Urban Wildland Interface Communities

751 Notices Federal Register Vol. 66, No. 3 Thursday, January 4, 2001 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER Alternatively, direct electronic mail Forest Service is an equal opportunity contains documents other than rules or to: [email protected] ATTN: GI±RNA organization. proposed rules that are applicable to the Amendment. public. Notices of hearings and investigations, Dated: December 18, 2000. committee meetings, agency decisions and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clyde N. Thompson, rulings, delegations of authority, filing of Patty Beyer, Project Coordinator, at 906± Forest Supervisor. petitions and applications and agency 228±9681. TDD 906±789±3337; or direct [FR Doc. 01±143 Filed 1±3±01; 8:45 am] statements of organization and functions are electronic mail to: [email protected], or BILLING CODE 3410±11±M examples of documents appearing in this access the forest web page at http:// section. www.fs.fed.us/r9/hiawatha. Responsible Official: Clyde N. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Thompson, Forest Supervisor, 2727 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE North Lincoln Rd., Escanaba, Michigan, Forest Service 49829. Forest Service SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Availability of a Draft Environmental proposed Forest Plan Amendment No. Assessment for Amendment No. 21 to 21 describes site-specific standards and Bureau of Indian Affairs the Hiawatha National Forest Land and guidelines that allow for existing Bureau of Land Management Resource Management Plan; Alger recreation use while reducing resource County, Michigan impacts to the GI±RNA. These standards and guidelines offer protection of soils, Fish and Wildlife Service AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. watershed, botanical communities, old growth, Great Lakes shoreline and National Park Service ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental assessment. heritage resources. The preferred alternative maintains the historic use Urban Wildland Interface Communities patterns of Grand Island within the GI± Within the Vicinity of Federal Lands SUMMARY: On December 5, 2000, That Are at High Risk From Wildfire Hiawatha National Forest Supervisor, RNA. This is non-significant Clyde N. Thompson (Responsible amendment. AGENCIES: Forest Service, USDA; Bureau Official) announced his preferred Public involvement was an important of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land alternative for a Draft Environmental part of the decision making process for Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Assessment that would amend the 1986 this proposal. On December 9, 1999 a and National Park Service, USDI. Hiawatha National Forest Land and public scoping letter was sent to over ACTION: Notice. Resource Management Plan (Forest 700 interested parties and a notice was Plan) in a 30-day pre-decision period. published in the local newspaper. A SUMMARY: This notice provides an initial This amendment updates the standards second round of public involvement list of urban wildland interface and guidelines for Grand Island occurred with the issuance of the pre- communities in the vicinity of Federal Research Natural Area (GI±RNA), decisional environmental assessment on lands that are at high risk from wildfire. creates a new Management Area 8.1.2 December 1, 2000. We published a legal The list, compiled from information specific to GI±RNA and updates the GI± notice notifying the public of the provided by States and Tribes, and RNA Establishment Record. This notice availability of the EA for review in the prepared for publication by the is provided pursuant to National Forest Escanaba Daily Press, Escanaba, Secretaries of Agriculture and the System Land and Resource Management Michigan on December 5, 2000. A 30- Interior, responds to Congressional Planning regulations (36 CFR 219.35, 65 day comment period follows release of direction to identify communities FR 67579, November 9, 2000). Copies of the pre-decisional EA on December 5, within the vicinity of Federal lands that the Draft Environmental Assessment are 2000 for review (until January 5, 2001). are at high risk from wildfire, and available upon request. A final decision is expected in January publish a list of these communities in 2001. the Federal Register. States and Tribes DATES: On December 5, 2000, Hiawatha This decision will be subject to appeal used different criteria for selecting National Forest Supervisor, Clyde N. pursuant to USDA Forest Service communities at risk. This initial list of Thompson (Responsible Official) regulations 36 CFR 217.3. Any written communities is incomplete, and will be announced his preferred alternative for appeal must be postmarked or updated as additional information from a Draft Environmental Assessment that submitted to the Regional Forester, the States and Tribes becomes available. would amend the 1986 Hiawatha USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region, The information included in the list has National Forest Land and Resource 310 West Wisconsin Ave., Suite 500, not been altered by the Federal agencies. Management Plan (Forest Plan). A legal Milwaukee, WI 53203, within 45 days of Pursuant to direction from Congress, notice was published in the Escanaba the date the legal notice will be the lists submitted by States and Tribes Daily Press, Escanaba, Michigan published in the Escanaba Daily Press, have been annotated by the Secretaries newspaper in accordance with 36 CFR Escanaba, Michigan in accordance with to identify communities around which 217.8(a)(2) on December 5, 2000. 36 CFR 217.8(a)(2). The appeal period hazardous fuel reduction treatments on ADDRESSES: Send requests for begins the day following the legal notice Federal lands are ongoing or are documents to: Forest Supervisor, publication in the Escanaba Daily Press. planned to begin in fiscal year 2001. Hiawatha National Forest, 2727 North Appeals must meet the content The Secretaries will continue to work Lincoln Road, Escanaba, MI 49829. requirements of 36 CFR 217.9. The with States, Tribes, local governments, VerDate 11<MAY>2000 20:29 Jan 03, 2001 Jkt 194001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\04JAN1.SGM pfrm02 PsN: 04JAN1 752 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 3 / Thursday, January 4, 2001 / Notices and other interested parties to focus fuel wildfires that has led to an unnatural commitments from all the partners reduction efforts on those communities buildup of brush and small diameter involved in this effort. at highest risk. trees in the nation's forests and Congressional Direction and Purpose of This notice also provides the Federal rangelands. Federal Register Notice Government's initial definition of urban Loss of structures due to wildland wildland interface communities at high fires has been attributed to many factors, As directed by Title IV of the FY 2001 risk from wildfire, and preliminary one of which is the proximity of Appropriations Act for the Department criteria for risk evaluation and risk hazardous fuels to homes and of the Interior and Related Agencies management that will be used by the communities. During periods of hot, dry (Public Law 106±291), the Secretaries of Secretaries to rank and prioritize weather, the buildup of vegetation that Agriculture and the Interior have communities and focus implementation has occurred on some Federal, State, consulted with States and Tribes about of fuels treatments to most effectively and private lands in the vicinity of the development of a list of urban reduce risks. Interested members of the communities poses a potentially high wildland interface communities within public may also provide additional risk of damage to homes and other the vicinity of Federal lands, including thoughts on the list of communities, the structures, disruption to the local Indian trust and restricted lands, that initial definition of wildland-urban economy, or loss of life. are at high-risk from wildfire. This interface areas, and the preliminary On August 8, 2000, the President initial list of communities was criteria for risk evaluation and risk directed the Secretaries of Agriculture developed by States and Tribes, each using criteria it determined appropriate management included in this notice via and the Interior to prepare a report for selecting communities at risk. The the National Interagency Fire Center recommending how best to respond to list is incomplete. It will be updated as web page at http://www.nifc.gov. As a this year's severe fires, reduce the additional information from the States result of these suggestions, the Federal impacts of those fires on rural and Tribes becomes available. The agencies will work with Tribes, States, communities, and ensure sufficient fire information provided has not been local governments, and other interested management resources in the future. On altered by the Federal Agencies. The parties to refine and narrow the initial September 8, 2000, the President lists submitted by States and Tribes list of communities provided in this accepted their report, Managing the have been annotated by the Secretaries notice, focusing on those that are at Impacts of Wildfires on Communities highest risk. to identify communities around which and the Environment, which provides hazardous fuel reduction treatments on ADDRESSES: Paper copies of this list and an overall framework for fire Federal lands are ongoing or are related materials may be obtained by management and forest health programs. planned to begin in fiscal year 2001. writing to: Bureau of Land Management, The report calls for Federal agencies to The list of communities around which Office of External Affairs, National increase investments in projects to treatments are planned may also be Interagency Fire Center, 3833 S. reduce fire risk and to work with local updated as the agencies further assess Development Avenue, Boise, Idaho communities to reduce fire hazards treatment priorities for FY 2001. Some 83705±5354. close to homes and communities. communities may be removed from the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Other factorsÐincluding weather list if further assessment and discussion Steve Bott, Fire Management Program conditions and patterns, and the among the States, Tribes and local Center, National Park Service, USDI, hazardous fuels conditions in the agencies indicate it is appropriate to do 3833 S.

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