[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 221 (Thursday, November 15, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57477-57478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-28608]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-070-02-1610-DU]


Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the Headwaters Resource 
Management Plan and an Associated Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an amendment to the Headwaters 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) and an associated Environmental 
Assessment (EA).

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) intends to prepare an amendment to the Headwaters RMP 
and an associated EA. This process will develop a Travel Management 
Strategy that will identify a designated road and trail system to 
accommodate motorized and non-motorized recreation opportunities on 
approximately 28,000 acres in the Headwaters planning area. These lands 
are located east of Butte and northwest of Whitehall, in Jefferson 
County, Montana. The scoping comment period will commence with the 
publication of this notice. Formal scoping will end 30 days after 
publication of this notice. Comments should be received on or before 
the end of the scoping period at the address listed below. There has 
been extensive public involvement for this project over the past 
several years. Comments made during this process do not need to be re-
submitted.
    Public Involvement: The BLM is seeking comments from individuals, 
organizations, tribal governments, and Federal, State, and local 
agencies that are interested or may be affected by the proposed action. 
While public participation is welcome at any time, comments received 
within 30 days of the publication of this notice will be especially 
useful. To assist the BLM in identifying and considering issues and 
concerns on the proposed action, comments on the EA should be as 
specific as possible. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in 
addressing these points.

ADDRESSES: For further information, contact Steve Hartmann, 406-533-
7671, or Ruth Miller, 406-533-7645, Butte Field Office. Send written 
comments to Whitetail-Pipestone EA, Butte Field Office, 106 North 
Parkmont, Butte,

[[Page 57478]]

Montana, 59701. Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, 
may be published as part of this EA. Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality; if you wish to withhold your name or street address 
from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information 
Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written 
comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. 
All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1995, the U.S. Forest Service and BLM 
issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the Whitetail-Pipestone 
analysis area. In June 1998, the BLM implemented an Emergency Closure 
Order restricting motorized use to existing roads and trails until a 
Decision is issued for the Whitetail/Pipestone area. The purpose for 
this closure was to prevent further user-created trails and prevent 
damage occurring to cultural sites and riparian areas, and to prevent 
erosion and the spread of noxious weeds.
    In 2000, the Forest Service withdrew from the project due to budget 
reasons; the majority of the analysis area (84 percent) was Forest 
Service System lands. The BLM decided to proceed with an EA after the 
Western Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC) recommended the BLM 
continue with the project.
    Many roads and trails in the analysis area are user-created through 
repeated use for many years by miners, loggers, ranchers, or for 
recreation purposes. The proposed action would define a road and trail 
system and identify a method to prioritize roads and trails for 
maintenance, decommissioning, and new construction. Preliminary issues 
and management concerns identified to date are: (1) To bring recreation 
management into compliance with the 1984 BLM Headwaters Resource 
Management Plan; (2) to manage cultural properties in accordance with 
the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, the 
Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 and other appropriate 
Federal laws; (3) to address the changes in recreation activities 
during the last 10 years and to address the current and anticipated 
travel demands on public land in the project area; and (4) to manage 
recreation use while protecting cultural resources, water quality, 
soils, vegetation, wildlife and fisheries habitats, riparian areas, and 
other environmental components.

    Dated: October 2, 2001.
Richard M. Hotaling,
Butte Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 01-28608 Filed 11-14-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P