[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 106 (Monday, June 2, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 31429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12184]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Revision of Land Management Plan, Lake Tahoe Basin Management 
Unit, Located in California and Nevada

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of adjustment to resume the land management plan 
revision process. Adjustment of Federal Register Notice of Vol. 72, No. 
23, p. 5264, Feb. 5, 2007, and transition to the 2008 Planning Rule at 
36 CFR 219 [Federal Register Vol. 73, No. 77/April 21, 2008, p. 21468-
21511]

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    Authority: 6 CFR 219.9(a).
SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service is resuming preparation of the Lake 
Tahoe Basin Management Unit revised land management plan (hereafter 
referred to as the Forest Plan), as directed by the National Forest 
Management Act (NFMA) . Preparation of the revised plan was halted when 
the 2005 Forest Service planning rule was enjoined. A new planning rule 
(36 CFR Part 219 was implemented on April 21, 2008, allowing the 
planning process to be resumed. This notice resumes the plan revision 
process under the new planning rule.
    The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) Forest Plan 
Comprehensive Evaluation Report documents the need for change and the 
initial scope of forest plan revision--based upon management review & 
determination, February 2007--which is still valid; this documentation 
provides information concerning public participation and collaboration. 
The original notice of initiation for plan revision appeared in the 
Federal Register Feb. 5, 2007. The Responsible Official, Terri 
Marceron, has determined the LTBMU land management plan revision 
process is to be adjusted from compliance with the 2005 planning 
regulations to conform to the 2008 regulations, published: April 21, 
2008.

DATES: This notice is effective on June 2, 2008. Comments received 
following the release of the need for change document (Comprehensive 
Evaluation Report), February and March 2007, remain valid and will be 
incorporated into the plan revision, in conjunction with previous 
Pathway collaboration and future public meeting input and comments 
received. Future dates for formal comments will be announced once they 
are determined.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Forest Plan Revision-LTBMU, 35 
College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.
    E-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Chaponot at (530) 543-2742 or 
Robert King at (530) 543-2619; or e-mail the revision team at: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notification of initiation of the plan 
revision process for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit land 
management plan was previously provided in the Federal Register on Feb. 
5, 2007. The plan revision was initiated under the planning procedures 
contained in the 2005 Forest Service planning rule (36 CFR 219 (2005)). 
On March 30, 2007, the federal district court for the Northern District 
of California enjoined the Forest Service from implementing and using 
the 2005 planning rule until the agency provided notice and comment, 
and conducted an assessment of the rule's effects on the environment, 
completing consultation under the Endangered Species Act. Revision of 
the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit forest plan under the (36 CFR 219 
(2005)) rule was suspended in response to the injunction. On April 21, 
2008 the Forest Service adopted a new planning rule. This rule (36 CFR 
219 (2008)) has been adopted following completion of a national-level 
environmental impact statement and consultation under the Endangered 
Species Act. This new planning rule explicitly allows the resumption of 
plan revisions started under the previous rule (36 CFR 219 (2005)) 
based on a finding that the revision process conforms to the new 
planning rule (36 CFR 219.14(b)(3) (ii)).
    Prior to the injunction of the 2005 planning rule, the Lake Tahoe 
Basin Management Unit had issued a Notice of Initiation in the Federal 
Register (Vol. 72, No. 23, p. 5264, Feb. 5, 2007).
    Based on the discussions above, the Responsible Official, Tern 
Marceron, finds that the planning actions taken by the LTBMU prior to 
April 21, 2008 conform to the plan revision process initiated under the 
provisions of the 2005 planning regulation, and for that reason the 
plan revision process does not need to be restarted. The Lake Tahoe 
Basin Management Unit is resuming its plan revision process with 
scheduled public participation activities in the coming months. 
Specific dates and times of future public participation activities will 
be sent to local print and broadcast media sources, and will be listed 
on the LTBMU Web site, at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/; details may 
also be obtained by contacting the LTBMU Supervisor's Office 
information desk at 530-543-2600.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1600-1614; 36 CFR 219.14.

    Dated: May 27, 2008.
Terri Marceron,
Forest Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
[FR Doc. E8-12184 Filed 5-30-08; 8:45 am]
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