[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2956-2957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-399]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

National Park Service

[NM-930-1610-DP-NSHT]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Comprehensive Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement for the Old Spanish National Historic 
Trail; New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare a Comprehensive Management Plan and 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Trails System Act of 1968 (Pub. L. 
90-543), as amended, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Park Service (NPS) 
are initiating preparation of a Comprehensive Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement (CMP/EIS) for the Old Spanish National 
Historic Trail in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and 
California.

DATES: A public scoping period will commence on the date this Notice is 
published in the Federal Register and will end 120 days from the 
publication of this Notice. During the scoping period, the BLM and NPS 
will solicit public comment on issues, concerns, and opportunities that 
should be considered during the development and analysis of the CMP. To 
ensure full local community participation, public meetings will be held 
during the scoping period in New Mexico, in Santa Fe, Taos, Abiquiu, 
and Aztec; in Colorado, in Durango, Grand Junction, and Gunnison; in 
Arizona, in Kayenta and Page; in Utah, in Moab, Green River, and Cedar 
City; in Nevada, in Mesquite, Las Vegas, and Pahrump; and in 
California, in Barstow, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles. Dates and 
locations for public meetings will be announced through local news 
media, newsletters, and the Old Spanish Trail Web site hosted by the 
NPS, http://www.nps.gov/olsp. Written comments will be accepted during 
the development of the plan at the addresses below.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, request additional information, or 
request to be put on the mailing list for this planning effort, you may 
mail, hand deliver, or call your comments or requests to: Sarah 
Schlanger, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, P.O. Box 
27115, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, telephone (505) 
438-7454, fax (505) 438-7426, e-mail [email protected]; or Aaron 
Mahr, National Park Service, P.O. Box 728, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-
0728, telephone (505) 988-6736, fax (505) 986-5214, e-mail [email protected]. You may also comment through the Web site, http://parkplanning.nps.gov. Comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at the National Park 
Service, 1100 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico, during regular 
business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
holidays, and will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA). They also may be published as part of the EIS. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name or street address from public review or from 
disclosure under FOIA, you must state this prominently at the beginning 
of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent 
allowed by law. We will not consider anonymous comments. All 
submissions from organizations, businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety. All documents relevant to the plan development are available 
for review at the NPS address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Schlanger, Bureau of Land 
Management, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-0115, telephone 
(505) 438-7454, fax (505) 438-7426, e-mail [email protected]; or 
Aaron Mahr, National Park Service, P.O. Box 728, Santa Fe, New Mexico 
87504-0728, telephone (505) 988-6736, fax (505) 986-5214, e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The trail passes through federally-managed 
lands under the administration of the BLM, NPS, U.S. Forest Service, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of 
Engineers, and the Department of Defense, as well as through tribal 
lands, lands held in private hands, and lands under the administration 
of State and municipal agencies.
    The Old Spanish Trail was added to the National Trails System in 
2002 in keeping with the National Trails System Act, to ``promote the 
preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and 
appreciation of the open air, outdoor areas and historic resources of 
the Nation.'' The trail runs from Abiquiu and Santa Fe (northern New 
Mexico) through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, to reach its 
terminus in Los Angeles, California, and includes some 2,700 miles 
along several historic routes. In its period of greatest use, from 1829 
through 1848, the trail was traversed by mule pack-trains and horse-
mounted traders bringing woolen goods west and herds of stock, 
primarily mules and horses, east to the burgeoning markets of the 
eastern United States and Mexico. Today, the trail crosses through or 
near public lands under the administration of six BLM States; two NPS 
regions, including 11 park units; 15 National Forests; and one National 
Wildlife Refuge. Over one-half the length of the trail route is in 
tribal, State, municipal, or private ownership and management.
    The CMP/EIS for the national historic trail will identify the 
administrative policies, objectives, processes, and management actions 
needed to protect trail resources and, where possible and appropriate, 
make these resources accessible to the public and available to serve 
the public's needs for recreation, education, and heritage 
preservation. The CMP will describe the current condition of the trail 
route and trail resources; develop a vision and set goals for future 
preservation and development through consultation with the public, 
Native American communities, and traditional communities with interests 
in the history of the trail and the trail route, and trail resource 
owners and managers; and provide guidance for the preservation and 
development of these resources for the public benefit. Effective 
administration of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail will rely on 
the cooperative management efforts and support of Federal, tribal, 
State, local, and private interests, including landowners. The BLM and 
NPS will assume joint administration of the trail and will work 
together with the public to develop the CMP. Issue-driven planning 
themes identified to date include:
     Defining a trail corridor that incorporates trail resource 
protection and desired visitor experiences;
     Providing for education, interpretation, and recreation;
     Incorporating multiple voices into trail interpretation;
     Reconciling existing uses within the trail corridor with 
desired trail conditions;
     Identifying economic opportunities related to the 
recreation use of the trail; and

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     Coordinating trail management among Federal, tribal, 
State, and local governmental agencies.
    More specifically, issues related to the themes identified above 
include possible conflicts between off-highway vehicle use, energy 
development, and trail site and segment preservation, protection, and 
appropriate use, and conflicts between existing uses, future uses, and 
the preservation of trail viewsheds through visual resource management. 
Any additional issues to be resolved through the plan will be 
identified during the public scoping period.
    An initial list of affected jurisdictions, interest groups, 
business, and landowners has been developed. A large mailing list has 
been generated by BLM and NPS that will be updated as the process 
continues. The mailing list will include all interested individuals, 
groups, and agencies that have participated in the process. Those who 
have participated in meetings or made written comments through the mail 
or the internet will be tracked throughout the process. Public 
participation elements will include, but not be limited to, public 
notices and press releases; newsletters and a project web page; public 
meetings (scoping, alternative development, and review of draft EIS); 
and depositories for public document review.
    Nearly 50 sovereign Indian Nations have expressed an affiliation 
with or an interest in the Old Spanish Trail. The trail planning effort 
will include full tribal participation and consultation throughout the 
process; a point of contact for tribal consultation will be designated 
to coordinate with American Indian constituencies during development of 
the CMP.
    The BLM and the NPS are committed to a collaborative planning 
approach in the development of the CMP. The plan development will 
involve other Federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Army 
Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Defense; American Indian 
Tribes and pueblos; State agencies in California, Arizona, Nevada, 
Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, including Departments of Natural 
Resources, Transportation, Historic Preservation, and Parks; and county 
and municipal governmental agencies. Stakeholders and special interest 
groups, including private landowners, lessees, and permit holders, 
recreation groups, trail alliances and associations, museums and 
interpretive facilities, visitor services groups, historical societies, 
and scenic and back country byway organizations will be invited to 
participate in the development of the CMP. The BLM and NPS will work 
collaboratively with interested parties to identify alternatives that 
are best suited to local, regional, and national interests.

    Dated: November 22, 2005.
Michael D. Snyder,
Acting Director, Intermountain Region National Park Service.


    Dated: October 2, 2005.
Linda S.C. Rundell,
BLM State Director, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas.


    Dated: October 28, 2005.
Ron Wenker,
BLM State Director, Nevada.


    Dated: October 31, 2005.
Sally Wisely,
BLM State Director, Colorado.


    Dated: November 2, 2005.
Gene Terland,
BLM State Director, Utah.


    Dated: October 31, 2005.
Mike Pool,
BLM State Director, California.


    Dated: November 2, 2005.
Elaine Y. Zielinski,
BLM State Director, Arizona.
[FR Doc. 06-399 Filed 1-17-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-FB-P