Notice2021-22872
Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 20, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service intends to reestablish the Charter of the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board (Board). The purpose of the Board is to obtain advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan revisions or amendments, forest health including fire management and mountain pine beetle infestations, travel management, forest monitoring and evaluation, recreation fees, and site-specific projects having forest wide implications.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 200 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58055-58056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22872]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of intent to re-establish the charter for the Black
Hills National Forest Advisory Board.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service intends to
reestablish the Charter of the Black Hills National Forest Advisory
Board (Board). The purpose of the Board is to obtain advice and
recommendations on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan
revisions or amendments, forest health including fire management and
mountain pine beetle infestations, travel management, forest monitoring
and evaluation, recreation fees, and site-specific projects having
forest wide implications.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Jacobson, Committee Coordinator,
USDA, Black Hills National Forest, by telephone: 605-440-1409, fax:
605-673-9208, or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#562535392222783c783c37353934253938162325323778313920"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d7a4b4b8a3a3f9bdf9bdb6b4b8b5a4b8b997a2a4b3b6f9b0b8a1">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf/hard-of-hearing (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: USDA 16565--Black Hills National Forest
Advisory Board is a non-scientific program advisory Board established
by the Secretary of Agriculture in 2003 to provide advice and counsel
to the U.S. Forest Service, Black Hills National Forest, in the wake of
increasingly severe and intense wildfires and mountain pine beetle
epidemics.
The purpose of the Board is to provide advice and recommendations
on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan revisions or
amendments, travel management, forest monitoring and evaluation, and
site-specific projects having forest-wide implications. The Board also
serves to meet the needs of the Recreation Enhancement Act of 2005 as a
recreation resource advisory committee (RRAC) for the Black Hills of
South Dakota. The Board provides timely advice and recommendations to
the Regional Forester through the Forest Supervisor regarding
programmatic forest issues and project-level issues that have forest-
wide implications for the Black Hills National Forest.
The Board meets approximately ten times a year, with one meeting
being a field trip, held in August, and focusing on both current issues
and the educational value of seeing management strategies and outcomes
on the ground. This Board has been established as a truly credible
entity and a trusted voice on forest management issues and is doing
often astonishing work in helping to develop informed consent for
forest management.
For years, the demands made on the Black Hills National Forest have
resulted in conflicts among interest groups, resulting in both forest-
wide and site-specific programs being delayed due to appeals and
litigation. The Board provides a forum to resolve these issues to allow
for the Black Hills National Forest to move forward in its management
activities.
Significant Contributions
The Board's most significant accomplishments include:
1. A 2004 report on the Black Hills Fuels Reduction Plan, a
priority following the major fires including the 86,000 acre Jasper
Fire in 2000;
2. A 2004 initial Off-Highway Vehicle Travel Management
Subcommittee report;
3. A report on their findings regarding the thesis, direction, and
assumptions of Phase II of the Forest Plan produced in 2005;
4. The Invasive Species Subcommittee Report in 2005 covering
recommendations to better stop invasive species from infiltrating the
Forest;
5. A final Travel Management Subcommittee Report in 2006 in which
the Board made 11 recommendations regarding characteristics of a
designated motor vehicle trail system, the basis for initial work to
prepare the Motor Vehicle Use Map in 2010-2011;
6. The Mountain Pine Beetle Response Project in 2012 covering
landscape scale treatments on portions of 248,000 acres of ponderosa
pine stands at high risk for infestation;
7. The Board's annual work to attract funding through grants based
on the Collaborative Landscape Forest Restoration Program (CFLRP), a
program of the Secretary of Agriculture to encourage the collaborative,
science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes;
8. Recommendations for implementing the Black Hills Resilient
Landscape (BHRL) project that proposed landscape vegetation treatment
on 1,098,0000 acres;
9. A recommendation to develop a non-motorized Trail Strategy for
various users across the Forest;
10. A recommendation on mineral withdrawal action in Research
Natural
[[Page 58056]]
Areas (RNA) and Botanical Areas (BA) on the Black Hills National
Forest;
11. A letter to the Secretary and the Chief of the Forest Service
to work, restore, and maintain open space for wildlife habitat and
recreation needs like snowmobile trails; and
12. Annual reports to the Secretary detailing the Board's
activities, issues, and accomplishments.
The reestablishment of the Board is deemed to be among the most
effective public involvement strategies in the Forest Service and
continues to lead by example for Federal, State, and local government
agencies working to coordinate and cooperate in the Black Hills of
South Dakota and Wyoming.
Background
Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. II);
notice is hereby given that the Secretary of Agriculture intends to re-
establish the charter of the Black Hills National Forest Advisory
Board. The Board provides advice and recommendations on a broad range
of forest issues and, in accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation
Enhancement Act (Pub. L. 108-447 (FLREA)), more specifically will
provide advice and recommendations on Black Hills National Forest
recreation fee issues (serving as the RRAC for the Black Hills National
Forest). The Board membership consists of individuals representing
commodity interests, amenity interests, and State and local government.
The Board has been determined to be in the public interest in
connection with the duties and responsibilities of the Black Hills
National Forest. National forest management requires improved
coordination among the interests and governmental entities responsible
for land management decisions and the public that the agency serves.
Advisory Committee Organization
The Board consists of 16 members that are representative of the
following interests (this membership is similar to the membership
outlined by the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination
Act for Resource Advisory Committees (16 U.S.C. 500, et seq.)):
1. Economic development;
2. Developed outdoor recreation, off-highway vehicle users, or
commercial recreation;
3. Energy and mineral development;
4. Forest products industry;
5. Grazing or other permit holders;
6. Nationally recognized environmental organization;
7. Regionally recognized environmental organization;
8. Dispersed recreation;
9. Archaeological, cultural, and historical interests;
10. Nationally or regionally recognized sportsmen's groups, such as
anglers or hunters;
11. State, county, local-elected or South Dakota or Wyoming
appointed office holders (3 positions);
12. Tribal government elected or appointed officials;
13. State Natural Resource Agency, South Dakota; and
14. State Natural Resource Agency, Wyoming.
No individual who is currently registered as a Federal lobbyist is
eligible to serve as a member of the Committee. The Committee will meet
approximately nine times and will attend at least one summer field tour
as determined by the Designated Federal Officer (DFO).
The members of the Board will elect and determine the
responsibilities of the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson. In the
absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson will act in the
Chairperson's stead. The Forest Supervisor of the Black Hills National
Forest serves as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) under sections
10(e) and (f) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. II).
Members will serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for
travel expenses while performing duties on behalf of the Board, subject
to approval by the DFO.
Equal opportunity practices are followed in all appointments to the
Board in accordance with USDA policies. To ensure that the
recommendations of the Board have taken into account the needs of
diverse groups served by the Black Hills National Forest, membership
shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated
ability to represent the needs of men and women of all racial and
ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities.
Dated: October 15, 2021.
Cikena Reid,
USDA Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-22872 Filed 10-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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