[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 111 (Wednesday, June 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32930-32931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14147]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Recreation Resource Advisory Committees

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to re-establish the Recreation Resource 
Advisory Committees and call for nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) intends to re-
establish the charter for the Recreation Resource Advisory Committees 
(Recreation RACs) pursuant to Section 4 of the Federal Lands Recreation 
Enhancement Act, which passed into law as part of the 2005 Consolidated 
Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 108-447) on December 8, 2004. The 
Recreation RACs operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA) (Pub. L. 92-463) and functions in the Pacific 
Northwest, Pacific Southwest, Eastern, Southern Regions of the Forest 
Service and the State of Colorado. The purpose of the Recreation RACs 
is to provide advice and recommendations on recreation fees to both the 
Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as appropriate. 
The Secretary has determined that the work of the Recreation RACs is in 
the public interest and relevant to the duties of the Department of 
Agriculture. Therefore, the Secretary continuously seeks nominations to 
fill vacancies on the Recreation RACs. Additional information 
concerning the Recreation RACs can be found by visiting the Recreation 
RACs Web site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/rrac-org-links.shtml.

DATES: Nominations must be received on or before July 27, 2015. 
Nominations must contain a completed application packet that includes 
the nominee's name, resume, and completed Form AD-755, Advisory 
Committee or Research and Promotion Background Information. The 
packages must be sent to the addresses below.

ADDRESSES: Regional Forest Contacts for the Recreation Resource 
Advisory Committees (Recreation RACs):
    Eastern Region Recreation RAC: Joanna Wilson, Recreation Fee 
Coordinator, 626 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, or 
by phone at (414) 297-3295.
    Southern Region Recreation RAC: Alison Koopman, Recreation Fee 
Coordinator, 1720 Peachtree Road NW., Atlanta, Georgia 30309, or by 
phone at (404) 347-2769.
    Pacific Northwest Region Recreation RAC: Jocelyn Biro, Recreation 
Fee Coordinator, 333 SW First Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204, or by 
phone at (503) 808-2411.
    Pacific Southwest Region Recreation RAC: Ramiro Villalvazo, 
Recreation Director, 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, California 94592, or by 
phone at (707) 562-8856.
    Colorado Recreation RAC: Paul Cruz, Recreation Fee Coordinator, 740 
Simms Street, Golden, Colorado 80401, or by phone at (303) 275-5043.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Cox, Recreation RAC Coordinator, 
Pacific Northwest Region, USDA Forest Service, 620 SW Main Street, 
Suite 334, Portland, Oregon 97205; or by phone at (503) 808-2984, or by 
email 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

[[Page 32931]]

between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through 
Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), signed in 
December 2004, directs the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of 
the Interior, or both to establish Recreation RACs, or use existing 
advisory committees to perform the duties of Recreation RACs, in each 
State or region for Federal recreation lands and waters managed by the 
Forest Service or the BLM. These committees make recreation fee program 
recommendations on implementing or eliminating standard amenity fees; 
expanded amenity fees; and noncommercial, individual special recreation 
permit fees; expanding or limiting the recreation fee program; and fee-
level changes. The REA grants flexibility to Recreation RACs by stating 
that the Secretaries:
     May have as many additional Recreation RACs in a State or 
region as the Secretaries consider necessary;
     Shall not establish a Recreation RAC in a State if the 
Secretaries determine, in consultation with the Governor of the State, 
that sufficient interest does not exist to ensure that participation on 
the committee is balanced in terms of the points of view represented 
and the functions to be performed; or
     May use a resource advisory committee established pursuant 
to another provision of law and in accordance with that law.
    The Forest Service and BLM elected to jointly use existing BLM RACs 
in the states of Arizona, Idaho, the Dakotas, Montana, Nevada, New 
Mexico, and Utah. The Forest Service also manages Recreation RACs for 
the Forest Service Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest, Eastern and 
Southern Regions and for the State of Colorado. The Forest Service is 
using an existing advisory board for the Black Hills National Forest in 
South Dakota. In addition, the Governors of three states--Alaska, 
Nebraska and Wyoming--requested that their states be exempt from the 
Recreation RAC requirement, and the Secretary concurred with the 
exemptions.

Recreation RACs Membership

    The Recreation RACs consists of not more than 11 members. The 
members appointed to the Recreation RACs will be fairly balanced in 
terms of points of view represented, functions to be performed, and 
will represent a broad array of expertise and relevancy to a membership 
category. The Recreation RACs composition is as follow:
    (1) Five persons who represent recreation users and that include, 
as appropriate, persons representing--
    (a) Winter motorized recreation such as snowmobiling;
    (b) Winter nonmotorized recreation such as snowshoeing, cross-
country and downhill skiing, and snowboarding;
    (c) Summer motorized recreation such as motorcycling, boating, and 
off-highway vehicle driving;
    (d) Summer nonmotorized recreation such as backpacking, horseback 
riding, mountain biking, canoeing, and rafting; and
    (e) Hunting and fishing.
    (2) Three persons who represent interest groups that include, as 
appropriate--
    (a) Motorized outfitters and guides;
    (b) Nonmotorized outfitters and guides; and
    (c) Local environmental groups.
    (3) Three persons who are--
    (a) State tourism official representing the State;
    (b) A representative of affected Indian tribes; and
    (c) A representative of affected local government interests.
    In the event a vacancy arises, the Secretary may appointment 
replacements for members in each of the three membership categories. If 
an appropriate replacement is unavailable, nominees will be sough 
through an open and public process and submitted to the Secretary for 
vetting, approval, and appointment. The Chairperson, of each Recreation 
RAC, shall be selected by majority vote of the Recreation RAC from 
among its members for a period of time as determined by the Recreation 
RAC. A Co-Chairperson may be assigned, especially to facilitate his or 
her transition to become the Chairperson in the future. The Forest 
Service Regional Foresters or designee for each identified Recreation 
RAC shall serve as the Designated Federal Official (DFO) under Sections 
10(e) and (f) of FACA.
    The Recreation RACs members serve 3-year terms and shall reside 
within the Region(s) and State in which the committee is organized.

Nominations and Application Information for the Recreation RACs

    The appointment of members to the Recreation RACs will be made by 
the Secretary of Agriculture. Any individual or organization may 
nominate one or more qualified persons to represent the vacancies 
listed above. To be considered for membership, nominees must--
    1. Identify what vacancy they would represent and how they are 
qualified to represent that vacancy;
    2. State why they want to serve on the committee and what they can 
contribute;
    3. Show their past experience in working successfully as part of a 
working group on forest management activities;
    4. Complete Form AD-755, you may contact the persons above or from 
the following Web site: http://www.usda.gov/documents/OCIO_AD_755_Master_2012.pdf. All nominations will be vetted, by the 
Agency.
    Equal opportunity practices, in line with USDA policies, will be 
followed in all appointments to the Recreation RACs. To ensure that the 
recommendations of the Recreation RACs have taken into account the 
needs of the diverse groups served by the Departments, membership 
should include, to the extent practicable, individuals with 
demonstrated ability to represent all racial and ethnic groups, women 
and men, and persons with disabilities.

    Dated: May 28, 2015.
Malcolm A. Shorter,
Deputy Assistant Secretary For Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-14147 Filed 6-9-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P