[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 149 (Friday, August 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 50457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19303]



[[Page 50457]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-610-01-1610-DQ]


Notice of Availability of the Northern and Eastern Colorado 
Desert Proposed Plan, an Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan, and the Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, California 
Desert District.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Northern and Eastern Colorado 
Desert Proposed Plan (NECO), an amendment to the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan, and 
associated Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).

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SUMMARY: NECO amends the CDCA Plan for a 5.5 million acre area in the 
southeastern part of the CDCA and provides for conservation of desert 
ecosystems for federal lands in the planning area on a landscape 
basis--for BLM lands, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Chocolate 
Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range, managed by the U.S. Marine Corps Yuma 
Air Station. NECO includes goals, objectives, management prescriptions, 
and monitoring in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976 for comprehensive management of desert 
ecosystems, including the recovery of two species listed under the 
federal Endangered Species Act: the desert tortoise and Coachella 
Valley milkvetch. The FEIS evaluates the Proposed Plan Amendments and 
three alternatives. The FEIS also includes public comments on the DEIS 
and BLM's responses to those comments.

DATES: Written protests on the FEIS will be accepted if received by 
September 3, 2002, by the Environmental Protection Agency. Instructions 
for filing protests are contained in the NECO document Cover Sheet just 
inside the front cover, and are included below under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the document are being mailed to those who 
received the DEIS or provided comments on the DEIS. The document is 
available for review on line at http://www.ca.blm.gov/cdd/land 
useplanning.html and is also available in hard copy or CDrom at the 
following addresses and telephone numbers:

BLM, 6221 Box Springs Blvd, Riverside, CA 92507; (909) 697-5200
BLM, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; (760) 252-6000
BLM, 300 So. Richmond Rd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555; (760) 384-5400
BLM, 690 W. Garnet, North Palm Springs, CA 92258; (760) 251-4800
BLM, 1661 So. 4th St., El Centro, CA 92243; (760) 337-4400
BLM, 101 W. Spikes Rd, Needles, CA 92363; (760) 326-7000

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard E. Crowe, BLM, 6221 Box 
Springs Blvd, Riverside, CA 92507; (909) 697-5216.
    Background Information: The Environmental Protection Agency 
published the Notice of Availability of the NECO DEIS in the Federal 
Register on February 23, 2001. The public review period on the DEIS 
began February 26, 2001 and ended November 1, 2001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following are the instructions from the 43 
Code of Federal Regulations 1610.5-2 for filing protests:
    (a) Any person who participates in the planning process and has 
an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the approval or 
amendment of a resource management plan may protest such approval or 
amendment. A protest may raise only those issues which were 
submitted for the record during the planning process.
    (1) The protest shall be in writing and shall be filed with the 
Director. The protest shall be filed within 30 days of the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency published the notice of receipt of 
the final environmental impact statement containing the plan or 
amendment in the Federal Register. For an amendment not requiring 
the preparation of an environmental impact statement, the protest 
shall be filed within 30 days of the publication of the notice of 
its effective date.
    (2) The protest shall contain:
    (i) The name, mailing address, telephone number and interest of 
the person filing the protest;
    (ii) A statement of the issue or issues being protested;
    (iii) A statement of the part or parts of the plan or amendment 
being protested;
    (iv) A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that 
were submitted during the planning process by the protesting party 
or an indication of the date the issue or issues were discussed for 
the record; and
    (v) A concise statement explaining why the State Director's 
decision is believe to be wrong.
    (3) The Director shall promptly render a decision on the 
protest. The decision shall be in writing and shall set forth the 
reasons for the decision. The decision shall be sent to the 
protesting party by certified mail, return receipt requested.
    (b) The decision of the Director shall be the final decision for 
the Department of the Interior.
    Mailing address for filing a protest:

Regular mail--U.S. Department of the Interior, Director, Bureau of Land 
Management (210), Attn: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 
20240.
Overnight mail--U.S. Department of the Interior, Director, Bureau of 
Land Management (210), Attn: Brenda Williams, Telephone (202) 452-5045, 
1620 ``L'' Street, NW., Rm 1075, Washington, DC 20036.

Alan Stein,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 02-19303 Filed 8-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P