[Federal Register: August 18, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 159)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 49395]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18au03-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
36 CFR Parts 219 and 294
RIN 0596-AC05
National Forest System Land and Resource Management Planning;
Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the public comment period is being
extended for the advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) published
on July 15, 2003 (68 FR 41864) to solicit public input concerning the
applicability of the roadless area conservation rule published on
January 12, 2001 (66 FR 3244) (the roadless rule), to both the Tongass
and the Chugach National Forests in Alaska. The original comment period
for this ANPR ended on August 14, 2003.
On July 10, 2001, the Forest Service published an ANPR (66 FR
35918) seeking public comment concerning how best to proceed with long-
term protection and management of inventoried roadless areas. The 2001
ANPR expressed the Department's belief that inventoried roadless areas
contain important environmental values that warrant protection, and
identified a set of principles that would guide the Department in
addressing this subject. This second ANPR solicits further public input
concerning the applicability of the roadless rule to both the Tongass
and the Chugach National Forests in Alaska.
In conjunction with this notice, the agency is publishing a
separate notice of extension of the comment period for the proposed
rule published on July 15, 2003 (68 FR 41865), to amend regulations
concerning the roadless rule to temporarily exempt the Tongass National
Forest from prohibitions against timber harvest, road construction, and
reconstruction in inventoried roadless areas until a final rule is
promulgated as announced by the Forest Service in the 2001 ANPR. The
extension notice for the proposed rule has been published elsewhere in
the same part of today's Federal Register.
The agency has received a large volume of responses to the advance
notice of proposed rulemaking thus far; and therefore, has decided to
provide the public additional time to comment. In seeking public
comment on this advance notice of proposed rule, the agency is
fulfilling part of the Department's obligations under the June 10, 2003
settlement agreement for State of Alaska v. USDA, while also
maintaining the ecological values of inventoried roadless areas in the
Tongass and Chugach National Forests. Public comment is invited and
will be considered in the development of the proposed rule.
DATES: Comments must be postmarked by the new deadline of September 2,
2003.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Roadless ANPR, USFS Content
Analysis Team, P.O. Box 22777, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84122; by
electronic mail to roadlessanpr@fs.fed.us; or by facsimile to (801)
880-3311. If you intend to submit comments in batched e-mails from the
same server, please be aware that electronic security safeguards on
Forest Service and Department of Agriculture computer systems intended
to prevent commercial spamming may limit batched e-mail access. The
Forest Service is interested in receiving all comments on this advance
notice of proposed rulemaking, however, so please call (801) 517-1020
to facilitate transfer of comments in batched e-mail messages. Please
note that all comments will be available for public inspection and
copying. The agency cannot confirm receipt of comments. Individuals
wishing to inspect the comments should call Jody Sutton at (801) 517-
1023 to facilitate an appointment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: In Washington, DC contact: Dave
Barone, Planning Specialist, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff,
Forest Service, USDA, (202) 205-1019; and in Juneau, Alaska contact:
Jan Lerum, Regional Planner, Forest Service, USDA, (907) 586-8796.
Dated: August 14, 2003.
Dale N. Bosworth,
Chief.
[FR Doc. 03-21208 Filed 8-14-03; 2:29 pm]
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