[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 18, 1997)] [Notices] [Page 7252] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-3894] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR [AZ-025-97-1610] Notice of Intent To Prepare a Kingman Resource Management Plan Amendment and Associated Environmental Assessment AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent, notice of scoping period and notice of scoping meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management, Kingman Field Office, will be preparing a plan amendment and environmental assessment (EA) to assess the impacts of establishing a herd management area in the Cerbat Mountains. The purpose of a herd management area is to provide for the maintenance of the wild horse herd. The Cerbat Mountains are located north of Kingman, in Mohave County, Arizona. The herd management area could encompass up to approximately 77,000 acres. This notice is intended to invite the public to participate in identification of issues and development of alternatives for the plan amendment. DATES: Public scoping meetings to identify public concerns will be held on the following dates and locations: Monday, March 3, 1997, at 5:30 p.m. at the Chloride Community Center, located on Payroll Street in Chloride, Arizona, and Tuesday, March 4, 1997, at 5:30 p.m. at the BLM Office in Kingman located at 2475 Beverly Avenue, Kingman, Arizona. Comments relating to the identification of issues and alternatives must be postmarked by March 21, 1997. ADDRESS: Send comments to: Bureau of Land Management, Kingman Field Office, 2475 Beverly Avenue, Kingman, Arizona 86401. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Don McClure, Planning and Environmental Specialist, (520) 757-3161. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the guidance from 43 CFR 4710.1, the establishment of a herd management area must be done through the land use planning process. Following the establishment of a Herd Management Area, a plan will be written to guide the management of the horses and their habitat. Anticipated Issues The resolution of issues will have an affect on the location of the land for the herd management area. The following are the issues: Intermingled Ownership as it affects the ability of BLM to manage the horse herd; and domestic horses grazing in the herd area. There are other issues associated with management of the horses, but they are common to any boundary alternative. These issues are forage allocation, horse numbers and distribution, water, lion predation, and barriers to horse movement. Resolution of these issues will come after the establishment of a herd management area and be within the context of the Herd Management Area Plan. Other Relevant Information The amendment will be developed by an interdisciplinary team of resource specialists. The team will include a project manager, a wildlife specialist, wild horse and burro specialist, and a rangeland management specialist. Complete records of all phases of the plan amendment process will be available for public review at the Kingman Field Office, Kingman, Arizona. Denise P. Meridith, State Director, Arizona. [FR Doc. 97-3894 Filed 2-14-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-32-P