[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 145 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43902-43903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14939]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Ely Field Office, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA) and under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), a Draft Resource Management Plan and 
Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/EIS) has been prepared for public 
lands and resources administered by the Bureau of Land Management's Ely 
Field Office.

DATES: The comment period will end 120 days after the Environmental 
Protection Agency's Notice of Availability is published in the Federal 
Register announcing the availability of this DRMP/EIS. Comments on the 
DRMP/EIS must be received on or before the end of the comment period at 
the address listed below. Public meetings will be held during the 
comment period. Public meetings will be held in Nevada in the cities of 
Ely, Caliente, Mesquite, Las Vegas, Reno, and Tonopah. Any other public 
involvement activities will be announced at least 15 days in advance 
through public notices, media news releases, newsletter mailings, and 
on the Ely RMP Web site at http://elyrmp.ensr.com.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Ely RMP Team, BLM Ely 
Field Office, HC 33, Box 33500, Ely, Nevada 89301. Comments may also be 
sent by e-mail to [email protected]. Documents pertinent to the DRMP/EIS 
and written comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at the Ely Field 
Office at the address above during regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Responses to the 
comments will be published as part of the Proposed Resource Management 
Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to the mailing list contact Gene Drais, RMP Project 
Manager, at (775) 289-1880 or correspond by e-mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Ely RMP planning area is located in 
eastern Nevada in Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine Counties. The planning 
area addressed in the RMP contains 11,400,000 acres of public lands 
administered by the BLM Ely Field Office and the Caliente Field 
Station. The DRMP/EIS focuses on the principles of multiple use and 
sustained yield as prescribed by Section 202 of the FLPMA. The 
following participated in development of the RMP as cooperating 
agencies with special expertise: Duckwater Shoshone Tribe; Ely Shoshone 
Tribe; Great Basin National Park; Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; 
Lincoln County; Moapa Band of Paiutes; Nellis Air Force Base; Nevada 
Division of Minerals; Nevada Department of Transportation; Nevada 
Department of Wildlife; Nye County; Nevada State Historic Preservation 
Office; White Pine County; and Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
    The public is invited to review and comment on the range and 
adequacy of the draft alternatives and associated environmental 
effects. For comments to be most helpful, they should relate to 
specific concerns or conflicts that are within the legal 
responsibilities of the BLM and can be resolved in this planning 
process. The DRMP/EIS provides direction and guidance for the 
management of approximately 11,400,000 acres of public land located in 
Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine Counties in eastern Nevada. The DRMP/EIS 
will replace the Schell and Caliente Management Framework Plans 
approved in 1983 and 1981, respectively, and the Egan Resource 
Management Plan approved in 1987.
    The public involvement and collaboration process implemented for 
this effort included six open houses during scoping; presentations to 
interested organizations upon their invitation; presentations to and 
suggestions from the Mojave Southern Great Basin and the Northeastern 
Great Basin Resource Advisory Councils (RACs); and distribution of 
information via the Ely RMP website and periodic newsletters. A copy of 
the DRMP/EIS has been sent to individuals, agencies, and groups who 
requested a copy, or as required by regulation or policy.
    The DRMP/EIS considers and analyzes five (5) alternatives, 
including the No Action Alternative (Continuation of Existing 
Management), alternatives that emphasize restoration of ecological 
systems, commodity production, and exclusion of permitted discretionary 
uses, and the BLM's Preferred Alternative. These alternatives were 
developed based on public input including scoping (February through 
July 2003), numerous meetings with local, State, tribal, and Federal 
agencies (Cooperating Agencies), and informal meetings with interested 
organizations upon their request. The alternatives provide for an array 
of alternative land use allocations and variable levels of commodity 
production and resource protection and restoration. After comments are 
reviewed and any pertinent adjustments are made, a Proposed RMP and 
Final Environmental Impact Statement are expected to be available in 
the summer of 2006.
    The issues addressed in the formulation of alternatives include 
maintenance and restoration of resiliency to disturbed vegetation 
within the Great Basin, protection and management of habitats for 
special status species, upland and riparian habitat management, noxious 
and invasive plants, commercial uses (including livestock grazing, 
special recreation permits, mineral development, oil and gas leasing, 
rights-of-way and communication use areas), Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs), travel management, land disposal, and 
wild horses.
    The preferred alternative considers 3 existing ACECs totaling 
212,500 acres and 18 proposed new ACECs totaling 135,400 acres and 
ranging in size from 40 acres to 26,200 acres. The following types of 
resource use limitations would apply to restrictions on locations of 
rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, mineral exploration or 
development, disposal of lands and livestock use. For detailed 
information, see Chapter 2.5.22 of the Draft RMP/EIS.
    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. 
Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All 
submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their 
entirety.
    Review copies of the DRMP/EIS are available at the following 
locations in and near the planning area:

BLM Caliente Field Station
BLM Elko Field Office

[[Page 43903]]

BLM Ely Field Office
BLM Las Vegas Field Office
Ely Ranger District, Ely, Nevada
Great Basin National Park
Lincoln County Courthouse
Lincoln County Public Library
Nye County Courthouse
Nye County Public Library
White Pine County Courthouse
White Pine County Public Library

    The DRMP/EIS and other associated documents may also be viewed and 
downloaded in PDF format at the Ely RMP Web site at http://elyrmp.ensr.com.

Gene A. Kolkman,
Ely Field Office Manager, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 05-14939 Filed 7-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P