Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project, States of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada and the Northern, Intermountain, and Pacific Northwest Regions

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ID918-1610-00-UCRB]

Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project, States of

Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada and the

Northern, Intermountain, and Pacific Northwest Regions

AGENCIES: Forest Service, USDA; Bureau of Land Management, USDI.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period for draft environmental

impact statements (EISs).

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SUMMARY: On June 12, 1997, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land

Management published a notice of availability of two draft EISs in the

Federal Register (62 FR 32076). That notice stated that a 120-day

comment period was provided for the Eastside Draft EIS and for the

Upper Columbia River Basin Draft EIS. On September 5, 1997, a second

notice (62 FR 46941) extended the comment period to February 6, 1998.

This notice is to inform interested parties that the comment period has

been extended again to provide for public review of, and comment on, an

economic and social report prepared in response to a requirement of the

Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of

1998.

DATES: Comments on the two draft EISs and on the economic and social

report must now be submitted or postmarked no later than April 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the economic and social report will be mailed in

mid-February to everyone on the mailing list for the Eastside and Upper

Columbia River Basin Draft EISs. Interested parties not on the mailing

list can obtain a copy from ICBEMP, 112 E. Poplar Street, Walla Walla,

WA 99362 or by calling (509) 522-4030 or from ICBEMP, 304 N. 8th

Street, Room 250, Boise, ID 83702 or by calling (208) 334-1770, ext.

120. The economic and social report will also be available via the

internet (http://www.icbemp.gov).

Comments on the Eastside draft EIS, including the economic and

social report, should be submitted in writing to ICBEMP, 112 East

Poplar Street, P.O. Box 2076, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Comments on the

Upper Columbia River Basin draft EIS, including the economic and social

report, should be submitted in writing to ICBEMP, 304 N. 8th Street,

Room 250, Boise, ID 83702. If your comments are in regard to both draft

EISs, they may be sent to either office. Comments may also be made

electronically by accessing the Project home page (http://

www.icbemp.gov), where a comment form is available. If you have already

submitted your comments, you may now submit more comments on the draft

EISs, including your comments regarding the economic and social report.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

EIS Team Leader Jeff Walter, 304 N. 8th Street, Room 250, Boise, ID

83702, telephone (208) 334-1770 or EIS Deputy Team Leader Cathy

Humphrey, 112 East Poplar Street, P.O. Box 2076, Walla Walla, WA 99362,

telephone (509) 522-4030.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In Section 323 of the Department of the

Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1998 Pub. L. 105-

83), the United States Congress directed the following: ``Using all

research information

[[Page 3534]]

available from the area encompassed by the Project, the Secretaries [of

Agriculture and the Interior], to the extent practicable, shall analyze

the economic and social conditions, and culture and customs, of the

communities at the sub-basin level within the Project area and the

impacts the alternatives in the draft EISs will have on those

communities. This analysis shall be published on a schedule that will

allow a reasonable period of time for public comment thereon prior to

the close of the comment periods on the draft EISs. The analysis,

together with the response * * * to the public comment, shall be

incorporated in the final EISs and * * * subsequent decisions related

thereto.''

The required analysis has been prepared. It is a report on the

existing economic and social conditions at the community level within

the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project area and, to

the extent practicable, an analysis of the effects of the alternatives

described in the draft EISs upon communities. This report will be

distributed to the public by mid-February, providing approximately

seven weeks for review and comment before the comment period closes

April 6, 1998.

Dated: January 16, 1998.

Martha Hahn,

Director, Bureau of Land Management.

Dated: January 16, 1998.

Jack Blackwell,

Regional Forester, U.S. Forest Service.

[FR Doc. 98-1603 Filed 1-22-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-11-M, 4310-GG-M