[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75830-75831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-7578]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-910-06-1220-PA]


Notice of Availability of the Sheep Complex, Big Springs and 
Owyhee Grazing Allotments Sensitive Bird Species Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement, Elko County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Sheep Complex, Big Springs and 
Owyhee Grazing Allotments Sensitive Bird Species Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS).

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(2)(c) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and regulations at 40

[[Page 75831]]

CFR Parts 1500-1508, the Bureau of Land Management, Elko Field Office, 
has prepared a Draft EIS on the effects of three multiple use decisions 
on sensitive avian species in Elko County, Nevada.

DATES: This notice initiates the public review period. Written comments 
on the Draft EIS will be accepted for 45 days following the date this 
Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register. An Open-
House Public Meeting will be held at the Bureau of Land Management Elko 
Field Office at 3900 E. Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada. The date and time 
of this public meeting will be announced through public notices, media 
news releases and/or mailing. This meeting will be scheduled no sooner 
than 15 days following the publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

--E-mail: [email protected]
--Fax: (775) 753-0255
--Mail: Send to the attention of the Sensitive Species EIS Project 
Manager, BLM Elko Field Office, 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, NV 89801. 
For those desiring a copy of the draft, a limited number of copies can 
be obtained from this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorrie West, EIS Team Co-Lead, at the 
Elko Field Office, 3900 E. Idaho Street, Elko, NV 89801. Telephone: 
(775) 753-0200. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM is preparing this EIS to comply with 
a minute order issued by the Honorable Howard D. McKibben, U.S. 
District Judge, District of Nevada, on August 18, 2004 (CV-N-03-197-
HDM(VPC)). The order followed a hearing on a complaint against three 
final multiple use decisions (Western Watersheds Project and Committee 
for the High Desert vs. Clinton R. Oke, Assistant Field Manager, Elko 
Field Office, et al.). The final decisions, which were left intact by 
the judge, are for the Sheep Complex Allotment, Big Springs Allotment 
and Owyhee Allotment. The Sheep Complex Allotment and Big Springs 
grazing allotments are located in the southeastern portion of Elko 
County, NV, and the Owyhee Allotment is in the northwest portion of 
Elko County.
    The order was to prepare the EIS with respect to burrowing owls, 
raptors and sage grouse on the Sheep Complex and the Owyhee Allotment, 
and sage grouse on the Big Springs Allotment. The issues analyzed 
included the impacts of livestock grazing proposed by the multiple use 
decisions and alternatives to the extent applicable to these sensitive 
bird species and considering springs, seeps, riparian areas and upland 
habitat.
    A range of alternatives (including the no-action alternative) was 
developed to address the issues.
    Comments received on the Draft EIS, including names and street 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the 
Elko Field Office during regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
Monday through Friday except holidays, and will be published as part of 
the Final EIS. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. 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.

    Dated: November 3, 2005.
Helen Hankins,
Field Office Manager.
 [FR Doc. E5-7578 Filed 12-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P