[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 110 (Monday, June 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34417-34418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14448]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO-200-1220-PA]


Notice of Intent To Prepare the Arkansas River Travel Management 
Plan and Amend the Royal Gorge Resource Management Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management; Royal Gorge Field Office, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare the Arkansas River Travel 
Management Plan and to consider amending the Royal Gorge Resource 
Management Plan (RMP).

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) intends to initiate a comprehensive planning effort to 
address Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) travel and other related road and 
trail issues for a portion of the Royal Gorge Field Office. The plan, 
entitled the Arkansas River Travel Management Plan (TMP), will focus 
specifically on those BLM Public Lands that lie between Canon City and 
Salida, Colorado, and involves approximately 210,000 acres of Public 
Lands located in central and western Fremont County and northern Custer 
County, CO. The TMP will amend the Royal Gorge RMP. The TMP and plan 
amendment implement decisions made in the Royal Gorge RMP to limit OHV 
use to designated roads and trails, and to develop local travel 
management plans with public participation. The amendment process will 
be used to establish a system of designated roads and trails that meets 
the needs of the public and protects the cultural and natural resources 
of the Public Lands. The amendment and associated EA will be prepared 
pursuant to the BLM planning regulations in 43 CFR part 1600. The plan 
will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth by the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act (FLPMA), and BLM management policies. The BLM will work 
collaboratively with interested parties to identify the management 
decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs 
and concerns. The public scoping process will identify planning issues 
and develop planning criteria. The EA will analyze and compare the 
impacts of any changes in OHV designation and management with the 
continuation of current management, and other alternatives that may be 
identified. The TMP is being prepared through coordination with other 
federal, state

[[Page 34418]]

and local agencies, and affected public land users.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. Comments on 
issues and concerns can be submitted in writing to the address listed 
below and will be accepted throughout the creation of the Draft RMP 
amendment/EA. All public meetings will be announced through the local 
news media, newsletters, and the BLM Web site at: http://www.co.blm.gov/ccdo/canon.htm, at least 15 days prior to the event. The 
minutes and list of attendees for each meeting will be available to the 
public and open for 30 days to any participant who wishes to clarify 
the views they expressed.
    Public Participation: Public meetings will be held during the plan 
scoping period. Early participation is encouraged and will help 
determine the future travel management of the public lands involved in 
this amendment. In addition to the ongoing public participation 
process, formal opportunities for public participation will be provided 
through comment upon the publication of the BLM draft RMP amendment, 
EA, and an unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Bureau of Land 
Management, Royal Gorge Field Office, ATTN: Arkansas River TMP, 3170 
East Main Street, Canon City, CO 81212; FAX 719-269-8599. Documents 
pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Royal Gorge Field 
Office. Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, 
will be available for public review at the Royal Gorge Field Office 
during regular business hours (8 am to 4:30 pm), Monday through Friday, 
except 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 or 
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: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Dave Walker, Team Leader, 
at the Royal Gorge Field Office address listed above or by calling 
(719) 269-8545, or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The use of roads and trails for motorized 
and non-motorized recreation activities is an important use of BLM 
Public Lands. In response to recommendations made by the Front Range 
Resource Advisory Council, the BLM proposes developing a travel 
management plan and establishing OHV travel designations to restrict 
motorized travel to designated roads and trails. Preliminary issues and 
management concerns have been identified by BLM personnel, other 
agencies, and in meetings with individuals and user groups. They 
represent the BLM's knowledge to date on the existing issues and 
concerns with current management. The preliminary issues include: 
Impacts to public land users and adjacent private landowners; impacts 
to wildlife habitat; and impacts to water quality, vegetation, 
including riparian and wetland areas, and soils. These issues, along 
with others that may be identified through public participation, will 
be considered in the planning process. After gathering public comments 
on what issues the plan amendment should address, the suggested issues 
will be placed in one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
    2. Issues resolved through policy or administrative action; or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
    Rationale will be provided in the plan for each issue placed in 
category two or three. In addition to these major issues, a number of 
management questions and concerns will be addressed in the plan 
amendment. The public is encouraged to help identify these questions 
and concerns during the scoping phase.
    An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the plan 
amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified. Disciplines involved in the planning process will 
include specialists with expertise in rangeland management, minerals 
and geology, forestry, outdoor recreation, law enforcement, 
archaeology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, hydrology, 
soils, vegetation, and fire.
    Notification will be made to the Governor of Colorado, the Fremont 
and Custer County Commissioners, adjacent landowners, and potentially 
affected members of the public.

Roy L. Masinton,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-14448 Filed 6-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P