[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 37 (Thursday, February 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8645-8646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3904]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Public Meetings on the Development of the Forest Service Land
Management Planning Rule
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of meetings.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service is committed to developing a new
Forest Service Land Management Planning Rule (planning rule) through a
transparent and participatory process. To facilitate public
participation, dialogue, and active collaboration, the Forest Service
will host a national science forum, three national roundtables, and
nine regional roundtables. Summaries of each session will be produced
and posted on the planning rule Web site as part of the public record.
While public participation in the forum and roundtables will be a
valuable source of information for the rule-writing process, this
participation is not a substitute for the submission of written
comments through the formal National Environmental Policy Act and
Administrative Procedure Act (NEPA/APA) processes. Any comments you
wish to be considered as part of the formal NEPA/APA process must be
made by you in writing during the appropriate comment period.
DATES:
The national science forum will take place March 29 and
30, 2010, in Washington, DC.
The national roundtables are scheduled for April 1 and 2,
April 20 and 21, and May 11 and 12, 2010, in Washington, DC.
The nine regional roundtables will take place in the
following locations:
[cir] Pacific Northwest Region (Region 6), Portland, OR on April 6,
2010;
[cir] Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5),Sacramento, CA on April
6, 2010;
[cir] Intermountain Region (Region 4), Salt Lake City, UT on April
8, 2010;
[cir] Rocky Mountain Region, (Region 2), Lakewood, CO on April 12,
2010;
[cir] Northern Region (Region 1), Missoula, MT on April 13, 2010;
[cir] Alaska Region (Region 10), Juneau, AK on April 13, 2010;
[cir] Southern Region (Region 8), Atlanta, GA during the week of
April 12, 2010 (exact date to be determined);
[cir] Eastern Region (Region 9), Chicago, IL during the week of
April 28 (exact date to be determined); and
[cir] Southwestern Region (Region 3), Albuquerque, NM on April 28,
2010.
[cir] Region 2 will host additional meetings on April 14 in
Cheyenne, WY and on April 21 meeting in Rapid City, SD.
Several Forest Service regions will videoconference their
regional meeting to Forest Service offices in other locations:
[cir] Region 5 will videoconference to Forest Service offices in
San Bernandino, CA and Redding, CA with the April 6 Sacramento, CA
meeting;
[cir] Region 1 will videoconference with Forest Service offices in
Couer d'Alene, ID and Billings, MT with the April 13 meeting in
Missoula, MT;
[cir] Additional videoconference locations are also possible;
please check the planning rule Web site, at http://www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule, for the most up-to-date information.
A more detailed schedule of these planning rule public
meetings, including information on meeting times and specific
locations, will be available on the planning rule Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule. The exact dates for the meetings in
Atlanta, GA and Chicago, IL will be posted to the planning rule Web
site as soon as the information is available.
[[Page 8646]]
ADDRESSES: The addresses for the science forum, national roundtables,
and regional roundtables will be available on the planning rule Web
site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Ecosystem Management Coordination
(EMC) staff at 202-205-0895. Additional information concerning these
meetings, including regional contact information, will be available on
the planning rule Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through
Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 18, 2009, the Forest Service
formally announced the intent to prepare a new planning rule with the
publication of a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental
impact statement in the Federal Register (74 FR 67165) (http://fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5110264.pdf). In line with
President Obama's call for open government that is transparent,
participatory and collaborative, the Forest Service is committed to
actively engaging the public in the development of a new planning rule.
The national science forum, three national roundtables, and nine
regional roundtables are key elements in the agency's plan to provide
multiple opportunities for public dialogue and collaboration to develop
the proposed planning rule and DEIS. Webcasts, the posting of summaries
from each session, and the planning rule blog, all hosted on the Forest
Service planning rule Web site, will provide further support for a
dynamic, participatory, transparent and collaborative process.
Science forum: The national science forum will provide an
opportunity for scientists and other participants to share perspectives
on how science can inform and form a strong basis for a new planning
rule. The science forum will be open to the public and will be
available over webcast. Notes from the forum will be posted to the
planning rule Web site for further feedback, and will be used to frame
the roundtable discussions. Further information on the design and
agenda for the forum will be posted to the planning rule Web site at
http://www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule.
Roundtables: The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict
Resolution, an independent federal program, is assisting the Forest
Service in organizing the national and regional roundtables. All
roundtables will be open to the public and will provide opportunities
for dialogue about the nature and content of a new planning rule. Notes
from each roundtable will be posted on the planning rule Web site for
further feedback opportunities. The public will also be able to view
parts of and provide feedback on the roundtables through remote access;
details on remote access opportunties will be posted the planning rule
Web site.
The Planning Rule Blog (http://blogs.usda.gov/usdablogs/planningrule) will provide opportunities for people who are unable to
attend the roundtables to discuss the subjects covered and to provide
feedback on the notes from the roundtables as they are posted to the
planning rule Web site.
Summaries of the presentations and discussions that occur during
each session will be produced and become part of the public record for
the rule. The teams writing the proposed rule and the draft
environmental impact statement (DEIS) will use these summaries, along
with the report of individual comments expressed during the 60-day
formal comment period on the Notice of Intent, in the development of
the proposed rule and DEIS alternatives.
While public participation in the forum and roundtables will be a
valuable source of information for the rulewriting process, we
emphasize that this participation is not a substitute for the
submission of written comments through the formal National
Environmental Policy Act and Administrative Procedure Act (NEPA/APA)
processes. Any comments you wish to be considered as part of the formal
NEPA/APA process must be made by you in writing during the appropriate
comment period.
Further information on the meetings, the planning rule development
process, and general background information on the planning rule may be
found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule.
Dated: February 22, 2010.
Faye L. Krueger,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, NFS.
[FR Doc. 2010-3904 Filed 2-24-10; 8:45 am]
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