[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 212 (Thursday, November 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55200-55202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-27454]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-030-01-1610-PD]


Notification of Approved Off Road Vehicle and Area of Critical 
Environmental Concern Designations, Southern Washoe County Urban 
Interface Plan Amendment, Nevada

January 9, 2001.
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Carson City Field Office, Nevada.

ACTION: Notification of Approved Off Road Vehicle and Area of Critical 
Environmental Concern Designation Decisions within the Southern Washoe 
County Urban interface Plan Amendment, Carson City Field Office, 
Nevada.

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SUMMARY: The Southern Washoe County Urban Interface Plan Amendment 
amends a portion of the Lahontan Resource Management Plan (RMP). The 
purpose is to provide for improved management of public lands in the 
Reno and Sparks metropolitan area. The amendment identifies areas where 
public lands will be retained in ownership by the people of the United 
States; areas where public lands are available for acquisition by State 
or local agencies or the private sector; areas appropriate for 
acquisition by the BLM; and how public lands will be managed.
    The Land Use Master Plans of Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County, and 
the Washoe County Regional Open Space Plan define and delineate open 
space in southern Washoe County. Open Space in Washoe County is defined 
as: Undeveloped land that encompasses natural, scenic, cultural, and 
recreational resources important to the local quality-of-life. A large 
portion of the land described in the above plans as

[[Page 55201]]

being consistent with open space values are public lands managed by the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City Field Office.
    All other uses of public land, not addressed in the plan amendment, 
will continue to be managed as provided for in the existing Lahontan 
RMP.
    Location: The planning area includes approximately 166,550 acres of 
public lands administered by the BLM in the urban interface of Southern 
Washoe County. The planning area is bounded by Bedell Flat to the 
north, Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation to the northeast, the Pah Rah 
Mountain Range and Storey County to the east and southeast, the State 
of California to the west, and Carson City to the south, and includes 
the communities of Reno and Sparks, Nevada.
    Copies of the Southern Washoe County Urban Interface Plan Amendment 
with maps are available from the following BLM office: BLM-Carson City 
Field Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, Nevada 89701.
    Public Participation: This RMP Amendment was developed through a 
joint planning process with Washoe County. Public scoping was initiated 
with a notice published in the Federal Register in July 1998. Notice of 
public open houses and an invitation for public comment were published 
in local newspapers and sent to known interested parties, government 
entities, and the Nevada State Clearinghouse. This was followed by two 
BLM/Washoe County joint public open houses held at the BLM Nevada State 
Office and the Washoe County Commissioner's Chambers in Reno in 
September and October 1998. Representatives from BLM and Washoe County 
also presented the proposed plan amendment to the following eight 
Washoe County Citizen Advisory Boards: Spanish Springs, Galena/
Steamboat, Sun Valley, North Valleys, Southeast Truckee Meadows, Cold 
Springs, East Washoe Valley, and Warm Springs. In addition, the 
proposal was presented to the following: Washoe County Planning 
Commission, Washoe County Parks Commission, Sparks Citizen Advisory 
Committee, Reno Southeast Neighborhood Advisory Board, Washoe Storey 
Conservation District, and the Nevada Division of Minerals.
    A Notice of Availability and Public Meeting for the Proposed 
Southern Washoe County Urban Interface Plan Amendment and Environmental 
Assessment, Proposed Designation of Three Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern, and Proposed Withdrawal of Public Land; Washoe 
County, Nevada was published in the Federal Register on July 24, 2000. 
This published notice initiated the 60-day comment period and Governors 
Consistency Review that ended on September 22, 2000. The notice also 
was published in local newspapers and the proposed plan amendment was 
sent to 532 interested parties, government entities, and the Nevada 
State Clearinghouse. A summary of comments from the 86 comment letters 
received and how these comments are addressed is found in Appendix A of 
the plan.
    A public open house was held at the BLM Nevada State Office in Reno 
on August 24, 2000, and was attended by 27 individuals. Representatives 
from BLM and Washoe County presented the proposed plan amendment to the 
following Washoe County Citizen Advisory Boards: Spanish Springs, 
Galena/Steamboat, Sun Valley, North Valleys, Southeast Truckee Meadows, 
Cold Springs, East Washoe Valley, and Warm Springs. Presentations were 
also made to the following: Sierra Front Northwestern Great Basin 
Resource Advisory Council, Washoe County Planning Commission, Washoe 
County Board of Commissioners, Sparks Citizen Advisory Board, Truckee 
Meadows Regional Planning Agency, joint meeting of Reno, Sparks, and 
Washoe County Parks and Recreation Commissions, Reno Parks Commission, 
Red Rock Property Owners Association.
    The Washoe Tribe, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, and the Pyramid 
Lake Paiute Tribe were consulted in conformance with the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the American Indian 
Religious Freedom Act, and the Environmental Justice Executive Order 
No.12898.
    Off Road Vehicle Designations: The following areas are designated 
Closed to All Motorized Vehicle Use:
    Fred's Mountain: Approximately 3,100 acres located west of Antelope 
Valley. The Closed Area includes all public land within:

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 22 N., R19 E.,
    Sec. 3
    Sec. 4
    Sec. 9
    Sec. 10 W\1/2\
    Sec. 15 W\1/2\
    Sec. 16
    Sec. 22

    Hungry Ridge: Approximately 1,940 acres located east of the Reno-
Sparks Indian Colony. The Closed Area includes all public land east of 
the ridge trail within:

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 21 N., R20 E.,
    Sec. 2
    Sec. 3
    Sec. 10

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 22 N., R20 E.,
    Sec. 23
    Sec. 26
    Sec. 35

    The following areas are designated Open to All Motorized Vehicle 
Use:
    Hungry Valley OHV Area: Located in Hungry Valley, the Open Area 
includes all public land within:

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 23 N., R20 E.,
    Sec. 16
    Sec. 17
    Sec. 18
    Sec. 19
    Sec. 20
    Sec. 21
    Sec. 22 W\1/2\ NW
    Sec. 22 SW\1/4\
    Sec. 27 west of Winnemucca Ranch Road
    Sec. 28
    Sec. 29
    Sec. 30
    Sec. 31
    Sec. 32
    Sec. 33
    Sec. 34
T. 22 N., R20 E.,
    Sec. 3
    Sec. 4
    Sec. 5
    Sec. 6
    Sec. 7
    Sec. 8
    Sec. 9
    Sec. 10
    Sec. 15
    Sec. 16
    Sec. 17
    Sec. 18
    Sec. 19
    Sec. 20
    Sec. 21
    Sec. 22
    Sec. 27
    Sec. 28
    Sec. 29
    Sec. 30
    Sec. 31
    Sec. 32
    Sec. 33
    Sec. 34
    T. 21 N., R20 E.,
    Sec. 5
    Sec. 6
    Sec. 7
    Sec. 8
    Sec. 17
    Sec. 18

    Lemmon Valley Motocross Area: Located in Lemmon Valley, the Open 
Area includes all public land within:

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 21 N., R19 E.,
    Sec. 8


[[Page 55202]]


    The following area is designated Limited to Designated Routes of 
Travel for all motorized vehicles.
    Swan Lake Nature Study Area: Located in Lemmon Valley, the Limited 
to Designated Routes of Travel include all public land within:

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 21 N., R19 E.,
    Sec. 22
    Sec. 28

    The off road vehicle designation for the remainder of the public 
land within the planning area is designated Limited to Existing Routes 
of Travel as of January 9, 2001.
    Areas of Critical Environmental Concern Designations: The following 
areas are designated as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC):
    Carson Wandering Skipper ACEC: Located in Warm Springs Valley, 
including all public land within:

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 23 N., R 20 E.,
    Sec. 15 W\1/2\ SE\1/4\
    Sec. 22 SE\1/4\

    Pah Rah High Basin (Dry Lakes) Petroglyph District ACEC: Located in 
Pah Rah Range, includes public lands within:

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 20 N., R 21 E.,
    Sec. 9
    Sec. 10
    Sec. 14
    Sec. 15
    Sec. 16
    Sec. 17
    Sec. 20
    Sec. 21
    Sec. 22
    Sec. 28
    Sec. 29

    Virginia Range Williams Combleaf Habitat Area ACEC: Located in 
Virginia Range, including all public lands within:

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 17 N., R 20 E.,
    Sec. 15 SW\1/4\ NW\1/4\
    Sec. 16 E\1/2\
    Sec. 16 E\1/2\ NW\1/4\
    Sec. 16 E\1/2\ SW\1/4\

    Future acquisitions within the planning area, acquired by exchange, 
donation, or purchase that fall under BLM jurisdiction, will be managed 
the same as adjacent BLM lands.
    Maps of the Off Road Vehicle Designations and Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern are available from the following BLM office: BLM-
Carson City Field Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, Nevada 
89701.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terri Knutson, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, BLM-Carson City Field Office, 5665 Morgan 
Mill Road, Carson City, Nevada 89701. Telephone (775) 885-6000. Persons 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Authority: Authority for these decisions is contained in CFR title 
43, chapter II, part 1610, subparts 1610.7-2 and CFR title 43, chapter 
II, part 8340, subparts CFR 8342 and 8343.
    Penalty: Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1733(a)), any person failing to comply with the designations 
provided in the notice, may be subject to imprisonment for not more 
than 12 months, or a fine in accordance with the applicable provisions 
of 18 U.S.C. 3571, other penalties in accordance with 43 U.S.C. 1733, 
or both.
    Administrative and Emergency Use: These designations do not apply 
to emergency or law enforcement personnel, or BLM employees engaged in 
the performance of their official duties.

    Dated: May 4, 2001.
Robert V. Abbey,
State Director, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 01-27454 Filed 10-31-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P