Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 37 / Friday, February 24, 1995 / Notices 10347 and copies of the DEIS will be available which will begin the NEPA (National Appalachian Assessment contact: for viewing. Environmental Policy Act) processes Forrest Carpenter, Co-Team Leader, Robert McDowell, associated with each Forest Plan Southern Region. For more information Planning Staff Officer. revision. from the individual National Forests Public involvement is critical [FR Doc. 95–4563 Filed 2–23–95; 8:45 am] contact: Rick Morgan, Planning Team throughout these processes and it will Leader, National Forests in Alabama; BILLING CODE 3410±11±M be requested and accepted continually Caren Briscoe, Planning Staff Officer, throughout these efforts. Formal public Chattahoochee-Oconee NF; Red Notice of the Preparation of the involvement with the Forest Plan Anderson, Planning Team Leader, Southern Appalachian Assessment, revision efforts will also be conducted Cherokee NF; Dave Plunkett, NEPA and the Beginning of the Forest Plan through ‘‘Scoping’’, following the Coordinator, George Washington NF; Revision Efforts for the National issuance of the National Forests NOIs. Nancy Ross, Planning Team Leader, Forests in Alabama, Chattahoochee- DATES: The Southern Appalachian Jefferson NF; Larry Hayden, Planning Oconee, Cherokee, and Sumter Assessment is scheduled to be Team Leader, Nantahala-Pisgah NF; National Forests completed by January 1996. Richard Shelfer, Planning Team Leader, The National Forests in Alabama, the Sumter NF. AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, ACTION: Notice. the Cherokee National Forest, and the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sumter National Forest are scheduled to SUMMARY: This notice is to announce the 1. Preparation of the Southern complete the drafts of their Analysis of U.S. Forest Service’s participation in the Appalachian Assessment the Management Situation between preparation of the Southern The Southern Region of the National Appalachian Assessment (SAA). This October 1995 and January 1996. During this same time period, these Forests are Forest System and the Southeastern Assessment is being prepared by the Forest Experiment Station, in U.S. Forest Service (the Southern scheduled to issue their Notices of Intent to Prepare an Environmental cooperation with the other Federal Region of the National Forest System agencies that are members of the and the Southeastern Forest Experiment Impact Statement (NOI) for their Revised Land and Resource Southern Appalachian Man and the Station) in cooperation with the other Biosphere Cooperative (SAMAB, i.e., Federal agencies that are members of Management Plans. A Revised NOI for the Jefferson National Forest will also be the Environmental Protection Agency, SAMAB (Southern Appalachian Man the Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife and the Biosphere Cooperative). It will issued during this time period. ADDRESSES: Requests for information, Service, the National Park Service, the include national forest lands of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the George Washington, Jefferson, and comments concerning this notice can be sent to: Geological Survey, the Department of Nantahala-Pisgah, Cherokee, and Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Director, Planning and Budget, USDA- Chattahoochee National Forests; and the Economic Development Forest Service, 1720 Peachtree Rd. parts of the Sumter and Talladega Administration, and the National NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30367–9102. National Forests. Also involved will be Biological Survey) have begun Co-Team Leader, Southern Appalachian National Park Service lands in the Great conducting a Southern Appalachian Assessment, USDA-Forest Service, Smoky Mountains National Park, Assessment (SAA). The Assessment will 1720 Peachtree Rd. NW, Atlanta, Shenandoah National Park, and the Blue include the national forest lands of the Georgia 30367–9102. Ridge Parkway. George Washington, Jefferson, This notice also announces the Forest Supervisor, National Forests in Nantahala-Pisgah, Cherokee, and beginning of the efforts to revise the Alabama, 2946 Chestnut, Chattahoochee National Forests, and Land and Resource Management Plans Montgomery, Alabama 36107–3010. parts of the Sumter and Talladega (Forest Plans) for the National Forests in Forest Supervisor, Chattahoochee- National Forests. The Assessment will Alabama, the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Oconee NFs, 508 Oak Street NW, also include National Park Service lands the Cherokee, and the Sumter National Gainesville, Georgia 30501. in the Great Smoky Mountains National Forests. This is not the ‘‘Notice of Forest Supervisor, Cherokee NF, 2800 Park, Shenandoah National Park, and Intent’’ (NOI) for the Environmental N. Oconee St. NE., P.O. Box 2010, the Blue Ridge Parkway. Impact Statements that will accompany Cleveland, Tennessee 37320–2010. the Revised Forest Plans. Those NOIs Forest Supervisor, Francis Marion- The Assessment will facilitate an will be issued at a later date. Sumter NFs, 4931 Broad River, interagency ecological approach to The Southern Appalachian Columbia, South Carolina 29210– management in the Southern Assessment will support and facilitate 4021. Appalachian area by collecting and ecosystem management decisions to be Forest Supervisor, George Washington analyzing broad-scale biological, made in Forest Plan revisions. As the NF, P.O. Box 233, Harrison Plaza, physical, social and economic data to National Forests in the Southern Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801. serve as a foundation for more local Appalachians are conducting their local Forest Supervisor, Jefferson NF, 5162 natural resource management decisions. efforts to describe their ‘‘Analysis of the Valley Pointe Parkway, Roanoke, The Assessment will be organized Management Situation’’ (AMS), they Virginia 24019–3050. around four ‘‘themes’’—(1) Terrestrial will also be providing information for Forest Supervisor, National Forests in (which includes the Health of Forest the larger scale Southern Appalachian North Carolina, 100 Post and Otis Ecosystems, and Plant and Animal Assessment. Streets, P.O. Box 2750, Asheville, Resources); (2) Aquatic Resources; (3) The Assessment will be used to help North Carolina 28802. Air Quality and (4) the Human determine each National Forests’ ‘‘Need FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dimension of Ecosystems (which for Change’’ section of their AMS. This For more information concerning this includes Communities and Human information will then be used to publish notice contact: Gary Pierson, Director of Influences; Roadless Areas and the Notices of Intent to prepare the Planning and Budget, Southern Region. Wilderness; Recreation, Wildlife and Environmental Impact Statements, For more information on the Southern Fish Supply and Demand; and the 10348 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 37 / Friday, February 24, 1995 / Notices

Timber Economy of the Southern incorporate a more definable ‘‘Proposed LRMP, previously issued a Notice of Appalachians). Action’’ and ‘‘Purpose and Need’’ into Intent to Prepare an Environmental Public comment on the SAA process our NOIs, which will begin the formal Impact Statement for its Revised LRMP began with a series of open town hall NEPA process of preparing the on June 28, 1993. A Revised NOI for the meetings held in Asheville, NC; Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) Forest will be issued between October Gainesville, GA; and Roanoke, VA in that will accompany the Revised Land 1995 and January 1996, to coincide with August 1994. In addition, interested and Resource Management Plans. the NOIs issued for the other National members of the public were asked for Forests in the Southern Appalachians. further written comments to be received 5. Relationship Between the Southern The George Washington National by September 15. As the Assessment Appalachian Assessment and the Forest completed its Final Revised progresses, continued public Process for Revising the Southern Forest Plan on January 21, 1993, and the involvement will be facilitated through Appalachian National Forests’ LRMPs Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests additional meetings and newsletters. The public has expressed concern that completed a significant amendment, the Southern Appalachian Assessment Amendment 5 to their Land and 2. Beginning of the Forest Plan Revision will ‘‘delay’’ revising National Forest Resource Management Plan on March Efforts for the National Forests in Land and Resource Management Plans 18, 1994. These two forests are not Alabama, the Chattahoochee-Oconee, in the Southern Appalachians. currently involved in the revision the Cherokee, and the Sumter National However, the SAA is being conducted process. However, if information from Forests concurrently, and in support of, the the Southern Appalachian Assessment This notice announces that the forest plan revisions. identifies conditions requiring additions National Forests in Alabama, the Many of the information needs for the or changes to these plans to ensure Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Forest AMSs and for the SAA are the consistency between the National the Cherokee National Forest, and the same. The Assessment will support the Forests in the Southern Appalachians, Sumter National Forest either have revision of the LRMPs by determining then amendments to these plans could already started or are beginning efforts how the lands, resources, people and be considered. to revise their Land and Resource management of the National Forests 8. The Responsible Official Management Plans (LRMP). These interrelate within the larger context of Forests are each in the process of the Southern Appalachian area. The The Responsible Official for the preparing their Analysis of the SAA, however, will not be a ‘‘decision Revised Land and Resource Management Situation (AMS), one of document’’ and it will not involve the Management Plans for the National the first steps in the revision process. NEPA process. As broad-scale issues are Forests in the Southern Appalachians is This step includes updating resource identified and addressed at the sub- Robert C. Joslin, Regional Forester, inventories, defining the current regional level in the Assessment, the Southern Region, 1720 Peachtree Road situation, estimating supply capabilities individual National Forest’s role in NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30367. and resource demands, and determining resolving those broad-scale issues will Dated: January 18, 1995. the ‘‘Need for Change’’ (36 CFR become a part of the ‘‘need for change’’ Lynn C. Neff, 219.12(e)(5)). at the Forest level. Acting Regional Forester. 3. Public Involvement in Developing the 6. Issuing the Notice of Intent To [FR Doc. 95–4570 Filed 2–23–95; 8:45 am] ‘‘Need for Change’’ in an AMS Prepare an EIS BILLING CODE 3410±11±M Determining the concerns and The National Forests identified above expectations of National Forests will issue their NOIs when enough Forest Products Laboratory Wood constituents and getting public input on information from the SAA is available Utilization Research how well current forest plans are for them to develop the ‘‘Need for working, or not working, are critical Change’’ section of their Draft AMS. The AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. elements of describing the ‘‘need to Draft AMSs are scheduled to be ACTION: Notice of meeting. change’’ a forest plan. An integral part completed between October 1995 and of determining the need for change is January 1996. Their NOIs are also SUMMARY: The Forest Products public involvement. Each of the scheduled to be issued during this same Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, will National Forests described above either time period. host a meeting March 27–30, 1995, to have already, or will soon contact their Each NOI will include a description brief industry and the public on Forest interested public to solicit their of a preliminary ‘‘Proposed Action’’ and Service programs in wood utilization participation in this step of the forest of some preliminary alternatives. research. The Forest Service will be plan revision process. Scoping to receive public comments on presenting the status and description of the preliminary proposed action and pending research initiatives and 4. Relationship Between the AMS and preliminary alternatives will begin programs. Advice and recommendations a Notice of Intent to Prepare an following the publication of the NOIs. to the Forest Service will not be Environmental Impact Statement These public comments will be used to solicited or accepted during the In the past, a ‘‘Notice of Intent to further refine the ‘‘Proposed Action’’ meeting; rather, input as a result of Prepare an Environmental Impact and the preliminary alternatives, to reviews may be submitted in writing Statement’’ (NOI) was issued at the possibly identify additional alternatives, after the meeting. beginning of the forest planning process, and to finalize the AMS and the ‘‘Need DATES: The meeting will be held March including before the development of the for Change.’’ 27–30, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (M-Tu); 8 AMS. a.m. to 3 p.m. (W); 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. This time, we are first defining the 7. Status of the Jefferson, George (Th). current situation and an initial ‘‘need Washington, and Nantahala-Pisgah ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at for change’’in a Draft AMS, and then National Forests the Forest Products Laboratory, One issuing a NOI prior to developing The Jefferson National Forest, which Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, alternatives. This will allow us to is also currently working on its Revised Wisconsin.