[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2901-2903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1659]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-220-01-1020-JA-VEIS]


Changes to the Schedule and Scope of Public Scoping Meetings for 
the Environmental Impact Statement for Vegetation Treatments, 
Watersheds and Wildlife Habitats on Public Lands Administered by the 
Bureau of Land Management in the Western United States, Including 
Alaska

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Supplemental Notice to Change to Dates for Public Scoping 
Meetings and change the scope of the EIS.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the BLM will prepare a national, 
programmatic EIS and conduct public scoping meetings on BLM's use of 
prescribed burning, biological control, cultural practices, mechanical, 
and chemical treatment of vegetation, including noxious weeds and other 
invasive species in public lands management. These methods will 
continue to be integrated into BLM's efforts to conserve and restore 
native vegetation, watersheds and wildlife habitats to protect people, 
sustain natural resources and provide for long-term multiple uses. The 
EIS addresses public lands administered by BLM in 16 western states, 
including Alaska. The public may submit comments during the initial 
scoping period through March 29, 2002.

DATES: You may submit written comments through March 29, 2002. The BLM 
will hold public scoping meetings to focus on human and environmental 
concerns, identify possible alternatives, and identify significant 
issues related to the proposed action.
    New dates for the postponed Salt Lake City, Utah; Rock Springs, 
Wyoming; Socorro, New Mexico; and Phoenix, Arizona meetings are as 
listed in the following schedule:

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          Date and time                       Locations                              BLM contact
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January 22, 6-9 p.m.............  BLM Office Conference Room, 345    Kim Leany (435) 688-3208.
                                   E. Riverside Drive, St. George,
                                   UT.
January 23, 5-8 p.m.............  Utah Dept. of Natural Resources    Verlin Smith (801) 539-4055.
                                   Bldg., 1594 W. North Temple,
                                   Salt Lake City, UT.
January 24, 2-5 p.m. and 6-9 p.m  Grand Vista Hotel, 2790            Harley Metz (970) 244-3076.
                                   Crossroads Blvd., Grand
                                   Junction, CO.
January 29, 4-7 p.m.............  Miles Community College--Room      Jody Weil (406) 896-5258.
                                   106, 2715 Dickinson, Miles City,
                                   MT.
January 30, 3-6 p.m.............  Western Wyoming Community          Lance Porter (307) 352-0252.
                                   College, Room 1003, 2500 College
                                   Drive, Rock Springs, WY.
January 31, 4-7 p.m.............  Elks Lodge, 604 Coburn Avenue,     Janine Terry (307) 347-5194.
                                   Worland, WY.
February 4, 3-5 p.m. and 6-9 p.m  Holiday Inn Crown Plaza, 2532 W.   Deborah Stevens (602) 417-9215.
                                   Peoria Avenue, Phoenix, AZ.
February 5, 5-8 p.m.............  Sacred Heart Parish Hall, 507      Jennifer Purvine (530) 233-7932.
                                   East 4th Street, Alturas, CA.
February 11, 5-8 p.m............  U.S. Forest Service, Helena        Jody Weil (406) 896-5258.
                                   National Forest Headquarters,
                                   2880 Skyway Drive, Helena, MT
                                   (across from airport).
February 13, 6-9 p.m............  Vista Inn, 2645 Airport Way,       Barry Rose (208) 373-4014.
                                   Boise, ID.
February 14, 6-9 p.m............  College of Southern Idaho, 315     Eddie Guerrero (208) 736-2355.
                                   Falls Ave, Shields Bldg, Room
                                   117, Twin Falls, ID.
February 19, 4-7 p.m............  BLM-Nevada State Office, 1340      JoLynn Worley (775) 861-6515.
                                   Financial Blvd., Reno, NV.
February 21, 2-5 p.m and 6-9 p.m  Hilton Garden Inn, 3650 East       Mike Brown (775) 753-0200.
                                   Idaho Street, Elko, NV.
February 25, 6-9 p.m............  Holiday Inn Express--Neptune       Margie Onstad (505) 838-1256.
                                   Room, 1100 North California,
                                   Socorro, NM.
February 26, 5-8 p.m............  Holiday Inn Select, 801 Truxton    Stephen Larson (661) 391-6099.
                                   Ave, Bakersfield, CA.
February 28, 6-9 p.m............  Valley Library, 12004 East Main,   Kathy Helm (509) 536-1252.
                                   Spokane, WA.
March 4, 6-9 p.m................  Days Inn City Center, 1414 SW      Chris Strebig (503) 952-6003.
                                   6th, Portland, OR.
March 6, 3-6 p.m................  Anchorage Field Office--BLM, 6881  Gene Terland (907) 271-3344.
                                   Abbott Loop Road, Anchorage, AK.
March 12, 9 a.m.-12 noon........  Washington Plaza Hotel--Franklin   Sharon Wilson (202) 452-5130.
                                   Room, 10 Thomas Circle,
                                   (Massachusetts and 14th Street),
                                   Washington, DC.
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ADDRESSES: For further information, to provide written comments, or to 
be placed on the mailing list for this EIS, contact Brian Amme, Project 
Manager, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-
0006; telephone (775) 861-6645. Comments will be available for public 
inspection at the BLM Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd.; Reno, 
Nevada 89502.
    Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish 
your name and/or address withheld from public review or disclosure, you 
must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. Such 
requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions 
from organizations or 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: This national, programmatic EIS will support 
implementation of the Department of the Interior's cohesive strategy 
plan for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. The EIS will also provide a 
comprehensive cumulative analysis of the variety of vegetation 
treatments BLM employs for the conservation and restoration of 
vegetation communities, watersheds and wildlife habitats that are 
designed to protect people, sustain natural resources and provide for 
long-term multiple uses (as specified in locally developed land use 
plans). Conservation and restoration activities analyzed in this 
document include prescribed fire, riparian restoration, native plant 
community restoration, invasive plants and noxious weeds treatments, 
understory thinning, forest health treatments, or other activities 
related to restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. The EIS will:
     Consider state-specific, reasonably foreseeable 
activities, including hazardous fuels reduction treatments.
     Address human health risk assessments for proposed use of 
new chemicals on public lands.
    The EIS is not a land-use plan or a land-use plan amendment. It 
will provide a comprehensive document to allow effective tiering to the 
EIS and serve as a baseline cumulative impact assessment for other new, 
revised or existing land use and activity level plans that involve 
vegetation, wildlife habitat and watershed treatment, modification or 
maintenance.
     An updated EIS is necessary for BLM to analyze proposed 
treatments on more than 6 million acres annually. Treatments will 
include prescribed and managed natural fire, Integrated Weed 
Management, hazardous fuels reduction, Emergency Stabilization and 
Rehabilitation, and landscape-level restoration initiatives such as 
Great Basin Restoration Initiative. Current average annual acres of 
treatment selected in the existing BLM records of decision (RODs) 
equate to about 500,000 acres for the combined western states.
     The analysis area includes only surface estate public 
lands administered by 11 BLM state offices: Alaska, Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana (Dakotas), New Mexico (Oklahoma/
Texas/Kansas), Nevada, Oregon (Washington), Utah and Wyoming 
(Nebraska).
     This EIS will consolidate four existing BLM vegetation 
treatment EISs developed between 1986 and 1992 into one programmatic 
document for the western United States, including Alaska. The EIS will 
update information and change to reflect new information and changed 
conditions on public lands since that time.
    The BLM has initially identified the following issues for analysis 
in this programmatic EIS: hazardous fuels reduction and treatments, 
including mechanical treatments, treatments benefitting wildlife 
habitat, restoration of ecological processes (predominately fire), 
watershed and vegetation community health treatments. It will consider 
the effects of these treatments on new listings of threatened and 
endangered species and on other sensitive and special status species, 
cultural properties and Native American/Alaskan Native subsistence 
practices. The EIS will also analyze new chemical formulations for 
herbicides deemed to be more environmentally favorable, smoke 
management and air quality, emergency stabilization and rehabilitation 
treatments following wildfire, and the effects of treatments on

[[Page 2903]]

vegetation, soils, watershed and water quality.

Henri Bisson,
Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and Planning.
[FR Doc. 02-1659 Filed 1-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P