Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 1 / Wednesday, January 2, 2002 / Notices 53

wildfire to Woodland Park and 

surrounding communities by reducing 

hazardous fuels within the urban 

interface and municipal watershed. 

Approximately 32,000 acres are 

proposed for treatment. This proposal is 

scheduled for implementation for ten 

years following the issuance of a Record 

of Decision (ROD), approximately 2003 

to 2013.

DATES: Issues and comments concerning 

the Proposed Action must be received in 

writing before February 8, 2002. 

Correspondence should be addressed to 

Rochelle Desser, Trout West Team 

Leader, 201 Caves Highway, Cave 

Junction, OR 97523.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rochelle Desser in Oregon at 541–592–

4075 (rdesser@fs.fed.us) or Bob Post at 

Fairplay, Colorado, 719–836–2031, 

(bpost@fs.fed.us). Information about the 

project will be posted on the Pike-San 

Isabel National Forest Web site: (http:/

/www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/pp/).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Trout 

and West Creek Watersheds contain 

approximately 137,990 acres, located 

within all or parts of T.9S, R.68W; T.9S, 

R69W; T.9S, R70W; / T.10S, R.68W; 

T.10S, R69W; T.10S, R70W; / T.11S, 

R.68W; T.11S, R69W; T.11S, R.70W; 

T.11S, R.71W; / T.12S, R.68W; T.12S, 

R69W; T.12S, R.70W; T.12S, R.71W; / 

T.13S, R.69W; T.13S, R.70W. The 

analysis area boundary is bordered to 

the north by Devils Head Peak and a 

ridge between Ruby and Bridge Gulch, 

the eastern boundary is the Rampart 

Range Road, the southern boundary is 

bordered by Raspberry Mountain, and 

the western boundary is just west along 

County Road 51 to County Road 3 and 

following north to the west side of 

Sheepnose Mountain and Thunder 

Butte connecting at the confluence of 

Trout and West creek. 

The Purpose and Need for the 

Proposed Action is to decrease the 

threat of wildfire to Woodland Park and 

neighboring communities by reducing 

hazardous fuels within the urban 

interface and adjacent National Forest 

lands. Project goals include promoting 

sustainable forest conditions; 

encouraging aspen regeneration; 

reducing risk of erosion and sediment to 

streams; maintaining municipal water 

quality; maintaining quality of life; and 

meeting Forest Plan Standards and 

Guidelines. 

A mix of fuel treatments is proposed 

across seven project areas within the 

Trout and West Creek Watersheds 

including thinning, machine and hand 

slash piling, and prescribed burning. 

Private land including developed 

subdivisions occurs within the seven 

project areas, however only National 

Forest within these project areas is 

considered for treatment. These 

treatments are intended to reduce the 

canopy closure, continuity and overall 

biomass to create more moderate fire 

behavior if a wildfire were to start in the 

area. 

Some of the trees that need to be cut 

may be sold as fuel wood, Christmas 

trees, post and poles, and/or saw logs; 

however, many areas are not expected to 

yield a commercial byproduct. 

The EIS will analyze the potential 

effects of the Proposed Action on 

physical, biological, and social issues 

including ecosystem health, fuel loading 

and fire risk, soil and water, air quality, 

species viability, noxious weeds, 

cultural resources, and economics. 

Additional issues may be identified 

through the scoping process. The Forest 

Service will develop alternatives to 

respond to significant issues with the 

Proposed Action. A no action 

alternative will be considered. 

Public participation is important 

throughout the analysis. The first time 

is during the scoping period, when the 

Forest Service invites input from 

Federal, State, and local agencies, 

Indian tribes, and other individuals who 

may be interested in or affected by the 

Proposed Action. Please refer to the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

Regulations for implementing the 

procedural provisions of the National 

Environment Policy Act at 40 CFR 

1501.7 for more information about 

scoping. 

The Draft EIS is expected to be filed 

with the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) and be available for 

review June 2002. A comment period for 

the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the 

date that the EPA published the Notice 

of Availability for appears in the 

Federal Register. 

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, a 

reviewer of a Draft EIS must structure 

their participation in the environmental 

review process of the proposal so that it 

is specific, meaningful, and alerts an 

agency to the reviewer’s position and 

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear 

Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 

(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, 803 F.2d. 1016, 

1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin 

Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F.Supp. 

1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of 

these court rulings, it is very important 

that those interested in this Proposed 

Action participate by the close of the 60-

day comment period so that substantive 

comments and objectives are made 

available to the Forest Service at a time 

when it can meaningfully consider and 

respond to them in the final EIS. Please 

refer to the Council on Environmental 

Quality Regulations for implementing 

the procedural provisions of the 

National Environmental Policy Act at 40 

CFR 1503.3 for more information about 

how to comment on the upcoming EIS. 

After the 60-day comment period 

ends on the draft EIS, comments will be 

considered and analyzed by the Agency 

in preparing the final EIS. The final EIS 

is scheduled for completion by 

September 2002. In the final EIS, the 

Forest Service is required to respond to 

substantive comments and responses 

during the comment period. 

The Responsible Official for this 

project is the Pike and San Isabel 

National Forests, Cimarron and 

Comanche National Grasslands National 

Forest Supervisor. The Responsible 

Official will document the decision and 

rationale in a Record of Decision 

(scheduled for November 2002). The 

Forest Service decision will be subject 

to appeal under regulations at 36 CFR 

215.

Dated: December 10, 2001. 

William A. Wood, 

Deputy Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–32140 Filed 12–31–01; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Columbia County Resource Advisory 

Committee (RAC)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authorities in 

the Federal Advisory Committees Act 

(Pub. L. 92–463), the Southeast 

Washington Resource Advisory 

Committee (RAC) will meet on January 

23, 2002 in Pomeroy, Washington. The 

purpose of the meeting is to meet as a 

Committee for the first time and to 

discuss the selection of Title II projects 

under Public Law 106–393, H.R. 2389, 

the Secure Rural Schools and 

Community Self-Determination Act of 

2000, also called the ‘‘Payments to 

States’’ Act.

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

January 23, 2002 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Forest Service office located at 71 

54 Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 1 / Wednesday, January 2, 2002 / Notices 

West Main Street, Pomeroy, 

Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Monte Fujishin, Designated Federal 

Official, USDA, Umatilla National 

Forest, Pomeroy Ranger District, 71 

West Main Street, Pomeroy, WA 99347. 

Phone: (509) 843–1891.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This will 

be the first meeting of the committee, 

and will focus on meeting other RAC 

members and becoming familiar with 

duties and responsibilities. The meeting 

is open to the public. Public input 

opportunity will be provided and 

individuals will have the opportunity to 

address the committee at that time.

Dated: December 19, 2001. 

Jeff D. Blackwood, 

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–32202 Filed 12–31–01; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–BH–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Columbia County Resource Advisory 

Committee (RAC)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authorities in 

the Federal Advisory Committees Act 

(Pub. L. 92–463), the Columbia County 

Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) 

will meet on January 30, 2002 in 

Dayton, Washington. The purpose of the 

meeting is to meet as a Committee for 

the first time and to discuss the 

selection of Title II projects under 

Public Law 106–393, H.R. 2389, the 

Secure Rural Schools and Community 

Self-Determination Act of 2000, also 

called the ‘‘Payments to States’’ Act.

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

January 30, 2002 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Youth Building located at the 

Columbia County Fairgrounds, Dayton, 

Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Monte Fujishin, Designated Federal 

Official, USDA, Umatilla National 

Forest, Pomeroy Ranger District, 71 

West Main Street, Pomeroy, WA 99347. 

Phone: (509) 843–1891.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This will 

be the first meeting of the committee, 

and will focus on meeting other RAC 

members and becoming familiar with 

duties and responsibilities. The meeting 

is open to the public. Public input 

opportunity will be provided and 

individuals will have the opportunity to 

address the committee at that time.

Dated: December 20, 2001. 

Jeff D. Blackwood, 

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–32203 Filed 12–31–01; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–BH–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Del Norte County Resource Advisory 

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Del Norte County 

Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) 

will meet on January 29, 2002 in 

Crescent City, California. The purpose 

of the meeting is to discuss the selection 

of Title II projects under Public Law 

106–393, H.R. 2389, the Secure Rural 

Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act of 2000, also called 

the ‘‘Payments to States’’ Act.

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

January 29, 2002 from 6 to 8 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Elk Valley Rancheria Community 

Center, 2298 Norris Avenue, Suite B, 

Crescent City, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Laura Chapman, Committee 

Coordinator, USDA, Six Rivers National 

Forest, 1330 Bayshore Way, Eureka, CA 

95501. Phone: (707) 441–3549. E-mail: 

1chapman@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This will 

be the second meeting of the committee, 

and will focus on establishing meeting 

norms and committee operating 

guidelines, as well as the process for 

selecting Title II projects. The meeting 

is open to the public. Public input 

opportunity will be provided and 

individuals will have the opportunity to 

address the committee at that time.

Dated: December 21, 2001. 

S.E. ‘‘Lou’’ Woltering, 

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–32136 Filed 12–31–01; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Del Norte County Resource Advisory 

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Del Norte County 

Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) 

will meet on February 5, 2002 in 

Crescent City, California. The purpose 

of the meeting is to discuss the selection 

of Title II projects under Public Law 

106–393, H.R. 2389, the Secure Rural 

Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act of 2000, also called 

the ‘‘Payments to States’’ Act.

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

February 5, 2002 from 6 to 8 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Elk Valley Rancheria Community 

Center, 2298 Norris Avenue, Suite B, 

Crescent City, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Laura Chapman, Committee 

Coordinator, USDA, Six Rivers National 

Forest, 1330 Bayshore Way, Eureka, CA 

95501. Phone: (707) 441–3549. Email:lchapman@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting will focus on developing the 

overall strategy for selecting Title II 

projects. The meeting is open to the 

public. Public input opportunity will be 

provided and individuals will have the 

opportunity to address the committee at 

that time.

Dated: December 21, 2001. 

S.E. ‘‘Lou’’ Woltering, 

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–32137 Filed 12–31–01; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory 

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Lake Tahoe Basin Federal 

Advisory Committee will hold a 

meeting on January 25, 2002, at the 

South Lake Tahoe City Council 

Chambers, 1052 Tata Lane, South Lake 

Tahoe, CA. This Committee, established 

by the Secretary of Agriculture on 

December 15, 1998, (64 FR 2876) is 

chartered to provide advice to the 

Secretary on implementing the terms of 

the Federal Interagency Partnership on 

the Lake Tahoe Region and other 

matters raised by the Secretary.

DATES: The meeting will be held January 

25, 2002, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending 

at 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the South Lake Tahoe City Council 

Chambers, 1052 Tata Lane, South Lake 

Tahoe, CA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Maribeth Gustafson or Jeannie Stafford, 

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit,