burned on the Georgetown

Ranger District of the Eldorado National

Forest. The USDA, Forest Service,

Eldorado National Forest will prepare

an environmental impact statement

(EIS) on a proposal to treat

approximately 1650 acres of fire killed

and damaged trees in the Star Fire

burned area. The fire area is identified

in the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan

Amendment as old forest emphasis and

general forest. The purpose of the

project is to enhance the development of

old forest conditions over the long term

by reducing fuel accumulation and fire

hazard, increasing the ability to

suppress future wildfire, increasing

ground cover to protect soil productivity

and improve watershed condition, and

recovering the value of wood products

to fund reforestation and restoration.

The proposed action is also designed to

contribute to snag and log needs of

wildlife, improve aquatic habitats and

stream channel function, and provide

for public and forest worker safety. It is

believed that watershed condition and

the probability of growing old forest

conditions over the long term will be

improved by this project.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope

and implementation of this proposal

should be received by January 4, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

Patricia Ferrell, Project Leader, Eldorado

National Forest, 100 Forni Road,

Placerville, CA 95667.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions and comments about this EIS

should be directed to Patricia Ferrell, at

the above address, or call her at 530–

642–5146.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The fire

caused extensive tree mortality. Field

examination indicates that 71% of the

project area currently exhibits >75%

stand mortality by basal area, 2% of the

project area is unburned, 20% of the

project area is non forest (rock and

barren areas) and plantations, and 7% of

the project area currently exhibits 75%

mortality by basal area. Additional

mortality is likely to become evident

next spring and summer as more crowns

begin to brown and bark beetles become

established. As a result of the fire, much

of the project area has reverted from mid

to late seral forest conditions to early

seral forest. Establishment of old forest

requires survival and growth of

individual trees and forested stands

over the next 250+ years without the

occurrence of another stand replacing

fire. Preventing another stand replacing

fire involves a combination of recurring

fuel treatments to modify fire behavior,

and effective suppression. Removal of

dead trees will reduce future fuel

accumulation, improve the ability to

effectively suppress future wildfires,

and increase the ability to maintain low

fuel conditions through prescribed fire.

The process of removing dead trees

would maintain soil productivity for

tree growth by immediately increasing

effective ground cover (limbs, twigs, and

small boles) to reduce soil erosion. The

proposed action would remove dead

trees using ground based, skyline, and

helicopter logging methods. Trees

posing a safety hazard to the public and

forest workers would be removed along

maintenance level 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

roads. Roads would be reconstructed to

facilitate tree removal and improve

watershed condition. Slash and small

dead trees would be treated to provide

ground cover and reduce long term fuel

loading. Protection would be applied to

sensitive plants, wildlife species, and

cultural resources.

The proposed action is consistent

with the 1989 Eldorado National Forest

Land and Resource Management Plan as

amended by the Sierra Nevada Forest

Plan Amendment Record of Decision

(2001).

The decision to be made is whether to

adopt and implement the proposed

action, an alternative to the proposed

action, or take no action to remove fire

killed and damaged trees in the project

area.

Other alternatives will be developed

based on significant issues identified

during the scoping process for the

environmental impact statement. All

alternatives will need to respond to the

specific condition of providing benefits

equal to or better than the current

condition. Alternatives being

considered at this time include: (1) No

Action and (2) the Proposed Action.

Public participation will be especially

important at several points during the

analysis. The Forest Service will be

seeking information, comments, and

assistance from the Federal, State, and

local agencies and other individuals or

organizations who may be interested in

or affected by the proposed action. To

facilitate public participation

information about the proposed action

is being mailed to all who have

expressed interest in the proposed

action based on publication in the

Eldorado National Forest Schedule of

Proposed Action and notification of the

public scoping period will be published

in the Mountain Democrat, Placerville,

CA.

Comments submitted during the

scoping process should be in writing

and should be specific to the proposed

action. The comments should describe

as clearly and completely as possible

any issues the commenter has with the

proposal. The scoping process includes:

(a) Identifying potential issues;

(b) Identifying issues to be analyzed in

depth.

(c) Eliminating nonsignificant issues or

those previously covered by a relevant

previous environmental analysis;

(d) Exploring additional alternatives;

(e) Identifying potential environmental

effects of the proposed action and

alternatives.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed

with the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) and to be available for

public review by January 2002. EPA will

publish a notice of availability of the

draft EIS in the Federal Register. The

comment period on the draft EIS will be

45 days from the date the EPA notice

appears in the Federal Register. At that

time, copies of the draft EIS will be

distributed to interested and affected

agencies, organizations, and members of

the public for their review and

comment. It is very important that those

interested in the management of the

Eldorado National Forest participate at

that time.

The Forest Service believes it is

important to give reviewers notice at

this early stage of several court rulings

related to public participation in the

environmental review process. First,

reviewers of a draft EIS must structure

their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so that it is

meaningful and alerts an agency to the

reviewer’s position and contentions.

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v.

NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 533 (1978). Also,

environmental objections that could be

raised at the draft EIS stage, but that are

not raised until after completion of the

final EIS may be waived or dismissed by

the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel,