[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 178 (Monday, September 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54001-54002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23440]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-050-1610-DO]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan and 
Associated Environmental Impact Statement for the Sloan Canyon National 
Conservation Area

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) and associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Sloan 
Canyon National Conservation Area.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) intends to prepare an RMP with an associated EIS for the Sloan 
Canyon National Conservation Area as directed in the Clark County 
Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 
107-282). The planning area encompasses approximately 48,438 acres of 
public land within Clark County, Nevada. 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), Public 
Law 107-282, and BLM policies. The public scoping process will identify 
planning issues and develop planning criteria, including evaluation of 
the existing Resource Management Plan (RMP). The BLM will work 
collaboratively with interested parties to develop and analyze 
management alternatives, taking

[[Page 54002]]

into account local, regional, and national needs and concerns.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. Comments and 
concerns on issues can be submitted in writing to the address listed 
below and will be most useful if BLM receives them within 30-days. All 
public meetings will be announced through the local news media, 
newsletters, and the BLM web site at http://www.nv.blm.gov/vegas 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 throughout the 
scoping, plan development, and EIS process. Interested state, local, 
and tribal governments are invited to participate. Public scoping 
meetings will be held in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City, 
Nevada. An outreach plan, including a public mailing list will be 
utilized and expanded to achieve the maximum possible early awareness 
and participation. In addition to the scoping process and on-going 
public participation plan, a formal opportunity to participate will 
occur upon publication of the draft RMP/EIS.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the BLM, Charles H. 
Carroll, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las 
Vegas, Nevada 89130, telephone (702) 515-5291. Documents pertinent to 
this RMP may be examined at the Las Vegas Field Office at the address 
listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact 
Charles H. Carroll, Las Vegas Field Office Environmental Protection 
Specialist and Team Lead for the BLM at Bureau of Land Management, Las 
Vegas Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 
89130, telephone (702) 515-5291.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The geographic area covered by the plan 
includes only those lands established as the Sloan Canyon National 
Conservation Area by Public Law 107-282, which is approximately 48,438 
acres. A map is available for review at the Las Vegas Field Office, 
4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130.
    An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the RMP and 
EIS in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Disciplines involved in the planning process will include 
specialists with expertise in public outreach, planning/NEPA, cultural 
resources, paleontology, wilderness management, desert ecology, special 
status species, recreation, public interpretation, visual resource 
management, and urban interface. Other areas of expertise will be added 
as necessary.
    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 major issue themes 
that will be addressed in the planning effort include:
    1. How will the cultural, natural, and wilderness resources be 
interpreted for visitors to the planning area and non-visitors who may 
have an interest in learning more about the resources?
    2. How will the cultural, natural, and wilderness resources of the 
Sloan Canyon NCA and the North McCullough Wilderness Area be preserved 
for the current and future generations?
    3. How will the management of the Sloan Canyon NCA be integrated in 
a manner that is compatible with the plans and needs of Native American 
tribes, the City of Henderson, Clark County, and other Local, State, 
and Federal agencies?
    4. How will the Sloan Canyon NCA Resource Management Plan be 
responsive to continually changing conditions, stemming primarily from 
an increasing urban interface?
    5. How will the Sloan Canyon NCA Resource Management Plan ensure 
the long-term protection of the area's resources while providing 
appropriate scientific research opportunities?
    6. How will visitors' activities and uses be managed in a manner 
that preserves the cultural, natural and wilderness resources while 
providing reasonable access to and enjoyment of the Sloan Canyon NCA?
    7. What facilities and infrastructure will be needed to provide 
visitor services, information, and administration of the Sloan Canyon 
NCA?
    After gathering public comments on what issues the plan should 
address, the suggested issues will be placed in one of three 
categories:

    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan;
    2. Issues resolved through policy or administrative action; or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan.

    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. The 
public is encouraged to help identify these questions and concerns 
during the scoping phase.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the Las Vegas Field Office during 
regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 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. 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.

    Dated: August 15, 2003.
Angie Lara,
Acting Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-23440 Filed 9-12-03; 8:45 am]
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