[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 175 (Monday, September 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-22392]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 12, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[AZ-020-00-4333-04; AZA-25477, 25478, 25481, 25488, 25491, 25496]
Preparation of Several Wilderness Management Plans and Associated
Environmental Documents and Invitation To Participate in the
Identification of Issues
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare wilderness management plans and
environmental documents and host public scoping meetings.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of intent to prepare several wilderness
management plans. This notice also constitutes the scoping notice
required by the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 1501.7).
(1) Description of proposed planning action: In accordance with
Bureau of Land Management wilderness management policy guidance,
Wilderness Management Plans will be developed for six wilderness areas.
Because several of the areas share similar issues or are in close
proximity with each other, the six areas will be covered by three
wilderness management plans: one for the Tres Alamos Wilderness, one
for the Signal Mountain and Woolsey Peak Wildernesses, and one for the
Harquahala Mountains, Hummingbird Springs and Bighorn Mountains
Wildernesses. An Environmental Assessment of the impacts of the
proposed actions and alternatives will be prepared prior to approval of
each plan. The plans will state policies, actions and monitoring
standards to be used to maintain each area's wilderness resources and
will consider issues and alternatives identified through a number of
public forums including scoping meetings. The public is invited to
participate in scoping meetings beginning in October 1994.
(2) Geographic areas involved: The six wilderness areas are in the
Sonoran Desert of southwestern and south central Arizona, located in
Maricopa, eastern La Paz, and southwestern Yavapai Counties. Towns in
the vicinity are Bagdad, Wickenburg, Aquila, and Gila Bend. Distances
from Phoenix range from 35 miles to the southwest, 55 miles to the
west, and 80 miles to the northwest.
(3) Types of issues anticipated: Wilderness values such as
naturalness, solitude and primitive recreational opportunities must be
preserved. Use of these areas for developed public and commercial
recreation, education, research, wildlife and wild burro management,
livestock grazing, mining and existing private rights will be assessed.
Acceptable levels of these uses as well as for primitive recreation
will be identified. Appropriate levels of activity to administer the
areas, e.g., assuring public access, providing recreational facilities,
signing, law enforcement, search and rescue, wild burro removal, and
fire suppression will be determined.
(4) Disciplines to be represented in the preparation of the
management plans will include: Wilderness, Recreation, Cultural,
Wildlife, Range, Livestock, Wild Burro and Fire Management.
(5) The kind and extent of public involvement to be provided:
Three public scoping meetings will be held to identify issues and
opportunities for management of the six areas. These will be held in
Gila Bend, Wickenburg and Phoenix, Arizona at the following times and
locations:
Tuesday, October 4, 1994, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Gila Bend Community Center,
202 Euclid Ave., Gila Bend, Arizona.
Wednesday, October 5, 1994, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Wickenburg Community Center,
160 North Valentine Street, Wickenburg, Arizona.
Thursday, October 6, 1994, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Phoenix District Office
Conference Room, Bureau of Land Management, 2015 West Deer Valley Road,
Phoenix, Arizona.
Written comments regarding issues and opportunities for management
will also be accepted until October 15, 1994. Comments should be sent
to: Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix District Office, Attn: John R.
Christensen, 2015 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85027.
Interested publics will be sent copies of the completed draft
Wilderness Management Plans and associated Environmental Assessments
and will have 45 days in which to comment. Interest in this mailing
will be solicited and a mailing list maintained at the Phoenix District
Office.
ADDRESSES: Relevant documents will be available for public review at
the Phoenix District Office, 2015 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix,
Arizona, 85027.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John C. Jamrog, Bureau of Land Management, Lower Gila Resource Area,
Telephone 602-780-8090.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These areas were added to the Wilderness
Preservation System by Public Law 101-628, of November 28, 1990, known
as the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990. Management and use of
these areas is directed by this law as well as the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act of 1976 and the Wilderness Act of 1964. The area
involved in this planning effort include 8,300 acres in the Tres Alamos
Wilderness, 22,880 acres in the Harquahala Mountains Wilderness, 31,200
acres in the Hummingbird Springs Wilderness, 21,000 acres in the
Bighorn Mountains Wilderness, 15,250 acres in the Signal Mountain
Wilderness, and 64,000 acres in the Woolsey Peak Wilderness. Areas and
activities on non-wilderness land adjacent to the wilderness boundaries
may also be addressed in these plans.
These areas are also described in the Lower Gila South and Upper
Sonoran Final Wilderness Environmental Impact Statements of 1987
available at the above address.
Dated: September 2, 1994.
Gordon L. Cheniae,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 94-22392 Filed 9-9-94; 8:45 am]
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