[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 93 (Wednesday, May 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25901-25902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11976]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT010-1060-JJ]
[WY930-1060-JJ]


Notice of Public Hearing on the Use of Helicopters and Motor 
Vehicles To Gather Wild Horses From Public Lands in Montana and 
Wyoming.

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing date inviting comment on the use of 
helicopters and motor vehicles to gather and remove excess wild horses 
from public lands administered by the

[[Page 25902]]

Bureau of Land Management in Montana and Wyoming.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will conduct a public 
hearing on the use of helicopters and motor vehicles to gather wild 
horses from BLM-administered lands in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse 
Range, Montana. The hearing will be held at the Bighorn Canyon National 
Recreation Area Visitor Center, in Lovell, Wyoming, on Thursday, June 
26, 2003, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Montana Billings Field Office has 
scheduled wild horse gathering operations to begin no earlier than July 
7, 2003, and may continue through September 30, 2003. Concurrently, the 
Wyoming State Office will conduct a public hearing on the use of 
helicopters and motor vehicles to gather wild horses from all the BLM 
Wyoming's Herd Management Areas (HMAs).
    The Wyoming BLM proposes to conduct gather operations using 
helicopters and motorized vehicles during the period starting July 15, 
2003, through April 15, 2004. The 2003 schedule of Wyoming gathers has 
not been set, but will be scheduled based on priority needs. The 
Wyoming BLM will notify the public in advance of the gathering dates 
for its HMAs as they are determined.
    The Wild, Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act (Act), as amended (Pub. 
L. 92-195) provides for the removal of excess wild horses from public 
land; and for the use of aircraft and motor vehicles by the BLM in all 
phases of the administration of the Act. The Code of Federal 
Regulations at 43 CFR 4740.1 requires the BLM authorized officer to 
conduct a public hearing in the area where such use of helicopters and 
motorized vehicles is to be made. The June 26, 2003, meeting in Lovell, 
Wyoming, will serve as the BLM's required hearing addressing all HMAs 
in the entire State.

ADDRESSES: Bureau of Land Management, Billings Field Office, Linda 
Coates-Markle, PO Box 36800, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, Montana 
59107-6800 and Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, Alan 
Shepherd, PO Box 1828, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003-
1828.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Coates-Markle, Montana BLM State 
Wild Horse and Burro Specialist, telephone (406) 896-5013. Alan 
Shepherd, Wyoming BLM State Wild Horse and Burro Program Lead, 
telephone (307) 775-6097.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Montana BLM completed the Pryor Mountain 
Wild Horse Range Environmental Assessment (EA) and Wild Horse Gather 
and Removal Plan on April 16, 2003. The Prior Mountain Wild Horse Range 
EA and associated Plan are available for public review. Copies may be 
obtained from the above address or by accessing the BLM-MT Web site at 
http://www.mt.blm.gov/bifo/whb/doc2.html.
    The Wyoming BLM has completed the following EAs and Wild Horse 
Gather and Removal Plans:
    [sbull] EA for Wild Horse Gathering Inside and Outside Wild Horse 
Herd Management Areas and approved in the Decision Record and Finding 
of No Significant Impact for Wild Horse Gathering Inside and Outside 
Wild Horse Herd Management Areas, July 14, 1999, (WY-040-EA9-041). Also 
in the EA for Late Winter Gathering of Wild Horses in the Rock Springs 
Field Office Area and approved in the Decision Record and Finding of No 
Significant Impact for the Late Winter Gathering of Wild Horses in the 
Rock Springs Field Office Area. February 16, 2001, (WY-040-01-EA-019), 
Rock Springs Field Office, Rock Springs, Wyoming; (307) 352-0256.
    [sbull] Maintaining Viable Populations of Wild Horses on Healthy 
Rangelands in the Adobe Town HMA in the Rawlins Field Office 
Jurisdiction (EA No. WY-030-02-EA-007). January 2002, Rawlins Field 
Office, Rawlins, Wyoming; (307) 328-4200.

Copies of these EAs are available by request from the Field Office that 
prepared the EA and plan or by accessing the BLM-WY Web site at http://www.wy.blm.gov/wildhorses/docs.html.

    Dated: May 7, 2003.
Michael Madrid,
Acting State Director.


    Dated: May 8, 2003.
Eddie Bateson,
Assistant Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-11976 Filed 5-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P; 4310-22-P