[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 43 (Friday, March 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 10720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5458]



[[Page 10720]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CO-034-99-1230-00]


Designation Order; Lifting of the Moratorium on Commercial 
Outfitting Permits and the Establishment of Special Stipulations, 
Conditions, and an Environmental Analysis Process for New and Existing 
Commercial Outfitting Permits for the San Miguel River Special 
Recreation Management Area and Area of Critical Environmental Concern

agency: Bureau of Land Management, Uncompahgre Field Office, Montrose, 
Colorado.

action: Lifting of the 1995 moratorium on commercial outfitting 
permits, establishment of special stipulations and conditions, and 
initiating an environmental analysis process to evaluate new and 
existing commercial upland and river permits within 32,641 acres of 
public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management as the San 
Miguel River Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) and Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in San Miguel and Montrose 
Counties, Colorado.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

summary: In June, 1995, the BLM issued a Federal Register Notice 
establishing a moratorium on commercial outfitting permits within the 
SRMA and ACEC to hold commercial use at 1994 levels while a multi-
objective watershed plan was being prepared. The Notice of the 
moratorium (Vol. 60. No. 125, Thursday, June 29, 1995) stated that when 
the watershed plan was completed, the moratorium would be lifted and 
constraints on the number of outfitting permits and/or the total number 
of user days associated with those permits, if any, would be 
implemented.
    The San Miguel Watershed Plan was completed in June, 1998 and 
actions in the Plan pertaining to Public Lands will be implemented by 
the BLM where determined feasible and in compliance with existing BLM 
management objectives or approved plan amendments. Additional 
environmental analyses will be completed, where determined necessary, 
to evaluate the impacts of implementation of general and/or site 
specific management actions and projects.
    As part of the Watershed Plan implementation process, the BLM is 
lifting the commercial permit moratorium until April 15, 1999 and 
entering into a two-year analysis period during which time it will: (1) 
Issue new annual probationary permits to both river and upland 
outfitters that meet Special Recreation Permit application requirements 
and BLM management objectives for the SRMA/ACEC; (2) Allow existing 
permitted outfitters within the SRMA/ACEC area to propose modifications 
to their operating plans and proposed use figures; (3) Conduct on-the 
ground monitoring of all uses within the SRMA/ACEC to provide 
environmental and social data for analyzing the impacts of those uses; 
(4) Establish interim Special Stipulations and Conditions for 
commercial permits and site-specific management regulations for all 
uses within the management area where needed to protect resources and 
reduce user conflicts; and, (5) Work with the public and the San Miguel 
Coordinating Council and a San Miguel Watershed Task Force to 
prioritize and implement additional resource management actions and 
develop resource protection standards, Limits of Acceptable change, and 
other similar protection guidelines for recreation uses within the SRMA 
and ACEC.
    At the end of the two-year period, the BLM will determine, through 
an environmental analysis process, how commercial permits will be 
issued and managed in the future to ensure maximum protection of the 
area's sensitive riparian resources, reduce user conflicts, and provide 
the highest quality recreational opportunities for the outfitted 
public. The process will include, but not be limited to, analyzing the 
impacts of reissuing permits to existing outfitters, the impacts of the 
new probationary permits on the existing uses, and the potential 
impacts of restricting commercial use in the future under a closure or 
allocation system.

effective dates: The moratorium is lifted as of March 10, 1999 and will 
be reinstated on April 16, 1999. All new river permit applications for 
the San Miguel River must be postmarked by April 15, 1999 and received 
no later than five days afterward by the Uncompahgre Field Office. The 
environmental analysis period will begin April 15, 1999 and extend 
through December 31, 2001.

for further information contact: Karen Tucker, Recreation Planner, 
Uncompahgre Field Office, 2505 South Townsend Ave., Montrose, Colorado 
80401, (970) 240-5309.

    Dated: March 2, 1999.
Allan J. Belt,
Uncompahgre Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc 99-5458 Filed 3-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-M