[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 43 (Monday, March 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 12250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5432]



[[Page 12250]]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[AZ-024-1330-00]


Intent To Amend the Phoenix Resource Management Plan and the 
Safford District Resource Management Plan, Arizona

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix District, in response 
to a land exchange proposal, is preparing an Environmental Assessment 
to amend the Phoenix Resource Management Plan and the Safford District 
Resource Management Plan (RMPs) in compliance with the Federal Land 
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, and Section 102(2)(c) of 
the National Environment Policy Act of 1969. The exchange, as proposed, 
involves trading selected public lands for private lands with high 
resource values. The public lands selected include 160 non-wilderness 
acres of the remaining segments of the White Canyon Area of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACEC)--most of the ACEC is now managed as the 
White Canyon Wilderness--and 4,561 acres which were designated as 
retention lands within the RMPs. Three hundred fifty-five (355) of 
these selected public lands were transferred from the Safford District 
to the Phoenix Resource Area (Phoenix District) under a 1991 boundary 
adjustment. The proposed land exchange will be analyzed under a 
separate environmental impact statement (Federal Register Notice of 
Intent, December 19, 1994: 65383). Management actions proposed in the 
Environmental Assessment include altering the ACEC designation and 
changing the classification of selected public lands from retention to 
disposal parcels available under an exchange. The Environmental 
Assessment to amend the two Resource Management Plans will identify a 
proposed action and no action alternative as well as appropriate 
alternatives derived through the analysis of planning issues and 
criteria. Once the Environmental Assessment draft has been completed, a 
Notice of Availability will be published in the Federal Register 
followed by a 60-day comment period.
    Public comment is needed now to identify issues and criteria for 
consideration during the amendment process. Public open houses/scoping 
meetings will be held at the following locations and times:
    Florence Open House, March 28, 1995, 4-8 p.m. at the Florence 
Unified School District Office, Administration Building, 350 S. Main 
St., Florence, AZ 85232, (602) 868-2300. Mesa Open House, March 30, 
1995, 4-8 p.m. at the Rendezvous Center, 263 North Center Street, Mesa, 
Arizona (602) 644-2178.

DATES: Written public comments may be submitted during the open houses 
or to the address given below. Public comments will be accepted until 
April 10, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed to, and copies of the 
scoping documentation are available from: Bureau of Land Management, 
Phoenix District Office, 2015 West Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027, 
ATTENTION McFARLIN AMENDMENT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Shela McFarlin, Bureau of Land 
Management, Phoenix District Office, 2015 West Deer Valley Road, 
Phoenix, AZ 85027 or telephone (602) 780-8090.

    Dated February 28, 1995.
David J. Miller,
Associate District Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-5432 Filed 3-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P