[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 174 (Thursday, September 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49022-49023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23381]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[WY-020-1310-00]


Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment, 
``Management for Bureau of Reclamation Withdrawn Lands Restored to 
Bureau of Land Management Jurisdiction in the Cody Field Office 
Planning Area,'' and Finding of No Significant Impact, for Public 
Review and Comment; and Notification of Open House

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The environmental assessment (EA) addresses four alternatives 
for managing about 150,000 acres of Bureau of Reclamation Withdrawn 
Lands that have been restored to Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction 
in the BLM's Cody Field Office Administrative Area in north central 
Wyoming. The restored lands are primarily in the YU Bench and Chapman 
Bench areas of Wyoming's Bighorn Basin. The Preferred Alternative in 
the EA describes planning decisions for the future multiple-use 
management of the restored lands and represents a proposed amendment to 
the Cody Resource Management Plan (RMP) (BLM 1990). Based on the 
analysis summarized in the EA, it has been determined that the impacts 
are not expected to be significant and that an environmental impact 
statement is not needed. An open house is scheduled for Tuesday, 
September 14 at the Cody Field Office for discussion of the EA and 
Preferred Alternative.

DATES: Reviewers will have 30 (thirty) days after this notice of 
availability (NOA) of the EA is published in the Federal Register to 
submit protests on the proposed decision (Preferred Alternative) as 
provided by 43 CFR 1610.5-2. All parts of the proposed decision may be 
protested. Protests shall be filed with the Director of the Bureau of 
Land Management, Attention: Ms. Brenda Williams, Protests Coordinator, 
WO-210/LS-1075, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.
    The same 30-day time period will be allowed for commenting on the 
proposed decision, other elements of the EA, and the Finding of No 
Significant Impact; and a 60-day time period, beginning on the same 
date, will be allowed for review and comment on potential area of 
critical environmental concern (ACEC) designations (see 43

[[Page 49023]]

CFR 1610.7-2(b)). One such area relating to the management of long-
billed curlew and mountain plover habitat on Chapman Bench is addressed 
in the EA. Comments should be directed to Bob Ross, BLM Planning 
Coordinator, Worland Field Office, P.O. Box 119, Worland, Wyoming 
82401-0119.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Ross, BLM Planning Coordinator, 
101 South 23rd Street, Worland, WY 82401, (307) 347-5178, or the Cody 
Field Office, 1002 Blackburn Avenue, Cody, WY 82414, at (307) 587-2216. 
Requests for copies of the EA should be made to either office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM's Preferred Alternative is a 
proposed amendment to the Cody Resource Management Plan to incorporate 
the former BOR withdrawn lands into the RMP and apply the appropriate 
existing BLM planning decisions to their management. Currently, the 
lands are closed to the operation of the public land laws, including 
land sales and exchanges, and the staking and development of mining 
claims. There is also a moratorium on Federal mineral leasing on the 
lands until the BLM planning decisions for them are in place. The 
proposed RMP amendment would allow most of the lands to be opened to 
these potential actions and uses. Existing uses, such as livestock 
grazing, hunting and fishing, and other types of recreation would 
continue.
    If any protests are received on the proposed amendment, these will 
be resolved by the BLM Director. Next, the EA will be revised if 
necessary and a Decision Record will be issued with a description of 
the comments and (or) protests on the proposed decisions, along with an 
explanation of how the comments and (or) protests were answered. The 
Decision Record will incorporate additional or changed land-use 
planning decisions, as needed, in amending the Cody RMP.
    The September 14 open house to discuss the EA and Preferred 
Alternative has been announced in letters to interested parties on the 
Cody Field Office mailing list and in local and statewide media 
releases. The open house will be held at the Cody Field Office.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents will 
be available for public review at the Worland Field Office, 101 South 
23rd Street, Worland, Wyoming, and at the Cody Field Office, 1002 
Blackburn Avenue, Cody, Wyoming, during regular business hours (7:30 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your 
name or address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by 
law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: September 2, 1999.
Alan L. Kesterke,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 99-23381 Filed 9-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P