[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 79 (Friday, April 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20421-20422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10951]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
(AZ-917/AZ-060; AZA 28350)


Notice of Availability of the Decision Record for the White 
Canyon Plan Amendment/Environmental Assessment for the Phoenix Resource 
Management Plan, Pinal County, AZ

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The State Director has approved that portion of the proposed 
plan amendment for the designation and management of the White Canyon 
Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). In compliance with the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, and Section 
102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the plan 
amendment revises designation and management decisions made through the 
Phoenix Resource Management Plan (RMP). The proposed modification to 
land tenure designations have been set aside and will be integrated 
with an environmental impact statement under preparation for the 
proposed Ray Land Exchange.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shela McFarlin, Project Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office, 222 North Central 
Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, or telephone (602) 417-9568.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Decision Record will amend the Phoenix 
RMP to modify the White Canyon ACEC designation as follows: (1) 300 
non-wilderness federal acres will be retained as the White Canyon ACEC 
(within T3S, R12E, Section 23, NE \1/4\ and Section 25, NW \1/4\); (2) 
1,620 wilderness acres formerly designated as ACEC will continue to be 
managed as wilderness under all appropriate guidelines, but will cease 
to be designated as ACEC; and, (3) BLM will seek to acquire 480 acres 
in Section 24 (T3S, R12E) to be managed upon acquisition as ACEC. 
Acquisition will be from the state of Arizona or subsequent land owners 
through appropriate mechanisms such as donation, friendly condemnation 
or exchange. New ACEC management prescriptions will replace the Phoenix 
RMP management actions and a coordinated resource management plan will 
be completed. Motorized travel will be limited to designated roads and 
trails. Surface occupancy for oil and gas leasing will be prohibited. 
The plan will

[[Page 20422]]

evaluate whether any ACEC areas not already under mining claims should 
be withdrawn.
    Public reading copies may be reviewed at the following BLM 
locations:

Arizona State Office, 222 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004
Tucson Field Office, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson, Arizona 85748-7208
Phoenix Field Office, 2015 West Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, Arizona 
85027.

    Dated: April 17, 1998.
Lonna O'Neal,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 98-10951 Filed 4-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-91-P