Notice2024-27781
Intent To Renew the Northwest Forest Plan Area Advisory Committee
Primary source
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Published
November 27, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, the United States Department of Agriculture announces its intent to renew the Charter for the Northwest Forest Plan Area Advisory Committee (Committee). The Charter for the Northwest Forest Plan Area Advisory Committee is being renewed so that the Committee may provide continued advice and recommendations on landscape management approaches and implementation of such approaches that promote sustainability, climate change adaptations, and wildfire resilience while providing for increasing use of and demands from National Forest System lands in the Northwest Forest Plan area. The Committee will be governed by the provisions of FACA. Duration of the Committee is for two years unless renewed by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 229 (Wednesday, November 27, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 93548-93549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27781]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Intent To Renew the Northwest Forest Plan Area Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of intent to renew the Charter for the Northwest Forest
Plan Area Advisory Committee.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA),
as amended, the United States Department of Agriculture announces its
intent to renew the Charter for the Northwest Forest Plan Area Advisory
Committee (Committee). The Charter for the Northwest Forest Plan Area
Advisory Committee is being renewed so that the Committee may provide
continued advice and recommendations on landscape management approaches
and implementation of such approaches that promote sustainability,
climate change adaptations, and wildfire resilience while providing for
increasing use of and demands from National Forest System lands in the
Northwest Forest Plan area. The Committee will be governed by the
provisions of FACA. Duration of the Committee is for two years unless
renewed by the Secretary of Agriculture.
ADDRESSES: USDA Forest Service, 1220 Southwest 3rd Avenue, Ste. G015,
Portland, OR 97204. Committee information can also be found on the
Northwest Forest Plan Federal Advisory Committee website at <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd1076013">https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd1076013</a> or
by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Inquiries may be sent to Ann Eberhart
Goode, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, by phone at
(707) 562-8738 or email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#86e7e8e8a8e1e9e9e2e3c6f3f5e2e7a8e1e9f0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="10717e7e3e777f7f747550656374713e777f66">[email protected]</span></a> or Delaney Caslow, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, by phone at (503) 804-3545
or email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f6b6a636e616a76216c6e7c6360784f7a7c6b6e21686079"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a8cccdc4c9c6cdd186cbc9dbc4c7dfe8dddbccc986cfc7de">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals who use
telecommunications devices for the hearing impaired may call 711 to
reach the Telecommunications Relay Service, 24 hours a day, every day
of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the provisions of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended (5 U.S.C. app. 2),
with the concurrence of the General Services Administration (GSA), and
subject to the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture, the USDA
Forest Service intends to renew the Federal Advisory Committee for
sustainable, climate-adapted, wildfire-resilient landscapes across the
Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area. The Committee will be a
discretionary advisory committee. The Committee will operate under the
provisions of the FACA and will report to the Secretary of Agriculture
through the Chief of the Forest Service. The purpose of the Committee
is to provide advice and recommendations on landscape management
approaches and implementation of such approaches that promote
sustainability, climate change adaptations, and wildfire resilience
while providing for increasing use of and demands from National Forest
System lands in the NWFP area. Accordingly, the Committee will be asked
to perform the following duties or fulfill other requests made by the
Secretary of Agriculture or the Chief of the Forest Service by offering
recommendations on:
1. Planning and implementation options that complement the national
Wildfire Crisis Strategy to assist the USDA Forest Service to
transition to greater proactive wildfire risk reduction and address key
obstacles related to existing vegetation management.
2. Approaches to address the dynamic nature of ecosystems, utilize
adaptive management, monitoring, and integration of future uncertainty
into land management planning.
3. Application of the best available science regarding the
following primary issues: (a) the ecological importance of old forests;
(b) climate change, fire, and associated disturbance processes; (c)
terrestrial and aquatic reserved land use allocations and the
relationship between the two; (d) the climatic diversity of forests
encompassed by the NWFP area; and (e) habitat connectivity at multiple
scales in light of changed conditions.
4. Incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge and indigenous
perspectives and values into Federal forest planning and management.
5. Communication tools and strategies to: (a) help provide greater
understanding of landscape or programmatic level planning and
implementation options and requirements and (b) enhance outreach
efforts, public engagement, meaningful Tribal consultation and
participation, targeted outreach to underserved communities, and
stakeholder collaboration within the scope of the Committee.
6. Issue preliminary discrete recommendations in sequence with
Forest Service NWFP planning and implementation timelines.
[[Page 93549]]
All deliverables will be submitted to the Designated Federal
Official (DFO) at USDA Forest Service, 1220 Southwest 3rd Avenue, Ste.
G015, Portland, OR 97204.
The Committee will meet approximately four to six times annually or
as often as necessary and at such times as designated by the DFO.
Subcommittees may meet more frequently. Attendance may be in-person, by
telephone, or by other electronic means. Meetings of the Committee
whether in person, by telephone or electronic means shall be announced
15 calendar days in advance in the Federal Register. As required by the
FACA, the Committee will hold open meetings unless the Secretary
determines that a meeting or a portion of a meeting may be closed to
the public in accordance with subsection C of section 522(b) of title
5, United States Code. All proceedings and relevant documents will be
posted and made accessible to the public. No individual who is
currently registered as a Federal lobbyist is eligible to serve as a
member of the Committee.
Overview and Membership
The Committee will be comprised of up to 23 members approved by the
Secretary of Agriculture, and each will serve a two-year term. The
Committee membership will be fairly balanced in terms of the points of
view represented and functions to be performed. Members of the
Committee will serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for
travel expenses while performing duties on behalf of the Committee,
subject to approval by the DFO and the Department. The Committee should
represent to the extent possible, a balance across the three states
covered by the NWFP (Oregon, Washington, and California) and reflect
the demographic diversity of the NWFP area. The Committee shall include
representation from experts in the following interest areas:
(1) Science: Up to 9 members who represent the scientific
community, and have an understanding in the following disciplines and
how they relate to the NWFP area:
(a) Forest ecology
(b) Vegetation management
(c) Fire ecology
(d) Terrestrial wildlife ecology
(e) Aquatic and riparian ecosystems and species
(f) Climate change
(g) Social science
(h) Adaptive management and planning
(i) Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) practitioners
(2) Organizations: Up to 8 members who represent a broad array of
organizations with an interest in NWFP forests:
(a) National, regional, or local conservation organizations with staff
and active programs in the Pacific Northwest
(b) Forest products industry
(c) Recreation organization
(d) Organization involved in outreach with underserved communities
(e) Forest collaborative groups
(f) Wildlife organization
(g) Watershed organization
(3) Government and public: Up to 6 members who represent
governmental entities or the public at large:
(a) Member of the affected public at large
(b) Represent state governments
(c) Represent counties
(d) Represent American Indian Tribes
Meeting locations will be compliant with the Americans with
Disabilities Act, and the USDA provides reasonable accommodation to
individuals with disabilities where appropriate. If you are a person
requiring reasonable accommodation, please make requests in advance for
sign language interpretation, assistive listening devices, or other
reasonable accommodation to the person listed under the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section or contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202)
720-2600 (voice and TTY) or USDA through the Federal Relay Service at
(800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available
in languages other than English.
USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race,
color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital
status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing
deadlines vary by program or incident.
Equal opportunity practices in accordance with USDA policies shall
be followed in all membership appointments to the Committee. To ensure
that the recommendations of the Committee have taken into account the
needs of the diverse groups served by USDA, membership shall include,
to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to
represent the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities,
backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and beliefs of the American people,
including underserved communities. Persons with disabilities who
require alternative means of communication for program information
(Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should
contact the responsible agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-
2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service
at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made
available in languages other than English. USDA is an equal opportunity
provider, employer, and lender.
Dated: November 21, 2024.
Cikena Reid,
USDA Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-27781 Filed 11-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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