[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 52 (Thursday, March 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13439-13440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6573]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[UT-99-940-1610-00]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Statewide Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Multiple Plan Amendments To Consider Establishment 
of New Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) on Selected Public Lands in Utah, 
and Call for Information

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces a plan amendment 
process for up to 136 wilderness inventory areas on approximately 2.6 
million acres of Federal land throughout Utah. The planning process may 
designate new WSAs under the authority of Section 202 of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). The 2.6 million acres have been 
inventoried by BLM and have been found to have wilderness 
characteristics. Establishment of WSAs would be an administrative 
action resulting in the application of interim management policy (IMP) 
for a temporary period until they are released from further 
consideration or Congress acts to designate them as part of the 
National Wilderness Preservation System.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas F. Slater, Resource Manager 
(Phone: 801-539-4063 or E-mail: [email protected]) or Holly Roberts, 
Planning Coordinator (Phone 801-539-4272 or E-mail 
[email protected]), BLM Utah State Office (Attention: Wilderness 
Project), P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City, Utah 84145.

DATES: The BLM is requesting public input and involvement in two 
venues: (1) Submission of written information by regular mail in 
response to scoping materials soon to be distributed, and (2) 
submission of written scoping comments by electronic mail via Internet 
access at: HTTP://WWW.UT.BLM.GOV/WILDERNESS. All scoping comments 
regarding this FLPMA Section 202 WSA activity must be received in 
writing by the BLM Utah State Office no later than May 19, 1999.
    In order to facilitate the identification of issues and the 
submission of pertinent comments, BLM has scheduled eleven open house 
meetings at various locations in Utah. At these sessions, BLM personnel 
will be available to explain the inventory procedures and findings, 
make file material pertinent to each location available for inspection, 
and respond to questions regarding the EIS/plan amendment process. This 
will provide an opportunity for commentors to become fully informed 
prior to their submission of written comments. The location, date, and 
time for each open house are as follows:

Kanab, Utah, Holiday Inn Express, April 21--5:00PM-8:00PM
St. George, Utah, Abbey Inn, 1129 South Bluff Street, April 22--3:00PM-
8:00PM
Escalante, Utah, Escalante High School, 800 East Highway 12, April 23--
5:00PM-8:00PM
Castle Dale, Utah, Museum of the San Rafael, 96 North 100 East, May 3--
3:00PM-8:00PM,
Salt Lake City, Utah, Department of Natural Resources, 1594 West North 
Temple, Suite 1060--May 7-3:00PM-8:00PM
Tooele, Utah, Tooele City Recreation Complex, 350 West 400 North, May 
4--3:00PM-8:00PM
Vernal, Utah, Western Park, 302 East 200 South, May 4--3:00PM-8:00PM
Richfield, Utah, Weston Inn, 647 South Main, Basement, May 5--3:00PM-
8:00 PM
Moab, Utah, Senior Citizen Center, 450 East 100 North, May 5--3:00PM-
8:00PM
Monticello, Utah, Monticello High School Gymnasium, 190 South 200 West, 
May 6--4:00PM-8:00PM
Fillmore BLM Office, 35 East 500 North, May 6--3:00PM-8:00PM

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM recently completed an inventory of 
wilderness characteristics on Federal lands in many locations in the 
State of Utah. This evaluation identified approximately 2.6 million 
acres in 136 areas with wilderness characteristics. These wilderness 
characteristics are size, roadlessness, naturalness, outstanding 
opportunities for solitude, or primitive and unconfined recreation. 
Some areas also have supplemental values.
    In accordance with the Section 202 of FLPMA, and 43 Code of Federal 
Regulations, Sec. 1610. 5-5 (Amendment), land use plans may be changed 
through amendments based on the need to consider new data or changing 
circumstances. Based on the inventory findings, the current situation 
warrants individual plan review with the possibility of amending 
numerous affected planning documents. The following land use plans are 
to be reviewed and potentially amended:

St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan
Vermillion Management Framework Plan
Zion Management Framework Plan
Paria Management Framework Plan
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Plan
San Juan Resource Management Plan
Grand Resource Management Plan
Henry Mountain Management Framework Plan
Pinyon Management Framework Plan
Warm Springs Resource Management Plan
House Range Resource Management Plan
Pony Express Resource Management Plan
Box Elder Resource Management Plan
Book Cliffs Resource Management Plan
Diamond Mountain Resource Management Plan
San Rafael Resource Management Plan
Price River Management Framework Plan
Cedar Beaver Garfield Antimony Resource Management Plan

    Issue identification is considered integral to the Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) and planning processes. Issues are used to 
identify the scope of information and analysis in the EIS and to focus 
the process on relevant environmental concerns. Generally, an issue is 
a matter of controversy or dispute over resource management activities 
or land uses that is well defined or topically discrete and entails 
alternatives among which to choose or decide.
    Planning issues may have two or more of the following 
characteristics; (1) concern expressed by the public, State,

[[Page 13440]]

Tribe or local government, (2) existing or potential serious 
deterioration of public land, (3) possible significant impacts, and (4) 
proposed uses which may or may not be in the best public interest and 
which may be in substantial conflict with other uses.
    The basic issue to be addressed in the statewide wilderness plan 
amendment process is whether or not selected inventory areas should be 
designated as WSAs. All other facets, as noted below, contribute to 
resolving this basic issue. The three items listed here as the scoping 
topics are the essential factors which will be applied by BLM in making 
decisions relative to this issue.
    Scoping comments must specifically address areas in the inventory 
that the BLM determined have wilderness characteristics, including:
    (a) Any, additional information concerning wilderness 
characteristics in the wilderness inventory units,
    (b) Information regarding the manageability of potential WSAs. Such 
information may address things such as valid existing rights which 
could be exercised (developed) within the next ten to fifteen years and 
thereby preclude effective management under the IMP,
    (c) Specific information on other resource uses within each 
wildness inventory unit which should be considered. Such uses could 
involve grazing practices, rights of way, corridor development of use, 
recreation development or mechanical uses, off highway vehicle use, 
development for mineral extraction, or oil and gas exploration and 
production.
    The preliminary alternatives are identified: (1) No Action--Under 
this alternative none of the inventory areas would be designated as 
WSAs and the lands would continue to be managed according to the 
existing land use plans; (2) All Areas Would be Designated as WSAs--all 
acreage in the inventory areas with wilderness characteristics would be 
designated as WSAs, and IMP would be applied to all lands, and (3) 
Selected WSAs--Under one or more of the alternatives, some of the 
acreage or portions of acreage in the inventory areas with wilderness 
characteristics would be designated as WSAs and IMP would be applied, 
while other areas would not be designated as WSAs. In presenting these 
alternatives, the EIS would provide information and analysis to 
identify impacts associated with each alternative.
    Planning criteria are the standards, rules, and other factors 
identified by interdisciplinary teams and managers for use in 
formulating judgements about data collection, analysis, and decision 
making. These criteria assist in focusing the subject matter, 
clarifying, and simplifying subsequent prescribed resource management 
planning actions by setting forth basic standards for deciding and 
judging certain components of the planning actions.
    The 43 CFR part 1600 regulations require the consideration of 
planning criteria and mandate early public involvement in their 
development. The preliminary planning criteria to be used in the 
statewide plan amendment process are as follows:
    1. BLM will amend the RMPs or MFPs based on the information 
contained in the Utah Wilderness Inventory of 1999 as considered in 
this planning/NEPA process.
    2. All Federal laws (such as the Clean Water Act, Archeological 
Resource Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, etc) will be 
recognized and followed as they apply to this planning/NEPA process.
    3. To the extent possible under Federal law, and within the 
framework of proper long-term management of the public lands, BLM will 
strive to ensure that its management prescriptions and planning actions 
take into consideration related programs, plans, or policies of other 
resource agencies. This will include the formal consistency review by 
the State of Utah Governor's office. BLM will work closely with the 
Governor's Office to help facilitate the consistency review process.
    4. BLM will provide local, State and Federal agencies a copy of the 
Draft EIS with a written request to comment. Agencies may identify in 
writing any inconsistencies with formally approved land use plans or 
their related jurisdictions.
    5. Existing WSAs will continue to be managed under the provisions 
of the IMP. The current plan amendment process will not revisit 
previous suitability recommendations for the existing WSAs. IMP will 
not be applied to any inventory unit that has not been designated as a 
WSA.
    6. Planning decisions eventually made through this BLM process will 
apply only to (Federal) public lands.
    7. All valid existing rights will continued to be recognized.
    8. When WSAs are designated, the following recommended standards 
will be used to locate boundaries:

-300 feet from high standard paved roads,
-100 feet from high standard graveled roads,
-30 feet from low standard dirt roads.

    Exceptions may be granted to the above setbacks if resource 
conditions warrant.
    9. The plan amendment process will address OHV designations in the 
inventory areas, consistent with the provisions of the IMP as necessary 
to protect wilderness characteristics.
    Throughout the preparation of the Statewide EIS and Multiple Plan 
Amendments, the public will have several opportunites to provide input, 
and review information, and will be asked to comment on the draft EIS. 
This will be done via Internet and regular mail. All who desire to be 
on the mailing list should contact the BLM at the address given above.

    Dated: March 12, 1999.
Linda Colville,
Utah Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 99-6573 Filed 3-17-99; 8:45 am]
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