[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 43268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20776]



[[Page 43268]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR-020-1220-EA; G 01-0165]


Revocation of the Moratorium on the Number of Commercial 
Outfitting Permits and Designation of Special Areas for the Public Land 
Administered by the BLM, Burns District

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Burns District, Interior.

ACTION: Revocation of the moratorium on the number of commercial 
outfitting permits and designation of special areas for the public land 
administered by the BLM, Burns District.

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SUMMARY: The BLM, Burns District is revoking the existing moratorium on 
new commercial outfitting Special Recreation Permits (SRPs). New 
commercial outfitting SRP applications will be accepted for the entire 
BLM, Burns District which includes the Andrews and Three Rivers 
Resource Areas. All commercial, competitive, and organized group permit 
applications must be received at least 180 days before the intended use 
unless otherwise approved by the Authorized Officer.
    The lifting of this moratorium does not guarantee specific SRP 
approval and issuance. BLM will consider evidence of user conflicts, 
resource impacts, and consistency with recreation management 
objectives, and other relevant information in determining whether or 
not to issue a specific SRP. Processing of an SRP application that is 
accepted will include appropriate environmental analysis and 
documentation.
    The BLM, Burns District established a moratorium on all new 
commercial outfitting permits for public land on June 15, 1999 (Federal 
Register, Volume 64, No. 95, on Tuesday, May 18, 1999/Notices). The 
moratorium provided that BLM would hold commercial use at the 1999 
levels while conducting an environmental review of commercial 
outfitting. Shortly after this time, Congress began consideration of 
special legislation to govern management of the Steens Mountain Area. 
On October 30, 2000, the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and 
Protection Area (CMPA) and the Steens Mountain Wilderness Area were 
designated through the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and 
Protection Act (Act) of 2000, Public Law 106-399. Section 111 of the 
Act provides a number of criteria for BLM management of the land, 
including managing the land in a manner that ``recognizes and allows 
current and historic recreational use.'' The legislation also obligates 
BLM to develop, within 4 years after the date of the enactment of the 
Act, a comprehensive plan for the long-range protection and management 
of the Federal land included in the CMPA, including the Wilderness 
Area.
    BLM will meet this planning requirement through preparation of the 
Andrews Resource Area/Steens Mountain CMPA Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is scheduled to 
begin later this fiscal year and to be completed in 2004. The RMP 
currently in affect for the Three Rivers Resource Area is scheduled to 
be updated within the next 3 years. Long-term use levels for organized 
groups and commercial permittees will now be determined through the RMP 
process. SRPs are a means to manage commercial, competitive, and 
organized group recreational users of public land. They are issued as a 
means to control visitor use, protect recreational and natural 
resources, monitor impacts, and provide for the health and safety of 
visitors. Relevant regulations are found in 43 CFR 8372.
    Given the current recreational interest in the Burns District, the 
BLM finds that it is preferable to lift the moratorium rather than 
delay issuance of SRPs until the planning efforts are completed. To 
delay SRP issuance until after the plans are completed would 
potentially deny compatible forms of recreational use in the interim 
without just consideration of the public's needs. Any applications 
received by BLM will also provide valuable data for preparation of the 
comprehensive plan, because BLM will be able to gauge current interest 
in commercial and organized group recreational use in the area. The 
environmental analysis and documentation to be done for each new permit 
will also be used in the development of the RMPs.
    The BLM is also designating the CMPA and the Wilderness Study Areas 
within the Burns District as special areas as provided for in 43 CFR 
8372.1-2. This special area designation will require organized groups 
to obtain a SRP or other proper authorization to conduct certain 
activities within these areas. The Authorized Officer determines when a 
permit is required based on resource concerns, user conflicts, and/or 
the need for monitoring.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information may be obtained 
from Evelyn Treiman, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Burns District Office, 
HC 74-12533 Hwy 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738, (541) 573-4442.

    Dated: August 2, 2001.
Thomas H. Dyer,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 01-20776 Filed 8-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P