[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42713-42714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17480]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR-054-1220-DC; GP0-0260


John Day River Proposed Management Plan, Two Rivers and John Day 
Resource Management Amendments and Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Central Oregon Field Office, 
Prineville District, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969 and 40 CFR 1506.6(2) notice is hereby given that the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the John Day River Proposed Management Plan, 
Two Rivers and John Day Resource Management Amendments. This plan area 
covers designated Wild and Scenic Rivers on the lower Mainstem and 
South Fork of the John Day River and BLM managed

[[Page 42714]]

lands on the Mainstem, South, Middle, and North Forks of the John Day 
River not designated Wild and Scenic in several counties in the North 
Eastern portion of Oregon.
    Interested citizens not already on the mailing list may review the 
Final EIS via the internet on the Prineville BLM website at http://www1.or.blm.gov/Prineville/. A hardcopy or a CDROM of the EIS may be 
requested from the Prineville District by calling (541) 416-6700.
    The planning process includes an opportunity for an administrative 
review of the plan amendment. If you believe approval of any provision 
of this proposed planning amendment would be in error, you may submit a 
plan protest to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director (43 CFR 
1610.52). Careful adherence to these guidelines as summarized below, 
will assist in preparing a protest that will assure consideration of 
your point of view.
    Only those persons or organizations that participated in the 
planning process leading to this plan amendment may protest. If our 
records indicate that you had no involvement in any state in the 
preparation of this document, your protest will be dismissed without 
further review. Further, a protesting party may raise only those issues 
that he or she submitted for the record during the planning process.
    To be considered timely, your protest must be postmarked no later 
than the last day of the protest period. Also, although not a 
requirement, we suggest that you send your protest by certified mail, 
return receipt requested.
    Protest must be filed in writing to: Director, (WO-210), Bureau of 
Land Management, US Department of the Interior, Attn; Brenda Williams, 
1849 C Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20240.
    To be considered complete, your protest must contain, at a minimum, 
the following information:
     Name, mailing address, telephone number, and the affected 
interest of person filing the protests.
     A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
     A statement of the part or parts of the planning amendment 
being protested. To the extent possible, reference specific pages, 
paragraphs. And sections of the document.
     A copy of all document addressing the issue or issues were 
discussed with BLM for the record.
     A concise statement explaining why the proposed decision 
is believed to be incorrect.
    This is a critical part of your protest. Document all relevant 
facts. As much as possible, reference or cite the planning and 
environmental analysis documents. A protest that merely expresses 
disagreement with the State Director's proposed decision, without any 
data will not provide us with the benefit of your information and 
insight. In this case, the Director's review will be based on the 
existing analysis and supporting data.

DATES: The BLM will make a decision on the Management Plan and Resource 
Management Plan Amendments after review of protests (if any) that must 
be filed within 30 days of the Notice of Availability published by the 
EPA in the FR or by August 14, 2000, whichever is later.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Williams, Prineville BLM at 
(541) 416-6862 or Dan Wood, Prineville BLM at (541) 416-6751.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Act of 1969 as amended in 1982 and 1987, 16 U.S.C. 12749(d), and by 40 
CFR 1502.3 the BLM has examined a Range of Alternatives for managing 
the segments of the North Fork and lower mainstream of the John Day 
River that Congress Designated Wild and Scenic. In addition to this 
plan includes proposed decisions for managing public lands adjacent to 
the John Day River and its major tributaries that have not been 
designated Wild and Scenic but could influence the outstandingly 
remarkable values associated with the designated segments.
    The proposed John Day River Management Plan and Final Environmental 
Impact Statement considered at least five alternatives for managing 
various resources and programs along over 200 river bank miles of the 
John Day River System. The John Day River is one of the longest free 
flowing river systems in the continental United States. The John Day 
watershed is located in the northeastern Oregon and encompasses all or 
portions of eleven counties, six of which would be directly affected by 
the proposed plan. This document has divided the John Day River system 
into 11 different segments for management purposes. Congress designated 
six of these segments (totaling 248.6 miles) as Wild and Scenic in 
1988. This legislation also mandated a management plan be written in 
cooperation with the State of Oregon and affected native American 
Tribes. Consequently, this plan was written as a cooperative effort 
between the following agencies, and groups, collectively, known as the 
``partners'': BLM, State of Oregon, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs and John day River 
Coalition of Counties (Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Sherman, Wasco, and 
Wheeler Counties).
    A draft of this document was released for a 90 day public review 
and comment period on December 3, 1999. Comments received helped the 
partners develop the proposed decisions in this plan. Major issues 
addressed by this plan include livestock grazing, boating use levels, 
commercial services, motorized boating, and public agricultural lands 
and related water use. Many other issues are also addressed by this 
plan and proposed decisions are made for each issue. They are displayed 
with alternatives considered. Alternative A describes the existing 
management situation for each resource of use (no action). The other 
alternatives were designed to protect and enhance the outstanding 
remarkable values which Congress identified for the designated Wild and 
Scenic segments and to protect and enhance similar river values for 
certain non-designated segments. Chapter IV of this document presents 
rulemaking by the State of Oregon for the State Scenic Waterway 
segments of the John Day River, most of which overlaps with designated 
Wild and Scenic Segments.
    This proposed plan describes certain restrictions on each livestock 
grazing allotment along the segments designated Wild and Scenic and 
certain segments not so designated where they are situated in a way 
that directly affects the designated segments. Boating use levels and 
motorized boating restrictions, which vary by river segment, are 
proposed. Short and long-term strategies for management of commercial 
outfitter and guide permits are proposed for the river. Several small 
tracts of BLM administered irrigated agricultural lands are to be 
converted from commercial use to provide wildlife habitat and native 
vegetation. Any decisions which reallocate land uses or change major 
resource allocations would also amend or revise the BLM's Two Rivers 
and John Day Resource Management Plans under 43 CFR 1610.5-5 or 5-6.

    Dated: June 30, 2000.
Donald L. Smith,
Acting Prineville District Manager.
[FR Doc. 00-17480 Filed 7-10-00; 8:45 am]
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