[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 83 (Monday, April 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21412-21413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10611]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ES-030-01-1610-DO]


Notice of Intent To Prepare the Lower Potomac River Coordinated 
Management Plan/Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Milwaukee Field Office, DOI.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a coordinated management 
plan.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), Milwaukee Field Office, intends to prepare a 
coordinated management plan (CMP) for the purpose of determining 
whether and where to acquire land in the Lower Potomac River project 
area located in Charles County, Maryland. No specific tracts have been 
targeted for acquisition.
    The planning efforts will follow the procedures set forth in title 
43 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Subpart 1600. The EA will be 
prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
regulations (40 CFR 1500, et seq.).
    The public has 30 days from the date of publication of this notice 
to send its ideas regarding the proposal described below in the 
``Supplementary Information'' and in the preliminary planning criteria 
sections. These comments should be written to help focus the plan on 
substantive issues and develop appropriate management alternatives. 
These comments may include specific resource data or information or 
locations where these data or information may be found.

DATES: The public scoping period commences with the publication 
of this notice. Comments must be postmarked no later than May 30, 2001 
to ensure the issues they raise are considered in the plan.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to the following addresses: 
James W. Dryden, Field Office Manager, Milwaukee Field Office, P.O. Box 
631, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0631 or Ed Ruda, Project Leader 
Manager, Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, 
Virginia 22153.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed Ruda, Project Leader at 
(703) 440-1663, or by electronic mail at ed_[email protected], or 
Howard Levine, Planning and Environmental Coordinator at (414) 297-
4463, or by electronic mail at howard_[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Congress has appropriated a total of 
$3 million in Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF) for the 
acquisition of lands by the BLM in the ``Douglas Point'' region of 
southwestern Charles County, Maryland. The planning area has been 
renamed Lower Potomac River Project Area.
    Prior to expending Federal money for acquisition, BLM must fulfill 
the requirements of Sections 202 and 205(b) of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1701, et 
seq.) (FLPMA). Under these requirements, any land acquisitions by 
BLM must conform with applicable land use plans. Currently, BLM has no 
land use plans in the State of Maryland. The Lower Potomac River 
Coordinated Management Plan/Environmental Assessment will fulfill that 
requirement. The plan will not identify any specific tracts for 
acquisition by the Federal Government, but will instead develop a set 
of criteria to evaluate proposals for acquisition in the future.
    The Lower Potomac River CMP will be developed cooperatively with 
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Charles County. By 
preparing a single plan, each agency's needs will be met and potential 
acquisitions can be evaluated within an overall conservation strategy 
for the region.
    The planning regulations require that BLM release for review a list 
of planning criteria that will guide development of the land use plan. 
The public is invited to review, comment and propose amendments to any 
of the following planning criteria:
    1. The plan will be completed in compliance with FLPMA and other 
applicable laws.
    2. The plan will include an Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared 
under the National Environmental Policy Act. If scoping reveals the 
potential for significant impact, BLM will prepare an environmental 
impact statement.
    3. The final plan will include a set of acquisition criteria that 
will be used to evaluate specific proposals either by Bureau motion or 
raised by willing sellers. Although land acquisition can be defined as 
fee title acquisition criteria, conservation easement acquisition, or 
mineral estate acquisition (less than fee), the terms of BLM's LWCF 
proposal, as approved by Congress, envision full fee acquisition.
    4. The economic benefits and costs of potential Federal 
acquisitions will be evaluated in the plan.
    5. Potential Federal acquisitions will be evaluated in the context 
of other land acquisitions made by the State of Maryland or not-for-
profit groups.
    6. Any lands acquired by BLM will be managed consistent with 
objectives

[[Page 21413]]

developed as a result of the plan and FLPMA.
    7. Lands purchased with LWCF money will be managed consistent with 
the BLM policies guiding such acquisitions, which includes limiting 
development. The construction of capital improvements (such as visitor 
centers, pavilions, and electricity, water or phone lines) are not 
anticipated at this time.
    8. Decisions in the plan will be consistent, to the maximum extent 
possible, with the policies, plans and programs of local Governments, 
State agencies and other Federal agencies, and the goals of the 
Chesapeake Bay Program.
    In addition, the Maryland State legislature has required certain 
information and analyses in any plans prepared for potential State 
acquisitions in the region. Given the fact that this will be a CMP, it 
will include the following items: Purchase Plan, Management Oversight 
Plan, Operating Plan, Public Access Plan, Forestry Management Plan, 
Wildlife Management Plan, and Water Management Plan.

    Complete records of all phases of the planning process will be 
available at the Milwaukee Field Office and are available upon request.

    Dated: April 9, 2001.
Chris Hanson,
Acting Milwaukee Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 01-10611 Filed 4-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-PN-P