[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]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P