Organization, Functions, and Procedures; Functions and Procedures; Forest Service Functions
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Issuing agencies
Abstract
The Forest Service (Agency), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on April 21, 2023 initiating a 60-day comment period. The advance notice invited public comment on the following topic and additional questions: Given that climate change and related stressors are resulting in increasing impacts with rapid and variable rates of change on national forests and grasslands, how should the Forest Service adapt current policies to protect, conserve, and manage the national forests and grasslands for climate resilience, so that the Agency can provide for ecological integrity and support social and economic sustainability over time? In response to feedback from prospective commenters stating that they would benefit from additional time to adequately consider and respond to the advance notice, USDA's Forest Service has determined that an extension of the comment period by an additional 30 days, from June 20, 2023 to July 20, 2023, is appropriate.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 110 (Thursday, June 8, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 110 (Thursday, June 8, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37485-37486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12267]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
36 CFR Part 200
RIN 0596-AD59
Organization, Functions, and Procedures; Functions and
Procedures; Forest Service Functions
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service (Agency), United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking
in the Federal Register on April 21, 2023 initiating a 60-day comment
period. The advance notice invited public comment on the following
topic and additional questions: Given that climate change and related
stressors are resulting in increasing impacts with rapid and variable
rates of change on national forests and grasslands, how should the
Forest Service adapt current policies to protect, conserve, and manage
the national forests and grasslands for climate resilience, so that the
Agency can provide for ecological integrity and support social and
economic sustainability over time? In response to feedback from
prospective commenters stating that they would benefit from additional
time to adequately consider and respond to the advance notice, USDA's
Forest Service has determined that an extension of the comment period
by an additional 30 days, from June 20, 2023 to July 20, 2023, is
appropriate.
DATES: The end of the comment period for the advance notice of proposed
rulemaking published on April 21, 2023 (88 FR 24497) is extended from
June 20, 2023, until July 20, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
Preferred: Federal eRulemaking Portal <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Mail:
Director, Policy Office, 201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108, Washington,
DC 20250-1124.
All comments received will be posted to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>,
including any personal information provided. The public may inspect
comments received at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Do not submit any information
you consider to be private, confidential business information, or other
information, of which the disclosure is restricted by statute.
The Forest Service is planning public engagement sessions. For
additional information related to the advanced notice of proposed
rulemaking and the public engagements visit: <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/sc/policy-initiatives">https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/sc/policy-initiatives</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Swanston, Director, Office
of Sustainability and Climate, (202) 205-0833. Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, every day
of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Climate change and related stressors, such
as wildfire, drought, insects and diseases, extreme weather events, and
chronic stress on ecosystems are resulting in increasing impacts with
rapid and variable rates of change on national forests and grasslands.
These impacts can be compounded by fire suppression, development in the
wildland-urban interface, and timber harvest and reforestation
practices that are not designed and implemented considering current and
projected climate change.
Multiple Forest Service plans, policies, and regulations already
include direction on climate adaptation. However, given (1) increasing
rates of change, and (2) new information and ways of assessing and
visualizing risk, USDA and the Forest Service published an advance
notice of proposed rulemaking on April 21, 2023 (88 FR 24497) to invite
public feedback and to request Tribal consultation on a range of
potential options to adapt current policies or develop new policies and
actions to better anticipate, identify, and respond to rapidly changing
conditions associated with climate-amplified impacts.
An extension of the comment period will provide additional
opportunity for the public to consider the advance notice and prepare
comments to address
[[Page 37486]]
the questions posed therein. Therefore, the USDA Forest Service is
extending the comment period from June 20, 2023 to July 20, 2023.
Christopher French,
Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-12267 Filed 6-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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