[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 14 (Friday, January 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3541-3542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1438]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service
[MT-920-08-1220-00, 1617P]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
an Off-Highway Vehicle Amendment to Resource Management Plans and 
Forest Plans

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior and Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (FS), Region 1, propose to amend their 
respective resource management plans and forest plans in Montana, North 
Dakota, and portions of South Dakota. This action is necessary so 
managing agencies can responsibly manage the land and meet people 
needs. With an increase of off-highway vehicle (OHV) traffic; i.e., 
motorcycles, four-wheel drive vehicles, all terrain vehicles, etc., the 
BLM and the FS have observed the spread of noxious weeds, user 
conflicts, soil erosion, damage to cultural sites, and disruption of 
wildlife and wildlife habitat. The BLM and FS propose changing the 
areas currently open seasonally or yearlong to cross-country OHV use to 
a designation that allows for travel only on roads and trails. However, 
this amendment would not change most of the current limited or closed 
designations, or designated intensive off-road vehicle use areas. 
Exceptions for off-road travel will be considered in the analysis for 
game retrieval, camping, or disabled access. Access allowed under the 
terms and conditions of a federal lease or permit would not be affected 
by the proposal.
    In the future, areas could be identified for intensive use and/or 
trail development. As joint lead agencies, the BLM and FS will prepare 
an environmental impact statement (EIS) to analyze the impacts of this 
proposal and any alternatives. Travel planning currently under 
consideration at individual FS and BLM offices will continue and those 
analyses with recent decisions will remain in place under this 
proposal.

DATES: Comments and recommendations on this notice should be received 
in writing no later than March 31, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to OHV Plan

[[Page 3542]]

Amendment, Lewistown Field Office, P.O. Box 1160, Lewistown, MT 59457-
1160.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Majerus, 406-538-7461 or Dick 
Kramer, 406-329-1008.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Montana/Dakotas BLM administers 8.5 
million acres of public land within 10 field offices. Each office 
manages OHV use under a land use plan. These land use plans allow for 
three designations of vehicle use; open, limited, and closed. These 
land use plans vary considerably in OHV designations. More recent plans 
limit OHV use to existing or designated roads and trails in portions of 
the area, while older plans were developed prior to the increased use 
of OHVs and leave most areas open. Currently, 5 million acres are open 
for unrestricted travel, 3.4 million acres are limited seasonally or 
yearlong to existing or designated roads and trails, and 99,000 acres 
are closed.
    The FS administers 18.2 million acres of land in Montana and the 
Dakotas located within nine national forests and the Dakota Prairie 
Grasslands. Each national forest manages OHV use as part of their 
forest plans. The OHV use is prohibited in all designated wilderness 
areas. Forest plans allow for three designations of use in other areas; 
open, restricted, and closed. Forest plans vary considerably in the 
amount of area designated for these uses. Some forests have many areas 
that are open while other forests have few open areas. Some forests 
restrict OHV use to designated roads and trails only. All forest plans 
were prepared prior to the recent increase in OHV use and the new 
development of all terrain vehicle technology.
    One of the many opportunities on public land is traveling the 
backcountry for recreational pursuits, such as sight-seeing, wood 
cutting, fishing, hunting, and other activities as provided by the 
direction of existing land management and resource plans. Some of this 
use occurs on public lands where OHV use is currently limited to 
existing or designated roads and trails. It is the goal of both 
agencies to provide for a wide spectrum of dispersed recreation 
activities that will minimize environmental impacts and minimize 
conflicts between user groups.
    However, there are large areas of public land that are open to 
cross-country travel off roads and trails. This unrestricted use has 
the potential to continue the spread of noxious weeds, create user 
conflicts, cause erosion, damage cultural sites, and disrupt wildlife 
and wildlife habitat. The magnitude of these impacts is not known at 
this time. With an increase in OHV traffic and changes in OHV 
technology, the public and land management agencies recognize the need 
to evaluate the current management decisions for those areas where 
driving off roads and trails is allowed.
    A change in management direction would be accomplished through an 
EIS and an interagency plan amendment. The plan amendment would address 
the use of wheeled, motorized vehicles designed for and/or capable of 
travel off roads and trails.
    The BLM and FS propose changing the areas currently open seasonally 
or yearlong to cross-country OHV use to a designation that allows for 
travel only on roads and trails. However, this would not change most of 
the current limited or closed designations, or designated intensive use 
areas. Travel planning currently under consideration at individual FS 
and BLM offices will continue and those analyses with recent decisions 
will remain in place under this proposal. Exceptions for off-road 
travel will be considered for game retrieval, camping, or disabled 
access. Access allowed under the terms and conditions of a federal 
lease or permit would not be affected by the proposal. This broad scale 
decision as proposed would be an interim decision until revision or 
completion of travel management plans.
    After the plan amendment is completed, the BLM and FS would 
continue to develop travel plans for geographical areas (i.e., 
landscape analysis, watershed plans, or activity plans). Through travel 
planning, roads and trails would be inventoried, mapped, and designated 
as open or closed. Travel planning may identify areas for trail 
development or further limit travel off roads and trails. Travel 
planning may require implementation over a 10 to 15 year period.
    Snowmobile use will not be addressed in this particular proposal. 
The agencies agree that to do so would lengthen the process 
significantly. In addition, the resource impacts associated with 
snowmobile use are different enough to warrant a separate analysis. The 
agencies are currently exploring options for addressing snowmobile use.
    The scoping period for the plan amendment and EIS will begin in 
January 1999, and open houses will be held in February 1999. The dates, 
times and locations of these open houses will be announced in local 
newspapers, and other news media, and available from the local offices 
of the BLM and FS. A draft plan amendment and EIS should be available 
for review in June 1999, with public meetings in July 1999. The comment 
period on the draft plan amendment and EIS will be 90 days from the 
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of 
availability in the Federal Register.

    Authority: Sec. 202, Pub. L. 94-579, 90 Stat. 2747 (43 U.S.C. 
1712), Sec. 6, Pub. L. 94-588, 90 Stat. 2949 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
Larry E. Hamilton,
State Director.
Dale N. Bosworth,
Regional Forester.
[FR Doc. 99-1438 Filed 1-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P