[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 125 (Friday, June 29, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 35684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12623]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 125 / Friday, June 29, 2007 / 
Notices  

[[Page 35684]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Coordinated Resource Offering Protocol (CROP) Meeting

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Coordinated Resource Offering Protocol (CROP) participants 
will meet in Salt Lake City, UT, from July 17-19, 2007. The purpose of 
the meeting is to engage participants on CROP information gathered, 
analyzed, and used. The meeting will include a public input session 
from July 17, 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. through July 19, until 3 p.m.

DATES: The Salt Lake City, UT meeting will be held from July 17-19, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: The July 17-19 meeting will be held at the Red Lion Hotel 
(downtown), 161 West 600 South, Salt Lake City, UT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edmund A. Gee, National Woody Biomass 
Utilization Team Leader, 202-205-1787 or via e-mail at [email protected]. 
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through 
Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under Title II of Sections 201-203 of the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-148) 
provides the authority to obtain information that will help overcome 
barriers to the production and use of biomass and help communities and 
businesses create economic opportunity through sustainable use of the 
Nation's forest resources. CROP is a new biomass removal model employed 
on 10 pilot biomass projects across the United States. The projects 
incorporate proposed 5-year removal data from 36 national forests, 105 
ranger districts, 41 BLM districts, and multiple natural resource 
agencies located in 15 states across the United States. CROP is 
intended to:
     Coordinate and levelize sustainable removals of biomass 
between public agencies in each CROP landscape;
     Facilitate the use of long-term multi-agency stewardship 
contracts;
     Heighten environmental and public trust in coordinated, 
sustainable biomass removal;
     Increase the `surety' of annual biomass removal contracts 
from public agencies; and
     Invite investment back into our Nation's forest landscapes 
based on sustainable removals of woody biomass.
    Meeting agenda items will specifically focus on (1) reviewing 
completed CROP results for all 10 geographic pilot areas and (2) 
securing collaborative, coordinated, and cooperative input from agency 
personnel and stakeholders regarding CROP deliverables, on-the-ground 
annual performance, and monitoring protocols. Agenda items will also 
detail new collaborative contracting provisions and authority that 
might be used in CROP landscapes; identify lessons learned during the 
CROP pilots; target any changes required to make CROP a better forest 
restoration tool; and define CROP data update and contracting protocols 
that could be initiated in the next 6-12 months.

    Dated: June 25, 2007.
Gloria Manning,
Associate Deputy Director, National Forest System.
 [FR Doc. E7-12623 Filed 6-28-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P