[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88198-88199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29305]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


White River National Forest; Eagle County, CO El Jebel 
Administrative Sites, Upper and Lower Parcels, Conveyance Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is proposing to convey two adjacent parcels 
of land, and the associated water rights and mineral estate in El 
Jebel, Colorado pursuant to the Forest Service Facility Realignment and 
Enhancement Act of 2005 Public Law 109-54; 16 U.S.C. 580d note, as 
amended by Public Law 112-74, Title IV, Sec. 421. The property is 
proposed to be sold as two parcels. The Lower Parcel is approximately 
40 acres and is predominantly riparian in nature and the Upper Parcel 
is approximately 30 acres and consists of three residences, one mobile 
home pad, horse pastures, and outdoor equipment storage. A conservation 
easement or deed restriction intended to protect the wetlands, 
floodplains, aquatic, botanical, wildlife resources, and future public 
access may be placed on the Lower Parcel at the time of sale. The 
property may be sold directly to an identified purchaser or may be sold 
under competitive bidding procedures. The method of sale will be 
determined at a later date. Conveying the parcel will help the Forest 
Service to streamline its administrative sites and create a more 
efficient pattern of land ownership in Eagle County. The proposal 
includes a project-specific forest plan amendment.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by January 23, 2017. The draft environmental impact statement (EIS) is 
expected to be available for public review in summer 2017 and the final 
EIS is expected in winter 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest 
Supervisor c/

[[Page 88199]]

o Carole Huey, White River National Forest, 900 Grand Avenue, Glenwood 
Springs, CO 81601. Comments may also be submitted via https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=50663, email 
to [email protected], or via facsimile to (970) 945-3266.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information related to the 
project can be obtained from the project Web page: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=50663 or Carole Huey, Lands 
and Conveyance Program Manager, White River National Forest, 900 Grand 
Avenue, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601. Ms. Huey can be reached by phone at 
(970) 945-3219 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 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
    Responsible Official: The Responsible Official is James S. Bedwell, 
Director of Recreation, Lands, and Minerals for the Rocky Mountain 
Region.
    Nature of Decision To Be Made: Based on the analysis that will be 
documented in the forthcoming EIS, the Responsible Official will decide 
whether or not to implement, in whole or in part, the Proposed Action 
or another alternative that may be developed by the Forest Service as a 
result of scoping.
    Scoping Process: This notice of intent initiates the scoping 
process, which guides the development of the EIS. The Forest Service is 
soliciting comments from Federal, State and local agencies and other 
individuals or organizations that may be interested in or affected by 
implementation of the proposed project. Public questions and comments 
regarding this proposal are an integral part of this environmental 
analysis process. Input provided by interested and/or affected 
individuals, organizations and governmental agencies will be used to 
identify alternative actions and resource issues that will be analyzed 
in the EIS.
    Comments should be provided prior to the close of the comment 
period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns and 
contentions. A public open house meeting will discuss the proposed 
action on December 8, 2016 from 5:30-7:00 p.m., (Mountain Standard 
Time) at the Eagle County Community Center located at 0020 Eagle County 
Drive, El Jebel, CO 81623. The meeting will be held in the Mt. Sopris 
Room.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered, however anonymous commenters would not have 
standing to file an objection. Those who submit comments will have 
eligibility to file an objection following the procedure laid out in 36 
CFR 218.8. There will be an additional opportunity to comment when the 
Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS is published in the Federal 
Register.
    For objection eligibility, each individual or representative from 
each entity submitting written comments must either sign the comment or 
verify identity upon request. Individuals and organizations wishing to 
be eligible to object must meet the information requirements in 36 CFR 
218.5.

    Dated: December 1, 2016.
James S. Bedwell,
Director of Recreation, Lands and Minerals, Rocky Mountain Region (R-
2), USDA Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-29305 Filed 12-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-15-P