[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57716-57717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25060]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Re-establish the Black Hills National 
Forest Advisory Board Charter.

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SUMMARY: The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), intends to re-
establish the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board (Board) 
charter. In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA), the Board is being re-established to continue 
obtaining advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues 
such as forest plan revisions or amendments, forest health including 
fire management and mountain pine beetle infestations, travel 
management, forest monitoring and evaluation, recreation fees, and 
site-specific projects having forest wide implications.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Jacobson, Committee Coordinator, 
USDA, Black Hills National Forest, by telephone at 605-673-9216, by fax 
at 605-673-9208 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 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through 
Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Board is a non-scientific program 
advisory Board established by the Secretary of Agriculture in 2003 to 
provide advice and counsel to the U.S. Forest Service, Black Hills 
National Forest, in the wake of increasingly severe and intense wild 
fires and mountain pine beetle epidemics.
    The Board serves to meet the needs of the Federal Lands Recreation 
Enhancement Act of 2005 (FLREA) as a Recreation Resource Advisory 
Committee (RRAC) for the Black Hills of South Dakota and provides 
timely advice and recommendations to the regional forester through the 
forest supervisor regarding programmatic forest issues and project-
level issues that have forest-wide implications for the Black Hills 
National Forest.
    The Board meets approximately ten times a year, with one month 
being a field trip, held in August and focusing on both current issues 
and the educational value of seeing management strategies and outcomes 
on the ground. This Board has been established as a truly credible 
entity and a trusted voice on forest management issues and is doing 
often astonishing work in helping to develop informed consent for 
forest management.
    For years, the demands made on the Black Hills National Forest have 
resulted in conflicts among interest groups resulting in both forest-
wide and site-specific programs being delayed due to appeals and 
litigation. The Board provides a forum to resolve these issues to allow 
for the Black Hills National Forest to move forward in its management 
activities. The Board is believed to be one of the few groups with 
broad enough scope to address all of the issues and include all of the 
jurisdictional boundaries.

Significant Contributions

    The Board's most significant accomplishments include:
    1. A 2004 report on the Black Hills Fuels Reduction Plan, a 
priority following the major fires including the 86,000 acre Jasper 
Fire in 2000;
    2. A 2004 initial Off-Highway Vehicle Travel Management 
Subcommittee report;
    3. A report on their findings regarding the thesis, direction, and 
assumptions of Phase II of our Forest Plan produced in 2005;
    4. The Invasive Species Subcommittee Report in 2005 covering 
recommendations to better stop invasive species from infiltrating the 
Forest;
    5. A final Travel Management Subcommittee Report in 2006 in which 
the Board made 11 recommendations regarding characteristics of a 
designated motor vehicle trail system, the basis for our initial work 
to prepare our Motor Vehicle Use Map in 2010-2011;
    6. The Mountain Pine Beetle Response Project in 2012 covering 
landscape scale treatments on portions of 248,000 acres of ponderosa 
pine stands at high risk for infestation.
    7. The Board's annual work to attract funding through grants based 
on the Collaborative Landscape Forest Restoration Program (CFLRP), a 
program of the Secretary of Agriculture CFLR Program to encourage the 
collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest 
landscapes;
    8. A letter to the Secretary and the Chief of the Forest Service to 
work, restore and maintain open space for wildlife habitat and 
recreation needs like snowmobile trails; and
    9. The annual reports to the Secretary detailing the Board's 
activities, issues, and accomplishments.
    The Board is deemed to be among the most effective public 
involvement strategies in the Forest Service and continues to lead by 
example for Federal, State, and local government agencies working to 
coordinate and cooperate in the Black Hills of South Dakota and 
Wyoming.

Background

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Secretary of 
Agriculture intends to reestablish the Black Hills National Forest 
Advisory Board charter. The Board provides advice and recommendations 
on a broad range of forest planning issues and, in accordance with 
FLREA, more specifically will provide advice and recommendations on 
Black Hills National Forest recreation fee issues (serving as the RRAC 
for the Black Hills National Forest). The Board membership consists of 
individuals representing commodity interests, amenity interests, and 
State and local government.
    The Board has been determined to be in the public interest in 
connection with the duties and responsibilities of the Black Hills 
National Forest. National forest management requires improved 
coordination among the interests and governmental entities responsible 
for land management decisions and the public that the agency serves.

Advisory Committee Organization

    The Board consists of 16 members that are representatives of the 
following interests (this membership is similar to the membership 
outlined by the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self

[[Page 57717]]

Determination Act for Resource Advisory Committees):
    1. Economic development;
    2. Developed outdoor recreation, off-highway vehicle users, or 
commercial recreation;
    3. Energy and mineral development;
    4. Timber products industry;
    5. Permittee (grazing or other land use within the Black Hills 
area);
    6. Nationally recognized environmental organizations;
    7. Regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations;
    8. Dispersed recreation;
    9. Archeology or history;
    10. Nationally or regionally recognized sportsmen's groups, such as 
anglers or hunters;
    11. South Dakota State-elected offices;
    12. Wyoming State-elected offices;
    13. South Dakota or Wyoming county-or local-elected officials;
    14. Tribal government elected or- appointed officials;
    15. South Dakota State natural resource agency official; and
    16. Wyoming State natural resource agency official.
    The members of the Board will elect and determine the 
responsibilities of the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson. In the 
absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson will act in the 
Chairperson's stead. The Forest Supervisor of the Black Hills National 
Forest serves as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) under sections 
10(e) and (f) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
    The Committee will meet approximately nine times, and will attend 
at least one summer field tour as designated by the DFO. Members will 
serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel expenses 
while performing duties on behalf of the Board, subject to approval by 
the DFO.
    Equal opportunity practices are followed in all appointments to the 
Board in accordance with USDA policies. To ensure that the 
recommendations of the Board have been taken into account the needs of 
diverse groups, served by the Black Hills National Forest, membership 
shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated 
ability to represent minorities, women and persons with disabilities.

    Dated: October 31, 2018.
Donald Bice,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-25060 Filed 11-15-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P