[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 228 (Monday, November 25, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 59834-59835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30036]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Part 4100

[WO-330-1020-00-24 1A]
RIN 1004-AB89


Grazing Administration, Exclusive of Alaska; Development and 
Completion of Standards and Guidelines; Implementation of Fallback 
Standards and Guidelines

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior (Department) is adopting 
amendments to the livestock grazing, regulations of the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) to allow the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) 
discretion to postpone implementation of the fallback standards and 
guidelines beyond February 12, 1997, but not to exceed the 6-month 
period ending August 12, 1997. The final rule will allow the Secretary 
to provide additional time for BLM to collaborate with resource 
advisory, councils (RACs) and the public to develop State or regional 
standards and guidelines. Without this change to the regulations, 
fallback standards and guidelines would go into effect on February 12, 
1997, despite the fact that work on State or regional standards and 
guidelines might be nearly complete.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This rule will take effect December 26, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Salt, (202) 208-4896.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The current regulations at 43 CFR Sec. 4180.2 require the BLM State 
Director to develop State or regional standards and guidelines. These 
standards and guidelines are being developed at the State or regional 
level, in consultation with affected RACs to reflect local resource 
conditions and management practices. The standards and guidelines will 
reflect properly functioning conditions, or those conditions which must 
be met to ensure sustainability and healthy productive ecosystems and 
outline best management practices to achieve standards. They will 
provide the basis for evaluation of rangeland health and subsequent 
corrective actions. The regulations further provide that in the event 
State or regional standards and guidelines are not completed and in 
effect by February 12, 1997, fallback standards and guidelines 
described in the regulations will go into effect.
    This revision of 43 CFR Sec. 4180.2(f) gives the Secretary 
discretion to postpone the implementation of the fallback standards and 
guidelines for up to 6 months. The Department is making this change 
because it has become apparent that development of State or regional 
standards and guidelines might, in some instances, require longer than 
the 18-month period provided in the regulation.
    The discretion to grant up to a 6 month extension will ensure that 
BLM State Directors, working with RACs and the public, will have 
adequate time to develop appropriate State or regional standards and 
guidelines. In adopting, this final rule, the Department considered the 
benefits of efficient rangeland administration, effective public 
participation, and possible impacts resulting from a minor delay. The 
Department has concluded that 6 months is an appropriate maximum period 
of extension. Postponing implementation of the fallback standards and 
guidelines will enhance the efficient administration and promote the 
long-term health of public rangelands for two primary reasons. First, 
where locally developed standards and guidelines are nearly complete, 
implementation of the more general fallback standards and guidelines on 
a short-term interim basis would be likely to create confusion and 
increased administrative costs. Second, postponing implementation of 
the fallback measures will allow the Department to achieve its 
commitment to improving public land management through a collaborative 
process that utilizes RAC recommendations, local public input, and 
consideration of State or regional public rangelands issues. The 
Department has concluded that the final rule will not have a 
significant impact on the environment since postponement of the 
fallback standards and guidelines would be for a limited period of no 
more than 6 months. Furthermore, the Department does not anticipate 
that every BLM State Director would need a postponement.
    In determining whether to grant a postponement, the Secretary will 
evaluate whether the requested postponement will promote administrative 
efficiencies and long-term rangeland health. Factors relevant to this 
evaluation will include, among others, when the State or regional 
standards and guidelines are scheduled for completion and whether the 
delay would promote the efficient administration, use, and protection 
of the public rangelands.
    The final rule will permit the Secretary the flexibility to 
postpone implementation of the fallback standards and guidelines when 
the State or regional standards and guidelines are nearly complete. 
Implementing different sets of standards and guidelines in rapid 
succession will produce confusion, uncertainty, and increased 
administrative costs. Furthermore, the Secretary will retain discretion 
to deny a postponement and implement the fallback standards and 
guidelines when the State or regional standards and guidelines are far 
from completion or when a postponement would not promote long-term 
rangeland health.

II. Response to Comments

    The Department received five letters in response to the proposed 
rule which was published in the Federal Register on August 29, 1996 (61 
FR 45385). All five letters supported the proposal to provide the 
Secretary discretion to postpone implementation of fallback standards 
and guidelines for up to 6 months. One commentor also suggested that if 
RACs needed additional time after the Secretary granted a postponement 
of 6 months, another postponement should be granted. The final rule 
allows the Secretary discretion to postpone implementation of the 
fallback standards and guidelines beyond February 12, 1997, but not to 
exceed the 6-month period ending August 12, 1997. The Department 
believes that 6 months is an appropriate maximum period of extension. 
The standards and guidelines are key elements of the new grazing, 
regulations. Postponing implementation of fallback standards and 
guidelines until August 12, 1996, provides nearly 2 years since the 
final rule was published to develop standards and guidelines. To 
further delay implementing standards and guidelines and realize the 
anticipated improvement in rangeland health would be inconsistent with 
the intent of the original regulations.

III. Procedural Matters

National Environmental Policy Act

    BLM analyzed the impacts of this final rule in accordance with 
section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

[[Page 59835]]

Policy Act of 1969 [42 U.S.C. 4332(C)]. BLM has concluded that the 
final rule will not have a significant impact on the quality of the 
human environment, and therefore, preparation of an Environmental 
Impact Statement is not necessary. The characteristics and magnitude of 
predicted impacts of the amended regulations are unchanged from those 
identified in the Final Rangeland Reform '94 EIS, except that attaining 
some management objectives could be delayed slightly in the long term 
because of the postponement provided by the final rule. Resources would 
continue to be managed under current practices during that period, 
including the requirements of 43 CFR 4180.1, Fundamentals of Rangeland 
Health. This section requires the BLM to take appropriate action upon 
determining that existing grazing management needs to be modified to 
ensure conformance with the fundamentals. While the fundamentals are 
more general than either the fallback or State and regional standards 
and guidelines, they do require management action and will afford some 
measure of resource protection and result in improvement in rangeland 
conditions.
    At the same time, implementing the final rule would provide for 
more public involvement in developing State or regional standards and 
guidelines. Additionally, where locally developed standards and 
guidelines are nearly complete, implementation of the more general 
fallback standards and guidelines on a short term interim basis would 
be likely to create confusion and increased administrative costs.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Amendment of 43 CFR part 4180.2(f) will not result in any unfunded 
mandate to State, local, or tribal governments in the aggregate, or to 
private sector, of $100 million or more in any one year.

Executive Order 12630

    BLM has analyzed the takings implications and concluded that this 
final rule does not present a risk of a taking of constitutionally 
protected private property rights.

Executive Order 12866

    BLM has determined that this final rule is not a significant 
regulatory action under section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866 and does 
not require an assessment of potential costs and benefits under section 
6(a)(3) of that order. It has been exempted from review by the Office 
of Management and Budget under that order.

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    The final rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act [5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.].

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This final rule does not contain information collection 
requirements that require approval by the Office of Management and 
Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

Executive Order 12988

    The Department has determined that this rule meets the applicable 
standards provided in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of Executive Order 
12988.

Author

    The principal author of this final rule is Tim Salt, Bureau of Land 
Management, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240.

List of Subjects for 43 CFR Part 4100

    Administrative practice and procedure, Grazing lands, Livestock, 
Penalties, Range management, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    For the reasons stated in the preamble and under the authority of 
43 U.S.C. 1740, subpart 4180, part 4100, Group 4100, Subchapter D, of 
subtitle B of Chapter II of Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
is amended as set forth below:

    Dated: November 18, 1996.
Sylvia V. Baca,
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

PART 4100--GRAZING ADMINISTRATION--EXCLUSIVE OF ALASKA

    1. The authority citation for part 4100 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 43 U.S.C. 315, 315a-315r, 1181d, 1740.

Subpart 4180--Fundamentals of Rangeland Health and Standards and 
Guidelines for Grazing Administration

    2. Section 4180.2(f) introductory text is revised to read as 
follows:
* * * * *
    (f) In the event that State or regional standards and guidelines 
are not completed and in effect by February 12, 1997, and until such 
time as State or regional standards and guidelines are developed and in 
effect, the following standards provided in paragraph (f)(1) of this 
section and guidelines provided in (f)(2) of this section shall apply 
and will be implemented in accordance with paragraph (c) of this 
section. However, the Secretary may grant, upon referral by the BLM of 
a formal recommendation by a resource advisory council, a postponement 
of the February 12, 1997, fallback standards and guidelines 
implementation date, not to exceed the 6-month period ending August 12, 
1997. In determining whether to grant a postponement, the Secretary 
will consider, among other factors, long-term rangeland health and 
administrative efficiencies.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-30036 Filed 11-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P