[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 104 (Thursday, May 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 37859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13571]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-650-01-1220-JG-064B]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an amendment to the California 
Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Surprise Canyon in Panamint Mountains, Inyo County, CA.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.2(c), notice is hereby given that the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to amend the CDCA Plan (1980 
as amended). The proposed amendment will establish or revise trail 
designations for off-road vehicles within the Surprise Canyon Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The authority to designate is in 
accordance with 43 CFR 8342. The proposals will pertain to public lands 
addressed by the California Desert Conservation Area Plan in Inyo 
County that lie east of Highway 178 and approximately 23 miles north of 
the community of Trona. The proposed plan amendment will include an EIS 
in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and CFR 
1610.5-5.
    The EIS will evaluate a full range of alternative means of access 
into the Surprise Canyon ACEC. During the 30 days scoping period, the 
public can assist the BLM in developing the range of alternatives that 
will be addressed.

DATES: The public is invited to submit comments on the scope of the 
plan amendment and EIS. Written comments will be accepted for 30 days 
from the publication date of this notice in the Federal Register. The 
specific date, time, and location of public scoping meetings will be 
announced by the Ridgecrest Field Office.

ADDRESSES: Scoping comments in response to this notice should be sent 
to Hector Villalobos, Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 300 
South Richmond Road, Ridgecrest CA 93555, (760) 384-5405. Comments, 
including names and addresses of respondents, will be available for 
public review at the Ridgecrest Field Office during normal working 
hours (7:45 AM to 4:30 PM, except holidays), and may be published as 
part of the EIS 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 you 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: Jeffery Aardahl, Bureau of Land 
Management, Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 South Richmond Road, 
Ridgecrest CA 93555, (760) 384-5420.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 29, 2001, BLM implemented an interim 
closure to all motorized vehicles on Route P71 in the Surprise Canyon 
Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The closure will remain in 
effect until the plan amendment is approved and implemented.
    The following are preliminary issues identified: (1) The canyon 
area currently does not meet the BLM's minimum standards for a properly 
functioning riparian system due to soil erosion and streambed 
alternations caused by motorized vehicle use; (2) several federal and 
state sensitive plant and animal species that inhabit the area are 
being affected; and (3) value of the canyon area for recreation, 
including use of motorized vehicles.
    The preliminary planning criteria include: (1) 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; (2) 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 
1600), ORV trail designation regulations (43 CFR 8340), BLM manual 
guidance, and all applicable Federal laws affecting BLM land use 
decisions and ORV designations; (3) the planning process shall include 
an EIS 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 1500), and 
BLM guidance.
    The public is invited to submit written information to the BLM that 
will be used to identify issues, concerns and opportunities related to 
various alternative means of access in the Surprise Canyon ACEC. Those 
members of the public who simply want to be placed on the mailing list 
for this project can make such a request in writing. All such 
information and requests should be submitted in writing to: Field 
Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 S. 
Richmond Rd., Ridgecrest, CA 93555, Attn: Resources Management Branch 
Chief.
    Digital electronic photos and maps of the Surprise Canyon area can 
be found at: http://www.ca.blm.gov/ridgecrest.

    Dated: April 12, 2002.
Alan Stein,
Acting California Desert District Manager.
[FR Doc. 02-13571 Filed 5-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P