60-Day FRN

54701

Notices

Federal Register
Vol. 83, No. 211
Wednesday, October 31, 2018

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 appearing in this
section.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Request for
Comment; Whole Enchilada Trail:
Conditions, User Experience &
Comment Survey 2019
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice, request for comment.

AGENCY:
ACTION:

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service is seeking comments
from all interested individuals and
organizations on the new information
collection; Whole Enchilada Trail:
Conditions, User Experience &
Comment Survey 2019.
DATES: Comments must be received in
writing on or before December 31, 2018
to be assured of consideration.
Comments received after that date will
be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this
notice should be addressed to Zachary
Lowe, Forest Service, USDA, P.O. Box
386, Moab, Utah 84532. Comments also
may be submitted via facsimile to 435–
636–7737 or by email to: zklowe@
fs.fed.us.
The public may inspect comments
received at Moab Ranger District, 62 E
100 North, Moab, Utah 84532 during
normal business hours. Visitors are
encouraged to call ahead to 435–259–
7155 to facilitate an appointment and
entry to the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Zachary Lowe: Natural Resource
Specialist—Recreation. Moab Ranger
District, 62 E 100 North, Moab, Utah
435–636–3335. Individuals who use
TDD may call the Federal Relay Service
(FRS) at 1–800–877–8339, 24 hours a
day, every day of the year, including
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: The Whole Enchilada Trail:
Conditions, User Experience &
Comment Survey 2019.

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SUMMARY:

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OMB Number: 0596–New.
Expiration Date of Approval: N/A.
Type of Request: New.
Abstract: The Moab Ranger District of
the Manti-La Sal National Forest, in
southeastern Utah (Region 4) is looking
to amend a 2013 Needs Assessment for
Recreation Special Uses. In order to
increase commercial use on the Whole
Enchilada trail, the 2013 Needs
Assessment requires the Moab Ranger
District to conduct a recreational
carrying capacity study, of which the
Whole Enchilada: Conditions, User
Experience & Comment Survey 2019, is
an integral part of that study.
Furthermore, the requested information
collection will provide baseline data of
use and public perception that will help
with future management on this
increasingly popular trail. The Forest
and Rangeland Renewable Resources
Planning Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93–278
Sec. 3), et al., authorizes the collection.
The Whole Enchilada is a multi-trail
system that spans over 30 miles,
descends more than 7000’ in elevation,
and traverses diverse ecosystems which
are managed by two separate, yet
cooperating governmental agencies—
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, and the U.S. Department of
Interior, Bureau of Land Management
(BLM). The popularity and subsequent
use of this trail has dramatically
increased on all sections of the trail.
Thus, natural resource protection and
maintaining positive user experiences
needs to be, not only assessed, but
become a priority management
objective, especially for the Moab
Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal
National Forest.
The data will be collected via
traditional paper survey to be conducted
at certain trail heads and exit points
along the Whole Enchilada trail system.
The survey is designed to be completed
on site. However, there will be a mailin option available for those willing but
unable to complete the survey on site.
The survey consists of 5 pages with 20
questions. There will be tables and
chairs set up at trailheads and exits to
aid in survey completion. The surveys
will be administered by the survey
author, Zachary Lowe, by other USFS
employees, and volunteers. The survey
is scheduled to take place during the
peak season of use on the trail system
which is mid-September to mid-October
of 2019. This survey is intended for use

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only in 2019 and not for subsequent
years nor on any other trails on National
Forest System (NFS) or BLM lands.
The survey seeks public input,
specifically trial users, about the Whole
Enchilada trail on NFS lands. The 20
questions have several formats such as
multiple choice, binary (yes/no), openended, and likert scales (i.e.,1–5
satisfaction scale). The survey is
intended for any user of the group
willing to take the survey. The targeted
user groups include: Individuals,
commercially-guided individuals,
special use permittees (i.e., outfitters
and guides, shuttle companies), nongovernmental entities (i.e., trail work
organizations, user-group organizations,
and/or environmental groups), and
other non-Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) affiliated
individuals or groups (i.e., other
stakeholders and partners).
The survey asks for user type (hiker,
biker, et al.), user experience levels
(beginner, intermediate, et al.), user age
and user sex. Access information—
specific trailhead, mode of transport to
trail heads, access road conditions,
quantity of access—is also asked.
Survey takers are asked to describe
conditions of Forest Service trails and
facilities as well as describe their
experience and satisfaction on the
Whole Enchilada. These questions ask
users to rate the acceptability of the
trail, facilities, overall use and
management of trails, other user groups,
user encounters and/or conflicts,
perceptions of crowding. Several
questions ask about acceptance of
potential Forest Service actions to
protect resources and provide the best
user experience such as additional fees,
increased Forest Service presence/
patrols, increased trail work, restricted
commercial use, increased commercial
use, limitations on user type, and other
use related issues.
The data and information will be
complied and analyzed by the author of
the survey. All collected data will be
run through different statistical analyses
by the author and volunteer statisticians
to acquire useful and beneficial
information about the trail. This data
will be used in and presented as part of
a recreational carrying capacity study
for the Whole Enchilada trail system.
The survey will help gauge the public’s
perception of conditions of trails,
facilities, usage and Forest Service

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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 211 / Wednesday, October 31, 2018 / Notices

managerial actions. The data collected
from the public, in concert with the
carrying capacity study, will help
determine future management objectives
and actions related to the Whole
Enchilada trail system.
If the survey were not to occur, vital
stakeholder information would be
absent from the recreation carrying
capacity study and would be incomplete
for all intents and purposes. Without the
survey, the subsequent carrying capacity
study would be incomplete and lacking
baseline data including public
perceptions about use and conditions.
The aforementioned 2013 Needs
Assessment that requires the Manti-La
Sal National Forest to conduct a
carrying capacity study, and by proxy,
a public survey, would be unmet and
the Forest Service could not potentially
increase commercial use on the Whole
Enchilada trail system. This trail has
seen increased use and popularity in the
last decade and current management
standards may be inadequate for natural
resource protection and public demand/
access to this trail system.
Estimate of Annual Burden: Each
survey will take anywhere from 15–20
minutes to complete fully.
Type of Respondents: Public
individuals: Trail users (hikers, bikers,
etc.), outfitter and guides (commercially
using the trail), and local business
owners (whom use the trail).
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 1,000 Maximum for one
year in 2019.
Estimated Annual Number of
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 20,000 minutes.
Comment is invited on: (1) Whether
this collection of information is
necessary for the stated purposes and
the proper performance of the functions
of the Agency, including whether the
information will have practical or
scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the
Agency’s estimate of the burden of the
collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology.
All comments received in response to
this notice, including names and
addresses when provided, will be a
matter of public record. Comments will
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request for Office of Management and
Budget approval.
Dated: October 18, 2018.
Gregory C. Smith,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National
Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018–23827 Filed 10–30–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Payette National Forest; Idaho; Granite
Meadows Project
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.

AGENCY:
ACTION:

The Payette National Forest
will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to document the
potential effects of the Granite Meadows
Project. The Granite Meadows Project is
located north of New Meadows, Idaho
and north and west of McCall, Idaho on
the Boise Meridian, within Adams,
Valley and Idaho Counties. The analysis
will evaluate and disclose the effects of
implementing treatments on the
National Forest to meet the purpose and
need for the project. Proposed
treatments include timber harvest,
thinning, prescribed fire, road
treatments and road decommissioning,
watershed improvement and restoration
treatments, and recreation
improvements. Coordination with
existing permittees on grazing schedules
would also be included to meet the
purpose and need related to fuels
reduction.

SUMMARY:

Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by
December 17, 2018. The draft EIS is
expected in late July 2019, and the final
EIS is expected in December 2019.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to:
Keith Lannom, Forest Supervisor, 500 N
Mission Street, Building 2, McCall,
Idaho 83638. Comments may also be
sent via facsimile to 208–634–0744.
Comments may also be submitted
through the Granite Meadows Project
web page at http://www.fs.usda.gov/
project/?project=54029. To submit
comments using the web form select
‘‘Comment/Object on Project’’ under
‘‘Get Connected’’ on the right panel of
the project’s web page.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin
Phelps, New Meadows District Ranger,
208–347–0300, ephelps@fs.fed.us.
Individuals who use telecommunication
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Information Relay Service
DATES:

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(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8
a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday
through Friday. Additional project
information is available on the project
page of the Payette National Forest
website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/
project/?project=54029.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Granite Meadows Project area totals
approximately 83,000 acres, and
includes approximately 70,000 acres of
National Forest System (NFS) lands
within the New Meadows and McCall
Ranger Districts on the Payette National
Forest. Additionally, the project area
includes approximately 7,000 acres of
state land and 6,000 acres of private
land, where proposed treatments would
be covered under the Wyden Authority
(Wyden Amendment, Section 323(A) of
the Department of Interior and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 as
included in Pub. L. 105–277, Div. A,
Section 101(e) as amended by Pub. L.
111–11, Section 3001). Actions
proposed for use under the Wyden
Authority would meet the intent and
requirements of state and federal laws
for actions on private and/or state lands.
The project is located in the Hard Creek,
Hartsell Creek-North Fork Payette River,
Elk Creek-Little Salmon River, Lower
Meadows Valley-Little Salmon River,
Round Valley Creek-Little Salmon
River, Sixmile Creek-Little Salmon
River, Box Creek-North Fork Payette
River, Fisher Creek, and Payette Lake
subwatersheds with the Little Salmon
and North Fork of the Payette subbasins.
Purpose and Need for Action
The Granite Meadows project is a
landscape-scale effort to improve
conditions across multiple resource
areas. The need for the project is based
on the difference between the existing
and desired conditions. The desired
conditions for this project are based
upon the Payette Forest Plan (USDA
Forest Service 2003), and the Watershed
Condition Framework (USDA Forest
Service 2011).
There is a need to increase the
diversity and resilience of the landscape
with an emphasis on promoting early
seral and fire resistent species (e.g.,
ponderosa pine and western larch), and
improving watershed function and
integrity. There is also a need to reduce
the threat of unnaturally high wildfire
intensity, especially in areas adjacent to
communities. Additionally, there is a
need to address the potential for user
conflict and improve forest user safety,
and effectively manage areas
experiencing detrimental impacts from
dispersed or unauthorized recreation.
There is also a need for economic

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