[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 144 (Thursday, July 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38569-38570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-18496]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[UT-046-3120-00]


Modification of Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for Proposed Plan Amendment

agency: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.

action: Modification of notice of intent to prepare an EIS for the 
proposed plan amendment for the Virgin River management framework plan 
(MFP).

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summary: This notice is to advise the public that, as a result of 
public and internal scoping, the preliminary scope of the referenced 
Proposed Amendment/EIS has been modified.

dates: Comment opportunities on the modification of the scope of the 
Proposed Amendment/EIS as well as the preliminary issues identified in 
the original Notice of Intent, published June 5, 1995, will commence 
with publication of this notice. Comments must be submitted within 30 
days of the date of publication.

for further information contact: Jim Crisp, Area Manager, Dixie 
Resource Area, 345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah 84790, 801-673-
4654 or Verlin Smith, Area Manager, Kanab Resource Area, 318 North 
First East, Kanab, Utah 84741, 801-644-2672.

supplementary information: Based on concern regarding the number of 
complex and diverse actions associated with the Proposed Plan 
Amendment/EIS, and public concern over the planning criteria presented 
in the above referenced Notice of Intent, it has been decided that it 
would be more effective to separate those actions that are unrelated to 
the proposed land tenure adjustments by one of the project proponents. 
Therefore, the scope of the Proposed Plan Amendment/EIS will only 
address the alternatives to, and the environmental impacts of specific 
land tenure adjustments as proposed by the Washington County Water 
Conservancy District (WCWCD). These proposed land tenure adjustments 
would be accomplished through the exchange process as follows: 1) The 
WCWCD has offered BLM two parcels of non-Federal land adjacent to Zion 
National Park (N.P.) in exchange for Federal lands. One parcel north of 
Zion N.P. would facilitate the protection of downstream resources 
including special status fish species. Further review of this site has 
shown that it is governed by the Zion MFP which applies to the Kanab 
Resource Area. This proposed amendment would therefore consider the 
impacts of amending the Zion MFP to allow this specific land exchange. 
The other parcel has the potential to facilitate resolution of 
inholding conflicts in Zion N.P.; 2) In exchange for these two parcels, 
the WCWCD has identified three parcels of Federal land that they would 
like to acquire through exchange for the following purposes: construct 
the proposed Sand Hollow Reservoir to accommodate storage of excess 
water flow and consolidate ownership of lands beneath Quail Creek 
Reservoir and an associated reservoir pipeline. Preliminary planning 
issues to be addressed in this Proposed Plan Amendment/EIS associated 
with these land tenure adjustments remain the same as stated in the 
Federal Register Notice Vol. 60. No. 107, Monday, June 5, 1995. The 
present land use plan for the Dixie Resource Area is the Virgin River 
MFP approved in 1981. This land use plan is being revised and updated 
through preparation of a newer and more comprehensive Dixie Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) but the completion date is uncertain at this 
time. The plan amendment now being initiated will amend either the 
Virgin River MFP or the Dixie RMP whichever 

[[Page 38570]]
is the current document at the time this amendment is completed.
Mat Millenbach,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 95-18496 Filed 7-26-95; 8:45 am]
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