[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 28 (Friday, February 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7299-7300]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2634]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Notice of Availability of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument 
Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
(FLPMA) of 1976 and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed 
Resource Management Plan (PRMP) and Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM). 
This planning activity encompasses approximately 52,947 acres of public 
land located in Jackson County in southwestern Oregon. The BLM has and 
will continue to work closely with all interested parties to identify 
management decisions that best protect public lands in the monument. 
Final decisions will supercede the Medford District Resource Management 
Plan completed in 1995 for lands within the CSNM area and provide 
direction for management of these public lands.

DATES: Publication of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Notice 
of Availability initiates a 30 day protest period. BLM Planning 
Regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) states 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 EPA publishes this notice in the Federal Register. 
Instructions for filing of protests are described in the ``Dear 
Interested Party'' letter of the CSNM PRMP/FEIS and included in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.
    Comments on the Proposed Plan and Final EIS may be submitted to 
Medford District Office, Attn: Howard Hunter, Project Manager, at the 
address listed below.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the CSNM PRMP/FEIS have been sent to affected 
Federal, state, and local government agencies and to known interested 
parties. The PRMP/FEIS is available for public inspection at the 
Medford District Office in Medford, Oregon, during regular business 
hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays). 
Interested persons may also review the PRMP/FEIS on the Internet at 
http://www.or.blm.gov/Medford/CSNM.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Howard Hunter, Project Manager, Bureau 
of Land Management, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, Oregon, 97504, telephone 
(541-618-2256) or fax (541-734-2400).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed management described in the 
PRMP/FEIS was developed based on the four alternatives examined in the 
Draft RMP/EIS (2002) and subsequent public review and comment on the 
Draft RMP/EIS (June 2002-December 2002).
    The proposed management detailed in the FEIS addresses vegetation 
management, transportation and access, livestock grazing, recreation, 
visitor use, facilities, and rights-of-way. The PRMP describes a 
management strategy for meeting the primary goals of the proclamation. 
An approved RMP/Record of Decision is expected to be available for the 
public by February 2005 after resolution of any protests.
    Comments on the Draft RMP/EIS received from the public and internal 
BLM review comments were incorporated into the proposed plan where 
appropriate. Public comments resulted in some additional analysis and 
the addition of clarifying text, but did not significantly change 
proposed land use decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the PRMP/FEIS may be found at 43 CFR 1610.5. A protest may 
only raise those issues which were submitted for the record during the 
planning process. 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, BLM will consider the e-
mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide BLM with such

[[Page 7300]]

advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of 
the BLM protest coordinator at 202-452-5112 and emails to Brenda--
Hudgens-W[email protected]. Please direct the follow-up letter to the 
appropriate address provided below. To be considered complete, your 
protest must contain (at minimum) the following information:
    (1) Name, mailing address, telephone number and the affected 
interest of the person filing the protest(s).
    (2) A statement of the part or parts of the proposed plan and 
issues being protested. To the extent possible, this should be done by 
reference specific pages, paragraphs, and sections of the FEIS.
    (3) 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.
    (4) A concise statement explaining why the proposed decision is 
believed to be incorrect. This is a critical part of your protest. 
Document all relevant facts, as much as possible. A protest merely 
expressing disagreement with the State Director's proposed decision 
without providing any supporting data will not be considered a valid 
protest.
    All protests must be in writing and mailed to the following 
address:

Regular Mail: Director, WO-210/LS-1075, Bureau of Land Management, 
Attn: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, Department of the Interior, P.O. Box 
66538, Washington DC, 20240.
Overnight Mail: Director, WO-210/LS-1075, Bureau of Land Management, 
Attn: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, Department of Interior, 1620 L Street 
NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.

    To be considered timely, your protest must be postmarked no later 
than the last day of the protest period. Though not a requirement, we 
suggest you send your protest by certified mail, return receipt 
requested. You are also encouraged, but not required, to forward a copy 
of your protest to the Project Manager at the address listed below. 
This may allow us to resolve the protest through clarification of 
intent or alternative dispute resolution methods.
    Please note that comments and protests, including names and street 
addresses, 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 name and/or street 
address from public review or from disclosure under FOIA, must state 
this prominently at the beginning of the written comment. Such request 
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or official organizations or business, 
will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.
    The Director will promptly render a decision on the protest. This 
decision will be in writing and will be sent to the protesting party by 
certified mail, return receipt requested. The decision of the Director 
shall be the final decision of the Department of the Interior.

Timothy B. Reuwsaat,
Medford District Manager, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 05-2634 Filed 2-10-05; 8:45 am]
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