[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 25, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 29688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11734]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

RIN 0596-AC18


Watershed Forestry Assistance Program

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Advanced notice of interim final guideline; request for 
comment.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service is announcing its intent to prepare an 
interim final guideline, in cooperation with the State Foresters and 
with involvement of the public, for the implementation of the Watershed 
Forestry Assistance Program, as authorized by Title III, section 302, 
of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-148). The 
Watershed Forestry Assistance Program (WFAP) is administered by the 
Forest Service and implemented by the State Foresters, or an equivalent 
State official. The purpose of the WFAP is to improve public 
understanding of the connection between forest management and watershed 
health; encourage property owners to maintain tree cover and use tree 
plantings and vegetative treatments as creative solutions to watershed 
problems; enhance forest management and riparian buffer use in 
watersheds, with an emphasis on community watersheds; and establish 
partnerships and collaborative watershed approaches to forest 
management, protection, and conservation. Public comment is invited and 
will be considered in the development of the interim final guideline. 
Additional direction on the implementation of WFAP will be issued to 
the Forest Service Manual Chapter 3500, Cooperative Watershed 
Management.

DATES: Comments must be received by July 26, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Karen Solari, USDA Forest Service, 
Cooperative Forestry, Mail Stop Code 1123, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0003; via electronic mail to 
[email protected]; or via facsimile to (202) 205-1271. Comments also 
may be submitted via the World Wide Web/Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. The agency cannot confirm receipt of comments. All 
comments, including names and addresses when provided, are placed in 
the record and are available for public inspection and copying. The 
public may inspect comments during regular business hours at the office 
of the Cooperative Forestry Staff, 4th Floor SE., Yates Building, 201 
14th Street, SW., Washington, DC. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead 
to (202) 205-1389 to facilitate entry into the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Solari, USDA Forest Service, 
Cooperative Forestry, (202) 205-1274.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Watershed Forestry Assistance Program 
(WFAP) is established in the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to 
address watershed issues on nonfederal forested and potentially 
forested land. A copy of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, 
Title III, and other information on the watershed forestry program can 
be found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/cooperativeforestry/programs/wfa/. 
The WFAP provides for (1) development of a program of technical 
assistance; (2) establishment of a watershed forestry cost-share 
program; (3) creation of State watershed forester positions; and (4) 
selection of priority watersheds by the state forest stewardship 
coordinating committees. At a minimum, the WFAP interim final guideline 
will address these provisions.
    In addition, the WFAP interim final guideline will establish the 
criteria that State Foresters and communities, nonprofit groups, and 
owners of nonindustrial private forest land should follow in 
implementing the WFAP. These will include criteria for priority 
watershed selection, acceptable watershed forest projects, and best 
management practice programs. The guideline also will establish budget 
allocation procedures and monitoring and accomplishment reporting 
requirements. The guideline will, to the extent consistent with Federal 
accountability and oversight responsibility, allow flexibility to the 
States to implement the program in a manner consistent with local needs 
and opportunities. Comments are solicited on these provisions and other 
issues that should be included in the interim final guideline.
    The interim final guideline and additional direction issued to 
Forest Service Manual 3500 will be developed by a workgroup of 
representatives from State forestry agencies and regional and national 
Forest Service State and Private Forestry offices and USDA Cooperative 
State Research Education and Extension Service.
    The agency goal is to publish a notice of issuance of the interim 
final guideline with request for further comment in the Federal 
Register by October 2004. A separate notice of an interim final 
guideline for the Tribal Watershed Forestry Assistance Program, to be 
developed in cooperation with Indian tribes, has been published in 
today's Federal Register.

    Dated: May 6, 2004.
Sally Collins,
Associate Chief.
[FR Doc. 04-11734 Filed 5-24-04; 8:45 am]
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