[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42715-42716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17482]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM050-1150PG]


Intent To Prepare Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA), 
Socorro Field Office (SFO), Socorro, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.
SUMMARY: The BLM, SFO is proposing to amend the Resource Management 
Plan (RMP) to change oil and gas leasing stipulations on 229,500 acres 
within Socorro County. The areas proposed for stipulation changes 
include critical habitats for the state endangered desert bighorn 
sheep, designated Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), and 
designated Special Management Areas (SMA).

DATES: Comments should be received on or before October 10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Socorro Field Manager, 198 
Neel Avenue, Socorro, New Mexico, 87801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David L. Heft, Wildlife Biologist, or 
Jon Hertz, Assistant Field Manager, at (505) 835-0412.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Socorro RMP was completed in August 
1989. The Ladron Mountain ACEC was identified at that time as a site 
for future reintroduction of the state endangered desert bighorn sheep. 
Desert bighorn sheep were reintroduced into the ACEC in 1992. The 
current population is approximately 35 individuals. The New Mexico 
Department of Game and Fish completed a habitat evaluation of potential 
reintroduction sites for desert

[[Page 42716]]

bighorn in New Mexico in 1991 with an update in 1994. This evaluation 
also identified the Devil's Backbone area in the southern portion of 
the Magdalena Mountains in Socorro County as historic and suitable 
habitat for the reintroduction of desert bighorn sheep. This area is 
approximately 38 miles south of the reintroduction site in the Ladron 
Mountain ACEC. Bighorn sheep movements have been confirmed to within 8 
miles of the Devil's Backbone area from the Ladron herd. The connecting 
corridor between the two primary habitat sites is composed of the 
Polvadera Mountains, Socorro Mountain, and Chupadera Mountains.
    Requests for public comment on probable impacts to bighorn sheep 
and their habitat from oil and gas leasing activities were sent to 
approximately 260 public entities composed primarily of industry 
constituents. Responses were received from the state wildlife agency 
and interested members of the public identifying potential negative 
impacts to bighorn sheep and their habitat from these activities. The 
New Mexico Bureau of Mines commented that the potential for oil and gas 
resources in the proposed action area was very low. A comment 
pertaining to the cultural importance and concern for conservation of 
bighorn sheep was received from the Navajo Nation. No comments were 
received from the oil and gas industries.
    Any comments of substance received during the 90-day comment period 
will be incorporated into the environmental analysis. The resultant 
analysis of oil and gas leasing and associated activities such as 
geophysical exploration has determined that these activities can have 
detrimental impacts to the habitat for desert bighorn sheep. The 
protection of these areas has become even more critical with the recent 
listing as federally endangered of small isolated populations of 
bighorn sheep on public lands in California. The New Mexico statewide 
population of free ranging desert bighorn sheep is estimated to only 
number 220 animals at this time.
    The vulnerability of small fragmented populations of desert bighorn 
sheep was recently demonstrated by the listing as federally endangered 
of the peninsular population in southern California in March 1998 by 
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. This population at the 
time of listing was estimated to number 280 individuals. In order to 
preclude the potential future listing of the New Mexico population as 
much as possible, the SFO is pro-actively managing identified habitat 
areas within its jurisdiction to provide maximum protection and 
enhancement of those habitats. The Ladron Mountain/Devil's Backbone 
complex has the potential to support a long term viable population of 
more than 100 individuals if habitat suitability is maintained. 
Protection and enhancement of this habitat can also assist in the 
potential state delisting of this species.

    Dated: June 30, 2000.
Kate Padilla,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 00-17482 Filed 7-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MW-U