[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 71072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26870]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-010-04-1020-DF]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on 
Sensitive Bird Species in Three Grazing Allotments in Elko County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and regulations at 40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508, the Bureau of Land Management, Elko Field Office, will be 
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the effects of 
three multiple use decisions on sensitive bird species in three grazing 
allotments in Elko County, Nevada.

DATES: This Notice initiates the 30-day public scoping period. Within 
30 days of the publication of this Notice, a public scoping meeting 
will be held at the BLM Elko Field Office, 3900 East Idaho Street, 
Elko, Nevada, to familiarize interested publics with the project and to 
identify issues and concerns to be addressed in the EIS. The scoping 
meeting will be announced through the local news media, newsletters, 
and the BLM Web site at www.nv.blm.gov/Elko at least 15 days prior to 
the event. Any additional public meetings, if necessary, will be 
announced similarly. Comments on issues can also be submitted in 
writing to the address listed below and for 30 days after publication 
of this Notice in the Federal Register. In addition to the ongoing 
public participation process, formal opportunities for public 
participation will be provided upon publication of the BLM Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

--E-mail: [email protected]
--Fax: (775) 753-0255
--Mail: Send to the attention of the Sensitive Species EIS Project 
Manager, BLM Elko Field Office, 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, NV 89801

    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the above address 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. 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 available for public inspection in 
their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Lister, Project Manager at the 
Elko Field Office, 3900 E. Idaho Street, Elko, NV 89801. Telephone: 
(775) 753-0200. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM is preparing this EIS to comply with 
a minute order issued by the Honorable Howard D. McKibben, U.S. 
District Judge, District of Nevada, on August 18, 2004 (CV-N-03-197-
HDM(VPC)). The order followed a hearing on a complaint against three 
final multiple use decisions (Western Watersheds Project and Committee 
for the High Desert v. Clinton R. Oke, Assistant Field Manager, Elko 
Field Office, et al.). The final decisions, which were left intact by 
the judge, are for the Sheep Allotment Complex, Big Springs Allotment 
and Owyhee Allotment. The Sheep Allotment Complex and Big Springs 
Allotments are located in the southeastern portion of Elko County, 
Nevada, and the Owyhee Allotment is in the northwest portion of Elko 
County.
    The order is to prepare the EIS with respect to burrowing owls, 
raptors and sage grouse on the Sheep Complex and the Owyhee Allotment, 
and sage grouse on the Big Springs Allotment. BLM will evaluate the 
impact of livestock grazing, to the extent applicable, to these 
sensitive bird species and consider springs, seeps, riparian areas and 
upland habitat.
    Preparation of the EIS will require coordination with the Nevada 
Department of Wildlife (NDOW). NDOW previously supplied information and 
commented on allotment evaluations on which the multiple use decisions 
were based. NDOW will be requested to supply additional information on 
the species to be analyzed and invited to participate in preparation of 
the EIS, possibly as a cooperating agency.

    Dated: September 23, 2004.
Helen M. Hankins,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 04-26870 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am]
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