[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15686-15687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6874]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Availability of an Environmental Assessment for an Amendment to 
the White Mountain National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan; 
Grafton, Coos, and Carroll Counties, New Hampshire, and Oxford County, 
Maine

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an environmental assessment.

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SUMMARY: The White Mountain National Forest proposes to amend the 
Forest Plan to address threatened, endangered, and sensitive species. 
Supervisor Donna L. Hepp (Responsible Official) made available copies 
of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Amendment to the White 
Mountain

[[Page 15687]]

National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan for Threatened, 
Endangered, and Sensitive Species. This amendment adds required Terms 
and Conditions from a Biological Opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, to minimize impacts to the federally endangered 
Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). The amendment also provides new standards 
to protect the federally threatened small whorled pogonia (Isotria 
medeoloides) and includes new direction on protection of Regional 
Forester Sensitive Species. This notice is required pursuant to 
National Forest System Land and Resource Management Planning 
regulations (36 CFR 219.35(b)).

DATES: On April 21, 2000, the White Mountain National Forest initiated 
scoping for the proposal to amend the White Mountain National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). On January 22, 2001, 
White Mountain National Forest Supervisor Donna L. Hepp (Responsible 
Official) made available for public notice and comment an Environmental 
Assessment to amend the White Mountain National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan for Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive 
species. The Environmental Assessment was available for public comment 
beginning January 22, 2001. Comments were accepted through February 21, 
2001. A decision is expected in April of 2001.

ADDRESSES: The Forest Supervisor's address is Forest Supervisor, White 
Mountain National Forest, 719 North Main St., Laconia, NH 03246.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leighlan Prout, Forest Biologist, at 
603-528-8721 or TTY 603-528-8722.
    Responsible Official: Donna L. Hepp, Forest Supervisor, 719 North 
Main Street, Laconia, NH 03246.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: New standards are being proposed for several 
reasons: (1) To officially adopt Terms and Conditions specified by the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize ``take'' (under the 
Endangered Species Act) of Indiana bats, as well as propose additional 
measures to aid in Indiana bat recovery; (2) To incorporate standards 
for protecting small whorled pogonia, a threatened species discovered 
after the approval of the original Forest Plan in 1986; and (3) To 
provide protective standards for Regional Forester Sensitive Species, 
the list of which was recently evaluated and updated in February 2000. 
This is a non-significant amendment.

    Dated: March 9, 2001.
Donna L. Hepp,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 01-6874 Filed 3-19-01; 8:45 am]
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