[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 151 (Monday, August 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40655-40656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19740]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[CA-930-06-1020-00, 4000/1790]


Reopening of Scoping Period for an Environmental Impact Statement 
and Land Use Plan Amendment Involving the Development of Standards for 
Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Grazing Management on Public Lands 
in California and Northwestern Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California is reopening 
the scoping period for a statewide Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
and land use plan amendment involving the development of Standards for 
Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Grazing Management as provided in 
the BLM's new grazing regulations (43 CFR Part 4100). The EIS is being 
prepared in compliance with section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This notice invites public input on 
the development of the Standards and Guidelines, issues to be 
addressed, planning criteria, and the alternatives to be considered in 
the EIS.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the EIS and Plan Amendment must 
be received by September 4, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Any scoping comments or requests to be placed on the mailing 
list should be sent to Rangeland Health Coordinator, Bureau of Land 
Management, 2135 Butano Drive, Sacramento, CA 95825-0451.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jim Morrison at (916) 979-2830.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The initial scoping period closed April 24, 
1996. BLM is reopening the scoping period to provide the public an 
opportunity to focus on the efforts of the Resource Advisory Councils 
(RACs) or to submit additional comments on the scope of the EIS.
    As indicated in the March 25, 1996 Notice of Intent, BLM's new 
grazing administration regulations (43 CFR Part 4100), which became 
effective August 21, 1995, provide for the development of state 
Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Grazing Management. A 
national programmatic EIS was completed by BLM in 1993 in support of 
the new regulations. This EIS for California and northwestern Nevada 
will be tiered to the national EIS, and will incorporate applicable 
information from previously prepared BLM grazing EISs.
    The four RACs in California have been working with BLM in 
developing proposed S&Gs and alternatives. The proposed S&Gs and 
alternatives must address the following elements: (1) Watershed 
function; (2) nutrient cycling and energy flow; (3) water quality; (4) 
habitat for threatened and endangered species and proposed Candidate 1 
or 2, or special status species; and (5) habitat quality for native 
plant and animal populations and communities.
    BLM has preliminarily identified, with RACs involvement, three 
alternatives for analysis in the EIS: (1) RAC S&G Proposals: This 
alternative would include the recommended S&Gs of each RAC for their 
respective area in Bakersfield district and northern California. The 
California Desert District will operate under existing land use plan 
direction or the fall-back S&Gs, whichever is the more restrictive, 
until S&Gs can be developed in conjunction with bioregional plans for 
the West Mojave, Northern and Eastern Colorado, and Northern and 
Eastern Mojave Deserts, or other specific plan amendments. (2) No 
Action: This alternative would incorporate the fall-back S&Gs directly 
from the regulations; (3) Consistency: This alternative would draw from 
the individual RAC recommended S&Gs to formulate a consolidated set of 
S&Gs. It may alter some RAC recommendations or add additional S&Gs to 
improve consistency among the individual RACs and neighboring states of 
Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon. In addition to analyzing the three 
alternative described above, the EIS will describe existing land use 
plan direction.

[[Page 40656]]

    The public is invited to comment on these alternatives, suggest 
other possible alternatives to be addressed in the EIS, or to provide 
additional scoping comments.

    Dated: July 26, 1996.
Ed Hastey,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 96-19740 Filed 8-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-M