81 FR 5983 - Madison Ranger District, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest; Montana; South Gravelly Allotment Management Plan
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 23 (February 4, 2016)
Forest Service
Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 23 (February 4, 2016)
| Page Range | 5983-5983 | |
| FR Document | 2016-02107 |
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 23 (Thursday, February 4, 2016)] [Notices] [Page 5983] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2016-02107] [[Page 5983]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Madison Ranger District, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest; Montana; South Gravelly Allotment Management Plan AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The nature of the South Gravelly Allotment Management Plan project proposes updating of four domestic livestock grazing management plans located on the southern end of the Gravelly Mountains, Beaverhead and Madison Counties, Montana. DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by March 7, 2016. The draft environmental impact statement is expected June of 2016 and the final environmental impact statement is expected January of 2017. ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Dale Olson, District Ranger, Madison Ranger District, 5 Forest Service Road, Ennis, MT 59729. Comments may also be sent via email to [email protected] or via facsimile to 406-682-4233. For all forms of comment, make sure to include your name, physical address, phone number, and a subject title of South Gravelly AMP. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Olson, District Ranger, Madison Ranger District, 5 Forest Service Road, Ennis, MT 59729. Phone: 406- 682-4253. 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: Purpose and Need for Action This action is being undertaken to review grazing practices and infrastructure on four domestic livestock grazing allotments (Eureka Basin, Pole Creek, Southwest Corner, Robb Creek) to ensure compliance with the applicable Beaverhead-Deerlodge Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) direction. This action is needed because there is new direction in the Forest Plan for livestock grazing, site specific suitability, and site specific Allowable Use Levels (AUL's) need to be validated. Additionally this action is needed to meet the Rescissions Act schedule for updating allotment plans. Proposed Action The authorizing official proposes to: Maintain current authorized livestock type and numbers, season of use and infrastructure on the allotments. Cattle grazing is authorized between July 1 and October 15 for a total of 9363 AUMs. Domestic livestock grazing would continue following current allowable use levels. Specifically, for upland forage no more than 55 percent use; for riparian areas no more than 30 percent streambank disturbance or maintain no less than four inches of greenline stubble height measured by stream reach. Reaching any one allowable use parameter requires movement of livestock from the area, pasture or the allotment. There would be no changes or additions in grazing management or infrastructure. Monitoring of compliance with AULs and long term vegetation monitoring would continue. Allotment management plans for the four allotments would be updated to incorporate the AULs and management prescriptions. Possible Alternatives No Grazing Alternative. Under this alternative domestic livestock grazing permits on the four allotments would be discontinued with a minimum of two years notice (36 CFR 222.4(a)(1)) to permittees. No new term grazing permits for domestic livestock grazing would be issued. All internal fences and water developments would be removed. Responsible Official The Madison District Ranger will be the responsible official. Nature of Decision To Be Made The decision to be made is whether to implement the proposed action, another alternative, or a combination of the alternatives. Scoping Process This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides the development of the environmental impact statement. A scoping letter and maps will be mailed to interested publics, Tribes, and federal, state, and local governments. It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions. Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record for this proposed action. Dated: January 29, 2016. Dale Olson, Madison District Ranger. [FR Doc. 2016-02107 Filed 2-3-16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 23 / Thursday, February 4, 2016 / Notices 5983
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Proposed Action addresses of those who comment, will
The authorizing official proposes to: be part of the public record for this
Forest Service Maintain current authorized livestock proposed action.
Madison Ranger District, Beaverhead- type and numbers, season of use and Dated: January 29, 2016.
Deerlodge National Forest; Montana; infrastructure on the allotments. Cattle Dale Olson,
South Gravelly Allotment Management grazing is authorized between July 1 and Madison District Ranger.
Plan October 15 for a total of 9363 AUMs. [FR Doc. 2016–02107 Filed 2–3–16; 8:45 am]
Domestic livestock grazing would BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. continue following current allowable
use levels. Specifically, for upland
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
forage no more than 55 percent use; for DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
environmental impact statement. riparian areas no more than 30 percent
streambank disturbance or maintain no Forest Service
SUMMARY: The nature of the South
less than four inches of greenline
Gravelly Allotment Management Plan Assessment Report of Ecological,
stubble height measured by stream
project proposes updating of four Economic and Social Conditions,
reach. Reaching any one allowable use
domestic livestock grazing management Trends and Sustainability for the
parameter requires movement of
plans located on the southern end of the Custer Gallatin National Forest,
livestock from the area, pasture or the
Gravelly Mountains, Beaverhead and Carbon, Carter, Gallatin, Madison,
allotment. There would be no changes
Madison Counties, Montana. Meagher, Park, Powder River,
or additions in grazing management or
DATES: Comments concerning the scope infrastructure. Monitoring of Rosebud, Stillwater, Sweet Grass,
of the analysis must be received by compliance with AULs and long term Counties, Montana, and Harding
March 7, 2016. The draft environmental vegetation monitoring would continue. County, South Dakota
impact statement is expected June of Allotment management plans for the AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
2016 and the final environmental four allotments would be updated to ACTION: Notice of initiating the
impact statement is expected January of incorporate the AULs and management assessment phase of the forest plan
2017. prescriptions. revision for the Custer Gallatin National
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Possible Alternatives Forest.
Dale Olson, District Ranger, Madison
Ranger District, 5 Forest Service Road, No Grazing Alternative. Under this SUMMARY: The Custer Gallatin National
Ennis, MT 59729. Comments may also alternative domestic livestock grazing Forest, located in southern Montana and
be sent via email to comments-northern- permits on the four allotments would be northwest South Dakota, is initiating the
beaverhead-deerlodge@fs.fed.us or via discontinued with a minimum of two first phase of the forest planning process
facsimile to 406–682–4233. For all years notice (36 CFR 222.4(a)(1)) to pursuant to the 2012 National Forest
forms of comment, make sure to include permittees. No new term grazing System Land Management Planning rule
your name, physical address, phone permits for domestic livestock grazing (36 CFR part 219). This process will
number, and a subject title of South would be issued. All internal fences and result in a revised forest land
Gravelly AMP. water developments would be removed. management plan (Forest Plan) which
Responsible Official describes the strategic direction for
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale
management of forest resources on the
Olson, District Ranger, Madison Ranger The Madison District Ranger will be Custer Gallatin National Forest for the
District, 5 Forest Service Road, Ennis, the responsible official. next ten to fifteen years. The planning
MT 59729. Phone: 406–682–4253.
Nature of Decision To Be Made process encompasses three-stages:
Individuals who use assessment, plan revision, and
telecommunication devices for the deaf The decision to be made is whether to
implement the proposed action, another monitoring. The first stage of the
(TDD) may call the Federal Information planning process involves assessing
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 alternative, or a combination of the
alternatives. ecological, social, and economic
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern conditions of the planning area, which
Time, Monday through Friday. Scoping Process is documented in an assessment report.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice of intent initiates the The Forest is inviting the public to
scoping process, which guides the contribute in the development of the
Purpose and Need for Action Assessment. The Forest will be hosting
development of the environmental
This action is being undertaken to impact statement. A scoping letter and public forums near the end of February
review grazing practices and maps will be mailed to interested into early March 2016 with a second set
infrastructure on four domestic publics, Tribes, and federal, state, and of meetings forthcoming in June 2016.
livestock grazing allotments (Eureka local governments. We will invite the public to share
Basin, Pole Creek, Southwest Corner, It is important that reviewers provide information relevant to the assessment
Robb Creek) to ensure compliance with their comments at such times and in including existing information, current
the applicable Beaverhead-Deerlodge such manner that they are useful to the trends, and local knowledge. Public
Land and Resource Management Plan agency’s preparation of the engagement opportunities associated
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
(Forest Plan) direction. This action is environmental impact statement. with the development of the Assessment
needed because there is new direction Therefore, comments should be will be announced on the Web site cited
in the Forest Plan for livestock grazing, provided prior to the close of the below.
site specific suitability, and site specific comment period and should clearly DATES: From January 2016 through
Allowable Use Levels (AUL’s) need to articulate the reviewer’s concerns and August 2016, the public is invited to
be validated. Additionally this action is contentions. participate in the development of the
needed to meet the Rescissions Act Comments received in response to Assessment. The draft assessment report
schedule for updating allotment plans. this solicitation, including names and for the Custer Gallatin National Forest is
VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:21 Feb 03, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM 04FEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/81_FR_6006/page/1.svg)
Document Created: 2016-02-04 00:31:25
Document Modified: 2016-02-04 00:31:25
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. | |
| Dates | Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by March 7, 2016. The draft environmental impact statement is expected June of 2016 and the final environmental impact statement is expected January of 2017. | |
| Contact | Dale Olson, District Ranger, Madison Ranger District, 5 Forest Service Road, Ennis, MT 59729. Phone: 406- 682-4253. | |
| FR Citation | 81 FR 5983 |
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