[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1393-1394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-482]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WY-010-1050-00]


Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Environmental Assessment (EA) 
Titled, ``Management for the Big Cedar Ridge Fossil Plant Area,'' for 
Public Review and Comment

SUMMARY: The EA for the management of the Big Cedar Ridge Fossil Plant 
Area documents the planning review and analysis of five alternatives 
for managing the area, including the Bureau of Land Management's 
preferred alternative. The planning review area is comprised of about 
1,550 acres of BLM-administered public land in Washakie County, 
Wyoming, and in the Bighorn Basin Resource Area of the BLM's Worland 
District. Fossil concentration areas, including the discovery site, are 
found on about 260 acres within the review area.
    The planning review is being conducted to evaluate the management 
needs and issues associated with the discovery of a complete and 
preserved in-place Cretaceous fossil plant community. The area was 
discovered in 1990 by Dr. Scott Wing of the Smithsonian Institution. 
The objective of this planning review is to establish appropriate 
management of the fossil resources including adequate protection and 
opportunities for scientific research and public education. This 
discovery created significant interest within the academic community. 
Worldwide discoveries of such well preserved fossil plants of this age 
are rare, and the fossils are considered to be of great scientific 
importance.
    The discovery was made approximately 3 years after the approval of 
the Washakie Resource Management Plan (RMP). A review of the RMP is 
needed to evaluate the adequacy of the existing decisions for the 
protection of paleontological resources in the review area. Management 
actions include continuing existing management that is generally 
consistent with the Washakie RMP but with management emphasis on 
enhancing opportunities for scientific research, public education, 
recreation, hobby collection of fossils, and closing the 260-acres of 
known fossil concentration areas to mineral location and pursuing a 
mineral location withdrawal. Based on preliminary analysis, BLM has 
established a temporary closure to the staking of mining claims in the 
planning review area. As part of the planning review, BLM has collected 
information and conducted analyses described in the environmental 
assessment to determine whether a long-term closure is necessary for 
protection of the paleontological resources. Based on the results, the 
Washakie RMP will be amended, if necessary.

DATES: Comments on the adequacy of the EA and on the finding of no 
significant impact (FONSI) must be received no later than February 20, 
1996. Comments should be directed to Dave Baker, Outdoor Recreation 
Planner, Bighorn Basin Resource Area, or Bob Ross, Worland District 
Planner, at the address below.
    During the same 30-day period, any protests on the proposed 
decision (the preferred alternative) and proposed amendment of the 
Washakie RMP may also be submitted (as provided in 43 Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 1610.5-2). All parts of the proposed decision may be 
protested. Protests should be sent to the Director, Bureau of Land 
Management, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, MS-302 LS, 
Washington, D.C. 20240. They should include:

--The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the 
person filing the protest.
--A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
--A statement of the part or parts of the proposed decision being 
protested.
--Copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that were 
submitted during the planning review process by the protesting party, 
or an indication of the date the issue or issues were discussed for the 
record.
--A concise statement explaining why the proposed decision is believed 
to be wrong.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Baker, Outdoor Recreation 
Planner, Bighorn Basin Resource Area, or Bob Ross, Worland District 
Planner at P. O. Box 119, Worland, Wyoming 82401-0119, phone 307-347-
9871.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following the discovery of the Big Cedar 
Ridge Fossil Plant Area, the BLM completed a temporary management plan 
for the lands in and around the fossil discovery area. Protective 
measures have been initiated and have been in effect pending completion 
of this planning review. This review includes opportunities for public 
participation.
    The steps followed for this planning review are:
    1. An interdisciplinary planning team describes and analyzes the 
existing management in the planning review area and describes the 
affected environment.
    2. A notice of intent to conduct the planning review is published 
in the Federal Register informing the public of known and anticipated 
issues and of opportunities for public participation and comment.
    3. Public contacts and meetings are held for scoping and 
development of the preliminary issues and alternatives.
    4. With the help of the public, management alternatives for the 
area are formulated and analyzed and the BLM's preferred alternative is 
identified.
    5. The alternatives, including the BLM's preferred alternative, and 
their environmental consequences are described in the EA and the EA is 
issued for public review and comment. We are now at this step of the 
process. A 30-day period will be provided for reviewing and commenting 
on the EA and the FONSI and for submitting protests on any proposed 
decisions to be added to or changed in the Washakie RMP.
    6. The EA will then be revised, if necessary, and a decision record 
will be issued. If necessary, the decision record will identify and 
include any needed amendment to the Washakie RMP.
    Based on the public's input and analysis by the BLM 
interdisciplinary team, the following issues were identified:
    1. Whether or not there is a need to protect the important 
paleontological resources in the review area from being damaged by 
surface-disturbing activities, and whether withdrawing the area from 
filing of mining claims and mining activity would be necessary.
    2. Whether or not the area should be designated an area of critical 
environmental concern (ACEC).
    3. Whether or not the area should be managed primarily for 
scientific research, public education, and recreation.
    The five alternatives analyzed in the EA are:
    1. No action (continuation of existing management).
    2. Continue existing management and pursue a 260-acre mineral 
location withdrawal on the known fossil concentration areas.
    3. Designate a 1,550-acre ACEC.
    4. Designate a 1,550-acre ACEC and pursue a 260-acre mineral 
location withdrawal on the known fossil concentration areas.
    5. Designate an ACEC, pursue a mineral location withdrawal on the 
260-acre known fossil concentration areas, and dedicate the area to 
research and public education. 

[[Page 1394]]

    The various impacts that would be expected from implementing each 
of the alternatives are also presented in the EA. The BLM's preferred 
alternative is alternative 2. Continuing existing management on the 
planning review area and pursuing a mineral withdrawal under the 1872 
Mining Law for the 260-acre known fossil concentration areas represents 
what the BLM believes to be the best balance between the public land 
and resource uses and environmental protection in the planning review 
area. Based on the analysis of potential environmental impacts 
contained in the EA, it has been determined that anticipated impacts of 
the preferred alternative are not significant and an environmental 
impact statement is not needed.
    At the end of the comment/protest period, the decisions based on 
the planning review will be issued in the Decision Record for the EA. 
Any necessary amendment to the Washakie RMP will be included in the 
Decision Record. The 30-day review/comment/protest period will begin 
the day following the date of publication of the NOA of this EA in the 
Federal Register. Comments on the alternatives, the adequacy of the 
environmental analyses, the FONSI, and any protests on the proposed 
decision will be fully considered and evaluated in development of the 
decision record. Any protests submitted will also be resolved before 
BLM issues the decision record for the EA, and the Washakie Resource 
Management Plan will be amended, if necessary.

    Dated: January 10, 1996.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 96-482 Filed 1-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P