[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 170 (Thursday, August 31, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53028-53029]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22289]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-030-1652-00]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Livestock Grazing Management on Allotments Administered by the Bureau 
of Land Management, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

(A plan amendment may be required because alternatives considered 
could, if selected, modify grazing management currently administered 
under existing Management Framework Plans)

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and notice to conduct scoping for livestock grazing management on 
allotments administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Grand 
Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), Kane and Garfield 
Counties, Utah.

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    A plan amendment to the BLM Paria, Vermilion, Zion, and Escalante 
Management Framework Plans (MFPs) may be required because alternatives 
considered during the preparation of the EIS could, if selected, modify 
grazing management and allocations currently managed under portions of 
the MFPs.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the BLM, Grand Staircase-Escalante National 
Monument will be preparing an EIS to analyze the impacts of domestic 
livestock grazing through renewing grazing permits on 76 allotments 
managed by GSENM.
    The issues anticipated include: (1) Potential impacts to vegetative 
communities, wildlife, riparian/wetland areas, and soil resources; (2) 
potential impacts to archaeological, historic, and paleontological 
resources; (3) potential impacts to recreation activities; (4) 
potential impacts to the socio-economics of Kane and Garfield Counties; 
(5) potential impacts on grazing permittees.
    Alternatives identified at this time include: (1) issuing livestock 
grazing permits based on the present permittee applications for permit 
renewal; (2) issuing new permits with the same terms and conditions as 
the expiring permits (No Action Alternative); (3) issuing a new permit 
with modifications to the existing terms and conditions; and (4) a no 
grazing alternative.

DATES: This notice announces the beginning of the public scoping 
period. If you have information, data or concerns related to the 
potential impacts of livestock grazing management or have suggestions 
for additional alternatives, please submit them to address below. 
Public scoping comments will be accepted on or before November 15, 
2000. Three public scoping open house information sessions will be held 
on:
    --September 18, 2000, 7-9 pm, Kanab, Utah;
    --September 20, 2000, 7-9 pm, Salt Lake City, Utah; and
    --October 4, 2000, 7-9 pm, Escalante, Utah.

ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments should be sent to: Monument 
Manager,

[[Page 53029]]

Bureau of Land Management, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, 
180 West 300 North, Kanab, Utah 84741, ATTN: Livestock Grazing EIS. 
Public scoping open house locations are:
    --Kanab City Library, 533 East 300 South, Kanab, Utah;
    --Salt Lake City Marriott University Park Hotel--Ballroom 1, 480 
Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, Utah; and
    --Escalante Community Center, 85 North 100 West, Escalante, Utah.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: GSENM, Chris Killingsworth, Assistant 
Monument Manager Biological Resources, 180 West 300 North, Kanab, Utah 
84741, telephone (435) 644-4300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will cover permit renewal and 
grazing management on 76 allotments managed by GSENM, including 
allotments within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and on adjoining 
BLM lands. This process will conform with the regulations for grazing 
public rangelands, the fundamentals for rangeland health, and Utah's 
Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Grazing Management. 
Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents will be 
available for public review at the BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante 
National Monument Office in Kanab, Utah and will be subject to 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). They may be 
published as part of the EIS and other related documents. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your 
name or street address from public review and disclosure under the 
FOIA, 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 will be made available 
for public inspection in their entirety.

Sally Wisely,
Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. 00-22289 Filed 8-30-00; 8:45 am]
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