[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 14 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6661-6662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1624]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-092-1610-00]


Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Glasgow Field Station, 
announces the availability of a proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
Amendment and Environmental Assessment (EA). The proposed plan 
amendment/EA addresses two potential ACECs in the Glasgow Field 
Station,

[[Page 6662]]

Valley County, Montana. The proposed plan is to designate a Bitter 
Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and a Mountain 
Plover ACEC.

DATES: The proposed plan amendment may be protested. The 30-day protest 
period will commence with the date of publication of this notice. 
Protests must be submitted on or before February 21, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written protests must be sent to: Director, Bureau of Land 
Management, Attention: Ms Brenda Williams, Protests Coordinator, WO-
210/LS-1075, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. The 
overnight mail address is: Director, Bureau of Land Management, 
Attention: Ms Brenda Williams, Protests Coordinator (WO-210), 1620 L 
Street, NW., Rm. 1075, Washington, DC 20036 [Phone: 202/452-5510].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Fahlgren, Assistant Field 
Manager, BLM, Glasgow Field Station, RR1-4775, Glasgow, MT 59230. 406-
228-3750.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed plan amendment/EA addresses 
special management for two ACECs; Bitter Creek and Mountain Plover. The 
public land being considered is located in Valley County, Montana. This 
plan would amend the Judith-Valley-Phillips RMP. The Bitter Creek 
Wilderness Study Area (WSA) (59,660 acres) was found to meet the 
criteria as a potential ACEC due to the scenic diversity and variety of 
vegetation types and wildlife habitat. The proposed plan is to 
designate a Bitter Creek ACEC. If Congress released Bitter Creek from 
WSA status, a plan for management of the ACEC would be initiated within 
two years. Until an ACEC management plan is completed for Bitter Creek, 
management would be the same as the revised edition of the Interim 
Management Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review (1998). The 
Mountain Plover area (24,730 acres) provides natural habitat for the 
mountain plover, a prairie bird. It is an area of native plover habitat 
which is not associated with black-tailed prairie dogs. The proposed 
plan is to designate a Mountain Plover ACEC. Management prescriptions 
limiting surface disturbing activities would apply within the ACEC to 
protect the mountain plover during the nesting period from April 1 to 
July 31. These management prescriptions include a seasonal restriction 
on oil and gas activities, mitigating measures considered in Plan of 
Operations, seasonal stipulation on right-of-way grants, and off-
highway vehicle travel seasonally limited to designated roads and 
trails.
    The BLM's resource management planning process includes an 
opportunity for administrative review via a plan protest to the BLM's 
Director. Any person who participated in the planning process and has 
an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the approval of an 
amendment to an RMP may protest such approval. Careful adherence to the 
following guidelines will assist in preparing a protest that will 
assure the greatest consideration to your point of view. Only those 
persons or organizations who participated in the planning process may 
protest. A protesting party may raise only those issues which were 
commented on during the planning process. New issues may be raised at 
any time but should be directed to the appropriate BLM field office for 
consideration in plan implementation, as potential plan amendments, or 
as otherwise appropriate. The protest period extends for 30 days. There 
is no provision for any extension of time. 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. In order 
to be considered complete, your protest must contain, at a minimum, the 
following information:
    (1) The name, mailing address, telephone number and interest of the 
person filing the protest.
    (2) A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
    (3) A statement of the part or parts of the amendment being 
protested. To the extent possible, this should be done by reference to 
specific pages, paragraphs, sections, tables, maps, etc. included in 
the proposed amendment.
    (4) A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues 
submitted during the planning process by the protesting party or an 
indication of the discussion date of the issue(s) for the record.
    (5) A concise statement explaining why the proposed decision is 
believed to be incorrect. This is a critical part of your protest. Take 
care to document all relevant facts. As much as possible, reference or 
cite the planning documents, environmental analysis documents, 
available planning records (i.e., meeting minutes or summaries, 
correspondence, etc.). A protest which merely expresses disagreement 
with the 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.
    At the end of the 30-day protest period, the BLM may issue a 
Decision Record, approving implementation of any portions of the 
proposed plan amendment not under protest. Approval will be withheld on 
any portion of the plan under protest until the protest has been 
resolved.

    (Authority: Sec. 202, Pub. L. 94-579, 90 Stat. 2747 (43 U.S.C. 
1712))
    Dated: January 8, 2001.
John Fahlgren,
Assistant Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 01-1624 Filed 1-19-01; 8:45 am]
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