SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Enterprise Land Management System identification number for the project and the associated amendments is 301825.

The amendments would add standards BHS 1 and 2 to both the Okanogan and Wenatchee Forest Plans. BHS 1 requires maintaining effective separation of domestic sheep and bighorn sheep on active grazing allotments to reduce the likelihood and risk of disease transmission. BHS 2 requires utilizing a risk assessment to inform whether and how domestic sheep and goat allotments are stocked or not, according to risk of disease transmission between domestic livestock, primarily domestic sheep and goats, and bighorn sheep.

The decision to approve the programmatic amendments to the 1989 Okanogan National Forest Land Management Plan and 1990 Wenatchee National Forest Land Management Plan in association with the Planning and Management of Domestic Sheep and Goat Grazing Within the Range of Bighorn Sheep Project will be subject to the objection process identified in 36 CFR part 219, subpart B (§§  219.50 through 219.62). Per 36 CFR 219.53, only individuals and entities who have submitted substantive formal comments related to the plan amendment during the opportunities for public comment may file an objection. Objections must be based on previously submitted substantive formal comments attributed to the objector unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the opportunities for formal comment.

A legal notice will be published in the newspaper of record starting the 45-day objection period for the project-specific amendments per 36 CFR 218.26. Both the 45-day objection period for the project-specific amendments and the 60-day objection period for the programmatic plan amendments will run concurrently beginning with the date of publication of the legal notice and the NOO respectively.

How To File an Objection

Objections must be submitted to the 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 amendment being objected to, and the name and title of the responsible official;

(5) A statement of the issues and/or parts of the plan amendment 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 amendment 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 amendment comment period.

Additionally, objections should be identified as pertaining to the “Amendments to the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forest Land Management Plans”, as these are subject to separate processes from objections to project activities in the Planning and Management of Domestic Sheep and Goat Grazing Within the Range of Bighorn Sheep Project. See the legal notice for instructions on how to object to project activities. Objectors filing objections on both topics should submit these as separate objection letters.

It is the responsibility of the objector to ensure that the Reviewing Officer receives the objection in a timely manner. The regulations generally prohibit extending the length of the objection filing period (36 CFR 219.56(d)). However, when the time period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal holiday, the time is extended to the end of the next Federal working day (11:59 p.m. for objections filed by electronic means such as email) (36 CFR 219.56).

Responsible Official

The responsible official who will approve the record of decision and the amendments to the forest plans is Forest Supervisor Tara Umphries, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA 98801, (509) 664-9200.

The Regional Forester is the reviewing officer for the amendments to the forest plans because the Forest Supervisor is ( printed page 66833) the responsible official (36 CFR 219.56(e)).

91 FR 66831