[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67651-67652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33719]



[[Page 67651]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[MT-020-1610-00]


Notice of Availability

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976, an environmental assessment has been prepared 
for proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) on BLM-
administered surface estate in the South Dakota Resource Area, Dakotas 
District, North Dakota; and the Billings and Powder River Resource 
Areas, Miles City District, Montana. The document will amend three 
Resource Management Plans: Billings (1983), Powder River (1984) and 
South Dakota (1985). The Environmental Assessment and Draft Resource 
Management Plan Amendment evaluates the relevance and importance of 
areas nominated for ACEC designation in portions of the following 
counties: Carbon, Carter, Custer, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Powder 
River, Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone (Montana); Big Horn (Wyoming); 
and Fall River (South Dakota). The amendment is a comprehensive plan 
for managing the areas BLM proposes for ACEC designation.

DATES: Comments on BLM's management prescriptions for areas proposed 
for ACEC designation should be submitted to BLM on or before March 9, 
1998.

ADDRESS: All comments should be sent to the following address: BLM, Tim 
Murphy, District Manager, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, Montana 
59301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Bloom, Team Leader, at (406) 233-
2826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to plan was filed in the 
Federal Register on April 6, 1995. The public was asked to submit 
nominations, issues and alternatives. All comments received were 
considered in the preparation of the plan.
    The environmental assessment and draft resource management plan 
amendment analyzes three alternatives to resolve the issues. Each 
alternative represents a complete management plan. The alternatives are 
summarized as (1) No Action, where no areas of critical environmental 
concern would be designated, (2) Protection For Relevant and Important 
Values and (3) the Preferred Alternative, which may be a previous 
alternative, a combination of, or a new alternative.
    One area nominated, Pompeys Pillar, has already been planned for 
and designated in BLM's 1996 ``Pompeys Pillar Resource Management Plan 
Amendment and Environmental Assessment Record of Decision''. That 
document approved the designation and management for Pompeys Pillar 
Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
    The Area of Critical Environmental Concern Environmental Assessment 
and Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment evaluates 21 areas of 
critical environmental concern nominations. BLM proposes designation 
and special management for 12 areas. Six areas did not meet the 
relevance and/or importance criteria. Three areas were considered but 
not analyzed in detail. The 12 areas proposed for designation are:
    1. The Bridger Fossil area (575 public surface acres) in Carbon 
County would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. 
This significant fossil area would be retained in public ownership and 
managed to enhance and protect the paleontological resources. 
Management actions affecting this area are: rights-of-way, and mineral 
material sales and permits would be allowed with stipulations; oil and 
gas leasing would be allowed with a Controlled Surface Use stipulation; 
underground explosives for geophysical exploration for oil and gas 
would not be allowed, other geophysical exploration methods for oil and 
gas would be allowed if the method would not damage the paleontology 
resource; livestock grazing would be allowed; and off-road vehicle use 
would be limited to designated roads and trails.
    2. Castle Butte (185 public surface acres) in Yellowstone County 
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area 
would be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and 
protect significant cultural resources. Management actions affecting 
this area are: fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression; 
wood product sales and geophysical exploration for oil and gas would be 
allowed; rights-of-way would be allowed when they avoid the significant 
cultural resource sites; livestock grazing and range improvements would 
be allowed; and off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated 
roads and trails.
    3. The East Pryor Mountains (29,500 public surface acres) in Carbon 
County, Montana and Big Horn County, Wyoming would be designated an 
area of critical environmental concern. The area would be retained in 
public ownership and managed for its wild horse and wildlife values, 
and long-term conservation and recreational use for the public. 
Management actions affecting this area are: fire would be managed with 
conditional fire suppression; wood product sales, rights-of-way, 
livestock grazing, mineral material sales and permits, geophysical 
exploration for oil and gas, and oil and gas leasing would not be 
allowed; locatable minerals would be withdrawn from entry; and off-road 
vehicle use would be limited to the designated trails.
    4. Meeteetse Spires (960 public surface acres) in Carbon County 
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area 
would be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and 
protect the rare plants and scenery in the area, and to help protect 
the public from dangerous cliffs. Management actions affecting this 
area are: an easement across state land (T. 8 S., R. 20 E., Section 36) 
would be obtained; fire would be managed with conditional fire 
suppression; selected timber harvests may be periodically necessary to 
protect the area's overall resource value; wood product sales would not 
be allowed; livestock grazing, except for sheep, would be allowed; 
rights-of-way, oil and gas leasing, and mineral material sales and 
permits would not be allowed; locatable minerals would be withdrawn 
from entry; in the sensitive plant area, geophysical exploration for 
oil and gas would not be allowed by any method; on the remaining area, 
geophysical exploration would be accessed by air only; exploration 
would be shot holes and above-ground shots, vibroseis would not be 
allowed; and off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads 
and trails.
    5. Petroglyph Canyon (240 public surface acres) in Carbon County 
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This 
significant site would be retained in public ownership and managed to 
protect and enhance the cultural resources. Management actions 
affecting this area are: wood product sales, rights-of-way, oil and gas 
leasing and geophysical exploration would not be allowed; livestock 
grazing and range improvements would be allowed; and locatable minerals 
would be withdrawn from entry. The area would be closed to off-road 
vehicle use.
    6. Stark Site (800 public surface acres) in Musselshell County 
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area 
would

[[Page 67652]]

be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and protect 
significant cultural resources. Management actions affecting this area 
are: fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression; wood 
product sales, livestock grazing and range improvements would be 
allowed; rights-of-way, and mineral material sales and permits would 
not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a No Surface 
Occupancy stipulation; the area would be closed to geophysical 
exploration for oil and gas on the cultural resource sites and allowed 
(surface methods and vibroseis) in the remainder of the area; and off-
road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.
    7. Weatherman Draw (4,268 public surface acres) in Carbon County 
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This 
significant cultural site would be retained in public ownership and 
managed to enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management 
actions affecting this area are: fire would be managed with conditional 
fire suppression; wood product sales would not be allowed; rights-of-
way associated with valid existing oil or gas lease rights would be 
allowed with restrictions, other rights-of-way would not be allowed; 
livestock grazing would be allowed; range improvements would be allowed 
when they do not conflict with the area of critical environmental 
concern values; locatable minerals would be withdrawn from entry; 
mineral material sales and permits would not be allowed; oil and gas 
leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy stipulation with 
no waiver, exception or modification provisions; geophysical 
exploration for oil and gas would be closed; and off-road vehicle use 
would be limited to authorized use.
    8. Battle Butte (120 public surface acres) in Rosebud County would 
be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This historic 
battlefield would be retained in public ownership and managed to 
enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management actions 
affecting the area are: fire would be managed with conditional fire 
suppression; livestock grazing and range improvements would be allowed; 
rights-of-way, coal leasing, and mineral material sales and permits 
would not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a No 
Surface Occupancy stipulation; geophysical exploration for oil and gas 
would be allowed on designated roads and trails with restrictions; and 
off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.
    9. Finger Buttes (6,206 public surface acres) in Carter County 
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area 
would be retained in public ownership and managed for its scenic 
values. Management actions affecting this area are: fire would be 
managed with conditional fire suppression; wood product sales would be 
allowed with restrictions; rights-of-way would avoid the area; 
livestock grazing and range improvements would be allowed; mineral 
material sales and permits and nonenergy leasable mineral leasing would 
not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a Controlled 
Surface Use stipulation; geophysical exploration for oil and gas would 
be allowed on designated roads and trails with restrictions; and off-
road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.
    10. Howrey Island (321 public surface acres) in Treasure County 
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area 
would be retained in public ownership and managed for its special 
wildlife habitat. Management actions affecting this area are: fire 
would be managed with conditional fire suppression; wood product sales 
would be allowed with restrictions; rights-of-way would not be allowed; 
livestock grazing would be allowed; range improvements would be allowed 
when they do not degrade the area's values; and off-road vehicles would 
be limited to the BLM road except from February 15th to June 1st. 
During that time, no vehicles would be allowed, including on the BLM 
road.
    11. Reynolds Battlefield (336 public surface acres) in Powder River 
County would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. 
This historic battlefield would be retained in public ownership and 
managed to enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management 
actions affecting the area are: fire would be managed with conditional 
fire suppression; timber sales and wood product sales would be allowed 
with restrictions; rights-of-way would avoid the area; livestock 
grazing and range improvements would be allowed; coal leasing and 
mineral material sales and permits would not be allowed; oil and gas 
leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy stipulation; 
geophysical exploration for oil and gas would be allowed on designated 
roads and trails with restrictions; and off-road vehicle use would be 
limited to designated roads and trails.
    12. The Fossil Cycad area (320 public surface acres) in Fall River 
County, South Dakota, would be designated an area of critical 
environmental concern. The surface and minerals would be retained in 
public ownership and managed to protect and enhance significant 
paleontological resources. Management actions affecting this area are: 
fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression; timber sales, 
wood product sales, and geophysical exploration for oil and gas would 
not be allowed; rights-of-way would be allowed with stipulations; oil 
and gas leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy 
stipulation; livestock grazing would be allowed; locatable minerals 
would be withdrawn from entry; and off-road vehicle use would be 
limited to designated roads and trails.
    This notice meets the requirements of 43 CFR 1610.7-2 for 
designation of areas of critical environmental concern.

    Dated: December 16, 1997.
Timothy M. Murphy,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-33719 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P