[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 4 (Friday, January 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 953-954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-115]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ 210-05-1610-DP-081A-241E]


Notice of Availability of Agua Fria National Monument and 
Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Agua Fria National Monument and 
Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
planning regulations, Title 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
1610.2(f)(3) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
Regulations, Title 40 CFR 1502.9(a), the BLM hereby gives notice that 
the Agua Fria National Monument and Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource 
Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS) is 
available for public review and comment. The National Monument 
encompasses 71,000 acres, and the Bradshaw-Harquahala planning area 
includes another 895,900 acres of the BLM-administered lands.

DATES: Written comments on the DRMP/DEIS will be accepted for 90 days 
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. Future meetings or 
hearings and any other public involvement activities will be announced 
at least 15 days in advance through local media.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be mailed to Teri Raml, Phoenix Field 
Manager, Agua Fria National Monument and Bradshaw-Harquahala Resource 
Management Plan, Phoenix Field Office, 21605 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix, 
Arizona 85027. You may also comment via the Internet using the comment 
tool of the interactive document, which can be accessed from a link on 
the Arizona Bureau of Land Management web page at http://www.az.blm.gov. Please submit Internet comments using this comment 
tool. The comment tool requires entering your name and address for 
comment submission. If you do not receive a confirmation from the 
system that we have received your Internet message, contact Chris 
Horyza at (623) 580-5500. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the 
address listed above. Oral comments will be accepted and recorded at 
any of seven public meetings to be held within 90 days of publication 
of this Notice. Exact dates, places, and times of public meetings will 
be posted on the Arizona BLM web page, or you may contact Chris Horyza 
at (623) 580-5500 for further information.
    Public comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at, Bureau of Land 
Management, 21605 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027 during 
regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:25 p.m.), Monday through Friday, 
except holidays. 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 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Horyza, Bureau of Land 
Management, 21605 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027; telephone 
(6223) 580-5500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A copy of the Agua Fria National Monument 
and Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement is available for review via the internet 
from a link at http://www.az.blm.gov (subject to change); electronic 
(on CD-ROM) and paper may be obtained from the Bureau of Land 
Management, Phoenix Field Office. Electronic (on CD-ROM) and paper 
copies may also be obtained by contacting Chris Horyza at the 
aforementioned address and telephone number. The Agua Fria National 
Monument and Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource Management Plan and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement is being developed by BLM. The 
DRMP/DEIS includes strategies for protecting and preserving the 
biological, cultural, recreational, geological, educational, 
scientific, and scenic values that the Monument was established to 
protect, and strategies

[[Page 954]]

that balance multiple uses of the BLM-administered lands in the 
Bradshaw-Harquahala planning area. The preferred alternative attempts 
to accomplish the above while achieving consistency between Forest 
Service, Arizona State Land Department, Arizona Game and Fish 
Department, the BLM, and other land managing agencies within the 
boundaries of both planning areas. The range of alternatives in this 
draft evaluates planning decisions brought forward from the current BLM 
planning documents, including the Lower Gila North Management Framework 
Plan and the Phoenix Resource Management Plan.
    The preferred alternative identifies four potential Areas of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC): Tule Creek ACEC, 640 acres to 
protect wildlife, riparian, and cultural resources; Vulture Mountain 
ACEC, 6,120 acres to protect high value raptor nesting habitat; Black 
Butte Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) ACEC, 8,260 acres to protect high 
value raptor nesting sites, rare cultural resources, and scenic values; 
and Harquahala Mountains ONA ACEC, 74,950 acres to protect unique 
biological assemblages, high value cultural resources, and outstanding 
scenic and primitive landscapes. The following types of use limitations 
would generally apply: (1) Except for Tule Creek, areas would be closed 
to mineral material disposal but open to other types of mineral 
development. Tule Creek would be withdrawn from all mineral 
development; (2) recreation uses would generally be dispersed and 
undeveloped and may be limited by season or location if ACEC values are 
threatened; (3) motorized and mechanized travel would be limited to 
designated routes; (4) vehicle routes that threaten ACEC values would 
be mitigated or closed; (5) visual resources would be allocated to VRM 
Class II. For detailed information, see the Special Area Designations 
sections of Chapter 2.
    Records of Decision will be prepared by the BLM for the Agua Fria 
National Monument Resource Management Plan and the Bradshaw-Harquahala 
Resource Management Plan in accordance with planning regulations 43 CFR 
part 1610 and NEPA at 40 CFR part 1502. The Agua Fria National Monument 
was established by Presidential Proclamation 7263 in January 2000. The 
Agua Fria National Monument Proclamation of 2000 affects only Federal 
lands and Federal interests located within the established boundaries.

    Dated: September 9, 2005.
Elaine Y. Zielinski,
Arizona State Director.
[FR Doc. 06-115 Filed 1-5-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-M