[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 165 (Friday, August 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 50401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16949]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR-027-1610-DR; HAG 05-0050]


Notice of Availability of Records of Decision for the Andrews 
Management Unit and Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and 
Protection Area Resource Management Plans (RMPs)/Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and the Steens Mountain Wilderness and Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Plan

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), the Steens 
Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 (Steens 
Act), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policies, the BLM announces 
the availability of the RMPs/RODs for the Andrews Management Unit (AMU) 
and Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA), 
located primarily in Harney County in southeastern Oregon. The Oregon/
Washington State Director approved the RMPs/RODs, which become 
effective immediately. In accordance with the Steens Act, BLM is also 
releasing the Final Steens Mountain Wilderness and WSRs Plan for 
pertinent lands within the CMPA.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the AMU and CMPA RMPs/RODs are available upon 
request from the BLM Burns District Office, 28910 Highway 20 West, 
Hines, OR 97738, via e-mail at [email protected], or via the 
Internet at http://www.or.blm.gov/Burns/Planning/AndrewsSteensRMP/RMP.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information about the plans may be 
obtained by contacting the RMP Project Leader, Gary Foulkes, BLM, Burns 
District Office, 29810 Highway 20 West, Hines, OR 97738, telephone 
(541-573-4400), fax (541-573-4411), or e-mail ([email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AMU and CMPA RMPs/RODs were developed 
with broad public participation over a three-year collaborative 
planning process. These RMPs/RODs address management on approximately 
1,649,470 acres of public land consisting of the 1,221,314-acre AMU 
(public land in the Andrews Resource Area outside the CMPA) and public 
land in the 428,156-acre CMPA. In addition, 53,436 acres of the Three 
Rivers Resource Area falling within the CMPA were also included in this 
planning effort, and the Three Rivers RMP is amended as a result. The 
AMU and CMPA RMPs/RODs are designed to achieve or maintain desired 
future conditions determined through the planning process. The RMPs 
include a series of management actions to meet the desired resource 
conditions for upland and riparian vegetation, wildlife habitats, 
cultural and visual resources, livestock grazing and recreation, 
wilderness, and WSRs, as well as other resources. The Steens Mountain 
Wilderness and WSRs Plan addresses management issues associated with 
the 170,084-acre wilderness area and the 105 miles of WSRs in the CMPA.
    Management activities in the approved AMU and CMPA RMPs/RODs are 
essentially the same as those described in Alternative D for each area 
in the AMU/CMPA Proposed RMP/Final EIS, which was published in August 
2004. BLM received five protests on the Proposed RMP/Final EIS and 
three comment letters on the Steens Mountain Wilderness and WSRs Plan. 
The protests were resolved without changes to the RMPs. No 
inconsistencies with State or local plans, policies, or programs were 
identified during the Governor's consistency review of the Proposed 
RMP/Final EIS. As a result, except for separating the text for the two 
plans, only minor editorial modifications were made in the RMPs/RODs. 
These modifications corrected errors that were noted during review of 
the Proposed RMP/Final EIS and provide further clarification for some 
of the decisions. The Comments received on the Steens Mountain 
Wilderness and WSRs Plan were considered during development of the 
Final Steens Mountain Wilderness and WSRs Plan.

James G. Kenna,
Associate State Director, Oregon/Washington.
[FR Doc. 05-16949 Filed 8-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-M