[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 245 (Thursday, December 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67062-67063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32205]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[ID-035-1110-00]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Medicine Lodge Resource Management 
Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to amend the Medicine Lodge Resource 
Management Plan, and to prepare an environmental assessment for this 
amendment.

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SUMMARY: The BLM has received a request from the Fremont and Jefferson 
County Commissioners to amend their Rights-of-Way (IDI-22460, IDI-
22461) on the Elgin-Hamer Road. The amendments would amend the seasonal 
closure from December 1 through March 31, and allow the road to remain 
open with other mitigation measures to protect wintering elk. Amendment 
to the Rights-of-Way require an amendment to the Medicine Lodge 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) to amend the seasonal limitations. An 
environmental assessment will be prepared to analyze these amendments.

DATES: Comments on the proposed amendments and issues or concerns to be 
addressed in the environmental assessment will be accepted through 
January 31, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff Gardetto, Bureau of Land Management, 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho 
Falls, ID 83401. (208) 524-7545.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1988, Rights-of-Way were issued to 
Fremont County (IDI-22460) and Jefferson County (IDI-22461) for use 
along the Egin-Hamer road. The ten mile gravel road connects the 
communities of Egin and Hammer in southeastern Idaho (T7N., R. 38E., 
Boise Meridian). In 1983 concerns about effects of vehicle travel on 
wintering elk populations prompted an amendment to the Medicine Lodge 
Resource Management Plan (completed in 1988) closing the area to 
vehicle use from December 1 through March 31 of each year. This 
seasonal closure was incorporated as stipulations to the Rights-of-Way 
issued to the counties. Monitoring studies of the elk population have 
indicated that elk do not use the area to the extent or at the times 
addressed in the original environmental analysis of the grants (Egin-
Hamer Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement, 1987). 
Based on this

[[Page 67063]]

monitoring information, the Counties have requested amending the 
Rights-of-Way, with mitigating criteria, to allow for year-round use of 
the road with the stipulations that: (1) The Counties will close the 
road within twelve hours of notification by the Idaho Department of 
Fish and Game that elk are using the area; (2) There will be no winter 
plowing of the county's Taylor Well or Red Well roads; (3) The counties 
will continue to enforce the existing December 1 through March 31 
vehicle closure on all routes emanating from the Egin-Hamer road.
    The Rights-of-Way are within the Sands Habitat Management Plan 
area, the St. Anthony Sand Dunes Special Recreation Management Area, 
and the Ninemile Knoll Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

    Dated: December 11, 1996.
Joe Kraayenbrink,
Area Manager, Medicine Lodge Resource Area.
[FR Doc. 96-32205 Filed 12-18-96; 8:45 am]
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