[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 43 (Friday, March 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11599-11600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5110]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM050-1430ES]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Amendment 
(RMPA) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for Public Land in Socorro 
County, NM

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an RMPA/EA and intent to amend the 
Socorro Resource Management Plan dated August 1989, and invitation to 
participate in identification of issues and planning criteria.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, the BLM, Socorro Field Office, in 
cooperation with the State of New Mexico, State Monuments Division 
(State), will prepare an RMPA/EA. The RMPA/EA will address whether 
approximately 126 acres of federal land between the towns of Socorro 
and Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico off of Federal Highway I-25 can 
be classified for disposal, and transferred to the New Mexico State 
Monuments Division under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act of 1926 
as amended (R&PP). The purpose of the proposed transfer is to jointly 
construct (BLM and State) the proposed El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro 
International Heritage Center (Center). The RMPA/EA will also analyze 
various alternatives for special management prescriptions for public 
land surrounding the proposed Center that are needed to protect the 
scenic, cultural, watershed, air quality, soils, visual resource 
management, social and economic, and other values of the location 
identified in the site selection process. The RMPA/EA preferred 
alternative could result in an amendment to the Socorro Resource 
Management Plan approved in 1989 before the Center was considered a 
potential foreseeable development. Alternative management prescriptions 
could include, but are not limited to, limitations and/or special 
conditions for future permits or rights-of-way for such proposals as 
landfills, electrical transmission lines, communications towers, or 
multi-story buildings, in certain locations on federal land surrounding 
the Center.
    The RMPA/EA will seek to identify whether impacts are likely to 
result from the proposed actions of classifying the selected land for 
disposal, transferring the land, construction of the proposed Center, 
and any possible management prescriptions of surrounding federal public 
land. If potential impacts are identified, the RMPA/EA will analyze and 
consider a range of mitigation measures and alternative to ensure that 
impacts are not significant. The BLM and State will conduct two public 
meetings to present the public with a description of the proposed 
action and to receive comments and questions from the public. The 
public will have the opportunity to identify any issues regarding the 
proposed action during the meetings, and written comments will be 
accepted through May 6, 2000.

DATES AND LOCATIONS: Dates and locations of the public meetings are 
listed below.

April 5, 2000--6 PM
Holiday Inn Express, Conference Center, 1100 N. California St., 
Socorro, NM
April 6, 2000--6 P.M.
Civic Center, 400 West Fourth St., Truth Or Consequences, NM


ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Charles Carroll, BLM, 198 Neel 
Street, Socorro, NM 87801

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Carroll, Team Leader, at 505-
835-0412.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is the transfer of 
approximately 126 acres of public land administered by the BLM Socorro 
Field Office to the State Monuments Division and the Museum of the 
State of New Mexico for the purpose of constructing a new, jointly 
funded New Mexico Monument and BLM Interpretive Center. This project is 
a result of a culmination of years of cooperative effort between the 
BLM, State of New Mexico, and the towns and cities of the lower Rio 
Grande in New Mexico. The location of the proposed Center was selected 
through a detailed study conducted by Architectural Research 
Consultants, Inc. (ARC), funded by the BLM, State of New Mexico, and 
the towns of Los Lunas, Belen, Socorro, Truth Or Consequences, and Las 
Cruces. The site selection process is documented in the report 
entitled: ``El Viaje: A Planning Study For The Camino Real Interpretive 
Center,'' 1994 ARC.
    The location for the Center was selected from among six candidate 
sites along the Camino Real, in part, due to its relatively pristine 
surroundings and excellent panoramic views to natural landmarks which 
are of historical significance to the historic trail. An observation 
deck on the proposed Center museum, and trails to locations on the 
proposed 126-acre compound, will provide visitors with views and 
interpretation of the surrounding landscape. No changes in ranching or 
grazing activities are contemplated, except to fence the proposed 126-
acre compound to separate cattle from visitors and buildings. This 
proposed enclosure would not affect the existing grazing permit. The 
RMPA/EA will review potential impacts to the land and natural resources 
on and surrounding the site and will consider a wide range of 
alternatives for other types of future actions on surrounding public 
land. Types of potential actions will be categorized as compatible or 
incompatible with the future operation of the Center. For example, the 
permitting of a lighted microwave tower in direct line of site between 
the observation deck and a historic natural landmark, might be found to 
be incompatible. If this were true, then management prescriptions might 
be defined to allow selective siting of high-visibility actions in 
certain defined areas of surrounding public land, to mitigate adverse 
effects upon the values of the Center. Conversely, it might be

[[Page 11600]]

found that locating a gravel pit in a location hidden from view of key 
locations of the Center, may have no potential adverse effect, and 
might be authorized with only routine stipulations. Therefore, a range 
of alternatives for both the geographic area and the types of potential 
future actions which could affect the Center will be considered. A full 
range of other resource considerations will be addressed, including 
threatened and endangered species, wildlife, lands and access, 
minerals, soils, air quality, water resources, Visual Resource 
Management, social and economics and so forth, which the public is 
welcomed to comment upon and help identify issues or concerns.

    Dated: February 23, 2000.
Kate Padilla,
Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 00-5110 Filed 3-2-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4130-MW-P