[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 243 (Monday, December 18, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79069-79070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-32101]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 243 / Monday, December 18, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 79069]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project, Northern, 
Intermountain, and Pacific Northwest Regions

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ID-918-01-1610-DH-UCRB]


Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project, States of 
Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA; Bureau of Land Management, USDI.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a final environmental impact 
statement (EIS) and proposed decision for the Interior Columbia Basin 
Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP).

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have 
developed a scientifically sound, ecosystem-based management strategy 
for certain lands under their jurisdiction east of the Cascade crest in 
Oregon and Washington and in the Columbia River Basin in Idaho and 
Montana. The final EIS is now available for public review. The 
responsible officials of the Forest Service and Bureau of Land 
Management are proposing a decision, based on the analysis in the final 
EIS. The proposed decision is also available, and, before its approval, 
may be protested by those who have participated in the planning process 
and have an interest that is, or may be, adversely affected by the 
proposed decision. This protest opportunity is being offered by both 
the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management and is the only 
administrative review available in this process. The Forest Services' 
appeal process will not be applied to this decision.

DATES: Protests of the proposed decision must be filed with the 
Director of the Bureau of Land Management and the Chief of the Forest 
Service by January 16, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the final EIS and proposed decision may be 
obtained from ICBEMP, 304 N. 8th Street, Room 250, Boise, ID 83702 or 
by calling (208) 334-1770, ext. 120. The final EIS and proposed 
decision are also available via the internet (http://www.icbemp.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Giannettino, Project Manager, or 
Geoff Middaugh, Deputy Project Manager, 304 North 8th St., Room 250, 
Boise, Idaho 83702, phone (208) 334-1770. For information specific to 
the protest process, contact Gary Wyke at the same address and 
telephone number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 4, 2000, the responsible officials 
for the ICBEMP published a notice of availability in the Federal 
Register of the supplemental draft EIS for the ICBEMP. A 90-day public 
review and comment period was provided. Refinements in the EIS have 
been made in response to public comment and internal review. Responses 
to comments and changes to the supplemental draft EIS are included in 
the final EIS. The responsible officials have also proposed a decision, 
which is to approve and implement alternative S2 from the supplemental 
draft EIS, as refined in response to public comment.
    This proposed decision has been distributed to the public, along 
with the final EIS. The proposed decision, when approved, will amend 
land use plans for the administrative units of the Forest Service and 
Bureau of Land Management within the ICBEMP area as follows:

    Forest Service: Boise, Payette, Salmon-Challis, and Sawtooth 
National Forests and the portion of the Caribou National Forest 
addressed by the Science Assessment (PNW-GTR-405) in the 
Intermountain Region; Idaho Panhandle, Clearwater, Nez Perce, 
Kootenai, Lolo, Flathead, Helena, Deerlodge, and Bitterroot National 
Forests in the Northern Region; and Ochoco, Winema, Malheur, 
Deschutes, Fremont, Wallowa-Whitman, Umatilla, Okanogan, and 
Colville National Forests in the Pacific Northwest Region.
    Bureau of Land Management: Lower Snake River District, Upper 
Snake River District, and the Upper Columbia-Salmon Clearwater 
District in Idaho; Missoula Field Office in Montana; and Prineville, 
Lakeview, Burns, Vale, and Spokane Districts in Oregon/Washington.

    The Bureau of Land Management planning regulations (43 CFR Part 
1610) and the Forest Service planning regulations (36 CFR 219) both 
provide the public with the opportunity to request administrative 
review of a proposed land use plan decision. The Bureau of Land 
Management regulations describe a protest process (43 CFR 1610.5-2):
    Any person who participated in the planning process and has an 
interest which is or may be adversely affected by the approval or 
amendment of a resource management plan may protest such approval or 
amendment. A protest may raise only those issues which were submitted 
for the record during the planning process.
    The Forest Service regulations provide that (36 CFR 219.32(e)):
    Where the Forest Service is a participant in a multi-agency 
decision subject to objection under this part, the responsible official 
and reviewing officer may waive the objection procedures of this part 
to adopt the administrative review procedure of another participating 
federal agency, if the responsible official and the responsible 
official of the other agencies agree to provide a joint response to 
those who have filed for administrative review of the multi-agency 
decision.
    The Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service are 
participating in a multi-agency decision. The responsible officials of 
the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have agreed to provide 
a joint response to those who file for administrative review of the 
proposed decision. The responsible officials of the Forest Service (the 
Regional Foresters of the Northern, Intermountain, and Pacific 
Northwest Regions) and the reviewing officer (the Chief of the Forest 
Service) waive the objection procedures under part 219.32 to adopt the 
administrative review procedure of the Bureau of Land Management. The 
reasons for this decision are as follows:

--The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management jointly share the 
lead for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project.
--The two agencies have gone jointly to the public for scoping, 
information-

[[Page 79070]]

gathering, and review since the inception of the Project.
--Using one administrative review procedure lets the public request 
review from both agencies at one time, rather than having to make two 
separate, potentially redundant requests.
--Using two separate administrative review procedures, including 
potential changes in the proposed Project decision, could result in the 
two agencies' recording two different decisions. This result would fail 
to meet the original purpose of this action, which was to develop and 
analyze a strategy for management of lands administered by both the 
Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

    To request administrative review of the proposed decision for the 
Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project use the following 
procedure:

--Put the protest in writing and mail it to the Director of the Bureau 
of Land Management and the Chief of the Forest Service at the following 
address: Director, Bureau of Land Management and Chief, US Forest 
Service, ICBEMP Project, PO Box 65480, Washington, DC 20035.
--The protest shall be filed with the Director and Chief by January 16, 
2001.
--The protest shall contain:

    The name, mailing address, telephone number and interest of the 
person filing the protest;
    A statement of the issue or issues being protested;
    A statement of the part or parts of the amendment being protested;
    A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that were 
submitted during the planning process by the protesting party or an 
indication of the date the issue or issues were discussed for the 
record; and
    A concise statement explaining why the responsible officials' 
decision is believed to be wrong.
    The BLM Director and Forest Service Chief will promptly render a 
joint decision on the protest. The decision will be in writing and will 
set forth the reasons for the decision. The decision will be sent to 
the protesting party by certified mail, return receipt requested.
    The joint decision of the Director and Chief shall be the final 
decision of the Department of the Interior and the Department of 
Agriculture.
    The protest process described here is the only administrative 
review opportunity available in the ICBEMP decision-making process. The 
Forest Service appeal process, familiar to some participants, will not 
be used in this planning effort.
    Reviewers who do not request administrative review of the proposed 
decision may not preserve their standing to litigate the final 
decision.

    Dated: December 7, 2000.
Martha Hahn,
State Director, Bureau of Land Management.
    Dated: December 7, 2000.
Jack Blackwell,
Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 00-32101 Filed 12-15-00; 8:45 am]
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