[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20830-20831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10210]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-010-2810-HT]


Elko and Wells Resource Areas Management Plans, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Elko Field Office, Elko, Nevada.

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Amend the Elko and Wells RMPs for Fire 
Management and Initiate a 30-day Public Review and Comment Period.

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SUMMARY: The Elko and Wells Resource Management plans (RMPs) were 
completed in 1987 and 1983, respectively, for the former Elko and Wells 
Resource Areas of the Elko District of BLM. These two Resource Areas 
have since been combined into the Elko District which is managed by the 
Elko Field Office Since inception, the Wells RMP has been amended for 
elk, utility corridor, and wild horse issues, while the Elko RMP has 
never been amended. Neither RMP addresses fire management issues in a 
comprehensive way, and this lack of coverage has created management 
challenges for the Elko Field Office in recent years. Neither RMP 
anticipated the growing importance of the role of wildfire in natural 
and managed ecosystems, nor the increase in wildfire occurrence, 
intensity, and numbers of acres burned in the Elko District. This 
increase in wildfire activity has had serious impacts on natural 
resources, as well as on public land users who rely on these resources.
    The proposed plan amendment to revise the Elko and Well Resource 
Management plans will provide fire management guidance to address 
issues raised by local state and federal agencies, county governments, 
Native Americans, ranchers, and environmental groups. Issues and 
planning criteria identified to date are listed in this Notice under 
Supplementary Information.

DATES: Meeting dates and other public participation activities will be 
announced in public notices, the local media, or in letters sent to 
interested and potentially affected parties. Persons wishing to 
participate in this amendment process must notify the Elko Field Office 
at the address and phone number below. Comments on the proposed issues 
and planning criteria must be submitted during the public review and 
comment period from April 23, 2001, to May 23, 2001. The public may 
review the Elko and Wells RMPs at the address below:

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning the proposed fire management RMP 
amendment should be sent to the BLM Elko Field Office at 3900 East 
Idaho Street, Elko, NV 89801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Freeland, Project Manager, Elko 
BLM Field Office, at the above address or at (775) 753-0308.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice satisfies the requirements in 
the regulation at 43 CFR 1610.2(c) for amending Resource Management 
Plan. The 5th Year RMP Evaluation completed in FY 2000 for the Elko RMP 
identified fire management as an important issue that was not 
adequately addressed in the RMP, and for which an RMP amendment was 
recommended. A similar 5th Year RMP Evaluation will be completed for 
the Wells RMP in FY 2002. However, since the Wells RMP also lacks any 
substantive coverage of fire management issues, it is reasonable to 
recommend that a fire management amendment to this RMP be completed 
during the same process to amend the Elko RMP.
    Issues regarding fire management identified to date include:
    1. Suppression Strategy: The Elko Field Office RMPs currently offer 
little guidance on setting suppression strategies to balance 
maintenance of healthy ecosystems dependant on fire with protection of 
other resources. While some public land users advocate full fire 
suppression on all public lands, others feel that wildfire is a natural 
process that should be allowed in some areas. Many ranchers propose 
intensive livestock grazing as a strategy to reduce fuels in fire-prone 
areas, while other advocacy groups are concerned about the impacts from 
this proposed strategy on native vegetation and wildlife.

[[Page 20831]]

    2. Prescribed Fire Use: The use of prescribed fire is currently an 
area of public concern due to recent publicity over escaped burns in 
Los Alamos and California. The Elko District could benefit from 
prescribed fire use in high fuel load areas to reduce the potential 
impacts from severe wildland fire and to improve habitat. Local 
residents need to be involved with all prescribed fire planning and 
support any proposed prescribed fire projects.
    3. Conversion of Sagebrush Habitat: Wildlife managers throughout 
the Great Basin are concerned over the precipitous decline in sage 
grouse numbers in recent years, thus causing an increased demand for 
the protection of sagebrush habitat throughout Elko District. Wildfire 
can both improve and devastate sage grouse habitat. Managing this 
habitat in view of competing resource uses and the spread of invasive, 
nonnative weeds throughout the district is a challenge for local land 
managers.
    4. Emergency Fire Rehabilitation (EFR): Some EFR procedures are 
controversial, including fencing recently burned and/or rehabilitated 
areas to prevent grazing on fragile re-vegetation, as well as seeding 
with non-native grass species which out-compete noxious weeds and 
cheatgrass. Fencing burned areas in wild horse Herd Management Areas 
can disrupt movement of wild horses and are not popular with wild horse 
advocacy groups. Livestock owners are also concerned about the economic 
impacts of some EFR projects on their livelihood.
    5. Forest Resources: Declining forest resources throughout the 
district put remaining stands at risk. Some stands need fire to insure 
forest ecosystem health. However, extensive fuels buildup could cause 
high intensity fires, leading to stand replacement as well as 
firefighter safety issues. In addition, Native Americans have concerns 
over the health of pinyon pine tree stands, since the tree and its 
fruit are important in maintaining their traditions.
    6. Invasive, Nonnative Weeds: The significant resources required to 
fight noxious weed and cheatgrass invasions requires the cooperation of 
all landowners in affected areas in the district. Wildfire management 
is one of the most important factors affecting the spread of these 
weeds in the Elko District.
    7. Fire Suppression Costs and Affect on Local Rural Economies: 
Although high suppression costs affect all taxpayers, many local rural 
communities depend heavily on the influx of dollars from fire 
suppression efforts. Less fire suppression could lead to the saving of 
tax dollars and the possible improvement of some habitat values, 
however, several local economies may be negatively impacted by any 
changes.
    8. Community Assistance: Better communication, training, and 
cooperation with local communities would aid in reducing the threat 
from wildfire in the wildland urban interface, reduce arson, trespass, 
and negligence occurrence, and encourage fire prevention.
    BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 1610) require preparation of 
planning criteria to guide development of all resource management 
plans, revisions, and amendments. Planning criteria are based on: 
standards prescribed by applicable laws and regulations; agency 
guidance; the result of consultation and coordination with the public 
and other Federal, State and local agencies and governmental entities 
and Native American tribes; analysis of information pertinent to the 
planning area; and professional judgement. The following preliminary 
criteria were developed internally and will be reviewed by the public 
before being used in the amendment/EA process. After analysis of public 
input, they will become proposed criteria, and can be added to or 
changed as issues are addressed or new information is presented. The 
Elko Field Manager will approve all planning criteria, as well as any 
proposed changes:

--The fire management RMP amendment will be completed in compliance 
with FLPMA and all other applicable laws and regulations.
--The Elko Field Office Planning Interdisciplinary Team will work 
cooperatively with the State of Nevada, tribal governments, county and 
municipal governments, other Federal agencies, and all other interested 
groups, agencies, and individuals. Public participation will be 
encouraged throughout the planning process.
--The RMP amendment will establish the fire management guidance upon 
which the BLM will rely in managing the Elko District, for the life of 
both the Elko and Wells RMPs.
--The RMP amendment process will include an Environmental Assessment 
that will comply with all National Environmental Policy Act standards.
--The RMP amendment will emphasize the protection and enhancement of 
Elko District natural resources, while at the same time providing the 
public with opportunities for use of these resources.
--The lifestyles and concerns of area residents, including livestock 
grazing, recreational uses, and other land uses, will be recognized in 
the amendment.
--Any lands located within the Elko District administrative boundary 
which are acquired by the BLM, will be managed consistent with the 
amendment, subject to any constraints associated with the acquisition.
--The amendment will recognize the State's responsibility to manage 
wildlife.
--The amendment will incorporate the Nevada Rangeland Health Standards 
and Guidelines and be consistent with the Nevada Sage Grouse Management 
Guidelines.
--The planning process will involve Native American tribal governments 
and will provide strategies for the protection of recognized 
traditional uses.
--Decisions in the amendment will strive to be consistent with the 
existing plans and policies of adjacent local, State, Tribal and 
Federal agencies, to the extent consistent with Federal law.

    Freedom of Information Act Considerations: Public comments 
submitted for this planning amendment, including names and street 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review and 
disclosure at the Elko Field Office during regular business hours. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name or address from public review or from disclosure 
under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently 
at the beginning of your comments. Such requests will be honored to the 
extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: April 6, 2001.
Helen Hankins,
Elko Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 01-10210 Filed 4-24-01; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M