Stewardship Contracting Pilot Project; Multiparty Monitoring and Evaluation Process

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Stewardship Contracting Pilot Project; Multiparty Monitoring and

Evaluation Process

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; reopen comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service is reopening the comment period on the

proposed framework for the multiparty monitoring and evaluation

component of the stewardship contracting pilot projects. Notice of this

framework was published on August 17, 1999, in the Federal Register;

and the comment period ended September 16, 1999. The agency has

received requests to reopen the comment period from interested parties

and from representatives of communities involved in the pilots. The

agency realizes that many local groups may not have been aware of the

Federal Register notice and may not have had adequate time to provide

comment on the proposed framework during the summer field season.

Therefore, the agency is reopening the comment period for 30 days.

DATES: Comments must be received, in writing, on or before November 3,

1999.

ADDRESSES: Questions about this notice may be sent to Cliff Hickman,

via mail at USDA Forest Service, Forest Management, Mail Stop 1105,

P.O. Box 96090, Washington, DC 20090-6090 or electronically to

chickman/[email protected].

Electronic copies of the FY 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Act or

copies of the draft framework may be obtained via Internet at

www.fs.fed.us/land/fm/stewardship/framework.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cliff Hickman, Forest Management

Staff, (202) 205-1162, or chickman/[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 347 of the FY 1999 Omnibus

Appropriations Act authorized the Forest Service to implement up to 28

stewardship end results contracting projects. Notice of the draft

framework for multiparty monitoring and evaluation for these projects

was published in the Federal Register on August 17, 1999 (64 FRO

44685). The Forest Service provided background information about the

provisions of Section 347 and its progress in implementing the

legislation, in a notice that appeared on the July 9, 1999, issue of

the Federal Register (64 FR 37096).

Dated: September 27, 1999.

Hilda Diaz-Soltero,

Associate Chief for Natural Resources.

[FR Doc. 99-25659 Filed 10-1-99; 8:45 am]

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