[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 234 (Friday, December 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78303-78304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26687]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Coconino and Tonto National Forests; Arizona; Fossil Creek Wild 
and Scenic River Comprehensive River Management Plan

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to object to the Fossil Creek Wild and 
Scenic River Comprehensive River Management Plan, Forest Plan 
Amendments, Final Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Record of 
Decision.

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

SUMMARY: The Coconino and Tonto National Forests, located in Arizona, 
have prepared a Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for the 
Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River. Significant programmatic forest 
plan amendments to the Coconino and Tonto National Forests land 
management plans, to incorporate management direction from the CRMP 
have also been prepared for the Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River. 
Because the project includes two separate decisions, this notice 
initiates two separate but concurrent pre-decisional objection

[[Page 78304]]

filing periods. Objections to the proposed CRMP must be filed within 45 
days of the publication date of this notice and objections to the 
proposed amendments to the land management plans must be filed withn 60 
days of the publication date of this notice. The accompanying Final 
Environmental Impact Statement and draft Record of Decision describe 
the actions and analyze the effects of site specific activities 
associated with the CRMP and the forest plan amendments.

DATES: The Forest Plan Amendments, CRMP, FEIS, Draft ROD, and other 
project related documents will be available on the project web page: 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=27457 starting December 4, 
2020.
    A legal notice of the initiation of the 60-day and 45-day objection 
periods is also being published in the Arizona Daily Sun and the 
Arizona Capitol Times and will provide additional clarity and specific 
objection requirements found in the 36 CFR 218 and 36 CFR 219 
regulations (https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a45353900f749741bde9364d9d74dd04&mc=true&node=pt36.2.218&rgn=div5 and https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a45353900f749741bde9364d9d74dd04&mc=true&node=pt36.2.219&rgn=div5). The date the legal notice is published in the Arizona Daily Sun is 
the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. 
Please reference regulatory requirements for filing an objection in the 
above links. A copy of these legal notices will be posted on the 
website described above.

ADDRESSES: Objections may be submitted to Sandra Watts, Acting Regional 
Forester, filed via mail or express delivery to 333 Broadway Blvd. SE, 
Albuquerque, NM 87102; by facsimile to FAX: (505) 842-3800; by email to 
[email protected]. An automated response 
will confirm the electronic objection has been received. The email 
subject or fax coversheet must include a subject line with ``Fossil 
Creek Comprehensive River Management Plan Objection'' or ``Fossil Creek 
CRMP FEIS'' and should specify the number of pages being submitted. If 
an automated response is not received, it is the sender's 
responsibility to ensure timely filing by other means. Electronic 
objections must be submitted in MS Word, Word Perfect, portable 
document format (PDF), or rich text format (RTF).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader, Mike Dechter, 
[email protected], by phone at 928-527-3416. For media inquiries or 
to leave a message about the project, please contact Brady Smith via 
email at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 928-527-3490.
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed CRMP is subject to the 
objection process pursuant to 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B, and the 
Forest Plan amendments are subject to the objection process pursuant to 
36 CFR 219 Subparts A and B. Objections to the Fossil Creek 
Comprehensive River Management Plan or to the Forest Plan amendments 
will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted timely 
comments regarding these planning efforts during any designated 
opportunity for public comment, unless based on information not 
available during an earlier designated opportunity for public comment 
(i.e., new information).
    Both objection processes under 36 CFR 218 and 36 CFR 219 Subpart B 
provide an opportunity for members of the public who have participated 
in the planning process for the Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River 
Comprehensive River Management Plan to have any unresolved concerns 
reviewed by the Forest Service prior to a final decision by the 
Responsible Officials.
    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. Please reference regulatory requirements for objecting at the 
link provided above, under dates.

Responsible Officials

    The responsible officials who will approve the record of decision 
for the Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River CRMP are Laura Jo West, 
Forest Supervisor for the Coconino National Forest and Neil Bosworth, 
Forest Supervisor of the Tonto National Forest.
    The Regional Forester is the reviewing officer for all decisions 
related to the CRMP and its associated activities and the plan 
amendment since the Forest Supervisors are the deciding officials (36 
CFR 219.56(e)(2)).

Jennifer Eberlien,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2020-26687 Filed 12-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P