[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 240 (Friday, December 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 76756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31416]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Closure Order Establishing Prohibitions On Shell Road Through 
Peoria Wildlife Area, New Melones Lake Project, Tuolumne County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of temporary closure to motorized vehicles.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation) New Melones Resource 
Office will temporarily close a portion of Shell Road to public vehicle 
traffic beginning December 15, 2002, and continuing through 
approximately April 15, 2003. The exact re-opening date will depend 
upon weather and resource conditions. The portion of Shell Road to be 
closed passes through Section 20, R14E, T1N, and continues through 
Section 19, R14E, T1N, MD Meridian, on property owned and managed by 
Reclamation. This section of the road passes through the Peoria 
Wildlife Mitigation Area, as defined in the Final Report, New Melones 
Lake Fish and Wildlife Resources Report, October 1991, page 16. The 
entire 2,500-acre Peoria Wildlife Mitigation Area will now be off-
limits to public vehicular access--with the exception of authorized 
parking areas and turnarounds located outside new gates to be 
established at the closure points on both ends of Shell Road on 
Reclamation property.

EFFECTIVE DATES: The closure will be effective December 15, 2002, 
through approximately April 15, 2003. Exact re-opening date will be 
dependant upon weather and resource conditions.

ADDRESSES: A map is available for inspection at Reclamation's New 
Melones Lake Visitor Center, located at 6850 Studhorse Flat Road, 
Sonora, California 95370. The map may be viewed between the hours of 10 
a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. To have a map mailed to your address, send your 
request to the above address, Attention: Shell Road Temporary Closure 
Map Request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region Public 
Affairs Office, at 916-978-5100 or Reclamation, New Melones Resource 
Office, 209-536-9094. Written comments will be accepted regarding this 
temporary closure now through December 15, 2002. Please send written 
comments to: Bureau of Reclamation, Attn: Jeff Laird, 6850 Studhorse 
Flat Road, Sonora, California 95370; Fax: 209-536-9652; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is being taken under 43 CFR Part 
423 to protect public safety and prevent additional resource 
degradation. Reclamation will prohibit public vehicle traffic on Shell 
Road and off-road throughout the Peoria Wildlife Area during the winter 
months in an effort to protect sensitive resources and preserve the 
existing roadway, which has become severely eroded and unsafe. 
Significant maintenance will be required to return the road to a safe 
condition for public vehicles. Vegetation damage, habitat destruction, 
erosion and sedimentation, and related resource impacts are increasing 
in this area. Natural resources continue to be damaged and public 
safety compromised by illegal actions including target shooting, 
poaching, off-road driving, fires, littering, dumping of large debris 
and hazardous materials, poaching, vandalism, and illegal camping.
    Planning for a draft Shell Road Corridor Management Plan to address 
these and other issues is currently in progress. By closing Shell Road 
temporarily this winter, further damage can be avoided while plans for 
improvements are devised and needed maintenance is performed.
    Public access by foot, horseback, and bicycle will not be impeded. 
The area will remain open to authorized public recreational activities 
including but not limited to legal hunting, hiking, rock climbing, 
horseback riding, bicycling, wildlife viewing, and sightseeing. Parking 
and turnaround areas will be located outside new gates to be 
established at the closure points on both ends of Shell Road on 
Reclamation property. Signage will be installed to notify the public of 
the closure.
    Exceptions to the vehicle closure will include Reclamation 
Operations and Maintenance personnel, law enforcement and fire 
department officers, and other agencies, entities, and individuals who 
have received express written authorization from Reclamation to enter 
the closure areas.
    This order is posted in accordance with 43 CFR part 423.3(b). 
Violation of this prohibition or any prohibition listed in 43 CFR part 
423 is punishable by fine or imprisonment for not more than six months 
or both.

    Dated: November 14, 2002.
Thomas J. Aiken,
Area Manager, Central California Area Office.
[FR Doc. 02-31416 Filed 12-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P