[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 168 (Thursday, September 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49294-49295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18957]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Carson National Forest; New Mexico; Revision of the Land 
Management Plan for the Carson National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to object to the revised Land Management 
Plan for the Carson National Forest.

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

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is revising the Carson National Forest's 
Land Management Plan (Forest Plan). The Forest Service has prepared a 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for its revised Forest Plan 
and a draft Record of Decision (ROD). This notice is to inform the 
public that the Carson National Forest is initiating a 60-day period 
where individuals or entities with specific concerns about the Carson 
National Forest's revised Forest Plan and the associated FEIS may file 
objections for Forest Service review prior to the approval of the 
revised Forest Plan. This is also an opportunity to object to the 
Regional Forester's list of species of conservation concern for the 
Carson National Forest.

DATES: The publication date of the legal notice in the Carson National 
Forest's newspaper of record, Taos News, 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 https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47966.

ADDRESSES: The Carson National Forest's revised Forest Plan, FEIS, 
draft ROD, species of conservation concern list, and other supporting 
information will be available for review at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47966. Copies of the Carson National Forest's revised 
Forest Plan, FEIS, draft ROD, and Regional Forester's list of species 
of conservation concern for the Carson National Forest can be obtained 
online at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47966, or at the 
following office: Carson National Forest Supervisor's Office, 208 Cruz 
Alta Rd., Taos, NM 87571, Phone: (575) 758-6200.

[[Page 49295]]

    Objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer by 
one of the following methods:
     Via regular mail, carrier, or hand delivery to the 
following address: USDA-Forest Service Southwest Region, ATTN: 
Objection Reviewing Officer, 333 Broadway Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM 
87102 (Fax: 505-842-3173). Office hours for submitting a hand-delivered 
objection are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding 
Federal holidays.
     Electronically at [email protected] with subject: Carson National Forest Plan Revision 
Objection. Electronically filed objections may be submitted by email in 
word (.doc or .docx), rich text format (.rtf), text (.txt), portable 
document format (.pdf), and/or hypertext markup language (.html).
     Electronically to the Objection Reviewing Officer via the 
CARA objection web form: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=47966. Electronic submissions must be submitted in 
a format (Word, PDF, or Rich Text) that is readable and searchable with 
optical character recognition software.
     By Fax: 505-842-3173. Faxes must be addressed to 
``Objection Reviewing Officer.'' The fax coversheet should include a 
subject line with ``Carson National Forest Plan Revision Objection'' or 
``Carson Species of Conservation Concern'' and specify the number of 
pages being submitted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Forest Planner, Peter Rich at (575) 
758-6277 or [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 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, 
Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The decision to approve the revised Forest 
Plan and the Regional Forester's list of species of conservation 
concern for the Carson National Forest will be subject to the objection 
process identified in 36 CFR part 219 Subpart B (219.50 to 219.62).

How To File an Objection

    Objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer at 
the address shown in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. 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, plan amendment, or 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, plan 
amendment, or plan revision to which the objection applies;
    (6) A concise statement explaining the objection and suggesting how 
the draft plan decision may be improved. If the objector believes that 
the plan, plan amendment, or 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 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 proposed plan, plan amendment, or plan revision 
comment period.
    It is the responsibility of the objector to ensure that the 
Objection Reviewing Officer receives the objection in a timely manner. 
The regulations prohibit extending the length of the objection filing 
period (36 CFR 219.56(d)).

Responsible Official

    The responsible official who will approve the ROD and the revised 
Forest Plan for the Carson National Forest is James Duran, Forest 
Supervisor, Carson National Forest, Carson National Forest Supervisor's 
Office, 208 Cruz Alta Rd., Taos, NM 87571, and Phone: (575) 758-6301. 
The responsible official for the list of species of conservation 
concern is Michiko Martin, Regional Forester, USDA Forest Service 
Southwestern Region, 333 Broadway Blvd. SE, Albuquerque NM 87102.
    The Regional Forester is the reviewing officer for the revised 
Forest Plan since the Forest Supervisor is the responsible official (36 
CFR 219.56(e)(2)). The decision to approve the species of conservation 
concern list will be subject to a separate objection process. The Chief 
of the Forest Service is the reviewing officer for species of 
conservation concern identification since the Regional Forester is the 
responsible official (36 CFR 219.56(e)(2)).

    Dated: August 20, 2021.
Barnie Gyant,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2021-18957 Filed 9-1-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P