[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 66 (Thursday, April 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17569-17570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8489]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[MT-020-1610-00]
Notice of Intent to Plan
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Montana/Dakotas, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: An environmental document will be prepared for proposed areas
of critical environmental concern (ACECs) in the South Dakota Resource
Area, Dakotas District, North Dakota; and the Powder River and Billings
Resource Areas, Miles City District, Montana. The document will amend
three resource management plans (RMPs): the Billings RMP (1983), the
Powder River RMP (1984) and the South Dakota RMP (1985). It will be
based on the existing statutory requirements and will meet the
requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. The
document will guide future management decisions for areas designated
ACEC and is scheduled for completion by September 1996.
DATES: Any nominations, issues, concerns or alternatives should be
submitted to BLM on or before May 15, 1995.
ADDRESSES: All submissions should be sent to the following address:
BLM, Mary Bloom, Team Leader, Miles City Plaza, Miles City, Montana
59301.
[[Page 17570]] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Bloom, Team
Leader, (406) 232-7000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An ACEC is an area within the public lands
where special management attention is required to protect important
historic, cultural or scenic values, fish and wildlife resources or
other natural systems, or to protect life and safety from natural
hazards.
In 1992, during the public participation phase on BLM's Draft Miles
City District Oil and Gas RMP/EIS Amendment, the Sierra Club and The
Wilderness Society proposed six areas for ACEC designation: Fossil
Cycad, Pryor Mountains, Pompeys Pillar, Bridger Fossil-Red Dome, Finger
Buttes, and Deadhorse Badlands. When the Record of Decision (1994) for
the document was issued, it was decided that these areas and two
additional areas presented in the document: Meeteetse Spires and
Weatherman Draw, would be analyzed in a separate Plan Amendment.
The planning area for this Plan Amendment consists of BLM-
administered lands in proposed ACECs within the Billings, Powder River
and South Dakota Resource Areas. The purpose and need, analysis process
and request for nominations are included below to solicit your
participation in this process.
The proposed action is to establish areas that have special values
and require special management attention as Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern and to protect and enhance these areas to provide
opportunities for scientific research and recreation for the public.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) requires that
priority be given to designation and protection of ACECs. The ACEC
designation indicates to the public that BLM recognizes the area as
having significant values and has established special management
measures to protect those values. Designation also serves as a reminder
that significant values or resources exist which must be accommodated
in future management actions or land use proposals in or near the ACEC.
The public is asked to assist BLM in identification of ACECs.
Nominations must meet both the relevance and importance criteria under
the Code of Federal Regulations: 43 CFR 1610.7-2(a) to be considered as
a potential ACEC.
The following are the nominations already received by BLM and the
groups' reasons for the nomination. These areas have not yet been
evaluated by BLM for the areas' relevance and importance. The Pryor
Mountains (75,000 public surface acres, Billings resource Area, Carbon
County, Montana) are proposed for ACEC designation for the significant
cultural values, sensitive plants and animals, exceptional scenic
values, nationally significant examples of natural processes and
nominated National Natural Landmarks. The Red Dome-Bridger Fossil Area
(3,528 public surface acres, Billings Resource Area, Carbon County,
Montana) is proposed for ACEC designation because of paleontological
phenomena, scenic values, and landforms that exemplify a natural system
or process. A proposed and a designated National Natural Landmark
located within the area indicate national importance. Pompeys Pillar
(431 public surface acres, Billings Resource Area, Yellowstone County,
Montana) is proposed for ACEC designation because of significant
cultural values and national importance. Deadhorse Badlands (40,000
public surface acres, Powder River Resource Area, Carter County,
Montana) is proposed for ACEC designation because of scenic values,
naturalness, fragile and irreplaceable badlands features, and size.
Finger Buttes (3,800 public surface acres, Powder River Resource Area,
Carter County, Montana) is proposed for ACEC designation because of
scenic values and a rare plant species. The Fossil Cycad Area (320
public surface acres, South Dakota Resource Area, Fall River County,
South Dakota) was formerly a national monument. It is proposed for ACEC
designation because of the significant paleontological resource and
national importance.
The BLM previously nominated Meeteetse Spires and Weatherman Draw.
Meeteetse Spires (960 public surface acres, Billings Resource Area,
Carbon County, Montana) contains two rare plants: Shoshonea pulvinata
and Townsendian spathulata. It is enjoyed by the recreating public
because of the spectacular scenery. The BLM would manage this scenic
area to protect the rare plants while allowing recreational use by the
public. Weatherman Draw (2,250 public surface acres, Billings Resource
Area, Carbon County, Montana) contains a unique cultural resource
important for scientific research and of sacred value to Native
Americans. The BLM would manage the area to preserve the site, and make
it available for scientific research and for public interpretation.
The public is also requested to assist the BLM in the
identification of issues. Examples of potential issues (problems,
concerns) are: mineral development, recreational use and economics.
Alternatives will be developed to present a range of feasible
management actions. The ``No Action Alternative'' will be included in
accordance with 43 CFR 1502.14(d) and represent the continuation of
current management.
Meetings for the areas proposed for ACEC designation are not yet
scheduled. If meetings are scheduled, the public will be notified
through local news releases.
The documentation on BLM's evaluations of relevance and importance
will be made available at the BLM Powder River, Billings and South
Dakota Resource Area offices.
Development of this document will require involvement of
professionals from these disciplines: archaeology, economics, forestry,
geology, land use planning, minerals, range management, recreation,
realty, soil science and wildlife management. The public will be
provided the opportunity to review and comment on issues and ACECs
developed by BLM and to identify new issues and potential ACECs. A
mailing list is being developed and will be used to communicate with
and solicit comments from local, state and federal agencies, Native
American tribes, the Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, and the
public at large which may be affected by the plan. As the planning
process proceeds, these publics will be encouraged to participate.
The BLM is seeking information from individuals, organizations, and
agencies who may be interested or affected by the proposals.
Specifically, we request any nominations, issues, concerns or
alternatives that should be addressed in the plan.
This notice meets the requirements of 43 CFR 1610.7-2 for
designation of ACECs.
Darrel Pistorius,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-8489 Filed 4-5-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P