[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 160 (Tuesday, August 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44134-44136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21886]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NM-030-07-1620-00]


Otero County Areas of Environmental Concern (ACECs) for the 
Caballo Resource Area, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The BLM, Las Cruces District, Caballo Resource Area announces 
the availability of a Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
Amendment/Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and supporting 
Environmental Assessment (EA). The document discusses the designation 
of five new ACECs and revision of one existing ACEC in Otero County, 
south-central New Mexico. Approximately 18,806 acres are proposed for 
designation. In addition to designation, the plan amendment, when 
approved, will guide BLM programs and management practices within the 
ACECs. The Proposed Plan is a modified version of the Preferred 
Alternative presented in the Draft. The Proposed RMP Amendment/FONSI 
and supporting EA is available for public review. A 30-day protest 
period is provided as required by BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 
1610.5-2).

DATES: Protests on the Proposed Plan must be postmarked on or before 
September 22, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Protests must be sent to Director (WO-210), Bureau of Land 
Management, ATTN: Brenda Williams, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 
20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy M. Murphy, Area Manager, BLM, 
Caballo Resource Area at (505) 525-4372, or Mike Howard, Team Leader, 
Caballo Resource Area at (505) 525-4348, email mhoward@
nm0151wp.nmso.nm.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ACECs are land designations unique to the 
BLM. The purpose of ACECs is to recognize, protect, and manage unique 
or sensitive resources or potential hazards to the public. Each area 
receives management or protection based on its unique needs, in 
consultation and coordination with the public.
    The Caballo Resource Area has completed an inventory of areas in 
Otero County, New Mexico containing unique or sensitive biological 
resources suitable for designation as ACECs. In addition, the Resource 
Area has received nominations both internally and from the public to 
consider several areas as ACECs based on visual, cultural, and 
biological values.
    Three alternatives were considered in the Draft RMP Amendment and 
supporting EA. Alternative A was the No Action alternative, Alternative 
B represented the highest level of resource protection, and Alternative 
C would generally have provided an intermediate level of resource 
protection. BLM's Preferred Alternative in the draft RMP Amendment and 
supporting EA was Alternative B. After evaluation of the comments 
received on the draft, a modified version of the Preferred Alternative 
(Alternative B) was selected as the Proposed Plan. Following is a 
summary of the management actions in the Proposed Plan for each ACEC.

[[Page 44135]]

    The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site ACEC is located 30 miles north of 
Alamogordo, New Mexico. The area was nominated to protect and manage 
cultural resources. The total area proposed is approximately 1,036 
acres. Management actions in the Proposed Plan include: acquisition of 
State trust land through a cooperative land exchange, acquisition of 
private subsurface mineral estate from a willing seller, issuance of 
realty actions subject to protective stipulations, closure to mineral 
entry, improvement and protection of riparian areas, improvement of 
recreation facilities, limiting off-road vehicle use to designated 
roads and trails, closing of county road B031, except for 
administrative and ranch access following relinquishment by Otero 
County, management of fire for maximum fire suppression and use of 
prescribed fire, and fencing of the ACEC boundary.
    The Sacramento Escarpment ACEC is located 2 miles south of 
Alamogordo, New Mexico along the west face of the Sacramento Mountains. 
This area is currently a designated ACEC for the management of visual 
resources. This RMP Amendment proposes to expand the area to provide 
for increased protection and management of visual resources and an 
endangered and sensitive plant community. The existing ACEC would be 
expanded to encompass 5,365 acres. Management actions in the Proposed 
Plan include: limitations or exclusion of new realty actions (2920 
permits), exclusion of rights-of-way, acquisition of access easements 
and private land from a willing seller, closure to all forms of mineral 
development, improvement and protection of riparian areas, permitting 
of existing spring developments, management under Visual Resource 
Management Classes I and II, limitation of off-road vehicle use to 
designated roads and trails, closure of approximately 5 miles of 
redundant roads and trails (including closure of approximately \1/4\ 
mile of road in San Andres Canyon, except for administrative and ranch 
pipeline maintenance access), management of fire for conditional least-
cost suppression with no surface disturbance in Visual Class I or 
arroyo areas. Prescribed fire could be used for vegetation management, 
if needed.
    Cornudas Mountain is located 60 miles southeast of Alamogordo, New 
Mexico and near the Texas border. The area was nominated to protect and 
manage visual resources, cultural resources, and sensitive plants. The 
total area to be considered is approximately 850 acres. Management 
activities in the Proposed Plan include: exclusion of the area from 
authorization of rights-of-way, permitting of other realty actions 
subject to protective stipulations, closure to all forms of mineral 
development, closure to vegetation sales, management of barbary sheep, 
designation of a BLM sensitive species, management as Visual Resource 
Management Class I, limitation of off-road vehicle use to designated 
roads and trails, allowing public access to portions of the ACEC by 
permit, closure to camping, closure to the establishment of new roads 
and trails, fire management for conditional least-cost suppression with 
no surface disturbance and no use of slurry or blading in certain 
areas.
    Alamo Mountain is located 61 miles southeast of Alamogordo, New 
Mexico and near the Texas border. The area was nominated to protect and 
manage visual and cultural resources. The total area proposed is 
approximately 2,690 acres. Management actions in the Proposed Plan 
include: exclusion of the area from authorization of rights-of-way, 
permitting of other realty actions subject to protective stipulations, 
closure to all forms of mineral development, closure to vegetation 
sales, management of barbary sheep, designation of a BLM sensitive 
species, management as Visual Resource Management Class I, limitation 
of off-road vehicle use to designated roads and trails, establishment 
of a vehicle parking area, closure to camping in portions of the ACEC, 
fire management for conditional least-cost suppression with no surface 
disturbance and no use of slurry or blading in certain areas.
    Wind Mountain is located 64 miles southeast of Alamogordo, New 
Mexico and near the Texas border. The area was nominated to protect and 
manage visual resources, cultural resources, and unique and sensitive 
plants and animals. The total area proposed is approximately 2,506 
acres. Management actions in the Proposed Plan include: exclusion of 
the area from authorization of rights-of-way, permitting of other 
realty actions subject to protective stipulations, closure to all forms 
of mineral development (subject to valid existing rights), closure to 
vegetation sales, management of barbary sheep, designation of a BLM 
sensitive species, management as Visual Resource Management Class I, 
limitation of off-road vehicle use to designated roads and trails, fire 
management for conditional least-cost suppression with no surface 
disturbance and no use of slurry or blading in certain areas.
    The Alkali Lakes area is located 80 miles southeast of Alamogordo, 
New Mexico and near the Texas border. This area was nominated to 
protect and manage endangered and sensitive plants and the plant 
community in which they occur. The total area proposed is approximately 
6,359 acres. Management actions in the Proposed Plan include: exclusion 
of the area from authorization of rights-of-way, permitting of other 
realty actions subject to protective stipulations, acquisition of State 
trust land through a cooperative land exchange, closure to all forms of 
mineral development, closure to vegetation sales, management as Visual 
Resource Management Class III, limitation of off-road vehicle use to 
within 30 feet of the center line of designated roads and trails, 
closure to camping and the use of campfires, fire management for 
conditional least-cost suppression with no surface disturbance and no 
use of vehicular equipment off of established roads and trails.
    Any person who is on record for participating in the planning 
process and has an interest that may be adversely affected may protest 
approval of the Plan Amendment. Protest should be made to the BLM 
Director with the following information: (1) Name, mailing address, 
telephone number, and interest of the person filing the protest; (2) a 
statement of the concern or concerns being protested; (3) a statement 
of the part or parts being protested; (4) a copy of all documents 
addressing the concern or concerns that were submitted during the 
planning process by the protesting party or an indication of the date 
the concern or concerns were discussed for the records; and (5) a 
concise statement explaining why the BLM New Mexico State Director's 
decision is wrong. At the end of the 30-day protest period, the 
Proposed Plan, excluding any portions under protest, will become final. 
Approval will be withheld on any portion of the Plan under protest 
until final action has been completed on such protest. Individuals not 
wishing to protest the Plan, but wanting to comment, may send comments 
to the BLM, Las Cruces District, Caballo Resource Area, 1800 Marquess, 
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005. All comments received will be considered 
in preparation of the Decision Record.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the BLM Las Cruces District Office, 
1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico, during regular business hours 
(7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays, and 
may be published as part of the RMP Amendment/EA. Individual 
respondents may request

[[Page 44136]]

confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address 
from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information 
Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written 
comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. 
All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.
    Public participation has occurred throughout the RMP Amendment 
process. A Notice of Intent was filed in the Federal Register (Vol. 59, 
No. 73, Page 18151-18152) on April 15, 1994. Since that time, several 
public meetings, mail-outs, and group briefings were conducted to 
solicit comments and ideas, or familiarize various groups with the 
proposal and the BLM planning process. A notice of a 60-day comment 
period on the designation of the ACECs and a Notice of Availability of 
the draft RMP Amendment/preliminary FONSI and supporting EA was 
published in the Federal Register (Vol. 61, No. 102, page 26203-26204) 
on May 24, 1996. Comments received during the 60-day comment period 
were considered in preparation of the Proposed RMP Amendment and 
supporting EA. Single copies of the Proposed RMP Amendment/FONSI and 
supporting EA for the Otero County ACECs may be obtained from the BLM 
Las Cruces District Office, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico 
88005. Public reading copies are available for review at the BLM State 
Office, 1474 Rodeo Rd., Santa Fe, New Mexico, and public and university 
libraries in Las Cruces, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and El 
Paso, Texas.

    Dated: August 13, 1997.
Stephanie Hargrove,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-21886 Filed 8-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P