Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2001 / Notices 12457

Service will collect information using a

survey.

Need and Use of the Information: FS

will collect information to identify the

type and distribution of perceptions of

alternative timber harvest methods that

might be implemented in national

forests. The information will be used to

help the Forest Service gain a better

understanding of the western Michigan,

western Oregon, and northern California

residents’ perceptions of the agency’s

land management practices on the

National Forest in these areas. If the

information is not collected, forestry

management, resource, and harvest

decisions will be made without wellinformed regard to current public

sentiment and expectation.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households.

Number of Respondents: 1,700.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Other (one time).

Total Burden Hours: 425.

National Agriculture Statistics Service

Title: Cotton Ginning Survey.

OMB Control Number: 0535–0220.

Summary of Collection: Primary

function of the National Agricultural

Statistics Services (NASS) is to prepare

and issue state and national estimates of

crop and livestock production under the

authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a). The

Cotton Ginning Survey provides

statistics concerning cotton ginning for

specific dates and geographic regions

and aids in forecasting cotton

production, which is required under 7

U.S.C. Section 475.

Need and Use of the Information: The

ginning data collected provides (1) all

segments of the cotton industry-buyers,

brokers, crushers, shippers, textile

firms, and researchers with exact

quantities of cotton available at specific

geographic locations within the U.S. on

a regular basis; (2) precise statistics,

especially when at least 50 percent of

the forecasted cotton production has

been ginned in a state; and (3) final

season ginning data that is used to

establish final production. If the

information were collected less

frequent, the cotton industry would be

without county level quantities ginned

that could seriously affect transportation

costs and marketing strategies.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 1,131.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Other (biweekly Sept.-Jan.).

Total Burden Hours: 1,065.

Nancy B. Sternberg,

Departmental Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 01–4760 Filed 2–26–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Availability of an Environmental

Assessment for an amendment to the

Green Mountain National Forest Land

and Resource Management Plan;

Addison, Bennington, Rutland,

Washington, Windham and Windsor

Counties, Vermont

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an

environmental assessment.

SUMMARY: On May 10, 2000, Green

Mountain and Finger Lakes National

Forest Supervisor, Paul K. Brewster,

(Responsible Official) set forth a

proposal to amend the 1987 Green

Mountain National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan (Forest

Plan). On January 17, 2001, he made the

resultant Environmental Assessment

available for a 30 day public comment

period. The comment period closed on

February 16, 2001. Copies of the

Environmental Assessment are available

upon request. The current preferred

alternative (Alternative 3), would

incorporate into the Forest Plan the

reasonable and prudent measures and

terms and conditions contained in the

Biological Opinion (prepared by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, dated

February 16, 2000) as well as additional

conservation measures that would

benefit Indiana bat habitat and habitats

for other woodland bat species. These

measures would also increase

monitoring for bats and bat habitat. In

addition, education and outreach efforts

related to Indiana bat conservation

would be increased, and

recommendations for conservation of

Sensitive Species incorporated.

All comments received are being

evaluated, and may result in

supplementation of the Environmental

Assessment or be incorporated into the

final decision.

This notice is provided pursuant to

section 10(c) of the Act and National

Environmental Policy Act regulations

(40 CFR 1506.6, 453 FR 55990) and

National Forest System Land and

Resource Management Planning

regulations (36 CFR 219.35, 65 FR

6745145).

DATES: On May 10, 2000, Green

Mountain and Finger Lakes National

Forest Supervisor, Paul K. Brewster

(Responsible Official) put forth a

proposal to amend the 1987 Green

Mountain National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan (Forest

Plan). On January 17, 2001, a legal

notice was published in the Rutland

Daily Herald, announcing the

availability of the Environmental

Assessment for a 30 day public

comment period. The comment period

closed on February 16, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send requests for

documents to: Forest Supervisor, Green

Mountain and Finger Lakes National

Forest, 231 North Main Street, Rutland,

Vermont 05701.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patricia D’Andrea, Forest Planner, at

802–388–4362, ext. 112 TDD 802–747–

6765; or direct electronic mail to:

‘‘pdandrea@fs.fed.us.’’

Responsible Official: Paul K.

Brewster, Forest Supervisor, 231 North

Main Street, Rutland, Vermont 05701.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

amendment would apply to the 370,530

acres of the Green Mountain National

Forest in the form of amending the

standards and guidelines of the Land

and Resource Management Plan for the

conservation of the Indiana bat and

other woodland bat species, as well as

incorporating recommendations for the

conservation of Sensitive Species. This

is a non-significant amendment.

Dated: February 16, 2001.

Paul K. Brewster,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 01–4697 Filed 2–26–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Cave Gulch Post-Fire Salvage Sale,

Townsend Ranger District and the

Helena Ranger District, Helena

National Forest, Broadwater and Lewis

& Clark Counties, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice, intent to prepare

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will

prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement on a proposal to harvest

merchantable trees from the Cave Gulch

wildfire area. The proposed action

includes salvage timber harvest in

roaded areas and stewardship project

timber harvest activities in inventoried

roadless areas. No new road

construction or reconstruction would be

conducted in inventoried roadless areas.

In areas outside inventoried roadless

areas, existing system roads and a few

temporary roads would be used. Only

dead or dying trees will be removed.

The proposed action will also

incorporate interim road management to

provide for big game security,