[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 25, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29687-29688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11735]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

RIN 0596-AC19


Tribal 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 Indian tribes, for the 
Tribal Watershed Forestry Assistance Program, as authorized by Title 
III, Section 303, of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (Pub. 
L. 108-148). The Tribal Watershed Forestry Assistance Program (TWFAP) 
is administered by the Forest Service and implemented by participating 
Indian tribes. The purpose of the TWFAP is to build and strengthen 
watershed partnerships that focus on forested landscapes at the State, 
regional, tribal, and local levels; to provide tribal forestry best-
management practices and water quality technical assistance directly to 
Indian tribes; to provide technical guidance to tribal land managers 
and policy makers for water quality protection through forest 
management; to complement tribal efforts to protect water quality and 
provide enhanced opportunities for consultation and cooperation among 
Federal agencies and tribal entities charged with responsibility for 
water and watershed management; and to provide enhanced forest resource 
data and support for improved implementation and monitoring of tribal 
forestry best-management practices. In accordance with Forest Service 
policy, formal consultation is ongoing with Indian tribes on 
development of this new program. This notice supplements the 
consultation process. Comments are invited and will be considered in 
the development of the interim final guideline. Additional direction on 
the implementation of TWFAP 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, or Susan Johnson, USDA Forest 
Service, Office of Tribal Relations, [email protected], (303)275-
5760.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribal Watershed Forestry Assistance 
Program (TWFAP) is established in the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 to provide technical, financial, and related assistance to 
Indian tribes for the purpose of expanding tribal stewardship 
capacities and activities through tribal forestry best-management 
practices and other means at the tribal level to address watershed 
issues on land under the jurisdiction of or administered by the Indian 
tribes. 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 
TWFAP provides for (1) Development a program of technical assistance; 
(2) Annual awards to participating tribes for watershed forestry 
projects; (3) Selection of priority watersheds to target watershed 
forestry projects for funding; and (4) An opportunity to create tribal 
watershed forester positions. At a minimum, the TWFAP interim final 
guideline will address these provisions.
    In addition, the TWFAP interim final guideline will establish the 
criteria that Indian tribes should follow in implementing the TWFAP. 
These will include criteria for priority watershed selection, 
acceptable watershed forest projects, and best management practice 
programs. The guideline also will establish monitoring and 
accomplishment reporting requirements. The guideline will, to the 
extent consistent with Federal accountability and oversight 
responsibility, allow flexibility to the

[[Page 29688]]

tribes 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 Indian tribes, and regional and national Forest 
Service State and Private Forestry.
    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 advance notice of an interim 
final guideline for the Watershed Forestry Assistance Program, to be 
developed in cooperation with State Foresters, has been published in 
today's Federal Register.

    Dated: May 6, 2004.
Sally D. Collins,
Associate Chief.
[FR Doc. 04-11735 Filed 5-24-04; 8:45 am]
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