[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 241 (Friday, December 13, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 65592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31678]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AZ-930-07-1020-00]


Notice of Availability of the Finding of No Significant Impact 
and Supporting Environmental Assessment Involving the Proposed 
Statement Plan Amendment of Land Use Plans in Arizona for 
Implementation of Arizona Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines 
for Grazing Administration

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 202 of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, an environmental assessment (EA) on the proposed 
Statewide Plan Amendment for Implementation of Arizona Standards and 
Guidelines has been prepared. The Proposed Action would amend Arizona 
BLM land use plans (Resource Management Plans, Management Framework 
Plans and amendments) containing decisions which conflict with the 
Proposed Arizona Standards and Guidelines.
    The EA was written to assess the impacts associated with changing 
land use plan decisions. The revised decisions will bring the affected 
plans and Arizona Standards and Guidelines into conformance. Based on 
the analysis of potential environmental impacts completed to this 
point, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is anticipated.

DATES: Comments on the preliminary FONSI, supporting EA involving the 
proposed Statewide Plan Amendment for Implementation of Arizona 
Standards and Guidelines, and the Proposed Arizona Standards and 
Guidelines will be taken for the next 30 days and must be postmarked by 
January 13, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this action are to be sent to Ken Mahoney, 
Standards and Guidelines Team Leader, Bureau of Land Management, 
Arizona State Office, 222 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Mahoney, Team Leader, Arizona 
State Office, 222 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, 
Telephone: (602) 417-9238.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Three alternatives are considered in the EA. 
The no action alternative (continuation of current management) provides 
a baseline for comparison with other alternatives. The Proposed Action 
is to change land use plan decisions which conflict with the Proposed 
Arizona Standards and Guidelines. This action affects the Safford and 
Yuma Resource Management Plans. Alternative A analyzes the effects of 
decision changes as a result of adopting the Fallback Standards and 
Guidelines contained in 43 CFR 4100. Alternative A affects the Arizona 
Strip, Safford, and Yuma Resource Management Plans.
    Proposed Arizona Standards and Guidelines were developed in 
partnership with the Arizona Resource Advisory Council and with other 
public input.

Other Relevant Information

    Once the comments are evaluated and appropriate modifications made, 
the Proposed Plan Amendment, FONSI, and supporting EA will be sent out 
for a 30-day protest period as required by BLM planning regulations (43 
1610.5-2). A future Notice of Availability will be published initiating 
that protest period.
    Copies of the Arizona Strip District, Safford District, and Yuma 
District Resource Management Plans and the land use plan conformance 
document can be reviewed in the Public Rooms of the BLM Offices listed:

Arizona State Office, 222 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004
Arizona Strip Field Office, 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah 
84790
Kingman Field Office, 2475 Beverly Avenue, Kingman, Arizona 86401
Lake Havasu Field Office, 2610 Sweetwater Avenue, Lake Havasu City, 
Arizona 86406
Phoenix Field Office, 2015 West Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, Arizona 
85027
Safford Field Office, 711 14th Avenue, Safford, Arizona 85546
Tucson Field Office, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson, Arizona 85748
Yuma Field Office, 2555 Gila Ridge Road, Yuma, Arizona 85365-2240

Public Input Requested

    Comments on the alternatives and the adequacy of the impact 
analyses. Comments are most useful when they address one or more of the 
following:

--Errors in the analysis;
--New information that would have a bearing on the analysis;
--Misinformation that could affect the outcome of the analysis;
--Requests for clarification;
--A substantive new alternative whose mix of allocations differs from 
any of the existing alternatives.
Michael A. Ferguson,
Deputy State Director, Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 96-31678 Filed 12-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-M