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USDA/FS

RIN: 0596-AC62

Publication ID: Fall 2008

Title: Special Areas; State-Specific Inventoried Roadless Area Management: Idaho
Abstract: The Forest Service is ready to finalize the State Specific Inventoried Roadless Area Management for the State of Idaho. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on January 7, 2008 (73 FR 1136). The comment period ended on April 7, 2008. During the comment period a substantial number of comments were received. The comments covered a wide range of topics and were both favorable and opposed to the rule. The comments are addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and in the final rule. The proposed rule sought comment on phosphate mining, significant risk situations based around wildfire threats to communities in municipal water supplies, and change clause (mechanism for making non-significant changes to the rule that do not require rulemaking). The final rule is being changed in response to public comment and recommendations from the Secretary's Roadless Area Conservation national Advisory Committee (RACNAC) on these issues. Other changes to the rule are being made for boundary adjustment requests and other clarifications. At the proposed rule state, OMB informed the agency that any state specific roadless rule is significant. Therefore, the Agency is moving forward with this final rule being significant. A final EIS is being prepared for this rule. On October 5, 2006, the Governor of Idaho submitted a petition under the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(e)) and Agriculture Department regulation (7 CFR 1.28) to promulgate regulations, in cooperation with the State, for management of 9.3 million acres of inventoried roadless areas within the State. After review and recommendation by the Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Committee, the Secretary accepted the Governors petition and initiated a proposed rulemaking for the roadless areas in Idaho. The proposed rulemaking would manage Idahos inventoried roadless areas under four main themes listed from most restrictive to least: Wildland Recreation (1.4 million acres), Primitive (1.7 million acres), Backcountry (5.5 million acres), and General Forest (0.5 million acres). The proposed rulemaking also will establish three important tribal and historical sites as Special Areas (0.2 million acres). Road construction and reconstruction plus timber harvesting would be prohibited in certain inventoried roadless areas on the Boise, Caribou-Targhee, Clearwater, Idaho Panhandle, Kootenai (portions), Nez Perce, Payette, Salmon-Challis, Sawtooth, and Wallowa-Whitman (portions) National Forests in Idaho. Exceptions to the prohibitions would be allowed for certain health, safety, valid existing rights, resource protection, and ecological management needs. Web site: http://roadless.fs.fed.us
Agency: Department of Agriculture(USDA)	Priority: Other Significant
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda	Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Completed Actions
Major: No	Unfunded Mandates: No
CFR Citation: 36 CFR 294
Legal Authority: 5 USC 553(e) 7 CFR 1.28

Legal Deadline: None

Timetable:

Action	Date	FR Cite
NPRM	01/07/2008	73 FR 1135
NPRM Comment Period End	04/07/2008
Final Action	10/16/2008	73 FR 61456
Final Action Effective	10/16/2008

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No	Government Levels Affected: State, Tribal
Federalism: No
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No
RIN Information URL: roadless.fs.fed.us
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No
Related RINs: Related to 0596-AC58, Related to 0596-AC59, Related to 0596-AC60
Agency Contact: Lorrie Parker Regulatory Analyst Department of Agriculture Forest Service ATTN: ORMS, D&R Branch, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-0003 Phone:202 205-6560 Fax:202 205-6539 Email: lsparker@fs.fed.us