[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59787-59789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28698]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[UT-00-934-1610-00]


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

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

SUMMARY: The BLM has modified the scope of its planning effort 
considering establishment of new WSAs on public lands in Utah. Instead 
of preparing a single EIS/Plan Amendment for all inventory areas under 
study throughout the state, the BLM will now use a staged approach that 
will break the plan amendment process into four components. Selected 
inventory areas will be grouped in four regional studies to address 
whether or not new WSAs should be established. The first such regional 
grouping will include 35 inventory areas within the southeast region, 
encompassing approximately 815,000 acres of BLM lands administered by 
the Moab and Monticello Field Offices. This change is due, in part, to 
the large number of scoping comments that provided detailed information 
on specific areas and regions. Focusing planning on a regional basis 
will allow for a more thorough consideration of public input that has 
already been received, and is anticipated, as the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process proceeds. Some adjustment is 
also necessary because new legislation prohibits the BLM from 
proceeding with WSA planning in certain areas in the West Desert region 
of the state until the Department of Defense completes a study to 
evaluate the impact upon military training, testing, and operational 
readiness of any proposed changes in land designations or management of 
the ``Utah national defense lands.''
    The scope of this first planning effort has also been modified to 
include all of the BLM lands that were inventoried and shown in the 
1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report within the areas under study. 
This includes approximately 162,000 acres of public land currently 
under study that were initially found lacking wilderness 
characteristics by the BLM. These include the Arch and Mule Canyon 
inventory area and portions of 30 other inventory areas within the 
southeast region. This modification is in response to extensive scoping 
comments on these areas, and to provide the public additional 
opportunities to comment on all public lands that were reviewed during 
the BLM's field inventory.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Banks, Project Manager (Phone: 
801-539-4063 or E-mail: [email protected]), or by mail to: Utah State 
Office, Attention: Wilderness Project, P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City, 
Utah 84145.
    Copies of the 1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report are available 
for public review at all BLM field offices within Utah and at 
depository libraries throughout the state. This report is also 
available on the BLM's Internet web page (http://www.ut.blm.gov/
wilderness) established for the WSA planning project. This 300-page 
document provides maps, narratives, and summary reports of the 
inventory areas. The 35 areas included in the first grouping are 
contained in this report. In addition, inventory unit permanent 
documentation files containing aerial photographs, topographic maps, 
slides, voluminous field log notes and other useful information are 
available for public review. A complete set of all files can be found 
at the Utah State Office in Salt Lake City. The documentation files for 
the relevant inventory areas in the southeast region are also located 
in BLM's Moab and Monticello Field Offices, respectively.

DATES: All scoping comments regarding this planning effort conducted 
under the

[[Page 59788]]

authority of Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy Management Act 
(FLMPA), must be received in writing by the BLM Utah State Office no 
later than December 31, 1999. It is not anticipated that any new 
scoping meetings would be required for this modified action. All 
information gathered to date through the scoping process will continue 
to be considered for this effort.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 18, 1999, BLM published in the 
Federal Register a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Statewide EIS and 
multiple plan amendments for consideration of new WSAs on public land 
identified as having wilderness characteristics in the 1999 Utah 
Wilderness Inventory. Since that time, BLM has engaged in an extensive 
public involvement process to gather scoping information. To date, BLM 
has received nearly 13,000 comment letters, many of which contain very 
specific and detailed comments and new information.
    On October 5, 1999 the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2000 was signed into law. Section 2815 of this legislation 
precludes the BLM from completing any land use plan amendment or 
statewide amendment package for the ``Utah national defense lands'' 
until the Secretary of Defense submits to Congress a report evaluating 
the impact upon military training, testing, and operational readiness 
of any proposed changes in land designations or management of the 
``Utah national defense lands''. ``Utah national defense lands'' are 
defined in Section 2815 as ``public lands under the jurisdiction of the 
Bureau of Land Management in the state of Utah that are adjacent to or 
near the Utah Test and Training Range and Dugway Proving Ground or 
beneath the Military Operating Areas, Restricted Areas, and airspace 
that make up the Utah Test and Training Range.'' This provision affects 
approximately 13 inventory areas encompassing approximately 186,000 
acres of BLM lands under consideration for possible establishment as 
WSAs.
    The BLM will now proceed through a series of four regional studies 
to address the question as to whether or not new WSAs will be 
established. The first area for which an EIS and plan amendments will 
be completed, and for which public comments are currently being 
solicited, is in the southeast region. This region includes inventoried 
public lands within 35 areas, encompassing approximately 815,000 acres. 
Establishment of new WSAs would amend the Grand and San Juan Resource 
Management Plans (RMPs). These land use plans are administered by the 
Moab and Monticello Field Offices, respectively. The following land use 
plans and associated wilderness inventory areas depict the areas 
currently under study: Grand RMP: Beaver Creek, Behind the Rocks, 
Fisher Towers, Goldbar, Granite Creek, Hatch Wash, Hunter Canyon, east 
portion of Labyrinth Canyon, Lost Spring Canyon, Mary Jane Canyon, Mill 
Creek Canyon, Negro Bill Canyon, Shafer Canyon, and Westwater Canyon 
Inventory Areas. San Juan RMP: Arch and Mule Canyons, Bridger Jack 
Mesa, Butler Wash, Cheesebox Canyon, Comb Ridge, Cross Canyon, Dark 
Canyon, Fish and Owl Creeks, Fort Knocker Canyon, Gooseneck, Grand 
Gulch, Gravel and Long Canyons, Harmony Flat, Harts Point, Indian 
Creek, Mancos Mesa, Nokai Dome, Road Canyon, San Juan River, Sheep 
Canyon, Squaw and Papoose Canyon. The Gooseneck and Harts Point 
inventory areas involve both of the RMPs.
    Three additional regional groupings of areas will be subject to WSA 
planning and studies in the future: Uintah and Book Cliffs/San Rafael 
Swell/Henry Mountains (eastern areas); the Grand Staircase Escalante 
National Monument/Kane County/Washington Counties (south-central/
southwest areas); and inventory areas found in the West Desert of Utah. 
All WSA planning is expected to be completed statewide by 2004.
    Scoping comments should focus on all lands within the southeastern 
Utah region that encompass the 35 areas previously identified in the 
1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report. Comments would be particularly 
helpful if they address one or more of the following elements:
    (a) Any additional information concerning wilderness 
characteristics within the 35 inventoried areas of the southeastern 
region, including those lands found by the BLM in the 1999 Utah 
Wilderness Inventory to be lacking wilderness characteristics.
    (b) Information regarding manageability opportunities or conflicts 
including information on valid existing rights which could be exercised 
(developed) during the next ten to fifteen years and thereby preclude 
effective management under the IMP.
    (c) Specific information on other resource uses within the 
inventoried areas, including such uses as grazing practices, rights of 
way, corridor development, recreation development or mechanical uses, 
off highway vehicle use, development for mineral extraction, or oil and 
gas exploration and production.
    (d) The proposed planning criteria described further below.
    Those members of the public who have previously submitted comments 
regarding all or portions of the inventoried areas in the southeast 
region do not need to resubmit scoping comments on these areas, as BLM 
will take all of the existing comments into consideration. Additional 
comments focused on the lands initially found by BLM not to have 
wilderness characteristics are appropriate at this time and would be 
helpful in identifying and addressing specific issues in these areas. 
Proposed planning criteria were originally made available in the 
Federal Register Notice of March 18, 1999.
    1. BLM will amend the RMPs based on the information contained in 
the Utah Wilderness Inventory of 1999, as supplemented by information 
gathered and analyses contributed in this planning/NEPA process.
    2. This planning/NEPA process will conform to all applicable laws, 
such as the Clean Water Act, Archeological Resource Protection Act, and 
the Endangered Species Act.
    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 Interim Management Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review 
(IMP). The current plan amendment process will not address suitability 
recommendations for existing WSAs.
    6. Planning decisions made through this BLM process will apply only 
to Federal public lands.
    7. All valid existing rights will continue to be recognized.

    8. Any WSAs designated pursuant to this process will contain the 
following recommended setbacks:
    -300 feet from the centerline of high standard paved roads,
    -100 feet from the centerline of high

[[Page 59789]]

standard graveled roads,
    -30 feet from the centerline of low standard dirt roads, Unless 
resource conditions warrant granting exceptions.

    9. The plan amendment process will address off highway vehicle 
designations in the inventory areas, consistent with the provisions of 
the IMP as necessary to protect wilderness characteristics.
    Alternatives that are currently proposed for consideration include: 
(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, and IMP would be applied to all lands; (3) Selected 
WSAs--Some of the 35 inventoried areas, or portions thereof, would be 
designated as WSAs and IMP would be applied, while other inventoried 
areas, or portions thereof, would not be designated as WSAs. The EIS 
would provide information and analysis to identify impacts associated 
with each alternative.
    Planning for the southeastern region is expected to be completed in 
the Fall of 2000. A draft EIS is expected to be published by Spring of 
2000.
    The public will have opportunities to provide further input, review 
information, and to comment on the draft EIS. Anyone wanting to be 
added to the mail list for this planning project should contact the BLM 
at the address given above. Comments received, including names and 
addresses of respondents will be available for public review at the 
Utah State Office and will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. 
If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review 
and disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state 
this prominently at the beginning of your written scoping letter. Such 
requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions 
from organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: October 28, 1999.
Linda S. Coleville,
Acting Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. 99-28698 Filed 11-2-99; 8:45 am]
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