[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 99 (Thursday, May 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30925-30926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10957]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest; Montana; Revision of the 
Land Management Plan for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to object to the revised land management 
plan for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.

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

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is revising the Helena-Lewis and Clark 
National Forest's 1986 Land and Resource Management Plans. The Forest 
Service has prepared a final environmental impact statement (final EIS) 
for the revised land management plan, and a draft record of decision 
(ROD). This notice is to inform the public that a 60-day period is 
being initiated where individuals or entities with specific concerns 
about the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest's revised land 
management plan and associated final EIS may file objections for Forest 
Service review prior to approval of the revised land management plan. 
This is also an opportunity to object to the Regional Forester's list 
of species of conservation concern (SCC) for the Helena-Lewis and Clark 
National Forest.

DATES: The publication date of the legal notice in the Helena-Lewis and 
Clark National Forest's newspaper of record, the Helena Independent 
Record, initiates the 60-day objection period and is the exclusive 
means for calculating the time to file an objection (36 CFR 
219.52(c)(5)). An electronic scan of the legal notice with the 
publication date will be posted at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/hlc/forestplanrevision.

ADDRESSES: The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest's revised land 
management plan, final EIS, draft ROD, and other supporting information 
will be available for review at: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/hlc/forestplanrevision. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest's list 
of species of conservation concern and other supporting information 
will be available for review at: http://bit.ly/NorthernRegion-SCC. 
These web addresses include an objection template as an aid to 
providing the required information. Please be explicit as to whether 
the objection is for the land management plan or the species of 
conservation concern.
    Electronic objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing 
Officer via the CARA objection webform at https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?project=44589. Electronic 
submissions must be

[[Page 30926]]

submitted in a format (e.g., Word, PDF, Rich Text) that is readable 
with optical character recognition software and be searchable.
    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. Objections can be faxed to 
the Objection Reviewing Officer at (406) 329-3411. The fax coversheet 
must include a subject line with ``Helena-Lewis and Clark Forest Plan 
Objection'' or ``Helena-Lewis and Clark Species of Conservation 
Concern'' and should specify the number of pages being submitted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader, Deb Entwistle, 2880 
Skyway Dr., Helena, MT 59602, (406) 449-5201.
    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. 
Additional information concerning the draft RODs may be obtained on the 
internet at the websites listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 
document.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The decision to approve the revised land 
management plan for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest and the 
Regional Forester's identification 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 being objected 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.
    It is the responsibility of the objector to ensure that the 
reviewing officer receives the objection in a timely manner. The 
regulations prohibit extending the length of the objection filing 
period.

Responsible Officials

    The responsible official who will approve the record of decision 
for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest revised land management 
plan is William Avey, Forest Supervisor for the Helena-Lewis and Clark 
National Forest. The responsible official for the identification of the 
species of conservation concern for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National 
Forest is Leanne Marten, Northern Region Regional Forester.
    The Regional Forester is the reviewing officer for the revised land 
management plan since the Forest Supervisor is the deciding official 
(36 CFR 219.56(e)(2)). Objection review of the list of species of 
conservation concern will be subject to a separate objection process 
than the land management plan approval. The Chief of the Forest Service 
is the reviewing officer for the list of species of conservation 
concern as the Regional Forester is the responsbile official (36 CFR 
219.56(e)(2)).

Allen Rowley,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2020-10957 Filed 5-20-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P