[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 227 (Friday, November 26, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66489-66490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-30787]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CO-14000-00-1220-00]


Notice of Availability of Resource Management Plan Amendment for 
the Red Hill Area; Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability, Decision Record, and Travel and Use 
Restrictions.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102 of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 and section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations in CFR 
1610.2 and 1610.5-5., the BLM has amended the Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) for the Glenwood Springs Field Office (GSFO) approved in January 
of 1984.
    The amendment changed the management prescription for the Red Hill 
area, approximately 3,093 acres, north of the town of Carbondale, 
Colorado in Garfield County. The Red Hill area includes all BLM managed 
public lands bounded on the west and south by State Highway 82, on the 
north by the County Road 113, and on the east by County Roads 112 and 
105. These public lands are located in Township 7 South, Range 88 West, 
Sections 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28; Sixth P.M.
    The Decision Record (DR) administratively recognized Red Hill area 
as a Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) where recreation is a 
principle management focus. The DR closed the area to unauthorized 
motorized vehicles and designated routes open for mountain bike riding. 
To protect wintering big game, the DR placed seasonal (December 1-March 
31) restrictions on mountain bike travel in; Township 7 South; Range 88 
West; Sections 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21 (north half), 22, 23, 26, 27; 
Sixth P.M. The DR revised the Class III and IV visual resource 
management designations to Class II where the level of change in basic 
landscape elements will remain low. The DR also applied no surface 
occupancy (NSO) stipulations to the area to maintain the current 
undeveloped physical setting.

DATES: The amendment, including the travel and use restrictions, to the 
Glenwood Springs Resource Area Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the 
Red Hill area will take effect after the 60-day Governor's Consistency 
Review and 30-day protest period, provided all protests have been 
resolved by that time. The 60-day Governor's Consistency Review will 
end December 31, 1999. The 30-day protest period will begin when notice 
of the decision is published in the Federal Register.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare a RMP 
amendment was published in the Federal Register in Vol. 64, No. 1 on 
Jan. 4, 1999.
    The travel and use restrictions are being implemented to protect 
wintering big game and support the preferred physical, social and 
managerial recreational settings. The area and routes affected by this 
order will be posted with appropriate regulatory signs in such a manner 
and location as is reasonable to bring prohibitions to the attention of 
visitors. Information, including maps of the restricted area, is 
available in the Glenwood Springs Field Office at the addresses shown 
above.
    Persons who are exempt from the restrictions include: (1) Any 
Federal, State, or local officers engaged in fire, emergency and law 
enforcement activities; (2) BLM employees engaged in official duties; 
(3) Persons authorized to operate mechanized and motorized vehicles 
within the restricted area.
    The Decision Record contains decisions which amend the Glenwood 
Springs Resource Area Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Red Hill 
area. The Bureau's planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) provide 
protest procedures for persons adversely affected by the approval of 
RMP amendments. Any person who participated in the planning process and 
has an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the amendment 
of an RMP may protest such amendments. A protest may only raise those 
issues

[[Page 66490]]

which were submitted for the record during the planning process. The 
protest shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Director. For 
an amendment not requiring the preparation of an environmental Impact 
Statement, the protest shall be filed within 30 days of the publication 
of the notice of its effective date. The Director's mailing address and 
protest procedures are available from the Glenwood Springs Field Office 
at (970) 947-2800.
    Certain mitigation measures included in the Decision Record are 
considered actions to implement the RMP as amended and may be appealed 
to the Interior Board of Land Appeals in accordance with regulations in 
Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations 4.411 and 4.413. Form CSO 
1840-3 (available from the Glenwood Springs Field Office) outlines 
appeal procedures. The forms also include instructions for requesting a 
stay of the decision appealed. If an appeal is taken, the notice of 
appeal must be filed in the BLM, Glenwood Springs Field Office, P.O. 
Box 1009, Glenwood Springs, CO 81602, within 30 days from receipt of 
this decision. The appellant has the burden of showing that the 
decision is in error and is adverse to you.

Penalties

    Any person who fails to comply with the provisions of this order 
may be subject to penalties outlined in 43 CFR 8360.0-7.

ADDRESSES: Field Office Manager, Glenwood Springs Field Office, Bureau 
of Land Management, 50629 Highway 6 & 24, P.O. Box 1009, Glenwood 
Springs, CO 81602.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Hopkins, (970) 947-2840.
Roy E. Smith,
Acting Glenwood Springs Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 99-30787 Filed 11-24-99; 8:45 am]
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