[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 92 (Friday, May 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21484-21485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11660]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[CA-019-96-1220-24-1A]


Availability of Proposal To Expand Boundaries of an Existing Area 
of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in the Clear Creek Management 
Area, To Rename the San Benito Mountain Outstanding Natural Area To the 
San Benito Mountain Research Natural Area; Availability of Completion 
of Previous Planning Decision To Reincorporate 380-Acre San Benito 
Mountain Natural Area Extension

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610. 2 (c) and 43 CFR 1610.7(1)(b), a 
final Resource Management Plan Amendment/Environmental Impact Statement 
(RMP Amendment/EIS) has been prepared by the Hollister Resource Area. 
The final RMP Amendment/EIS describes and analyzes alternative 
management scenarios for about 50,000 acres of public lands in the 
Clear Creek Management Area. These lands are located in south San 
Benito and Fresno Counties in central California. This Federal Register 
notice provides notice about decisions and/or proposed actions 
regarding two existing designations within the Clear Creek Management 
Area. The first notice is with regard to the Serpentine Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), and the second is with regard to 
the San Benito Mountain Outstanding Natural Area.
    (1) Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern. One of the 
decisions proposed in the Final EIS and RMP Amendment is to expand the 
existing Serpentine ACEC. The 23,834-acre ACEC was originally 
designated in 1984 through the public planning process. The Serpentine 
ACEC was designated because soils in the area contain natural asbestos 
and there are health issues associated with recreating in the area. It 
was also designated an ACEC because the vegetative communities 
associated with serpentine soils are quite unusual.
    The Serpentine ACEC boundary was reviewed in 1992 during the EIS 
process, and adjustments were made based upon soil surveys. The map 
provided with the final EIS reflects the new known boundaries of the 
serpentine mass on public land. The adjustments result in a proposed 
addition of about 10%, or about 2,500 acres, to the geologic boundary 
line. The changes can be viewed in the ``Errata Sheet'' map included in 
the Final EIS, or can be reviewed at the locations listed below. The 
legal description will be published with the Record of Decision for the 
Final EIS.
    (2) San Benito Mountain Natural Area: Given the heavy emphasis of 
research suggested for this area, the BLM is proposing to change the 
name of the Natural Area to the ``San Benito Mountain Research Natural 
Area''. Management of the Natural Area would remain as described in the 
Final EIS, and the name change would be consistent with the proposed 
primary use of the area. Finally, to formalize and complete the 
designation process for this Natural Area, the public is hereby 
notified that a 380-acre extension approved for re-incorporation under 
previous planning efforts is now formally re-incorporated into the San 
Benito Mountain Natural Area. The legal description of this extension 
is:

Mount Diablo Meridian, California

T. 18S R. 12E
    Sec. 14, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\SW\1/
4\, and NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
T. 18S R. 12E
    Sec. 15, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, and E\1/2\E\1/2\;

    In the original 1971 Federal Register notices, the legal 
description had a typographical error and one omission; both of these 
have been corrected. Additional copies of maps of both areas and 
background information can be obtained or reviewed at the Hollister 
Resource Area Office, 20 Hamilton Court, Hollister, CA 95023. Copies of 
the Final EIS and maps are available at 27 public libraries in the 
following locations: Antioch, Fresno, Davis, Gilroy, Fairfield, 
Hanford, Hayward, Livermore, Madera, Menlo Park, Modesto, Monterey, 
Oroville, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, San Rafael, 
Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Seaside, Sunnyvale, Tracy, Vallejo, Visalia 
and Yuba City. Public review copies are also available at:

(1) California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
(2) Bakersfield District Office, 3801 Pegasus Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 
93308


[[Page 21485]]


DATES: The public has no later than July 9, 1996 to comment on the 
proposed expansion of the Serpentine ACEC and the proposed name change 
for the San Benito Mountain Natural Area.

ADDRESSES: Comments should addressed to: Bureau of Land Management, 
Hollister Resource Area Office, 20 Hamilton Court, Hollister, CA 95023, 
Attn: Robert E. Beehler, Area Manager.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: (1) Serpentine ACEC: Mining plans of 
operation must be filed for claims inside an ACEC--thus anyone 
proposing to operate on a valid claim within the expansion area would 
need to comply with this regulation. Management of the expansion areas 
would be the same as within the previous boundaries.
    (2) San Benito Mountain Natural Area: The San Benito Mountain 
Natural Area was designated in 1971. It was designated as an 
``Outstanding'' Natural Area, one of the two possible types of Natural 
Area classifications. The other type of natural area classification is 
a ``Research'' Natural Area. The original designation was 1,880 acres 
(August, 1971 36FR16122). In September 1971, 380 acres were withdrawn 
from the designation because of unresolved mining issues (36FR19177). 
In 1984, with the development of the Hollister Resource Management 
Plan, the decision was made to re-incorporate those 380 acres as 
Natural Area, because the mining claim issue had been resolved. 
Although this decision was analyzed in the public planning process and 
ultimately approved, the legal boundaries were never published in the 
Federal Register. Historic planning maps and documents for the Natural 
Area and the extension show that there was one portion of the extension 
which was not described in the Federal Register notice. This portion is 
in Section 14 and covers a 20-acre segment in the north half of the 
south-east quarter of the south-west quarter. It is included in this 
notice. Additionally, a typographical error in the Federal Register 
notices showed the whole western quarter of Section 15 being included. 
This should have been the eastern quarter of the section. This has been 
corrected as well.
    Public participation has occurred throughout the planning process 
and is encouraged. Anyone wishing additional information may contact 
the Hollister Resource Area Office at the address shown above, or call 
408- 637-8183.

    Dated: May 3, 1996.
Robert E. Beehler,
Hollister Area Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-11660 Filed 5-9-96; 8:45 am]
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