[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 159 (Monday, August 18, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 49395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21208]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

36 CFR Parts 219 and 294

RIN 0596-AC05


National Forest System Land and Resource Management Planning; 
Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the public comment period is being 
extended for the advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) published 
on July 15, 2003 (68 FR 41864) to solicit public input concerning the 
applicability of the roadless area conservation rule published on 
January 12, 2001 (66 FR 3244) (the roadless rule), to both the Tongass 
and the Chugach National Forests in Alaska. The original comment period 
for this ANPR ended on August 14, 2003.
    On July 10, 2001, the Forest Service published an ANPR (66 FR 
35918) seeking public comment concerning how best to proceed with long-
term protection and management of inventoried roadless areas. The 2001 
ANPR expressed the Department's belief that inventoried roadless areas 
contain important environmental values that warrant protection, and 
identified a set of principles that would guide the Department in 
addressing this subject. This second ANPR solicits further public input 
concerning the applicability of the roadless rule to both the Tongass 
and the Chugach National Forests in Alaska.
    In conjunction with this notice, the agency is publishing a 
separate notice of extension of the comment period for the proposed 
rule published on July 15, 2003 (68 FR 41865), to amend regulations 
concerning the roadless rule to temporarily exempt the Tongass National 
Forest from prohibitions against timber harvest, road construction, and 
reconstruction in inventoried roadless areas until a final rule is 
promulgated as announced by the Forest Service in the 2001 ANPR. The 
extension notice for the proposed rule has been published elsewhere in 
the same part of today's Federal Register.
    The agency has received a large volume of responses to the advance 
notice of proposed rulemaking thus far; and therefore, has decided to 
provide the public additional time to comment. In seeking public 
comment on this advance notice of proposed rule, the agency is 
fulfilling part of the Department's obligations under the June 10, 2003 
settlement agreement for State of Alaska v. USDA, while also 
maintaining the ecological values of inventoried roadless areas in the 
Tongass and Chugach National Forests. Public comment is invited and 
will be considered in the development of the proposed rule.

DATES: Comments must be postmarked by the new deadline of September 2, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Roadless ANPR, USFS Content 
Analysis Team, P.O. Box 22777, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84122; by 
electronic mail to [email protected]; or by facsimile to (801) 
880-3311. If you intend to submit comments in batched e-mails from the 
same server, please be aware that electronic security safeguards on 
Forest Service and Department of Agriculture computer systems intended 
to prevent commercial spamming may limit batched e-mail access. The 
Forest Service is interested in receiving all comments on this advance 
notice of proposed rulemaking, however, so please call (801) 517-1020 
to facilitate transfer of comments in batched e-mail messages. Please 
note that all comments will be available for public inspection and 
copying. The agency cannot confirm receipt of comments. Individuals 
wishing to inspect the comments should call Jody Sutton at (801) 517-
1023 to facilitate an appointment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: In Washington, DC contact: Dave 
Barone, Planning Specialist, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff, 
Forest Service, USDA, (202) 205-1019; and in Juneau, Alaska contact: 
Jan Lerum, Regional Planner, Forest Service, USDA, (907) 586-8796.

    Dated: August 14, 2003.
Dale N. Bosworth,
Chief.
[FR Doc. 03-21208 Filed 8-14-03; 2:29 pm]
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