[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 150 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40431-40433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19647]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[ID-040-4610-00]


Notice of Availability of the Challis Draft Resource Management 
Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of proposed ACEC designations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976, section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, and BLM Planning Regulations (43 CFR part 1600), 
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Upper Columbia--Salmon Clearwater 
Districts has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental 
Impact Statement (Draft RMP/EIS) for the Challis Resource Area. The 
Challis Draft RMP/EIS has been published and is available for review 
and comment by requesting a copy from the address indicated in the 
``Addresses'' section below. In compliance with 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b), 
this notice of availability of the Challis Draft RMP/EIS also 
constitutes notice of ACEC designations proposed in the Challis Draft 
RMP/EIS. More detailed information about the existing and proposed 
ACECs described in the Challis Draft RMP/EIS is provided in the 
``Supplementary Information'' section of this notice.
    The Challis Draft RMP/EIS describes and analyzes five alternative 
ways of managing approximately 792,657 acres of BLM public lands in the 
Challis Resource Area, located in Custer and Lemhi counties of east-
central Idaho. When implemented, the Challis RMP would replace the 
three Management Framework Plans currently used by the Challis Resource 
Area. The Challis RMP may also amend the Little Lost-Birch Creek 
Management Framework Plan (BLM 1981), if Alternatives 2, 4, or 5 are 
selected and the Donkey Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern 
(ACEC) is designated to include 4,714 acres within the Big Butte 
Resource Area, managed by the Idaho Falls District--BLM in Butte 
County, Idaho.

DATES: Written comments on the Challis Draft RMP/EIS must be submitted 
or postmarked no later than November 21, 1996. Meetings will be held to 
receive public comments on the Challis Draft RMP/EIS. The dates and 
locations of public meetings will be announced through the local media 
and a mailing list, as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Challis Draft RMP/EIS may be obtained upon 
request by contacting the Bureau of Land Management, Salmon Field 
Office, Route 2, Box 610, Salmon, Idaho 83467; phone (208) 756-5400. 
Written comments on the Challis Draft RMP/EIS should be sent to Kathe 
Rhodes, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of Land 
Management, Salmon Field Office, Route 2, Box 610, Salmon, Idaho 83467.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathe Rhodes, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Salmon Field 
Office, Route 2, Box 610, Salmon, Idaho 83467; phone (208) 756-5440. 
Documents relevant to the Challis Draft RMP/EIS planning process are 
available at the above address for public viewing during normal office 
hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Challis Draft RMP/EIS describes and 
analyzes five alternative land use plans to address the planning issues 
identified through public involvement and BLM input. Each alternative 
proposes resource condition objectives, land use allocations, and 
management actions and direction to guide resource management of the 
Challis Resource Area on a long term, sustainable basis during the next 
15 to 20 years. Alternative 1, the ``no action'' alternative, describes 
resource management of the Challis Resource Area as of approximately 
1991, when the planning process was initiated. The four ``action'' 
alternatives (Alternatives 2, 3, 4, and 5) differ in how much they 
emphasize three aspects of resource management: (a) the protection, 
restoration, and enhancement of natural values (e.g., visual quality), 
(b) traditional commodity production (e.g., timber harvest, livestock 
grazing, mineral production), and (c) non-commodity resource uses 
(e.g., recreation).
    Four issues and related management concerns were identified during 
the scoping process for the Challis Draft RMP:

[[Page 40432]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Related management     
                   Issue                             concern(s)         
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Range Management..........................  Livestock Grazing, Wild     
                                             Horse and Burro Management,
                                             Wildlife Habitat           
                                             Management, Noxious Weed   
                                             Infestation, Vegetation    
                                             Treatment Projects, Upland 
                                             Watershed, Fire Management.
Water Related Resource Management.........  Riparian Areas, Floodplain/ 
                                             Wetland Areas, Water       
                                             Quality, Minimum           
                                             Streamflow, Fisheries.     
Land Tenure and Access....................  Land Tenure.                
Special Management Areas..................  Wild and Scenic Rivers,     
                                             Areas of Critical          
                                             Environmental Concern,     
                                             Management of Wilderness   
                                             Study Areas if Released    
                                             from Wilderness Review.    
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In order to provide complete disclosure and analysis of resource 
uses in the Challis Resource Area, the Challis Draft RMP/EIS also 
discusses the following management concerns identified during the 
scoping process: Forested Areas; Special Status Species Management; 
Managing for Biological Diversity; Oil, Gas, Geothermal, Locatable, and 
Saleable Minerals; Visual Quality Management; Recreation Opportunities 
and Visitor Use; Off-highway Vehicle Use; Cultural Resource Management; 
Paleontological Resource Management; Tribal Treaty Rights; 
Transportation; Hazardous Materials Management; Air Quality.
    The four ``action'' alternatives for the Challis RMP propose and 
analyze the designation of additional Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACECs). Under existing management, eight ACECs totaling 14,069 
acres are designated in the Challis Resource Area to highlight various 
values and resources for management and protection, including unique 
plant communities, petrified trees, fragile soils, and a bighorn sheep 
population. These existing ACECs include 5,997 acres of Research 
Natural Areas designated for study of natural, pristine, or unique 
characteristics. Depending on the alternative, future proposed ACEC 
designations would include the following: (a) expansion of one existing 
ACEC by approximately 269 acres; and (b) designation of six to eight 
additional ACECs totaling from 48,889 acres up to 129,354 acres. The 
proposed ACECs would highlight values and resources including unique 
plant communities, an additional bighorn sheep population, elk winter 
range and calving habitat, cultural resources, anadromous fish habitat, 
fragile soils, and geological, special status fish, and roadless-
primitive resources. The chart below lists the expanded and proposed 
ACECs by alternative, including any resource use limitations which 
would occur if the ACECs were formally designated (per 43 CFR 1610.7-
2(b)).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Acres proposed for designation; potential resource use limitations if designated                 
              ACEC/RNA              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Alternative 1           Alternative 2          Alternative 3          Alternative 4          Alternative 5    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thousand Springs ACEC/RNA..........  824 acres ACEC 252      1,093 acres ACEC 252    Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2.       
                                      acres RNA; fencing to   acres RNA; fencing to                                                                     
                                      control livestock use   control livestock use                                                                     
                                      in the RNA.             on all areas of the                                                                       
                                                              ACEC.                                                                                     
Dry Gulch ACEC/RNA.................  0 acres...............  400 acres ACEC/RNA, as  Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2, except
                                                              an extension of the                                                   close the ACEC to   
                                                              existing Cronk's                                                      motorized vehicle   
                                                              Canyon ACEC; fence an                                                 use.                
                                                              undeveloped natural                                                                       
                                                              spring; limit                                                                             
                                                              motorized vehicle use                                                                     
                                                              to the existing road.                                                                     
Pennal Gulch ACEC..................  0 acres...............  4,975 acres ACEC;       Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2, except
                                                              limit motorized                                                       close the ACEC to   
                                                              vehicle use to the                                                    motorized vehicle   
                                                              existing road.                                                        use.                
Herd Creek Watershed ACEC..........  0 acres...............  18,155 acre ACEC,       Same as Alt 2, except  Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2.       
                                                              which includes 2,064    maintain the                                                      
                                                              acres of the existing   existing trail above                                              
                                                              Lake Creek ACEC/RNA     Herd Lake for                                                     
                                                              (i.e., new              motorized vehicle                                                 
                                                              designation of 16,091   use if suitable                                                   
                                                              acres); limit           portions of the                                                   
                                                              motorized vehicle use   Jerry Peak WSA are                                                
                                                              to existing roads and   released from                                                     
                                                              vehicle ways, except    wilderness review.                                                
                                                              close the existing                                                                        
                                                              trail above Herd Lake.                                                                    
Sand Hollow ACEC/RNA...............  0 acres...............  3,905 acres ACEC/RNA;   Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2,         Same as Alt 4.       
                                                              continue to close the                          except, in addition,                       
                                                              Sand Hollow watershed                          incorporate the Sand                       
                                                              to livestock and wild                          Hollow ACEC/RNA into                       
                                                              horse grazing and                              the Road Creek                             
                                                              motorized vehicle                              Watershed ACEC.                            
                                                              use; remove wild                                                                          
                                                              horses from the area                                                                      
                                                              as necessary.                                                                             

[[Page 40433]]

                                                                                                                                                        
Donkey Hills ACEC..................  0 acres...............  28,826 acres ACEC,      13,500 acres ACEC;     33,026 acres ACEC,     Same as Alt 4, except
                                                              including 4,714 acres   resource use           including 4,714        the ACEC would be   
                                                              in the Big Butte        limitations the same   acres in the Big       closed to motorized 
                                                              Resource Area;          as Alt 2.              Butte RA; resource     vehicle use.        
                                                              seasonal OHV closure;                          use limitations the                        
                                                              OHV use limited the                            same as Alt 2,                             
                                                              remainder of the year                          except, in addition,                       
                                                              to existing roads and                          5,069 acres would be                       
                                                              vehicle ways; timber                           removed from the                           
                                                              harvest stipulations.                          commercial timber                          
                                                                                                             base.                                      
Birch Creek ACEC...................  0 acres...............  9,687 acres ACEC;       0 acres..............  9,687 acres ACEC;      Same as Alt 4.       
                                                              seasonal OHV closure;                          closed yearlong to                         
                                                              OHV use limited the                            motorized vehicle                          
                                                              remainder of the year                          use; closed to                             
                                                              to existing roads and                          livestock grazing.                         
                                                              vehicle ways;                                                                             
                                                              maintain current                                                                          
                                                              livestock water                                                                           
                                                              development                                                                               
                                                              restrictions.                                                                             
Lone Bird ACEC.....................  0 acres...............  10,018 acres ACEC;      Same as Alt 2, except  Same as Alt 2........  Same as Alt 2        
                                                              physically close        limit motorized                                                   
                                                              portions of the         vehicle use to                                                    
                                                              existing road; close    existing roads and                                                
                                                              the ACEC to motorized   vehicle ways.                                                     
                                                              vehicle use,                                                                              
                                                              rockhounding,                                                                             
                                                              collection of mineral                                                                     
                                                              materials, and                                                                            
                                                              mineral material                                                                          
                                                              sales.                                                                                    
Road Creek Watershed ACEC..........  0 acres...............  0 acres...............  0 acres..............  55,157 acres ACEC,     Same as Alt 4.       
                                                                                                             including                                  
                                                                                                             incorporation of the                       
                                                                                                             3,905-acre proposed                        
                                                                                                             Sand Hollow ACEC;                          
                                                                                                             restrict motorized                         
                                                                                                             vehicle use to four                        
                                                                                                             existing roads/ways.                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



    The Challis Draft RMP/EIS also presents suitability findings for 
most of the 57 river segments found eligible for further Wild and 
Scenic Rivers study during the Challis Resource Area's Wild and Scenic 
Rivers eligibility evaluation conducted in 1992 and 1993. Depending on 
the alternative, three to nine eligible river segments would have a 
suitability finding deferred until a coordinated river suitability 
study with the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Idaho can be 
completed. In addition, under all five alternatives, one river segment 
would have an eligibility determination deferred pending further 
coordinated study. In order to provide a range of alternatives, most 
eligible river segments were found suitable under at least one 
alternative and unsuitable under at least one alternative. Suitability 
findings described in the Challis Draft RMP are as follows: 0 river 
segments found suitable under Alternative 1; 5 river segments found 
suitable under Alternative 2; 0 river segments found suitable under 
Alternative 3; 19 river segments found suitable under Alternative 4; 
and 54 river segments found suitable under Alternative 5.
    Public participation will continue throughout the remainder of the 
Challis RMP planning process. Following the 90-day public review and 
comment period for the Challis Draft RMP/EIS which ends November 21, 
1996, the BLM will prepare a Proposed RMP/Final EIS. The public will 
then be invited to review the Proposed RMP/Final EIS.

    Dated: July 29, 1996.
Fritz U. Rennebaum,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-19647 Filed 8-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GG-U