[Federal Register: December 20, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 243)]
[Notices]               
[Page 71101]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20de99-46]                         

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Notices
                                                Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

 
Southwestern Region, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas and Oklahoma 
Proposed Projects in the Agua/Caballos Analysis Area, Carson National 
Forest, Rio Arriba County, NM

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revised notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The Carson National Forest, El Rito Ranger District is 
preparing a supplement to the draft environmental impact statement 
(DEIS) to disclose new information relevant to the analysis of proposed 
projects in the Agua/Caballos analysis area. Proposed projects include 
the allocation of old growth, harvesting of trees for sawtimber and 
forest products, prescribed burning, thinning, construction of new 
roads and reconstruction or closure of existing roads. A Notice of 
Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement was published 
in the Federal Register on April 22, 1997 (62 FR 195342). A Notice of 
Availability for the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on 
February 19, 1999 (64 FR 8356).
    After further verification on the ground, Alternative C (the 
preferred alternative) was found to have more miles of new road 
construction, and Alternatives D and E were found to have more miles of 
reconstruction, than what was described and analyzed in the DEIS. These 
new road figures are expected to change the effects analyses for 
alternatives C-E, especially those associated with soils and watershed. 
The supplement will disclose the new miles of road construction and 
reconstruction for alternatives C-F and any environmental consequences 
related to these new figures. In addition, the supplement will add a 
new alternative (Alternative G) and its effects to the analysis. 
Alternative G is being developed in response to comments received from 
the public on the DEIS.

DATES: It is estimated that the supplement will be completed and 
distributed by the end of January, 2000. A 45 day comment period will 
follow. The final environmental impact statement is estimated to be 
released in April, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The supplement will be available upon request from the 
Carson Forest Supervisor's Office, 208 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, NM 87571, 
Attn: Planning. Comments related to the supplement can be sent to the 
same address.
    Responsible Official: The Forest Supervisor, Carson National 
Forest, is the responsible official and will decide whether or not 
projects will be implemented by the Forest Service in the Agua/Caballos 
analysis area. If so, the Forest Supervisor will decide what projects 
and where, how and when they will be implemented.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Forest Planner, Carson Forest 
Supervisor's Office (505) 758-6200.

     Dated: December 8, 1999.
Gilbert Vigil,
Forest Supervisor, Carson National Forest.
[FR Doc. 99-32895 Filed 12-17-99; 8:45 am]
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