[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 15, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70050-70051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32252]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[ID-0768-1430-DH]


Notice of Intent To Prepare Land Use Plan Amendments for Land 
Tenure Adjustment and New Designations of Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs) Within the Upper Snake River District 
(USRD), Shoshone Field Office in Southern Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, DOI.

ACTION: Notice of Intent, Amendment of the existing Sun Valley, Bennett 
Hills/Timmerman Hills and Magic Management Framework Plans (MFPs) and 
the Monument Resource Management Plan (RMP) for (a) land ownership 
adjustments and (b) designation of new Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACECs).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 43 CFR 1600, the USRD, Shoshone Field Office 
proposes to amend the Field Office's existing MFPs and RMP to identify 
public lands retention and transfer zones within the USRD, Shoshone 
Field Office area. Also pursuant to 43 CFR 1610, new areas having 
potential for ACEC designation and protective management shall be 
identified and considered. The Shoshone Field Office manages 
approximately 1.8 million acres of public land, located primarily in 
Blaine, Camas, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln Counties, with a small portion 
in Elmore and Minidoka Counties.

DATES: Written comments on the BLM's intention to prepare these 
proposed land use plan amendments will be accepted until January 31, 
2000. An informal public scoping meeting to identify planning issues 
and alternatives will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on January 12, 
2000, at the fire conference room at the Shoshone Field Office 
warehouse, 400 West F Street, Shoshone, Idaho. Additional meetings will 
be considered as appropriate.

ADDRESS, LOCATION AND AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE PROPOSED 
AMENDMENTS: All documents related to the proposed amendments are 
located at the USRD, Shoshone Field Office, 400 West F Street, 
Shoshone, Idaho. The hours of availability are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except holidays. Comments, including names and 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the 
above street address and times and may be published as part of the 
environmental assessment (EA) or other related documents. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your 
name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the 
Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your written comment. 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. Comments should 
be sent to Bill Baker, Shoshone Field Office Manager, Bureau of Land 
Management, P.O. Box 2-B, Shoshone, Idaho 83352.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning the 
proposed land use plan amendments may be obtained from Debbie Kovar, 
Realty Specialist, at P.O. Box 2-B, Shoshone, Idaho 83352, or by 
calling (208) 886-2206.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The amendments will include proposals to 
identify changes in public lands retention or transfer status and 
designate new ACECs. Appropriate alternatives to the proposed 
amendments will be identified and analyzed in a draft amendment 
document and accompanying environmental assessment. These documents 
will be made available for public comment.
    At a minimum, expertise related to the following topics will be 
utilized during the planning process: lands, wildlife habitat, 
rangeland management, minerals, cultural resources, trust 
responsibilities, treaty rights, watershed/soils, threatened/endangered 
and sensitive species and hazardous materials. As issues are 
identified, appropriate additional expertise will be

[[Page 70051]]

added to the planning team. Staff members representing these resources 
will be involved in the planning process.
    The BLM anticipates that at least the following issues would be 
considered during preparation of the proposed amendments:
    1. Which public lands should be retained in public ownership, and 
identified for ``retention only'' (i.e., not available for disposal)?
    2. Should land tenure actions be taken to improve manageability of 
public lands in areas having high public value? If so, where are these 
lands located (i.e., which lands are considered to be of ``high value'' 
and also in need of land tenure adjustments to consolidate ownership or 
otherwise improve BLM's ability to manage resources on the lands)? Is 
there a need to consolidate ownership of scattered parcels of public 
land by exchanging for private or State lands? If so, which areas are 
most important, which public lands could be disposed of by exchange, 
and which non-federal lands should the BLM seek to acquire?
    3. Which lands, if any, should be identified for disposal by sale, 
exchange, or under other authorities, to address concerns such as 
trespass, community expansion, enhanced manageability of State and 
Federal lands, pending expiration of land use permits, etc.?
    4. If public lands are proposed for exchange, should there be some 
kind of priority process utilized in considering the resource values 
gained and lost? For example, should the exchange lands provide better 
federal land management, and better meet the needs of the State of 
Idaho and local people? Should it be considered whether the lands 
needed are for the economy, community expansion, recreation areas, 
food, wood fiber production, minerals, and fish and wildlife habitat, 
or other important values and uses?
    5. In addition to presently designated Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs), which public lands, if any, should be 
considered for designation as ACECs?

    Dated: November 30, 1999.
James E. May,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 99-32252 Filed 12-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-66-P