[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 240 (Friday, December 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59579-59580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26952]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Revision of the Land Management Plan for the Flathead National 
Forest and Amending the Land Management Plans of the Helena-Lewis and 
Clark, Kootenai, and Lolo National Forests

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to object to the Revised Land and 
Resource Management Plan and to forest plan amendments.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service is revising the Flathead National Forest's 
Land and Resource Management Plan (forest plan). The Forest Service is 
concurrently amending the forest plans of the Helena-Lewis and Clark, 
Kootenai, and Lolo National Forests to incorporate habitat management 
direction for the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) grizzly 
bear population. The Flathead National Forest is proposing to 
incorporate the NCDE grizzly bear habitat management direction as part 
of its plan revision process. The Forest Service has prepared a single 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for its revised forest plan 
and the forest plan amendments, a draft Record of Decision (ROD) for 
the revised forest plan, and a draft ROD for the forest plan 
amendments.
    This notice is to inform the public that a 60-day period is being 
initiated where individuals or entities with specific concerns on the 
Flathead National Forest's Revised Land Management Plan and the 
Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Conservation 
Strategy forest plan amendments for the Helena-Lewis and Clark, 
Kootenai, and Lolo National Forests and its associated FEIS may file 
objections for Forest Service review prior to the approval of the 
Revised Land Management Plan and forest plan amendments. This is also 
an opportunity to object to the Regional Forester's list of species of 
conservation concern for the Flathead National Forest.

DATES: The FEIS, Flathead National Forest revised forest plan, other 
supporting documentation, and the draft RODs are available for review 
starting December 1, 2017 on the forest plan revision web page: 
www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/fpr; on the forest plan amendments web 
page: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/gba; and the Northern Region 
species of conservation concern web page: http://bit.ly/NorthernRegion-SCC.

ADDRESSES: The following address should be used for objections 
submitted by regular mail, private carrier, or hand delivery: Objection 
Reviewing Officer, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, 26 Fort 
Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804. Office hours are Monday through 
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding Federal holidays. Please be 
explicit as to whether the objection is for the Flathead Forest Plan, 
the NCDE Grizzly Bear Forest Plan Amendments, or the Flathead Species 
of Conservation Concern.
    Objections can be faxed to the Objection Reviewing Officer at (406) 
329-3411. The fax coversheet must include a subject line with 
``Flathead Forest Plan Objection,'' ``NCDE Grizzly Bear Forest Plan 
Amendments,'' or ``Flathead Species of Conservation Concern'' and 
should specify the number of pages being submitted. Electronic 
objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer via 
email to [email protected], with ``Flathead 
Forest Plan Objection,'' ``NCDE Grizzly Bear Forest Plan Amendments,'' 
or ``Flathead Species of Conservation Concern'' in the subject line. 
Electronic submissions must be submitted in a format that is readable 
with optical character recognition software (e.g. Word, PDF, Rich Text) 
and be searchable. An automated response should confirm your electronic 
objection has been received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader, Joe Krueger, 650 
Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901, (406) 758-5243. Additional 
information concerning the draft RODs may be obtained on the internet 
at the websites listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document.
    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: A legal notice of the initiation of the 60-
day objection period is being published in the Flathead, Helena-Lewis 
and Clark, Kootenai, and Lolo National Forests' newspapers of record: 
Daily Interlake, Great Falls Tribune, Missoulian, and Helena 
Independent. The date of the publication of the legal notices will 
determine the actual date of initiation of the 60-day objection period. 
A copy of the legal notices published in the newspapers of record will 
be posted on the websites listed above.
    The decisions to approve the revised forest plan for the Flathead 
National Forest, the NCDE Grizzly Bear Forest Plan Amendments, and the 
Regional Forester's list of species of conservation concern will be 
subject to the objection process identified in 36 CFR part 219 subpart 
B (219.50 to 219.62). An objection must include the following (36 CFR 
219.54(c)):
    (1) The objector's name and address along with a telephone number 
or email address if available. In cases where no identifiable name is 
attached to an objection, the Forest Service will attempt to verify the 
identity of the objector to confirm objection eligibility;
    (2) Signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a 
scanned signature for electronic mail may be filed with the objection);
    (3) Identification of the lead objector, when multiple names are 
listed on an objection. The Forest Service will communicate to all 
parties to an objection through the lead objector. Verification of the 
identity of the lead objector must also be provided if requested;
    (4) The name of the plan revision or forest plan amendment being 
objected

[[Page 59580]]

to, and the name and title of the responsible official;
    (5) A statement of the issues and/or parts of the plan revision to 
which the objection applies;
    (6) A concise statement explaining the objection and suggesting how 
the proposed plan decision may be improved. If the objector believes 
that the plan revision is inconsistent with law, regulation, or policy, 
an explanation should be included;
    (7) A statement that demonstrates the link between the objector's 
prior substantive formal comments and the content of the objection, 
unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the 
opportunities for formal comment; and
    (8) All documents referenced in the objection (a bibliography is 
not sufficient), except that the following need not be provided:
    a. All or any part of a Federal law or regulation,
    b. Forest Service Directive System documents and land management 
plans or other published Forest Service documents,
    c. Documents referenced by the Forest Service in the planning 
documentation related to the proposal subject to objection, and
    d. Formal comments previously provided to the Forest Service by the 
objector during the plan revision comment period.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official who will approve the ROD for the Flathead 
National Forest revised forest plan is Chip Weber, Forest Supervisor 
for the Flathead National Forest, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 
59901, (406) 758-5208.
    The Regional Forester is the reviewing officer for the revised plan 
since the Forest Supervisor is the deciding official (36 CFR 
219.56(e)(2)). The Flathead National Forest will provide the Regional 
Forester with public comments received on species of conservation 
concern (SCC). The Regional Forester will consider comments received 
and respond to them in the FEIS and ROD. The decision to approve the 
SCC list will be subject to a separate objection process. The Chief of 
the Forest Service is the reviewing officer for SCC identification 
since the Regional Forester is the deciding official (36 CFR 
219.56(e)(2)). Information about species of conservation concern is 
available at http://bit.ly/NorthRegion-SCC.

    Dated: November 16, 2017.
Jeanne M. Higgins,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2017-26952 Filed 12-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P