[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 127 (Thursday, July 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 36258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17703]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[BLM-070-98-1430-00-P]


Emergency Closure of Public Lands to Motorized Vehicles Within 
the Butte Field Office, Butte, MT

AGENCY: Butte Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, DOI.

ACTION: Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to 43 CFR 8340.0-3, 
8341.2(a), and 8364.1, the following closure shall take effect 
immediately in the area described in this notice within the 
jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management until the Whitetail-
Pipestone Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is completed with public 
involvement.

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    The following described lands administered by the Bureau of Land 
Management in the Whitetail-Pipestone project area are limited to use 
of existing roads and trails for all motorized vehicles, except 
snowmobiles. All existing roads and trails are open unless signed 
otherwise. These lands are bordered on the west by U.S. Interstate 15 
from Butte to Boulder, on the east by the Whitetail Road from Boulder 
to Whitehall, and on the south by Highway 2 from Whitehall to Butte.
    The purpose of the closure is to protect cultural resources and 
riparian areas, reduce erosion and new spread of noxious weeds in the 
area, and stop the proliferation of user-created trails. Most of the 
existing roads and trails will be open in the area during the closure 
order.
    Pursuant to 43 CFR 8340.0-4, the following use is exempt from this 
order:
    (1) Any military, fire, emergency, or law-enforcement vehicle that 
is being used for emergency purposes;
    (2) Any vehicle whose use is expressly authorized by the Authorized 
Officer or otherwise officially approved; and
    (3) Vehicles in official use.
    More specifically, these lands are:

All BLM lands north of Highway 2 and south of Interstate 90 as 
follows:
    N\1/2\N\1/2\ of Sec. 6, T. 1 N., R. 5 W.
    NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, of Sec. 2; N\1/2\NW\1/4\ of Sec. 
3; N\1/2\NW\1/4\ of Sec. 4; S\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\ of Sec. 9; S\1/
2\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 10; SW\1/4\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 11; NW\1/4\SW\1/4\ of 
Sec. 12; NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\NW\1/4\ of Sec. 14; T. 1 N., R. 6 W.
    Secs. 23, 24, 25, 26, and 35 of T. 2 N., R. 6 W.
    S\1/2\SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 19; all of Secs. 30 and 
31; S\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 32, T. 2 N., R. 5 
W.
All BLM lands north of Interstate 90 and south of the township line 
between T. 2 N. and T. 3 N. as follows:
    N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\, SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, of Sec. 
6; W\1/2\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\ of Sec. 18, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\ 
of Sec. 26, T. 2 N., R. 4 W.
    All of Secs. 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10; SW\1/4\ of Sec. 14; all of 
Secs. 15, 17, and 18; NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\ of Sec. 19; 
N\1/2\, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 20; N\1/2\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 21; 
N\1/2\, SE\1/4\ of Sec. 22; SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\ of Sec. 24, T. 2 
N., R. 5 W.
All BLM lands north of the township line between T. 2 N. and T. 3 
N., south of the township line between T. 4 N. and T. 5 N., and west 
of the Whitetail Road as follows:
    All of Secs. 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, and 24 except mining claims in 
Sec. 11, T. 2 N., R. 6 W.
    NW\1/4\NW\1/4\ of Sec. 4; all of Sec. 6; W\1/2\, W\1/2\E\1/2\ of 
Sec. 8; W\1/2\, W\1/2\E\1/2\ of Sec. 32, T. 3 N., R. 4 W.
    All of Secs. 25, 26, and 35, T. 3 N., R. 5 W.
    E\1/2\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\ of Sec. 4; NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\, W\1/
2\E\1/2\ of Sec. 5; NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, SW\1/
4\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 8; W\1/2\ of Sec. 17; W\1/2\, SW\1/4\SE\1/4\ of 
Sec. 20; N\1/2\, SE\1/4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 28; all of Secs. 30 
and 31, T. 4 N., R. 4 W.
All BLM lands north of the township line between T. 4 N. and T. 5 
N., south of Interstate 15, and west of Highway 69 that runs between 
Boulder and Whitehall, as follows:
    SW\1/4\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 19; SE\1/4\ of Sec. 30; W\1/2\NE\1/4\, 
SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 32, 
T. 5 N., R. 3 W.
    W\1/2\ of Sec. 5; all of Sec. 6; W\1/2\, SE\1/4\ of Sec. 8; 
SW\1/4\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 13; SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, W\1/2\SE\1/4\, 
SE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 14, T. 5 N., R. 4 W.
    W\1/2\SW\1/2\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\, W\1/2\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of 
Sec. 31; SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 32, 
T. 6 N., R. 4 W.
All BLM lands south of U.S. Interstate 15 as follows:
    S\1/2\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 15; S\1/2\S\1/2\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 16; SE\1/
4\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 17; S\1/2\SW\1/4\. W\1/2\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\ of 
Sec. 22; SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 23; 
SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\ of Sec. 24; W\1/2\, SW\1/4\SE\1/4\ of Sec. 25, 
T. 6 N., R. 5 W.

    The authorities for this closure are 43 CFR 8340.0-3, 8341.2, and 
8364.1. The closure will remain in effect until the Recreation 
Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement for this area is 
completed.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the closure order and maps showing the location of 
the closed areas are available from the Bureau of Land Management, 
Butte Field Office, 106 North Parkmont, P.O. Box 3388, Butte, Montana 
59702, telephone 406-494-5059.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Merle Good, Field Manager, Butte Field 
Office, P.O. Box 3388, Butte, Montana 59702; telephone 406-494-5059.

    Dated: June 25, 1998.
Merle Good,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 98-17703 Filed 7-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P