[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 218 (Friday, November 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65448-65450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24903]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-338-03-1610-00]


Notice of Availability of the King Range National Conservation 
Area Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) and associated Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the King Range National Conservation Area 
(NCA) located in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties, California. The 
Proposed RMP and Final EIS have been prepared in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and under authority of the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the King Range Act of 
1970 (Pub. L. 91-476), and BLM policies. The Proposed RMP was developed 
with broad public participation beginning with scoping meetings in 
November

[[Page 65449]]

2002, release of a Draft RMP/Draft EIS with public meetings in February 
and March 2004, and ongoing dialogue with a variety of publics. The 
Proposed RMP addresses management on the approximately 64,000-acre King 
Range NCA and the contiguous 5,000 acres of BLM-managed lands.

DATES: BLM Planning Regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any person 
who participated in the planning process, and has an interest that may 
be adversely affected, may protest. The protest must be filed within 30 
days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes a notice of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS availability in the 
Federal Register. More specific instructions and requirements for 
protests are contained in the Supplementary Information section of this 
notice.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS may be obtained from 
the following BLM locations: BLM Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon 
Road, Arcata, CA 95521, telephone (707) 825-2300; BLM King Range NCA 
Project Office, P.O. Drawer 189, Whitethorn, CA 95589, telephone (707) 
986-5400; or BLM California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-
1834, Sacramento, CA 95825, telephone (916) 978-4600; or requested by 
e-mail at [email protected]. The BLM will also announce the 
availability of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS through local media outlets, 
the current project mailing list, and on the BLM Arcata Field Office 
Web site (http://www.ca.blm.gov/arcata/index.html).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management, 
(707) 825-2300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The King Range Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-
476) established the King Range NCA. The Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (Pub. L. 94-579) expanded the area to its 
present size of approximately 64,000 acres. The King Range Act requires 
development of ``a comprehensive, balanced, and coordinated plan of 
land use, development, and management of the Area.'' The act also 
states ``that the plan will be reviewed and reevaluated periodically.'' 
An original plan was completed in 1974, and the present planning effort 
is the first comprehensive update to be undertaken.
    The King Range NCA encompasses 35 miles of Pacific coastline and 
provides for a range of outdoor recreation opportunities. The area 
contains three federally listed threatened fish species: southern 
Oregon/northern California coasts Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), 
northern California steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and California 
coastal Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and one federally 
listed threatened animal: northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis 
caurina).
    The BLM has considered an array of alternatives including specific 
land use allocations and prescriptions consistent with the legislative 
intent for the King Range NCA. Recreation and visitor-use management, 
forest health, fisheries and wildlife management, fire management, 
travel management, and community involvement in King Range NCA 
operations are addressed in these alternatives. The Draft RMP/Draft EIS 
examined four alternatives that respond to these issues. Alternative A 
is the No Action (current management) Alternative. Alternatives B, C 
and D present a range of management scenarios with varying amounts of 
natural resource restoration/use and differing levels of recreation use 
and developed facilities. The Proposed RMP Alternative is a combination 
of specific components from Alternatives B, C and D, and provides for a 
mix of management goals, allowable uses and actions that best address 
planning issues and conservation of resource values of the area.
    The planning process includes an opportunity for administrative 
review through a plan protest to the BLM Director should a previous 
commenter on the Draft RMP/Draft EIS believe that the decision has been 
issued in error. Only those persons or organizations who participated 
in the planning process may protest. Protests from parties having no 
previous involvement will be denied without further review. A 
protesting party may raise only those issues which were submitted for 
the record during the planning process. New issues raised during the 
protest period should be directed to the BLM, Arcata Field Manager, 
1695 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521 for consideration in plan 
implementation, as potential plan amendments, or as otherwise 
appropriate. The period for filing protests begins when the EPA 
publishes in the Federal Register its Notice of Receipt of the Final 
EIS containing the Proposed RMP.
    Protests must be filed in writing to: Director (210), Attention: 
Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035; or by overnight 
mail to: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, 
NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036. In order to be considered 
complete, the protest must contain, at a minimum, the following 
information:
    1. The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the 
person filing the protest.
    2. A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
    3. A statement of the part or parts of the plan being protested. To 
the extent possible, this should be done by reference to specific 
pages, paragraphs, sections, tables, maps, etc. included in the 
Proposed RMP.
    4. A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues which 
were submitted during the planning process or a reference to the date 
the issue or issues were discussed by the person participating, for the 
record.
    5. A concise statement explaining why the decision of the BLM 
California State Director is believed to be incorrect. This is a 
critical part of the protest. Take care to document all relevant facts. 
As much as possible, reference or cite the planning documents, 
environmental analysis documents, and available planning records (i.e., 
meeting minutes or summaries, correspondence, etc.). A protest which 
merely expresses disagreement with the proposed decision, in the 
absence of supporting data, will not provide additional basis for the 
BLM Director's review of the decision.
    To be considered ``timely'', the protest must be postmarked no 
later than the last day of the 30-day protest period. Also, although 
not a requirement, it is recommended that the protest be sent by 
certified mail, return receipt requested. E-mail and faxed protests 
will not be accepted as valid protests unless the protesting party also 
provides the original letter by either regular or overnight mail 
postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, 
the BLM will consider the e-mail or faxed protest as an advance copy, 
and it will receive full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM 
with such advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the 
attention of the BLM Protests Coordinator at (202) 452-5112, and e-
mails to [email protected]. Please direct the follow-up 
letter to the appropriate address provided above.
    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 their name and/or 
street address from public review or from disclosure under FOIA, must 
state this prominently at the beginning of their written comments. Such 
requests will

[[Page 65450]]

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.
    The Director will promptly render a decision on the protest. The 
decision will be in writing and will be sent to the protesting party by 
certified mail, return receipt requested. The decision of the Director 
will be the final decision of the Department of the Interior.

    Dated: July 20, 2004.
Lynda J. Roush,
Arcata Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 04-24903 Filed 11-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P