[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 157 (Friday, August 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 43717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21832]
[[Page 43717]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NM-018-1610-00/G010-G8-0252]
Notice of Availability of a Proposed Coordinated Resource
Management Plan (CRMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS);
Taos Field Office, New Mexico and San Luis Resource Area, Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office and
Canon City District, San Luis Resource Area have completed a Proposed
CRMP/FEIS and Taos Resource Management Plan Amendment. This document
contains a 15-year strategy for managing 94 miles of the Rio Grande
from La Sauses, Colorado to Velarde, New Mexico, and 42.7 miles of its
tributaries. The document also addresses legislative requirements for
the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River extension and study areas.
Copies are available for review at public libraries in Alamosa,
Colorado, and in Taos, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Espanola, and Albuquerque,
New Mexico. Additional copies are available at the following BLM
offices: San Luis Resource Area, 1921 State Street, Alamosa, Colorado;
Taos Field Office, 226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, New Mexico; New Mexico
State Office, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Albuquerque
Field Office, 435 Montao Road NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
DATES: Protests related to decisions at the New Mexico Resource
Management Plan level must be filed in writing to: Director, Bureau of
Land Management, Attn: Ms. Brenda Williams, Protest Coordinator, WO-
210/LS-1075, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. An
informal protest may be made on specific actions described in Chapter
2, Activity-Level Proposals. Informal protests must be filed in writing
to the address below. All protests and informal protests must be post
marked no later than September 30, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Humphrey, CRMP Team Leader, Taos
Field Office, 226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, NM 87571; phone (505) 758-8851.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Proposed CRMP/FEIS is a plan for
managing the public land and allocating resources along 94 miles of the
Rio Grande and 42.7 miles of its tributaries. The plan addresses the
following public land issues: Wild and Scenic Rivers, protection of
riparian areas, soils, vegetation, water quality, terrestrial and
aquatic habitat, historical and archaeological resources, scenic
quality, recreation, commercial uses, access, and resource
interpretation/education.
Under the Proposed Action, the BLM would implement the CRMP in both
areas administered by the Taos Field Office and San Luis Resource Area,
along with the following Taos Resource Management Plan amendments:
designation of the identified areas of the Lower Gorge and Copper Hill
Units as Areas of Critical Concern for wildlife habitat and scenic
quality values; incorporation of the Guadalupe Area of Critical
Environmental Concern into the Wild Rivers Recreation Area and
expansion of the Recreation Area; exclusion of 58,765 acres from
grazing; withdrawal of 73,820 acres from mineral entry; closure of
50,173 acres to mineral leasing; application of No Surface Occupancy
standards for oil and gas development on 25,615 acres; closure of
65,432 acres to mineral material disposal; prohibition of land
disposals, except for Color-of-Title sales (in the Dixon, New Mexico
area) and three parcels identified for community needs; exclusion of
rights-of-way from within the expanded Wild Rivers Recreation Area, the
Lower Gorge Unit (with exceptions), and portions of the Copper Hill
Unit. The BLM would also recommend the Rio Grande Bosque segment (as
identified in Public Law 103-242) for Wild and Scenic River
designation, with a Recreational classification, and the Rio Embudo for
designation with a Wild classification. In other actions under the
Proposed Plan, the agency would increase protection of riparian areas,
vegetation, soils, water quality, wildlife habitat, and scenic quality,
while placing limits on recreational uses in the corridor and
restricting vehicle access to some areas.
Public participation has occurred throughout the CRMP process. A
Notice of Availability for the Draft CRMP/EIS was published on June 27,
1997, in the Federal Register (Vol. 62, No. 124, pp. 34771-2),
identifying the end of the comment period as October 8, 1997. The
Notice was amended in the Federal Register on July 29, 1997 (Vol. 62,
No. 145, p. 40540), extending the comment period to October 20, 1997.
In response to numerous requests from the public, the comment period
was extended to December 20, 1997 (Federal Register, Vol. 62, No. 191,
p. 51682), allowing for a total of 177 days to review the document.
Oral hearings were conducted in Alamosa, Colorado (August 19, 1997),
Taos, New Mexico (August 20, 1997), Santa Fe, New Mexico (August 21,
1997), and Dixon, New Mexico (September 3, 1997).
Dated: August 10, 1998.
Steve Henke,
Taos Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 98-21832 Filed 4-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-AG-P