[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 82 (Friday, April 29, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22368-22370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8541]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-050-1610-DQ-018E]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan 
and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the Dillon 
Field Office, Montana

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act (FLPMA) of 1976 and in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for public lands and resources 
administered by the BLM's Dillon Field Office. The PRMP/FEIS provides 
direction and guidance for the management of approximately

[[Page 22369]]

900,000 acres of public land and 1.3 million acres of Federal mineral 
estate located in Beaverhead and Madison Counties in southwestern 
Montana and replaces the Dillon Management Framework Plan approved in 
September 1979.

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 publishes 
this notice in the Federal Register. Instructions for filing a protest 
are described in the ``Dear Reader'' letter in the PRMP/FEIS and are 
also included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. 
The date ending the protest period will be announced through public 
notices, media news releases, newsletter mailings, and on the Dillon 
RMP Web site at http://www.mt.blm.gov/dfo/rmp after publication of the 
Notice of Availability by the Environmental Protection Agency. No 
extensions will be granted.

ADDRESSES: Documents pertinent to the PRMP/FEIS will be available for 
public inspection at the Dillon Field Office, 1005 Selway Drive, 
Dillon, Montana 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.mt.blm.gov/dfo/rmp 
and at locations in and near the planning area as detailed in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
    Protests must be submitted in writing and sent by regular mail to: 
Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attention: Brenda Williams, 
P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035, or by overnight mail (i.e., 
Federal Express) to: Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, 
Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, 
DC 20036. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for additional 
information on filing protests.

FOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Renee Johnson, RMP Project 
Manager, 1005 Selway Drive, Dillon, Montana, 59725, telephone (406-683-
8016), fax (406-683-2970), or e-mail ([email protected]). Do not 
send protests to these addresses--see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section for instructions on submitting a protest.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Dillon Field Office planning area is 
located in the southwestern portion of Montana in Beaverhead and 
Madison Counties. The area addressed in the plan contains 901,226 acres 
of public surface estate and 1,354,710 acres of Federal mineral estate 
administered by the BLM Dillon Field Office. The PRMP/FEIS focuses on 
the principles of multiple use and sustained yield as prescribed by 
Section 202 of the FLPMA. Beaverhead and Madison Counties participated 
in development of the plan as cooperating agencies with special 
expertise.
    The Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact 
Statement (DRMP/EIS) made available for review on April 9, 2004, 
addressed four alternatives: Alternative A (No Action/Continuation of 
Current Management), Alternative B (Agency Preferred), and two other 
alternatives (Alternatives C and D) that provide for variable levels of 
resource protection, commodity production, and land and resource 
allocations and uses. These alternatives were developed based on 
extensive public input and internal BLM discussions. The public 
involvement and collaboration process implemented for this planning 
effort began with a situation assessment conducted prior to scoping to 
identify public involvement strategies, and continued with five open 
houses in September and October 2001, an Information Fair in April 2002 
to discuss and gather data to be used in the plan, release of reports 
on Wild and Scenic River and Area of Critical Environmental Concern 
(ACEC) findings in 2002 and 2003, respectively, release of an RMP 
Digest document in January 2003 describing the current situation 
followed by nine alternative development workshops in February 2003, 
incorporation of recommendations from three Western Montana RAC 
subgroups, five open houses in May 2004 after release of the DRMP/EIS, 
two oral comment meetings, and additional RAC review.
    The major issues addressed in the alternatives include upland and 
riparian management, forest and woodland management, noxious weeds, 
sage grouse and westslope cutthroat trout conservation, commercial uses 
(including livestock grazing, mineral development, oil and gas leasing, 
right-of-ways and communication use areas), Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs), Wild and Scenic Rivers, and travel 
management.
    Adjustments and clarifications have been made to Alternative B, the 
Preferred Alternative in the DRMP/EIS, after careful consideration of 
both public and internal comments received on the draft. As modified, 
Alternative B is now the Proposed Plan as presented in the PRMP/FEIS, 
providing a balance of resource uses and protections. These adjustments 
did not result in any significant change to the plan outside the range 
of alternatives detailed in the draft. The Proposed Plan will help BLM 
meet its mandate of multiple use and sustained yield, and recommends 
the designation of eight new ACECs. Restrictions on uses or activities 
in ACECs will only occur to the degree necessary to prevent degradation 
of relevant and important values for which an area is designated.
    Documents pertinent to the PRMP/FEIS are available for public 
inspection at the Dillon Field Office, 1005 Selway Drive, Dillon, 
Montana during regular business hours, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except holidays. Copies of the PRMP/FEIS have been sent 
to individuals, agencies, and groups as requested or as required by 
regulation or policy. Interested persons may also view the PRMP/FEIS on 
the Internet at http://www.mt.blm.gov/dfo/rmp or at one of the 
following locations in and near the planning area:

Beaverhead County Courthouse, Commissioner's Office, Dillon
BLM Butte Field Office
BLM Dillon Field Office
BLM Ennis Field Station
BLM Missoula Field Office
Bozeman Public Library
Dillon Public Library
Ennis Public Library
Lima Town Hall
Madison County Courthouse, Commissioner's Office, Virginia City
Red Rocks Refuge, Lakeview
Sheridan Forest Service Office
Twin Bridges Public Library
Whitehall Public Library
Wisdom Forest Service Office
Wise River Forest Service Office

    The resource management planning process provides an opportunity 
for public, administrative review of proposed land use plan decisions 
contained in the PRMP/FEIS during a 30-day protest period. Any person 
who participated in the planning process for this PRMP/FEIS that has an 
interest which is or may be adversely affected may protest approval of 
the land use plan decisions contained within the PRMP/FEIS during this 
30-day period. 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 that 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-

[[Page 22370]]

mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM 
protest coordinator at 202-452-5112 and e-mails to [email protected]. Please direct the follow-up letter to the appropriate 
address provided below. To be considered complete, your protest must 
contain (at a 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 issue or issues being protested;
    (3) A statement of the part or parts of the proposed plan being 
protested. To the extent possible, reference specific pages, 
paragraphs, and sections of the document;
    (4) A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that 
were submitted during the planning process or an indication of the date 
the issue or issues were discussed with the BLM for the record;
    (5) 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 (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attn: 
Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington DC, 20035. Overnight Mail: 
Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Brenda Williams, 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. The date ending the protest period will be 
announced through public notices, media news releases, newsletter 
mailings, and on the Dillon RMP Web site at http://www.mt.blm.gov/dfo/rmp after publication of the Notice of Availability by the 
Environmental Protection Agency. No extensions will be granted. Though 
not a requirement, we suggest you send your protest by certified mail, 
return receipt requested.
    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. An 
Approved Plan/Record of Decision will be made available to the public 
following the resolution of any protests. Approval will be withheld on 
any portion of the PRMP/FEIS under protest until final action has been 
completed on such protest.
    Please note that protests and comments, 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 requests 
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.

    Dated: January 21, 2005.
Martin C. Ott,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 05-8541 Filed 4-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P