[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 146 (Friday, July 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49925-49926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17949]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Assessment Report of Ecological, Social and Economic Conditions, 
Trends and Sustainability for the Manti-La Sal National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of initiating the Assessment phase of the Forest Plan 
revision for the Manti-La Sal National Forest.

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SUMMARY: The Manti-La Sal National Forest (Forest), located in central 
and southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado, is initiating the 
first phase of the Forest Planning process pursuant to the 2012 
National Forest System Land Management Planning rule (36 CFR part 219). 
This process will result in a revised forest land management plan 
(Forest Plan) which provides strategic direction for management of 
resources on the Manti-La Sal National Forest for the next fifteen 
years. The first phase of the planning process involves assessing 
ecological, social and economic conditions and trends in the planning 
area and documenting the findings in an Assessment report.
    The Assessment phase is just beginning on the Manti-La Sal National 
Forest and interested parties are invited to contribute to the 
development of the Assessment. The Forest will be hosting public 
meetings to explain the revision process and invite the public to share 
information relevant to the Assessment. At the public meetings the 
Forest will seek sources of existing information and local knowledge of 
current conditions and trends in the natural resources,

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social values, and goods and services produced by lands within the 
Manti-La Sal National Forest.

DATES: Public meetings to discuss development of the Assessment will be 
held in September 2016. Dates and locations will be posted on the 
Forest Web site (http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mantilasal/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd509713) and mailed to individuals 
and organizations on the mailing list. A draft of the Assessment report 
is anticipated to be posted at the Web site cited above in early 2017. 
Following completion of the Assessment, the Forest will initiate 
procedures pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to 
prepare and evaluate a revised Forest Plan.

ADDRESSES: Written correspondence can be sent to: Manti-La Sal National 
Forest, Attn: Forest Plan Revision, 599 West Price River Drive, Ste. A, 
Price, UT 84501; or emailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blake Bassett, Forest Plan Revision 
Partnership Coordinator, at the mailing address above; or call 435-636-
3508. 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. More 
information on our plan revision process is available on the Forest's 
planning Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mantilasal/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd509713. You may also contact us by 
email at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 
1976 requires that every National Forest System (NFS) unit develop and 
periodically revise a Forest Plan. The procedures for doing this are in 
federal regulation (``Planning Rule,'' 36 CFR 219) and in Forest 
Service directives. Forest Plans provide strategic direction for 
managing forest resources for around fifteen years, and are adaptive 
and amendable as conditions change over time.
    Under the Planning Rule, an Assessment of ecological, social, and 
economic conditions and trends in the planning area is the first phase 
of a 3-phase planning process (36 CFR 219.6). The second phase is 
guided, in part, by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It 
includes preparation of a draft revised Forest Plan, one or more 
alternatives to the draft plan, and a draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS) for public review and comment. This is followed by a 
final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and draft decision. The 
draft decision is subject to the objection procedures of 36 CFR part 
219, subpart B, before it can be finalized. The third phase of the 
process is implementation and monitoring, which is ongoing over the 
life of the revised Forest Plan.
    This notice announces the start of the Manti-La Sal National 
Forest's Assessment process. The Assessment will rapidly evaluate 
existing information about relevant ecological, economic, cultural and 
social conditions, trends and sustainability and their relationship to 
the current Forest Plan within the context of the broader landscape. 
The Assessment does not include any decisions or require any actions on 
the ground. Its purpose is to provide a solid base of information that 
will be used to identify preliminary needs for change in the current 
Forest Plan, and to inform development of a revised plan.
    With this notice, the Manti-La Sal National Forest invites other 
governments, non-governmental parties, and the public to contribute to 
Assessment development. The intent of public participation during this 
phase is to identify as much relevant information as possible to inform 
the plan revision process. We also encourage contributors to share 
their concerns and perceptions of risk to social, economic, and 
ecological systems in or connected to the planning area.
    As public engagement opportunities are scheduled, public 
announcements will be made and information will be posted on the 
Forest's Web site: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mantilasal/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd509713. To contribute information or 
ask to be added to our mailing list, please call 435-636-3508 or email 
[email protected].

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for the revision of the land management 
plan for the Manti-La Sal National Forest is the Forest Supervisor, 
Mark Pentecost, Manti-La Sal National Forest, 599 West Price River 
Drive, Ste. A, Price, Utah 84501.

    Dated: July 25, 2016.
Brian M. Pentecost,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2016-17949 Filed 7-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P