[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 57 (Monday, March 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13648-13649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7237]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-067-02-1610-JP-064B]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an amendment to the California 
Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) 
in the Western Colorado section of Imperial County, CA.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.2(c), notice is hereby given that the 
Bureau of Land Management proposes to amend the CDCA Plan, as amended 
in 1980. The proposed amendment will establish or revise designations 
of areas and trails for off-road vehicles in accordance with 43 CFR 
part 8342. The proposals will pertain to public lands addressed by the 
California Desert Conservation Area Plan in Imperial County that lie 
west of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Chocolate Mountain 
Gunnery Range (excluding the Imperial Sand Dunes) and the western 
boundary of the CDCA in San Diego County, California. The proposed plan 
amendment will include an EA in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act and CFR 1610.5-5.

DATES: The public is invited to submit comments on the scope of the 
plan amendment and EA. Written comments will be accepted until May 17, 
2002. Two (2) public meetings California area. The times and places for 
meetings will be published in the Imperial Valley Press and the Yuma 
Daily Sun.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Greg Thomsen, Field Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, El Centro Field Office, 1661 South 4th 
Street, El Centro, CA 92243-4561. Comments, including names and 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the El 
Centro Field Office during normal working hours (7:45 AM to 4:30 PM, 
except holidays), and may be published as part of the EA or other 
related documents. Individuals may request confidentiality. If you wish 
to withhold your name or address from public review or from disclosure 
under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this promptly at 
the beginning of your comment. Such requests will be honored to the 
extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses 
will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arnold F. Schoeck, Lead Outdoor 
Recreation Planner, at the above address, telephone number (760) 337-
4441, or e-mail at Arnold_Schoeck.ca.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public input from previous public meetings 
and written comments in response to previous designations efforts will 
be used to define issues. Preliminary issues identified include: 
providing for off-highway vehicle use; providing adequate vehicle 
access for other casual uses; visitor safety; providing protection for 
Peninsular Bighorn Sheep and Flat-tailed Horned Lizards; and homeland 
defense (i.e., US-Mexican Border issues).
    Planning criteria will include honoring valid existing rights. The 
CDCA amendment will be consistent with officially approved resource 
related plans, policies and programs of other Federal agencies, State 
and local governments, and Indian Tribes. The proposed route of travel 
designation changes to the CDCA Plan requires a formal plan amendment 
before the designation changes can be implemented. The amendment 
process and ORV trail designations shall be conducted in compliance 
with the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), planning 
regulations (43 CFR part 1600), ORV trail designation regulations (43 
CFR part 8340), BLM manual guidance, and all applicable Federal laws 
affecting BLM land use decisions and ORV designations. The planning 
process shall include an EA with a biological evaluation prepared in 
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 
the President's Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 
CFR part 1500), and Bureau guidance.
    The Bureau intends to rely largely on existing route inventory 
data, information obtained from coordination with other federal, state, 
and local

[[Page 13649]]

agencies, and consultation with Indian tribes, and public comments.
    Three alternatives are anticipated to be: (1) A No Action 
Alternative that will maintain the existing designations. (2) The 
Updated Designation Alternative that will propose the designation 
changes identified in the previous update effort (1997). (3) A 
Protection Alternative that will propose additional seasonal closures 
and route closures in addition to changes in the Updated Designation 
Alternative.

    Dated: March 15, 2002.
Greg Thomsen,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 02-7237 Filed 3-22-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1610-40-P