[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 62 (Friday, April 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16835-16836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6399]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-610-1610-DP]


Notice of Availability for the Proposed West Mojave 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 National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM) management policies, the BLM announces the 
availability of the Proposed West Mojave Plan (WMP) and Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This planning activity 
encompasses approximately 3.3 million acres of public lands 
administered by the BLM's California Desert District, located in Inyo, 
Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties in southern California.
    The Proposed WMP is being prepared in collaboration with State and 
local governments. This collaborative process is taking into account 
local, regional and national needs and concerns. The conservation 
strategy to be implemented on public lands includes measures that would 
be compatible with the development of a habitat conservation plan on 
3.0 million acres of private and local government lands within the 
planning area.

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 this notice 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 WMP and Final EIS are available upon 
request from the District Manager, California Desert District Office, 
located at 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553. 
Copies may be examined at the BLM's California Desert District Office 
in Moreno Valley, and at BLM's Ridgecrest Field Office, located at 33S 
Richmond Road, Ridgecrest CA 93555, and Barstow Field Office located at 
2601 Barstow Road, Barstow CA 92311, during regular business hours from 
7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to the BLM's mailing list, contact Linda Hansen, 
California Desert District Manager, at (909) 697-5207.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed WMP addresses the management of 
3.3 million acres of public lands administered by the BLM in eastern 
Kern County, southern Inyo County, northern Los Angeles County and 
western San Bernardino County, all of which are within the State of 
California. The BLM's Ridgecrest and Barstow Field Offices administer 
most of these public lands. A small amount of acreage administered by 
the BLM's Needles and Palm Springs Field Offices is also affected. All 
public lands are within the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA), 
and all lie within the jurisdiction of the BLM's California Desert 
District.
    The Proposed WMP is being prepared collaboratively with local 
jurisdictions, State and other Federal agencies. The purpose of the WMP 
is to develop conservation strategies for over 100 Federal and state-
listed plant and animal species that are found within the western 
Mojave Desert, including the federally listed as threatened desert 
tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and the state-listed Mojave Ground 
Squirrel (Spermophilus mohavensis), and to simplify procedures for 
complying with the Endangered Species Act of 1974 as amended, and the 
California Endangered Species Act. Other issues addressed include the 
development of a motorized vehicle access network for public lands in 
the region, and effects of the program on regional economics, growth-
inducing impacts, livestock grazing, mining, cultural resources and 
recreation. The WMP would be implemented on public lands through 
amendments to the BLM's CDCA Plan.
    The Final EIS considers and analyzes seven (7) alternatives (A-G), 
including a No Action Alternative, with Alternative A identified as the 
BLM's Proposed Alternative. These Alternatives have been developed 
based on extensive public input following an initial round of scoping 
meetings in January 1992, extensive biological and field survey work in 
the late 1990's, nearly 50 ``task group'' meetings attended by 
representatives of the participating agencies and jurisdictions and the 
general public between December 1999 and May 2002, numerous other 
public meetings, a final round of scoping meetings in June and July 
2002 and January 2003, and seven public hearings

[[Page 16836]]

held in June and July 2003 during the public review of the Draft EIS. 
The proposed action and alternatives were based on comments and 
suggestions offered during those meetings, hearings, and surveys.
    The seven alternatives analyzed provide for a wide array of land 
use allocations and management direction. The alternatives provide for 
variable levels of commodity production, resource protection, special 
areas, and authorized land and resource uses, including endangered 
species conservation, motorized vehicle access to public lands, 
livestock grazing and various forms of recreation. Necessary amendments 
to the BLM's CDCA Plan are addressed.
    The planning process includes an opportunity for administrative 
review through a plan protest to the BLM Director should a previous 
commentator on the Draft WMP/Draft EIS believe that the decision has 
been issued in error. Only those persons or organizations that 
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 that were submitted for 
the record during the planning process. New issues raised during the 
protest period should be directed to the BLM, California Desert 
District Manager, 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 
92553 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 WMP. 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 protest will not be accepted as valid 
protest 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 advanced copy, and the protest will receive 
full consideration. If the protestor wishes to provide the BLM with 
such advanced notification, faxed protests should be directed to the 
BLM Protest Coordinator at 202-452-5112, and e-mail to the attention of 
[email protected]. Please direct the follow-up letter to 
the appropriate address provided below.
    Protest 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 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 Final 
EIS.
    4. A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that 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 that 
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.
    Please note that comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, are available for public review an/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 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.

J. Anthony Danna,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 05-6399 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P