[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 82 (Friday, April 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26272-26273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08763]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Notice of Intent To Publish for Public Comment Proposed Permanent
Recreational Shooting Orders in the Boulder, Clear Creek, Canyon Lakes,
and Sulphur Ranger Districts of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National
Forests and Pawnee National Grassland
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service (Forest Service or Agency), United States
Department of Agriculture, is giving notice of its intent to publish
for public comment a proposed permanent order prohibiting recreational
shooting on approximately 94,900 acres of National Forest System lands
in the Canyon Lakes, Sulphur, and Clear Creek Ranger Districts of the
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland,
and a proposed permanent order prohibiting recreational shooting on
approximately 46,195 acres of National Forest System lands in the Clear
Creek and Boulder Ranger Districts of the Arapaho and Roosevelt
National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland. At the end of the
advance notice period, the Forest Service will seek public comments, as
specified in this notice, on the proposed permanent recreational
shooting orders.
DATES: Advance notice of the opportunity to provide public comment on
the proposed permanent recreational shooting orders is being provided
until May 5, 2023. Beginning on May 5, 2023, the Forest Service will
accept comments on the proposed permanent recreational shooting orders
for 60 days. The notice of opportunity for public comment will be
posted on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee
National Grassland web page at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/recshootingmgt.
ADDRESSES: The proposed permanent recreational shooting orders, maps,
and justification for the proposed permanent orders are posted on the
Forest Service's Regulations and Policies web page at www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/regulations-policies.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Leyva, Recreation, Engineering,
Lands, and Minerals Staff Officer, 970-295- 6650 or
[email protected]. Individuals who use telecommunications devices
for the hearing-impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-
8339, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Advance Notice and Public Comment Procedures
Section 4103 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management,
and Recreation Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-9, Title IV (Sportsmen's Access
and Related Matters)), hereinafter ``the Dingell Act,'' requires the
Forest Service to provide advance notice and opportunity for public
comment before temporarily or permanently closing any National Forest
System (NFS) lands to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting.
Section 4103 of the Dingell Act applies to the proposed permanent order
prohibiting recreational shooting in the northern Canyon Lakes,
Sulphur, and southern Clear Creek Ranger Districts of the Arapaho and
Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, and to the
proposed permanent order prohibiting recreational shooting in the
northern Clear Creek and southern Boulder Ranger Districts of the
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland.
The public notice and comment process in section 4103(b)(2) of the
Dingell Act requires the Forest Service to publish a notice of intent
in the Federal Register of the proposed permanent orders in advance of
the public comment period for the proposed permanent orders. This
notice meets the requirement to publish a notice of intent in the
Federal Register in advance of the public comment period.
Following the notice of intent, section 4103(b)(2) of the Dingell
Act requires an opportunity for public comment on proposed temporary or
permanent hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting orders. Because
the proposed orders would permanently prohibit recreational shooting in
the southern Boulder, northern Canyon Lakes, Sulphur, and Clear Creek
Ranger Districts of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and
Pawnee National Grassland, the public comment period must be at least
60 days. Beginning on May 5, 2023, the Forest Service will accept
public comments on the proposed permanent orders for 60 days. The
notice of opportunity for public comment will be posted on the Arapaho
and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland's web page
at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/recshootingmgt.
Section 4103(b)(2) of the Dingell Act requires the Forest Service
to respond to public comments received on the proposed permanent orders
before issuing final permanent orders, including an explanation of how
any significant issues raised by the comments were resolved and, if
applicable, how resolution of those issues affected the proposed
permanent orders or the justification for the proposed permanent
orders. The final permanent orders, maps, justification for the final
permanent orders, and response to comments on the proposed permanent
orders will be posted on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and
Pawnee National Grassland's web page at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/recshootingmgt.
Background and Need
The proposed permanent orders would implement applicable land
management plan direction in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
and Pawnee National Grassland's 2019 Land and Resource Management Plan
amendment (Plan Amendment). Shooting sports are long-standing and
appropriate uses of NFS lands. The Plan Amendment direction includes a
management goal of providing for recreational shooting opportunities
across the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in a manner that
addresses public health and safety concerns. The Plan Amendment also
identifies NFS lands unsuitable for recreational shooting. Consistent
with the Plan Amendment, the proposed permanent orders would prohibit
recreational shooting, defined as discharging a firearm, air rifle or
gas gun, on 94,900 acres of NFS lands designated as unsuitable for
recreational shooting in southern Clear Creek, Jefferson, Park,
northern Larimer, and Grand Counties, Colorado, which include the
northern Canyon Lakes, Sulphur, and southern Clear Creek Ranger
Districts of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee
National Grassland, and on 46,195 acres of NFS lands designated as
unsuitable for recreational shooting in northern Clear Creek and Gilpin
Counties, Colorado, which include the southern Boulder and northern
Clear Creek Ranger Districts of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National
Forests and Pawnee National Grassland.
Implementation of the proposed permanent orders is consistent with
the framework in the decision notice for the Plan Amendment for phasing
out
[[Page 26273]]
recreational shooting as developed target ranges are constructed and
opened for public use in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and
Pawnee National Grassland. Final permanent recreational shooting orders
will be issued after the notice and comment process under the Dingell
Act is complete and developed target ranges in the Arapaho and
Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland are
constructed and open for public use.
The proposed permanent orders, maps, and justification for the
proposed permanent orders are posted on the Forest Service's
Regulations and Policies web page at www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/regulations-policies.
Dated: April 17, 2023.
Jacqueline Emanuel,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2023-08763 Filed 4-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P