[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 13 (Friday, January 18, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 4120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01018]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 13 / Friday, January 18, 2013 /
Notices
[[Page 4120]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary
Recreation Resource Advisory Committees
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to re-establish the Recreation Resource
Advisory Committees.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture intends to re-establish the
charter for five Forest Service Recreation Resource Advisory Committees
(Recreation RACs) pursuant to Section 4 of the Federal Lands Recreation
Enhancement Act, which passed into law as part of the 2005 Consolidated
Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 108-447) on December 8, 2004. The
Recreation RACs operate in the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest,
Eastern, Southern Regions of the Forest Service and the State of
Colorado. The purpose is to provide advice and recommendations on
recreation fees to both the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) as appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Cox, National Recreation RAC
Coordinator, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, 333 SW 1st
Avenue, Portland, OR 97208, (503) 808-2984.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), signed in
December 2004, directs the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of
the Interior, or both to establish Recreation RACs, or use existing
advisory committees to perform the duties of Recreation RACs, in each
State or region for Federal recreation lands and waters managed by the
Forest Service or the BLM. These committees make recreation fee program
recommendations on implementing or eliminating standard amenity fees;
expanded amenity fees; and noncommercial, individual special recreation
permit fees; expanding or limiting the recreation fee program; and fee-
level changes.
The REA grants flexibility to Recreation RACs by stating that the
Secretaries:
May have as many additional Recreation RACs in a State or
region as the Secretaries consider necessary;
Shall not establish a Recreation RAC in a State if the
Secretaries determine, in consultation with the Governor of the State,
that sufficient interest does not exist to ensure that participation on
the committee is balanced in terms of the points of view represented
and the functions to be performed; or
May use a resource advisory committee established pursuant
to another provision of law and in accordance with that law.
The Forest Service and BLM elected to jointly use existing BLM RACs in
the states of Arizona, Idaho, the Dakotas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
and Utah. The Forest Service also chartered new Recreation RACs for the
Forest Service Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest, Eastern and
Southern Regions and for the State of Colorado. The Forest Service is
using an existing advisory board for the Black Hills National Forest in
South Dakota. In addition, the Governors of three states--Alaska,
Nebraska and Wyoming--requested that their states be exempt from the
Recreation RAC requirement, and the Secretary concurred with the
exemptions.
Membership
Members were initially appointed to the Forest Service established
Recreation RACs in February 2007 for the four regions, and July 2007
for the one state. Each Recreation RAC consists of 11 members that are
representative of the following interests:
(1) Five persons who represent recreation users and that include,
as appropriate, persons representing--
(a) Winter motorized recreation such as snowmobiling;
(b) Winter nonmotorized recreation such as snowshoeing, cross-
country and downhill skiing, and snowboarding;
(c) Summer motorized recreation such as motorcycling, boating, and
off-highway vehicle driving;
(d) Summer nonmotorized recreation such as backpacking, horseback
riding, mountain biking, canoeing, and rafting; and
(e) Hunting and fishing.
(2) Three persons who represent interest groups that include, as
appropriate--
(a) Motorized outfitters and guides;
(b) Nonmotorized outfitters and guides; and
(c) Local environmental groups.
(3) Three persons who are--
(a) State tourism official representing the State;
(b) A representative of affected Indian tribes; and
(c) A representative of affected local government interests.
The Recreation RAC members elect and determine chair and co-chair
responsibility. The Forest Service Regional Foresters or designee for
each identified Recreation RAC shall serve as the designated Federal
official under sections 10(e) and (f) of the Federal Advisory Committee
Act (5 U.S.C. App. II).
Equal opportunity practices in accordance with United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies shall be followed in all
appointments to the committee. To help 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 possible,
individuals with demonstrated ability to represent women, men, racial
and ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities.
Dated: January 8, 2013.
Gregory Parham,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-01018 Filed 1-17-13; 8:45 am]
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