80 FR 24894 - Revision of Land and Resource Management Plan for Flathead National Forest and an Amendment of the Helena, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark, and Lolo National Forest Plans To Incorporate Relevant Direction From the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 84 (May 1, 2015)

The Forest Service published a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement in the Federal Register on March 6, 2015, initiating a 60-day comment period on the proposed action to revise the land and resource management plan (forest plan) of the Flathead National Forest and amend the forest plans of the Helena, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark, and Lolo National Forest Plans to incorporate relevant direction from the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy. The closing date for that 60-day comment period is May 5, 2015; the Agency is extending the comment period for an additional 10 days.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 84 (Friday, May 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24894-24895]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10213]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Revision of Land and Resource Management Plan for Flathead 
National Forest and an Amendment of the Helena, Kootenai, Lewis and 
Clark, and Lolo National Forest Plans To Incorporate Relevant Direction 
From the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear 
Conservation Strategy

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service published a notice of intent to prepare an 
environmental impact statement in the Federal Register on March 6, 
2015, initiating a 60-day comment period on the proposed action to 
revise the land and resource management plan (forest plan) of the 
Flathead National Forest and amend the forest plans of the Helena, 
Kootenai, Lewis and Clark, and Lolo National Forest Plans to 
incorporate relevant direction from the Northern Continental Divide 
Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy. The closing date for that 
60-day comment period is May 5, 2015; the Agency is extending the 
comment period for an additional 10 days.

DATES: Comments must be received by May 15, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver written comments to the Flathead National 
Forest Supervisor's Office, Attn: Forest Plan Revision, 650 Wolfpack 
Way, Kalispell, Montana 59901. Comments may also be sent via email to 
[email protected] or via facsimile to (406) 758-5379. 
Further instructions for providing comments that will assist the 
planning team in reviewing comments can be found on the Flathead 
National Forest Web site www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/fpr.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Krueger, Forest Planner, Flathead 
National Forest, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, Montana 59901, (406) 758-
5243, or at [email protected]. Information regarding the 
Flathead NF plan revision is available on the Forest's Plan Revision 
Web site at: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/fpr; information about the 
amendment is available at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/gbamend.
    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: As directed by the National Forest 
Management Act, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, is 
preparing the Flathead National Forest's revised forest plan and an 
amendment to provide relevant direction from the Northern Continental 
Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy into the 
forest plans for the Helena, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark and Lolo 
National Forests. The Forest Service will prepare a single 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for its revised forest plan and 
the amendment.
    The revised Flathead forest plan will supersede the existing forest 
plan that was approved by the Regional Forester in 1986, and amended 
more than 20 times since. The existing Flathead forest plan will remain 
in effect until the revised forest plan takes effect. The management 
direction pertaining to grizzly bear within the current forest plans of 
the Helena National Forest, approved by the Regional Forester in 1986; 
Kootenai National Forest, approved by the Regional Forester in 2015; 
Lewis and Clark National Forest, approved by the Regional Forester in 
1986; and Lolo National Forest, approved by the Regional Forester in 
1986, as amended, will remain in effect until the proposed amendment 
takes effect.
    In response to this notice, we are asking for comments on the 
proposed action so we may refine the proposed action and identify 
possible alternatives to the proposed action. Comments concerning the 
scope of the proposed action must be received by May 15, 2015. The 
draft EIS is expected in January 2016 and the final EIS is expected in 
June 2017.
    The Flathead National Forest plan revision Web site 
(www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/fpr) provides the full text of the 
proposed action, describing preliminary desired conditions, objectives, 
standards, guidelines, and other plan content; the 2014 Assessment; 
summaries of the public meetings and public meeting materials; and 
public comments. The forest plan amendment component of the proposed 
action for the Helena, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark, and Lolo National 
Forests is located at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/gbamend, which can 
be linked from the individual Forest's Web sites as well. The material 
available on these sites may be updated or revised at any time as part 
of the planning process.
    The 2012 Planning Rule is explained in more detail on the Forest 
Service's Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/planningrule/home/

[[Page 24895]]

?cid=stelprdb5359471. The draft NCDE Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy 
is currently available on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Web site 
at http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/continentalindex.html.

    Dated: April 27, 2015.
Sharon LaBrecque,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Flathead National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2015-10213 Filed 4-30-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-11-P