[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8457-8458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4526]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[UT-942-1430-00]


Notice of Intent to Amend Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and 
Management Framework Plans (MFPS).

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare plan amendments for the following 
plans located in said Field Office; Richfield District; Henry Mountain 
MFP and Parker Mountain MFP, Fillmore District; House Range RMP and 
Warm Springs RMP, Cedar City District; Pinyon MFP, Vermillion MFP, Zion 
MFP and portions of the Paria MFP and Cedar Beaver Garfield Antiomony 
RMP.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that the Bureau of Land 
Management is preparing an Environmental Assessment to consider 
proposed amendments to the above stated land use plans that guide 
management of the public lands within the Fillmore District and 
portions of Richfield and Cedar City Districts located within the State 
of Utah. The proposed amendments would consider additional disposal 
criteria providing opportunities for land tenure adjustments (excluding 
sales pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Managment Act, Section 
203).

DATES: The comment period for the preliminary issues and planning 
criteria identified for the proposed plan amendments will commence with 
publication of this notice. Comments must be submitted on or before 
March 27, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the Cedar City District, Beaver 
River Resource Area, contact Craig Zufelt or Ervin Larson at 176 East 
D.L. Sargent Dr., Cedar City, Utah 84720 @ 801-586-2401. For the Cedar 
City District, Kanab Resource Area contact Mike Noel at 318 North First 
East, Kanab, Utah 84741 @ 801-644-2672. For the Richfield District, 
Henry Mountain Resource Area contact Rod Lee at 150 East 900 North, 
Richfield, Utah 84701 @ 801-896-1524. For the Fillmore District, House 
Range and Warm Springs Resource Areas contact Nancy DeMille at 35 East 
500 North, Richfield, Utah 84631 @ 801-896-6811. Existing planning 
documents describing current management of the above-stated areas are 
available at the above addresses. Comments on the proposed plan 
amendments should be sent to the respective addresses listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Richfield District; Henry Mountain 
Resource Area, Fillmore District; House Range and Warm Springs Resource 
Areas, and Cedar City District, Beaver River and Kanab Resource Area, 
BLM, are proposing to amend the above mentioned planning documents, to 
allow opportunities for land tenure adjustments not previously 
identified in the current planning documents by adding five new land 
tenure adjustment criteria.
    Preliminary planning issues have been identified and consist of 
possible adverse impacts to public lands that could be removed from 
public ownership, socio-economic impacts, and impacts on known 
sensitive natural resources.
    The following preliminary disposal criteria have been identified 
and would set the parameters under which land tenure adjustments 
(including acquisitions) may take place:
    Public lands, in order to be considered for disposal or exchange 
within the above-mentioned plans, must meet one or more of the 
following criteria. The land tenure adjustment;
    (1) Is in the public interest and accommodates the needs of State, 
local or private entities, including needs for the economy, community 
growth and expansion and are in accordance with other land use goals 
and objectives and RMP/MFP planning decisions;
    (2) Results in a net gain of important and manageable resource 
values on public lands such as crucial wildlife habitat, significant 
cultural sites, high quality riparian areas, live water, recreation, 
threatened & endangered species habitat, or areas key to the 
maintenance of productive ecosystems;

[[Page 8458]]

    (3) Ensures the accessibility of public lands in areas where access 
is needed and cannot otherwise reasonably be obtained;
    (4) Is essential to allow effective management of public lands in 
areas where consolidation of ownership is necessary to meet resource 
management objectives;
    (5) Results in the acquisition of lands which serve a national 
priority as identified in national policy that cannot otherwise be 
obtained.
    All subsequent land tenure adjustments processed in accordance with 
the above criteria would require additonal site specific analysis as 
required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Further, land tenure 
adjustments would be subject to valid existing rights and must be in 
conformance with other objectives stated in the current planning 
documents, some of which may preclude disposal.
    The following disciplines will be utilized for interdisciplinary 
input throughout the NEPA process: Archeologist, Lands and Realty 
Specialist, Wildlife Biologist, Range Conservationist, Botanist, 
Mineral Specialist and Geologist, Planning Specialist, Soils Scientist, 
Recreation Specialist and Hydrologist.

    Dated: February 18, 1997.
G. William Lamb,
State Director, Utah.
[FR Doc. 97-4526 Filed 2-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P