[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 118 (Monday, June 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 34394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13908]



[[Page 34394]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Plan Amendment to the California 
Desert Conservation Area Plan of 1980 and an Environmental Assessment 
(EA) To Evaluate Incorporation of the Management Areas and Research 
Area Identified in the Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard Rangewide Management 
Strategy, 2003 Revision, an Arizona-California Conservation Strategy 
(Strategy) Into Bureau of Land Management's California Desert Area Land 
Use Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701), as amended; the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321), as amended; and the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will prepare a plan amendment to the 
California Desert Conservation Area Plan of 1980 and an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) to evaluate incorporation of the Management Areas and 
Research Area identified in the Flat-tailed Horned Lizard Rangewide 
Management Strategy, 2003 Revision, An Arizona-California Conservation 
Strategy (Strategy) into BLM's California Desert Area land use plan.

DATES: BLM will accept written and electronic comments on the scope of 
the plan amendment until August 5, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by the following methods:
    Written: Gary Taylor, BLM Strategy Plan Amendment and EA, 1661 
South 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243.
    Electronic: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: For general information, including 
information on how to comment, you may contact Gary Taylor, Bureau of 
Land Management, El Centro Field Office, 1661 South 4th Street, El 
Centro, CA or phone (760) 768-4400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. If you wish BLM to withhold your name or street 
address, except for the city or town, from public view or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. We will honor 
requests to the extent allowed by law. BLM will not consider anonymous 
comments. 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.
    Background Information: BLM's El Centro Field Office is one 13 
participants in the conservation Strategy. BLM has signed the 2003 
Strategy as well as the previous 1997 Strategy. Because the Strategy 
requires a formal designation of the flat-tailed horned lizard (FTHL) 
Management Areas (MAs) and Research Area (RA), BLM proposes to evaluate 
formally incorporating the MAs and RA into BLM's CDCA Plan.
    The Strategy identifies and prioritizes numerous planning actions. 
Planning Actions 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.6 specifically identify the 
action to designate and complete the NEPA process for the East Mesa 
FTHL MA, West Mesa FTHL MA, the Yuha Desert FTHL MA, and Ocotillo Wells 
FTHL RA as shown in Figures 5-7, 9 in the Strategy. The Management 
Implementation Schedule identifies these planning actions as ``Priority 
1: An action that must be taken in the near term to conserve the 
species and prevent irreversible population declines.'' Because the 
Strategy is clear on the exact locations and boundaries for the MAs 
this plan amendment and EA will evaluate the East Mesa FTHL MA, West 
Mesa FTHL MA, the Yuha Desert FTHL MA and the Ocotillo Wells RA as 
described in the Strategy. BLM has considered changing the boundaries 
of the MAs and the RA, but has decided to limit the scope of this plan 
amendment and EA to evaluating the Strategy as signed in 1997 and 2003.
    The Plan amendment and EA will identify the preferred action as 
adopting the 3 MAs and one RA as identified in the Strategy. The EA 
will also address the no-action alternative of not adopting the MAs and 
the RA. The no-action alternative will not result in a Plan Amendment. 
Under the no-action alternative, BLM will continue to apply the 
Strategy to projects on a case by case basis, but would not formally 
adopt the MAs and the RA.
    As currently envisioned, the Plan amendment and EA will include the 
resource disciplines listed: wildlife and wildlife habitat including, 
vegetation, wilderness, ACECs, recreation, social, economic and 
demographics. The Plan amendment and EA will also address the direct, 
indirect, and cumulative impacts associated with the Strategy.
    The BLM anticipates that the plan amendment process will be 
completed in approximately four months. Additional opportunities for 
public involvement, including a schedule of any public meetings, will 
be announced separately from this notice.

Lynette Elser,
Acting Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 04-13908 Filed 6-18-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1610-24-P