Notice2024-00312
Forest Service Manual 2300-Recreation, Wilderness, and Related Resource Management, Chapter 2350-Trail, River, and Similar Recreation Opportunities, Section 2355-Climbing Opportunities; Extension of Comment Period
Primary source
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Published
January 10, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
The Forest Service (Forest Service or Agency) published a notice in the Federal Register on November 17, 2023, initiating a 60- day comment period on the proposed directive Forest Service Manual 2300--Recreation, Wilderness, and Related Resource Management, chapter 2350--Trail, River, and Similar Recreation Opportunities, section 2355, Climbing Opportunities. The closing date of the original notice is scheduled for January 16, 2024. The Agency is extending the comment period for an additional 14 days from the previous closing date.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 7 (Wednesday, January 10, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 10, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1518-1519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00312]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Forest Service Manual 2300--Recreation, Wilderness, and Related
Resource Management, Chapter 2350--Trail, River, and Similar Recreation
Opportunities, Section 2355--Climbing Opportunities; Extension of
Comment Period
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of availability for public comment; extension of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service (Forest Service or Agency) published a
notice in the Federal Register on November 17, 2023, initiating a 60-
day comment period on the proposed directive Forest Service Manual
2300--Recreation, Wilderness, and Related Resource Management, chapter
2350--Trail, River, and Similar Recreation Opportunities, section 2355,
Climbing Opportunities. The closing date of the original notice is
scheduled for January 16, 2024. The Agency is extending the comment
period for an additional 14 days from the previous closing date.
DATES: The comment period for the notice published November 17, 2023,
at 88 FR 80269, is extended. Comments must be received in writing by
January 30, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically to <a href="https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=ORMS-3524">https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=ORMS-3524</a>. Written
comments may be mailed to Peter Mali, National Wilderness Program
Manager, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-1124. All
timely comments, including names and addresses, will be placed in the
record and will be available for public inspection and copying. The
public may inspect comments received
[[Page 1519]]
at <a href="https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/ReadingRoom?project=ORMS-3524">https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/ReadingRoom?project=ORMS-3524</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Mali, National Wilderness
Program Manager, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c5f41224a5f224f6065616e48657e4c797f686d226b637a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="60332d4e26334e230c090d0224091220151304014e070f16">[email protected]</span></a>, (202) 823-0773. Individuals
who use telecommunications devices for the hearing impaired may call
the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, every day of
the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Climbing is a growing sport in the United
States. According to the Outdoor Industry Association's 2022 Report on
Outdoor Participation Trends, there were nearly 10.3 million climbers
in the United States in 2021. Approximately 30 percent of outdoor
climbing in the United States occurs on NFS lands. In recent years,
line officers have expressed concerns about climbing-related impacts on
resources and conflicts among uses. Current Forest Service directives
do not provide guidance for climbing opportunities on NFS lands. The
Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the 2021 Consolidated
Appropriations Act directs the Forest Service to issue general guidance
on climbing opportunities on NFS lands, including the application of
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131-1136) to climbing opportunities and
appropriate use of fixed anchors and fixed equipment in wilderness. To
address impacts associated with increased climbing on NFS lands and
consistent with the Joint Explanatory Statement, the Forest Service is
proposing revisions to its directives to provide guidance on climbing
opportunities on NFS lands.
The proposed directive would provide guidance on climbing
opportunities inside and outside wilderness on NFS lands and would
provide for climbing opportunities that serve visitor needs; meet land
management and recreation policy objectives; emphasize the natural
setting of NFS lands; align with natural and cultural resource
protection and the Agency's responsibility to Indian Tribes; and are
consistent with applicable law, directives, and the applicable land
management plan.
The proposed directive would add a new section, 2355, to Forest
Service Manual (FSM) 2300--Recreation, Wilderness, and Related Resource
Management, chapter 2350--Trail, River, and Similar Recreation
Opportunities, which would provide that climbing is an appropriate use
of NFS lands (proposed FSM 2355.03, para. 1)--including in wilderness--
when conducted in accordance with applicable law and Forest Service
directives and consistent with the applicable land management plan
(proposed FSM 2355.03, para. 4); that a climbing management plan be
developed, as funding and resources allow, for climbing opportunities
in wilderness, and for climbing opportunities outside wilderness where
the District Ranger determines that climbing is causing adverse
resource impacts or use conflicts (proposed FSM 2355.21); that fixed
anchors and fixed equipment are installations for purposes of section
4(c) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(c)) (proposed FSM 2355.32,
para. 1); that a Forest Supervisor may authorize the placement or
replacement of fixed anchors and fixed equipment in wilderness based on
a case-specific determination that they are the minimum necessary for
administration of the area for Wilderness Act purposes, including
primitive or unconfined recreation and preservation of wilderness
character (proposed FSM 2355.32, para. 1); that existing fixed anchors
and fixed equipment in wilderness may be retained pending completion of
a Minimum Requirements Analysis, as funding and resources allow, that
determines they are the minimum necessary to facilitate primitive or
unconfined recreation or otherwise preserve wilderness character (FSM
2355.32, para. 5);); and that the issuance and administration of
special use permits are encouraged to enhance visitor access to
climbing opportunities and visitor education concerning low impact
climbing practices (proposed FSM 2355.03, para. 9).
To allow for enforcement of restrictions and prohibitions in
climbing management plans as needed, the Forest Service will be
proposing revisions via a separate Federal Register notice to its
regulations at 36 CFR part 261, subpart A, General Prohibitions.
The minimum 120-day Tribal consultation for the proposed directive
was initiated November 8, 2021, and will conclude at the end of the
comment period for the proposed directive.
To ensure that all members of the public who have an interest in
NFS climbing opportunities have the opportunity to provide comment, we
are extending the comment period on the proposed directive to January
30, 2024.
After the public comment period closes, the Forest Service will
consider timely comments that are within the scope of the proposed
directive in the development of the final directive. A notice of the
final directive, including a response to timely comments, will be
posted on the Forest Service's web page at <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/regulations-policies/comment-on-directives">https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/regulations-policies/comment-on-directives</a>.
Dated: January 4, 2024.
Jacqueline Emanuel,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2024-00312 Filed 1-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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