95-19773. Draft Revised Rio Grande National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 154 (Thursday, August 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 40817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19773]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Draft Revised Rio Grande National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Publication of the Draft Revised Rio Grande National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Proposed Revised Land and Resource Management Plan and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Rio Grande National Forest 
is being released for public review and comment on August 10, 1995. 
Interest has been expressed by several interested groups and 
individuals for an extended comment period due to the technical 
complexity of the documents and the critical nature of the Revision 
Topics. For these reasons the Forest has decided to offer the documents 
for review and comment for 120 days instead of the normal 90 day 
period.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Public Comment period will be 120 calendar days from 
August 10, 1995, ending on December 7, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about this policy should be addressed to James B. Webb, 
Forest Supervisor, 1803 West Highway 160, Monte Vista, Colorado 81144, 
[phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Revised Land and Resource 
Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Rio 
Grande National Forest is being released for Public review and comment 
on August 10, 1995. Interest has been expressed by several interested 
groups and individuals for an extended period due to the technical 
complexity of the documents and the critical nature of the Revision 
Topics. For these reasons the Forest has decided to offer the documents 
for review and comment for 120 days instead of the normal 90 day 
period. The comment period will last 120 days, beginning on August 10 
and ending on December 7, 1995.
    The Forest Interdisciplinary Planning Team prepared the DEIS and 
Proposed Plan with intensive public involvement prior to the 
formulation of the alternatives. Public involvement included persons 
throughout Colorado and northern New Mexico, as well as extensive 
mailings, to keep people informed and to allow a two-day dialogue with 
the public.
    This plan is the first in the region to incorporate a biodiversity 
assessment based on information at the Province and Ecosection levels 
of ecosystems. This Plan is also the first to analyze environmental 
consequences based on two levels of budgets, the first being a 3 year 
average of experienced funding, and the second being the level 
necessary to fully implement the vision of the alternative. The results 
of this budget-driven display have been to more realistically show what 
we are likely to accomplish on the Forest within the planning period. 
One of the notable results is that we do not expect to be able to meet 
our ASQ with any of the alternatives which have an ASQ, and the 
difference between ASQ and harvest level ranges from 33 to 90 percent 
reduction.
    The Regional Forester has selected Alternative D as the preferred 
alternative. The documents will be revised in response to public 
comments prior to the publication of the Final EIS and Forest Plan in 
1996.
    Interested parties are invited to send comments regarding the Draft 
documents to the address cited above.

    Dated: July 26, 1995.
William J. Gournay,
Acting Regional Forester.
[FR Doc. 95-19773 Filed 8-9-95; 8:45 am]
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