[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 23 (Friday, February 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5806-5807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1465]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
Revision

Manti-La Sal National Forest in Utah, Juab, Emery, Carbon, Sanpete, 
Grand, San Juan and Sevier counties in Utah, and Mesa and Montrose 
counties in Colorado.

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Adjustment to Federal Register Notice Vol. 67, No. 
86, p. 22397, May 3, 2002, and Vol. 69, No. 205, p. 62244, October 25, 
2004, and transition to the 2005 Planning Rule at 36 CFR 219 (FR, Vol. 
70, No. 3. / January 5, 2005, 1023).

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SUMMARY: The Manti-La Sal National Forest (Forest) will exercise its 
option to adjust the land management plan revision process from 
compliance with the 1982 planning regulations, to conform to new 
planning regulations adopted in January 2005. This adjustment will have 
the following effects:
    1. The 2005 Planning Rule redefines forest plans to be more 
strategic and flexible to better facilitate adaptive management and 
public collaboration.
    2. The 2005 Planning Rule focuses more on the goals of ecological, 
social, and economic sustainability and less on prescriptive means of 
producing goods and services.
    3. The Responsible Official who will approve the final plan will be 
the Forest Supervisor instead of the Regional Forester.
    4. The Forest will establish an Environmental Management System 
(EMS) (per ISO 14001:2004(E)) prior to approval of the revised forest 
plan.
    5. The emphasis of public involvement will be a collaborative 
effort between the public and the Forest Service to incorporate the 
most desirable management options into a single broadly supported 
management direction package that will become the forest plan.
    6. Administrative review will change from a post-decision appeals 
process to a pre-decision objection process.
    7. Because the Forest will not be preparing an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for revision of the forest plan, interim management 
strategies will be developed for the fourteen river segments identified 
as eligible for inclusion in the Wild and Scenic River (WSR) System. 
The suitability of these river segments for inclusion in the WSR System 
will be addressed in an appropriate environmental document after the 
revised forest plan is approved.
    8. Because an environmental impact statement will not be prepared 
for this revision, oil and gas leasing decisions will not be made. 
Instead, the revised forest plan will include general guidelines for 
mineral operations, including oil and gas, which will be considered as 
appropriate for areas currently available for leasing to protect 
resource values while providing appropriate access for exploration and 
development activities. Decisions regarding areas administratively 
available for lease and lease stipulations will be addressed in a 
separate environmental document(s) prepared either concurrently with 
the revision process or following approval of the revised forest plan.
    Public Involvement: Public participation and collaboration 
(including more than 34 public meetings) has been ongoing. Current 
information and details of public participation opportunities are 
posted on the Forest Web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/mantilasal/projects. Contact Linda Crawley at (435) 636-3558, or e-mail 
[email protected] to be added to the forest plan revision mailing 
list.

ADDRESSES: Manti-La Sal National Forest, 599 W. Price River Dr., Price, 
UT 84501.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlene DePietro, Planning and 
Recreation Group Leader, Manti-La Sal

[[Page 5807]]

National Forest, phone (435) 636-3539 or email: [email protected].

DATES: Transition is effective immediately upon publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register.
    Responsible Official: Alice B. Carlton, Forest Supervisor, Manti-La 
Sal National Forest, 599 W. Price River Dr., Price, UT 84501.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 3, 2002, the Manti-La Sal National 
Forest published a Notice of Intent to revise the Land and Resource 
Management Plan (Forest Plan) (FR Vol. 67, No. 86, p. 22397, May 3, 
2002). This notice initiated revision under the 1982 planning 
regulations, but advised the public that the Forest would seriously 
consider switching to the new planning regulations once they were 
finalized This notice also outlined the initial steps of the revision 
process including gathering information, organizing the revision team, 
developing resource inventories, and establishing a mailing list.
    During 2002 and 2003, cooperating agency status was established 
through Memorandums of Understanding with six of the ten counties 
within which the Forest lies. Ten meetings were held throughout central 
and southeastern Utah (February to March 2003) to explain the planning 
process and to discuss existing uses of the Forest and current 
management issues. Nine public meetings were held in May 2004 to 
discuss preliminary needs for change in the current Forest Plan, Wild 
and Scenic Rivers eligibility and suitability, and the inventory of 
undeveloped and unroaded areas.
    On October 25, 2004, the Forest formally initiated the land 
management plan revision process with release of a Preliminary Analysis 
of the Management Situation and publication of a Notice of Intent to 
prepare an environmental impact statement for plan revision (FR Vol. 
69, No. 205, p. 62244). Six open houses were held during November 2004 
to discuss the Preliminary Analysis of the Management Situation and the 
Notice of Intent. These documents focused the revision process on those 
areas of the Forest where clearer management direction is most needed 
at this time.
    During September 2005, two workshops and an open house were held to 
discuss desired conditions for the Forest. Six workshops were held 
during November 2005 to review current Forest inventories and discuss 
suitable uses on the Forest.
    To meet the requirements of the 2005 Planning Rule, the 2004 
Analysis of the Management Situation, combined with the Forest's Rapid 
Assessment (March 2005), Fire Regime Condition Class Assessment 
(February 2005), and various resource specialist white papers will 
serve as the Forest's Comprehensive Evaluation Report.
    Additional opportunities will be provided for the public to review 
intermediate products, provide comment, or participate in collaborative 
stakeholder activities. The focal points of future collaborative work 
will be: (1) Review of revised desired conditions, (2) identification 
and development of objectives to aid in attaining or maintaining 
desired conditions, (3) review of suitable land uses, (4) development 
and review of design criteria, and (5) development and review of the 
plan monitoring framework. This phase of collaboration should be 
completed by the spring of 2006. The remaining forest plan revision 
schedule will be approximately as follows:

Draft Environmental Management System....  Spring 2006.
Release of Proposed Forest Plan and start  Summer 2006.
 of 90-day public comment period.
Release of Final Plan and start of 30-day  Fall 2006.
 objection period.
Final decision and start of plan           Winter 2006.
 implementation.
 


     Dated: January 30, 2006.
Rod Player,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Manti-La Sal National Forest.
 [FR Doc. E6-1465 Filed 2-2-06; 8:45 am]
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