[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 101 (Thursday, May 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 28526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11196]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Payette National Forest; Idaho; Wildlife Conservation Strategy 
Forest Plan Amendment; Withdrawal of Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The Payette National Forest is withdrawing the Notice of 
Intent (NOI) that was published in the Federal Register on April 22, 
2009 to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Wildlife Conservation Strategy Forest Plan Amendment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning this notice 
should be directed to Deputy Forest Supervisor Susan Howle at Payette 
National Forest Supervisors Office, 500 North Mission Street Building 
2, McCall, ID 83638; via telephone at 208-634-0700 or via email at 
[email protected].
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the hearing-
impaired (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 
1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, Monday 
through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A NOI to prepare an EIS was first published 
in the Federal Register on September 14, 2007 (72 FR 52540) to amend 
the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plans for the Boise, Payette, and 
Sawtooth National Forests and was corrected on December 8, 2008 (73 FR 
74455) due to a delay in release of the three-forest Draft EIS. On 
April 22, 2009 (74 FR 18348), a new NOI was filed to prepare a separate 
EIS for each forest. The Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS for 
the amendment to the Payette Forest Plan was published in the Federal 
Register on January 21, 2011 (76 FR 3884).
    The Forest Supervisor in consultation with the Intermountain 
Regional Office has determined that the forest plan amendment proposed 
in 2011 cannot be completed as initiated per the provisions of 36 CFR 
219.13 issued in 2016. Under the new regulations, the project would be 
required to be re-initiated in order to meet the public notification 
requirements. The withdrawal of the EIS could not proceed earlier 
because of pending litigation for another project that referenced the 
Draft EIS. Judgment in that case was issued in August 2020, and the 
litigation is no longer pending. Instead of proceeding with a new or 
re-initiated Plan Amendment at this time, individual projects are 
considering the need for project level amendments to address wildlife 
conservation needs on a project-by-project basis based on the best 
available science. The need for a plan level wildlife conservation 
strategy will be reassessed during forest plan revision in the future.

    Dated: May 21, 2021.
Barnie Gyant,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2021-11196 Filed 5-26-21; 8:45 am]
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