[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 180 (Friday, September 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56077-56078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20917]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-939-04-1610-00]


Notice of Availability of the California Coastal National 
Monument Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, and under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft 
Resource Management Plan (RMP)/Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM) that is now 
available for public review.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft RMP/Draft EIS will be accepted for 
90 days following the Environmental Protection Agency's publication of 
the Notice of Availability for this Draft RMP/Draft EIS in the Federal 
Register. Future public meetings and any other public involvement 
activities will be announced at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media news

[[Page 56078]]

releases, mailings, and/or the project Web site at http://www.ca.blm.gov/pa/coastal_monument/.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Rick Hanks, California 
Coastal National Monument, 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA 93940 or by 
Fax at (831) 647-4244, or e-mail at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Rick Hanks, California 
Coastal National Monument, 299 Foam Street, Monterey CA 93940 or 
telephone (831) 372-6115 or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CCNM was established by Presidential 
Proclamation on January 11, 2000, under the discretionary authority 
given to the President of the United States by Section 2 of the 
Antiquities Act of 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431). The purpose of 
the CCNM, as stated in the Presidential Proclamation, is to protect 
``all unappropriated or unreserved lands and interest in the lands 
owned or controlled by the United States in the form of islands, rocks, 
exposed reefs, and pinnacles above mean high tide within 12 nautical 
miles of the shoreline of the State of California.'' The Presidential 
Proclamation tasked the Secretary of the Interior, through the BLM with 
the ultimate responsibility for ensuring protection and providing long-
term management of the CCNM.
    The CCNM consists of more than 20,000 rocks and small islands 
situated within an offshore area of more than 14,600 square nautical 
miles that stretches the entire length of the 1,100 miles of the 
California coastline. The CCNM, however, totals no more than 1,000 
acres of exposed surface area. The CCNM does not include Santa Catalina 
and the other Channel Islands (although it does include some of the 
rocks associated with the Channel Islands), the Farallon Islands, the 
islands of San Francisco Bay, or rocks and islands under the 
jurisdiction of the military, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Forest Service, or other landowners. The CCNM is within the 
jurisdiction of five BLM California field offices and adjoins or 
borders on 10 California State Park district offices, 11 California 
Department of Fish and Game's Marine Division field offices, six 
National Park Service units, a variety of military properties 
(including Vandenberg Air Force Base), 15 California coastal counties, 
and dozens of municipalities, as well as being above four National 
Marine Sanctuaries and the subsurface responsibilities of the USDI 
Minerals Management Service and the California State Lands Commission.
    During the initial scoping process for the plan, eight public 
meetings were held in towns and cities along the California coast 
(i.e., Trinidad, Elk, Bodega Bay, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Laguna 
Beach, and San Francisco) in order to solicit input for use in the 
development of the draft plan. Based on the direction provided in the 
Presidential Proclamation, comments received during the scoping 
process, and input from the multi-agency/organization interdisciplinary 
team overseeing the development of the CCNM planning effort, five issue 
areas were identified for analysis in the Draft RMP/Draft EIS. The 
Draft RMP/Draft EIS examines four alternatives that respond to these 
issues. The issues include the following: (1) How will biological 
resources be protected? (2) How will cultural, geologic, and visual 
resources be protected? (3) How will BLM coordinate its CCNM planning 
and management activities to be consistent with the numerous 
jurisdictions that have existing plans and policies associated with the 
Coastal Zone? (4) How will people's activities and uses along the coast 
be affected by management of the CCNM? and (5) What programs, 
facilities, infrastructure, and partnerships are needed to provide the 
public with interpretive and educational material regarding the values 
and significance of the CCNM? Alternative A is the No Action 
Alternative (i.e., continuation of existing management condition). 
Alternative B, C, and D present a range of management scenerios with 
varying amounts of natural resource protection and focus and differing 
levels of recreation/interpretation actions and facilities. Alternative 
B is the Preferred Alternative. Alternatives C and D are variations in 
management approaches from Alternative B.
    Please note that comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, are available for public review and/or release under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. Respondents who wish to withhold names and/or street 
address from public review or from disclosure under FOIA, must state 
this prominently at the beginning of the written comment. Such requests 
will be honored 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 or organizations or businesses, will be made available for 
public inspection in their entirety.
    Copies of the Draft RMP/Draft EIS have been sent to affected 
Federal, tribal, State, and local government agencies, and to 
interested publics and are available at the California Coastal National 
Monument headquarters at 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA. In addition, 
copies of the Draft RMP/Draft EIS may be viewed at the following BLM 
offices: California State Office, Information Access Center, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA; Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Rd., 
Arcata, CA; Ukiah Field Office, 2550 North State St., Ukiah, CA; 
Hollister Field Office, 20 Hamilton Court, Hollister, CA; Bakersfield 
Field Office, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA; Palm Springs/South 
Coast Field Office, 690 W. Garnet Ave., North Palm Springs, CA; and 
California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, 
Moreno Valley, CA. Information regarding additonal viewing 
opportuntities may be announced through public notices, media news 
releases, mailings, and/or the project Web site at http://www.ca.blm.gov/pa/coastal_monument/ monument/. The Draft RMP/Draft EIS and associated 
documents may be viewed and downloaded in PDF format at the CCNM Web 
site at [email protected].

    Dated: March 25, 2004.
J. Anthony Danna,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.
[FR Doc. 04-20917 Filed 9-16-04; 8:45 am]
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