[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 165 (Friday, August 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 43559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21542]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[MT-060-06-1020-00]


Montana Off-Road Vehicle Designation; Notice to Limit Off-Road 
Vehicle Use on Public Lands

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

ACTION: Notice to Limit Off-Road Vehicle Use on Public Lands.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that beginning September 1, 1996, the 
use of off-road vehicles (ORV) is limited on public lands within the 
Sand Creek/Carroll Coulee Block Management Area in northern Petroleum 
County, Montana. This will be in effect during the bird and big game 
hunting season as established by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 
Commission in accordance with the authority and requirements of 
regulation 43 CFR 8364.1.

DATES: This designation will be in effect between September 1, 1996 and 
December 1.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chuck Otto, Judith Resource Area 
Manager, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 1160, Airport Road, 
Lewistown, MT 59457.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This block management area includes 45,440 
acres. The public land is administered by the BLM, Judith Resource 
Area, Lewistown District. This designation is the result of analysis 
completed in the Judith, Valley, Phillips Resource Management Plan of 
1994, and will be implemented as a cooperative effort among private 
landowners; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Montana Department of 
Natural Resources and Conservation; and the BLM. The purpose of this 
designation is to prevent damage to soil, vegetation and scenic 
resources; to open additional private and state lands for hunting; and 
to reduce landowner/recreationist conflicts so as to provide a higher 
quality hunt.
    The off-road vehicle limitation area is located in northern 
Petroleum and Fergus Counties, Montana.
    Hunting within the described block will be subject to the following 
rules.
    1. All off-road vehicle travel is prohibited.
    2. All roads not shown on the block management area map or signed 
as open, are closed to motorized vehicles with the exclusive exception 
of retrieving downed big game. Big game retrieval is allowed between 10 
a.m. and 2 p.m. daily on open or closed roads. Prior to or after these 
hours, motorized vehicles are not permitted on closed roads or off 
roads. No off-road vehicle use will be allowed on any lands within this 
area.
    3. All public land in this management area is open to walk-in 
hunting.
    4. The private land in this management area is open to walk-in 
hunting, except around residential areas and shipping pastures (these 
are individually signed at reasonable access and boundary points).
    5. Camping on private land requires landowner permission.
    6. Camping is permitted on public land (14-day stay limit) within 
100 yards of open roads. Direct access by motor vehicle is permitted to 
and from campsites using the most direct route to avoid damage to soils 
and vegetation. Such camping is also allowed within a reasonable 
distance down closed roads, after obtaining a special use permit issued 
by the Judith Resource Area.
    7. Use of state land is governed by the Department of Natural 
Resources and Conservation (DNRC) regulations. There are four areas 
where these rules differ from those used in the rest of this area. 
These include: 1) A DNRC recreational use license is required for 
general recreational use; 2) Camping is allowed within 200 feet of an 
open road and is limited to two days only; 3) No open fires or 
fireworks are allowed; and 4) Horses cannot be kept on DNRC lands 
overnight.
    8. Outfitters and other recreationists must use certified weed free 
hay on BLM and DNRC land for their livestock.

    Dated: August 13, 1996.
David L. Mari,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-21542 Filed 8-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-M