[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 35994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17135]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-060-1220DH-01]


Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) is proposing to amend the West HiLine Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) for public lands in an area known as Loma/Vimy Ridge located in 
Chouteau County, Montana. The BLM is proposing to amend the off-road 
vehicle (ORV) designation for the public lands that are currently open 
seasonally or yearlong to motorized cross-country travel and designate 
the area as limited yearlong and also designate the roads and trails 
open to motorized vehicles. An environmental assessment will be 
prepared by the Havre Field Station to analyze the impacts of this 
proposal and any alternatives.

DATES: Comments and recommendations on this notice should be received 
on or before August 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to: Bureau of 
Land Management, Attention: Jody Peters, Havre Field Station, 1704 2nd 
Street West, Drawer 911, Havre, MT 59501.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jody Peters, 406-262-2832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Loma/Vimy Ridge Watershed planning 
effort would implement decisions of the West HiLine RMP, the Upper 
Missouri National Wild and Scenic River Plan, the Wood River Ranch 
Habitat Management Plan, and the Standards for Rangeland Health and 
Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management. The Loma/Vimy Ridge 
Watershed consists of two large blocks of public land located on or 
adjacent to Rowe Bench and Vimy Ridge, in Chouteau County, Montana. 
These lands are the high grounds between the Missouri, Teton, and 
Marias Rivers, where they converge. The land is in north central 
Montana about \1/2\ mile west of Loma and 11 miles northeast of Fort 
Benton. Surface ownership consists of approximately 11,450 acres of 
public land.
    About 850 acres of public land are currently designated as open to 
ORV use, 7,950 acres are designated as limited seasonally, and 2,650 
acres are within the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument 
where all motorized vehicle use off road is prohibited except for 
emergency or authorized purposes. Through the watershed planning for 
this area the BLM is proposing to change the open and limited 
seasonally designations to limited yearlong. The watershed plan will 
include a map showing the transportation network of roads and trails 
available for use under the terms and conditions set forth in the plan 
amendment.

(Authority: Sec. 202, Pub. L. 94-579, 90 Stat. 2747 (43 U.S.C. 
1712)).

    Dated: April 23, 2001.
Owen Billingsley,
Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 01-17135 Filed 7-9-01; 8:45 am]
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