[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 18348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9093]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 76 / Wednesday, April 22, 2009 / 
Notices  

[[Page 18348]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Intermountain Region, Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth National 
Forests; ID; Amendment to the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plans: 
Wildlife Conservation Strategy (Forested Biological Community)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Second correction of notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: On December 8, 2008, the Forest Service corrected a notice of 
intent (NOI) to prepare one EIS to disclose the environmental effects 
of proposed nonsignificant amendments to the three Southwest Idaho 
Ecogroup (SWIE) 2003 Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans). 
The December 8, 2008, NOI corrected a September 14, 2007 NOI, in part 
to reflect a delay of more than a year in filing the draft EIS. The 
December 8, 2008 NOI is now being corrected to reflect that three EISs 
will be prepared (one for each Forest) instead of one EIS addressing 
all three Forests.

DATES: The draft EISs for the three Forests are expected to be 
available in the fall of 2009 for a 45-day public comment period. The 
final EISs and three Records of Decision (RODs), one for each Forest 
Plan, are expected to be completed by winter 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Randall Hayman, Forest Planner, Boise 
National Forest; 1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200, Boise, Idaho 83709; 
telephone 208-373-4100.
    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 Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The three Forests have decided to prepare 
three separate EISs to disclose the environmental effects of proposed 
nonsignificant amendments to each Forest Plan. The proposed Forest Plan 
amendments would add and/or modify existing management direction as 
needed to implement a Forest Plan-level, wildlife conservation strategy 
(WCS) for the forested biological community for the Boise, Payette, and 
Sawtooth National Forests, respectively. The Forests decided to prepare 
three separate EISs to reduce the complexity arising from one single 
EIS addressing a wide diversity of terrestrial wildlife species and 
forested habitats across approximately 6.6 million acres, and to 
reflect each Forest's reliance on a Forest Plan and ROD specific to 
that Forest. Each of the three EISs will describe cumulative effects to 
identified species, using analysis areas appropriate for and specific 
to these species. Additional information about the proposed amendments, 
including the purpose and need and proposed action. can be found in the 
September 14, 2007, NOI (Federal Register, Vol 72, No. 178, pp. 52540-
52542) and the December 8, 2008, NOI (Federal Register, Vol 73, No. 
236, pp. 74455-74456).
    Information about and status updates of the amendment process will 
continue to be posted on the Web site, http://fs.usda.gov/boise (click 
on ``WildIife Conservation Strategy'').
    Responsible Officials: The Responsible Officials are the three 
Forest Supervisors for the Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth NFs.
    Nature of Decision To Be Made: Each Responsible Official will 
review the final EIS for her respective Forest and determine if the 
2003 Plan for her Forest should be amended and/or modified, or if the 
current Forest Plan should remain unchanged.

    Dated: April 14, 2009.
Cecilia R. Seesholtz,
Forest Supervisor, Boise National Forest.
[FR Doc. E9-9093 Filed 4-21-09; 8:45 am]
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