[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60252-60253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24299]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-040-1220-BY]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and To 
Consider Amending the Green River Resource Management Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

[[Page 60253]]


ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to 
consider amending the Green River Resource Management Plan (RMP) by 
designating the Pilot Butte/Wild Horse National Back Country Byway, and 
request for public participation.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering a National 
Back Country Byway designation for portions of Sweetwater County 
(Wyoming) Roads 4-14 and 4-53, crossing BLM-administered public lands. 
The BLM invites the public to participate in the planning effort and to 
identify management needs and issues associated with the proposed 
National Back Country Byway designation. If the planning effort results 
in a decision to designate a National Back Country Byway, the Green 
River RMP will be amended accordingly.

DATES: The BLM invites the public to identify issues and concerns to be 
addressed in the EA to be prepared for the potential RMP amendment. 
Submissions should be in writing or by e-mail (see addresses below) and 
must be postmarked no later than 30 days following the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Future public 
involvement activities, opportunities, and review/comment periods will 
be announced at least 15 days in advance through other notices, media 
releases, or mailings.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted in writing to: Field Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 
North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901, or by e-mail to: [[email protected]]. Comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at the Rock Springs 
Field Office during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), 
Monday through Friday, except legal holidays, and may be published as 
part of the 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Weynand, Assistant Field 
Manager, at the above addresses or e-mail, or at telephone number (307) 
352-0246. Persons wishing to be placed on the mailing list and to 
participate in the planning effort should contact Bernie Weynand, 
Assistant Field Manager, at the address, telephone number or e-mail 
address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under a cooperative agreement, the BLM, 
Sweetwater County, and the Cities of Rock Springs and Green River, 
Wyoming, have established a wild horse viewing and interpretive loop 
driving tour on portions of County Roads 4-14 and 4-53 crossing BLM-
administered public lands. These actions were addressed in an EA before 
they were implemented. BLM has determined that this interpretive 
driving loop meets the criteria for designation as a National Back 
Country Byway.
    While the proposed byway designation is in conformance with the 
general provisions of the Green River RMP decisions, a National Back 
Country Byway designation requires a specific land use planning 
decision. Because this particular designation was not one of the 
decisions previously made in the Green River RMP (1997), to do so now 
would require amending the RMP. The EA to be prepared will tier from 
the Environmental Impact Statement prepared for the Green River RMP as 
well as the EA prepared for the viewing areas and interpretive signs 
that have been put in place. The analysis will focus on the comparative 
socio-economic affects, along with any associated affects to other 
resources and land uses, of either designating or not designating the 
proposed byway.
    The planning effort will include opportunities for public 
participation. A public review and comment period will be held on the 
completed EA before a decision is made on the proposed byway 
designation.
    Any proposal to amend the Green River RMP decisions as a result of 
the planning effort will also be subject to protest by parties who 
participate in the planning process and who have an interest which is, 
or may be, adversely affected by the adoption of any RMP decision 
amendments, as provided by Title 43, Code of Federal Regulations, Sec.  
1610.5-2.

    Dated: May 6, 2002.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 02-24299 Filed 9-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P