Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 9, 1996 / Notices 52907

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, United States or interstate. The on the environment of releasing each except holidays. Persons wishing to and Plant Health Inspection Service organism under the conditions inspect those documents are requested (APHIS) regulates plant pests under described in the permit application. to call ahead on (202) 690–2817 to regulations promulgated pursuant to the APHIS has issued permits for the release facilitate entry into the reading room. Acts and contained in 7 CFR part 330 into the environment of the organisms FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. (referred to below as the regulations). listed below after concluding that their Robert Flanders, Entomologist, The regulations require, among other release in accordance with conditions Biological Assessment and Taxonomic things, that a permit be obtained for the on the permits will not present a risk of Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road movement of a plant pest into or the introduction or dissemination of Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236, through the United States or interstate. plant pests within the United States and (301) 734–8896. For copies of any of the The regulations and Acts also allow the will not have a significant impact on the environmental assessments and findings Department to include in the permit quality of the human environment. The of no significant impact, write to Ms. conditions to prevent the dissemination environmental assessments and findings Deborah Knott at the same address. of plant pests. of no significant impact, which are Please refer to the title of the Under the National Environmental based on data submitted by the environmental assessment when Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) applicant and on a review of other ordering copies. (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), APHIS typically relevant literature, provide the public SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the prepares an environmental assessment with documentation of APHIS’ review Federal Plant Pest Act, as amended (7 before issuing a permit for the release in and analysis of the environmental U.S.C. 150aa et seq.) and the Plant the United States of nonindigenous impact and plant pest risk associated Quarantine Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. organisms. with releasing the biological control 151 et seq.) (the Acts), the U.S. In accordance with applicable agents into the environment. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has regulations, APHIS has received Environmental assessments and broad authority to regulate the applications for permits for the release findings of no significant impact have importation, interstate movement, and into the environment of nonindigenous been prepared by APHIS relative to the release into the environment of biological control agents. In the course issuance of permits for the release into organisms it has reason to believe are of reviewing each permit application, the environment of the following plant pests in order to prevent the APHIS assessed the plant pest risk biological control agents with plant pest dissemination of plant pests into the posed by each organism and the impact potential:

Date of finding Organism Title of environmental assessment of no signifi- cant impact

Eteobalea intermediella and ``Field Release of the Exotic , (Eteobalea intermediella and E. serratella (Lep- 4/26/96 serratella. idoptera: ), for Biological Control of Dalmatian Toadflax, , and Yellow Toadflax, L. vulgaris (Scrophulariaceae)'' (April 1996). Mecinus janthinus ...... ``Field Release of the Exotic Weevil, Mecinus janthinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), 4/26/96 for Biological Control of Dalmatian Toadflax, Linaria dalmatica, and Yellow Toadflax, L. vulgaris (Scrophulariaceae)'' (April 1996). Septoria passiflorae ...... ``Release of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Septoria passiflorae for Biological Control 2/23/96 of Banana Poka, Passiflora tripartita var. Tripartita (Passifloraceae), in Hawaii'' (February 1996).

The environmental assessments and Forest Service in attendance must be received by findings of no significant impact have December 20, 1996. been prepared in accordance with : (1) National Forest System Timber Sale ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at NEPA, (2) Regulations of the Council on Program Meeting the Kimball Conference Center, 1400 Environmental Quality for 16th Street, NW., Washington, DC AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. implementing the procedural provisions 20036. Comments or questions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3) ACTION: Notice of meeting. concerning this meeting and requests for USDA regulations implementing NEPA a summary of the meeting should be (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA SUMMARY: The Forest Service will host directed to Cliff Hickman, Meeting Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part a meeting at the Kimball Conference Coordinator, Timber Management Staff, Center, October 30–31, 1996, to generate 372). USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 96090, ideas for a new project to identify and Washington, DC 20090–6090; via Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of evaluate innovative ways of improving Internet at HickmanlCliff/ October 1996. how national forest timber is sold. At [email protected]; via the Forest Service A. Strating, the meeting, agency personnel will home page at www.fs.fed.us; or by outline issues relevant to the project and calling (202) 205–1162. Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant encourage an open dialogue among Health Inspection Service. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: attendees concerning their individual [FR Doc. 96–25932 Filed 10–8–96; 8:45 am] Cliff Hickman, Meeting Coordinator, views on enhancing the efficiency and Timber Management Staff, (202) 205– BILLING CODE 3410±34±P administrative flexibility of the agency’s 1162. timber sale program. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The sale DATES: The meeting will be held from of timber on National Forest System 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. October 30–31, land helps meet the nation’s demand for 1996. Written comments from those not wood; achieves important stewardship 52908 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 9, 1996 / Notices objectives requiring vegetative Valley Electric Association, Inc. Please consult local notices for manipulation; and provides posts, (GVEA), and Homer Electric locations. poles, and other forest products to Association, Inc. (HEA). GVEA and HEA Based on the study mentioned above individuals for their own use. The intend to apply for RUS financing and input from interested local, state, Forest Service manages timber and other assistance for the proposed project. and Federal agencies and the public, the vegetation on 191.6 million acres in the Chugach will act as the construction IPG and their consultants will prepare National Forest System. The changing manager for the proposed project. The an Environmental Analysis to be nature of the timber program under proposal, which is referred to as the submitted to RUS for review. RUS will ecosystem management, the persistent Southern Intertie Project, consists of the prepare a Draft EIS based on the rise in timber program unit costs, and construction and operation of a 230 kV Environmental Analysis and any other changing national and regional transmission line to be operated initially information available to RUS. The Draft priorities have given rise to the need to at 138 kV between Anchorage and a EIS will be available for public review explore new and innovative ways to location on the Kenai Peninsula in for 45 days. The Final EIS will then be achieve national forest timber-related Alaska. prepared considering all the comments vegetative management goals. DATES: RUS will conduct three public received, and made available for public The Forest Service has scheduled an scoping workshops as follows: review and comment at least for 30 October meeting to gather ideas for November 12, 1996, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 days. At the end of 30-day comment improving the efficiency and p.m., Spenard Community Recreation period a Record of Decision will be administrative flexibility of the national Center, 2020 West 48th Avenue, issued on the project. forest timber sale program. To ensure Anchorage, Alaska, Tel: (907) 343– This proposal will require compliance that a broad array of interested parties 4160 with Title 11 of Alaska National Interest are represented in the deliberations, November 13, 1996, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 Lands Conservation Act if lands under there will be a number of invited p.m., Cooper Landing Community the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and participants. Other individuals Hall, Bean Creek Road, Cooper Wildlife Service are crossed. interested in the meeting will be Landing, Alaska, Tel: (907) 595–1257 Any final action by RUS related to the accommodated up to the limitations of November 14, 1996, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 proposed project will be subject to, and the available space. p.m., Kenai Peninsula Borough contingent upon, compliance with all Anyone unable to attend the meeting Chambers, 144 N. Binkley Street, relevant Federal environmental laws may submit written comment to the Soldotna, Alaska, Tel: (907) 262– and regulations and completion of agency’s meeting coordinator named in 4441. environmental review procedures as this notice. To facilitate this process, a FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: prescribed by the Council on meeting summary will be available by Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection Environmental Quality Regulations and November 20, 1996, and may be Specialist, RUS, Engineering and RUS Environmental Policies and obtained by contacting the meeting Environmental Staff, 1400 Procedures. coordinator. Independence Avenue, SW, Stop 1571, Dated: October 4, 1996. Dated: October 3, 1996. Washington, DC 20250–1571, telephone Adam M. Golodner, David G. Unger, (202) 720–1784, or Dora Gropp, Deputy Administrator, Program Operations. Associate Chief. Chugach Electric Association, Inc., 5601 [FR Doc. 96–26012 Filed 10–8–96; 8:45 am] [FR Doc. 96–25946 Filed 10–8–96; 8:45 am] Minnesota Drive, P.O. Box 196300, BILLING CODE 3410±15±P BILLING CODE 3410±11±M Anchorage, Alaska 99519–6300, telephone, (800) 478–7494/(907) 762– 4626. Rural Utilities Service SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GVEA and ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW HEA, along with the other five IPG BOARD Notice of Intent To Conduct Public members, are proposing to construct a Meetings and Prepare an 230 kV transmission line between Sunshine Act Meeting Environmental Impact Statement Anchorage and a location on the Kenai DATE: October 15–16, 1996. Peninsula. Alternatives to be considered AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. PLACE: ARRB, 600 E Street, NW., by RUS include no action, energy ACTION: Notice of Intent to conduct Washington, DC. public scoping workshops and prepare conservation, local generation, system STATUS: Open (Room 206) and Closed. an Environmental Impact Statement. alternatives, transmission alternatives, and alternative routes. Comments MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service regarding the proposed project may be (RUS) intends to hold public scoping submitted orally or in writing within 30 October 15, 9:00 a.m.—Closed Meeting workshops and prepare an 1. Review and Accept Minutes of Closed days after the November 14, 1996, Meeting Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) workshop to RUS at the address 2. Review of Assassination Records in connection with a project in Alaska provided in this notice. 3. Other Business proposed by the seven electric utilities The IPG and their consultants have October 16, 9:00 a.m.—Continuation of that are collectively known as the prepared a report entitled, ‘‘Southern Closed Meeting Intertie Participants Group (IPG). The Intertie Route Selection Study’’ (Study) October 16, 2:00 p.m.—Open Meeting IPG consists of Chugach Electric for the project. The Environmental 1. Procedures for handling records whose Association, Inc. (Chugach), Section Report and the Executive relevance to the assassination cannot be Municipality of Anchorage—Municipal Summary Section Report from that determined Light and Power, City of Seward— Study are available for public review at 2. Other issues Seward Electric System, Matanuska RUS or Chugach, at the addresses CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: Electric Association, Inc., and the provided in this notice. These reports Eileen Sullivan, Assistant Press and Municipality of Fairbanks—Fairbanks are also available at the other Public Affairs Officer, 600 E Street, Municipal Utilities System, Golden participants’ offices and local libraries. NW., Second Floor, Washington, DC