[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 140 (Tuesday, July 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43368-43369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18560]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-030-1610-DO]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Combined Amendment to the Carson 
City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan and a Revision 
to the Naval Air Station Fallon Integrated Natural Resources Management 
Plan, Known as the Churchill County Plan, and Associated Environmental 
Impact Statement

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Carson 
City Field Office in partnership with the Department of Defense, U.S. 
Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a combined amendment to the Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM) Carson City Field Office (CCFO) Consolidated 
Resource Management Plan (CRMP) and a revision to the Naval Air Station 
Fallon (Navy) Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) and 
associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the BLM intends to prepare 
an amendment to the CRMP with an associated EIS for the Carson City 
Field Office to address energy resources, fire management, off-highway 
vehicle (OHV) use and designations, and Churchill County open space 
needs. The Navy intends to revise their INRMP in this plan to address 
the same issues stated for the BLM and new issues at the Fallon Naval 
Air Station related to National Security. The planning area is 
primarily limited to Churchill County, Nevada for all issues with the 
exception of energy resources, which will be addressed for all lands 
managed by the CCFO. The BLM and Navy will work collaboratively and 
cooperatively with interested parties to identify management decisions 
that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs and 
concerns.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. Comments can 
be submitted in writing to the address listed below and will be 
accepted throughout the preparation of the Draft CRMP/Draft EIS. All 
public meetings will be announced through the local news media, 
newsletters, scoping

[[Page 43369]]

documents, and the BLM Web site at http://www.nv.blm.gov/carson at 
least 15 days prior to the event. Public meetings will be held 
throughout the plan scoping and preparation period. In order to ensure 
the widest range of public participation and input, public open house 
meetings will be held, at a minimum, in Fallon and Reno, Nevada. Early 
participation is encouraged and will assist in determining future 
management of public and Navy lands. In addition to the ongoing public 
participation process, formal opportunities for public participation 
will be provided through comment on the draft and final documents.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to BLM Carson City Field 
Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 89701; Fax (775) 885-
6147; email address [email protected]. Comments, including names and 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the 
above address during regular business hours (7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.), Monday 
through Friday, except holidays, and may be published as part of the 
EIS. 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. However, we will 
not consider anonymous comments. 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 
made available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, write to 
the above address or call Gary Ryan (BLM/Navy Liaison, Project Manager) 
at (775) 426-4011; Terri Knutson (BLM Environmental Planner) at (775) 
885-6156; or Chip Kramer (Navy Environmental Coordinator) at (775) 426-
3186.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Carson City Field Office CRMP is a 
compilation of all Resource Management Plans and Amendments that have 
been completed for lands managed by the CCFO. Although energy resources 
are marginally addressed in the CRMP, site-specific suitability or non-
suitability analysis is lacking and energy resources other than 
geothermal and oil and gas are not referenced or analyzed. The Fallon 
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe has expressed to BLM their concern regarding 
sacred or religious sites and has requested participation in any land 
use planning for the area. The Navy has indicated a need to revise 
their INRMP to address new issues relevant to the base and other Navy-
controlled lands. Churchill County is updating their Master Plan to 
include open space designations and resource preservation. In addition 
to the BLM lands, Churchill County contains lands managed by the Navy, 
the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS), and the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone and Walker River Paiute Tribes. 
To best serve the needs of all, it was agreed that a joint planning 
effort addressing overall public needs would be pursued. By combining 
these efforts several issues such as CCFO and countywide energy 
development; potential Naval Air Station Fallon expansion; open space 
preservation; urban interface and fire management; recreational 
opportunities and impacts; threatened, endangered, and sensitive 
species protection; and the protection of lands sensitive to the Tribes 
will be assessed in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. It is 
expected that this amendment to the BLM Carson City CRMP will also 
serve as a revision of the Navy INRMP. An EIS will be prepared jointly 
and a record of decision (ROD) will be signed by both parties. 
Churchill County and the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe will be planning 
partners and formal cooperating agencies for the EIS. Federal, state, 
and local agencies, Tribal entities, and other individuals or 
organizations who may be interested in or affected by the decisions to 
be made in this plan amendment are invited to participate in the 
scoping process and, if eligible, may request, or be requested by the 
BLM and Navy, to participate as a cooperating agency.

    Dated: June 18, 2003.
John O. Singlaub,
Manager, Carson City Field Office.
[FR Doc. 03-18560 Filed 7-21-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P