[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 82 (Friday, April 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25223-25224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4033]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-350-1610-DP]


Notice of Availability of Draft Resource Management Plans and 
Associated Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Three Bureau of 
Land Management Field Offices in Northeast California and Northwest 
Nevada: the Eagle Lake Field Office; the Alturas Field Office; the 
Surprise Field Office

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, and under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared three Draft Resource Management Plans/Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS) for public lands managed by the Eagle Lake 
Field Office, Susanville, Calif.; the Alturas Field Office, Alturas, 
Calif.; and the Surprise Field Office, Cedarville, Calif. These drafts 
are now available for public review.

DATES: Written comments on the DRMP/DEIS documents will be accepted for 
90 days following the Environmental Protection Agency's publication of 
the Notice of Availability of these DRMP/DEIS documents in the Federal 
Register. Public meetings and any other public involvement activities 
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through public notices, 
media news releases and direct mailings.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Resource Management 
Plan, Bureau of Land Management, 2950 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 
96130, or via e-mail to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or to have 
your name added to the project mailing list, contact Jeff Fontana, 
Public Affairs Officer, Bureau of Land Management, 2950 Riverside Dr., 
Susanville, CA 96130, or e-mail your request to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Eagle Lake, Alturas and Surprise field 
office jurisdictions encompass approximately three million acres of 
Public Lands. The Eagle Lake Field Office is headquartered in 
Susanville, Calif.; the Alturas Field Office in Alturas, Calif.; and 
the Surprise Field Office in Cedarville, Calif. New DRMP/DEIS for lands 
administered by these offices have been developed based on current 
policies and

[[Page 25224]]

regulations, changed circumstances and new information on natural 
resources and natural resource management. New resource management 
plans are needed because current management direction for the three 
field offices is contained in 18 separate land use plans and subsequent 
amendments. The RMPs will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth 
by the NEPA, FLPMA, and BLM management policies. The BLM has worked 
collaboratively with interested parties to identify the management 
decisions that are best suited to address local, regional and national 
concerns.
    The BLM held six public scoping meetings and three field tours in 
August and September 2003 as part of the process to identify issues to 
be addressed in these resource management plans. Two internal scoping 
meetings were held in November of 2003 to solicit input from BLM staff 
and other agency personnel. Participants provided the BLM with comments 
and issues for the RMPs. BLM personnel have been in contact with a 
number of tribes, county governments and state and Federal agencies 
about the planning project. These entities have been invited to 
participate as cooperating agencies in the development of the DRMP/DEIS 
documents. To date, the BLM has received 32 letters, 73 comment forms 
and 1,300 e-mail messages.
    The DRMP describes five management alternatives, including the No 
Action Alternative (continuation of existing management). Alternatives 
1, 2, 3, and the preferred alternative present a range of management 
scenarios with varying amounts of natural resource protection and 
focus.
    The preferred alternative for the Alturas FO includes the following 
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC): Ash Valley ACEC--1322 
acres (existing); Timbered Crater ACEC--17,896 acres; Emigrant Trails 
ACEC--1,750 acres; Mountain Peaks ACEC--3,500 acres; Old Growth Juniper 
ACEC--3,115 acres; Mount Dome ACEC--1510 acres; Tablelands/Yankee Jim/
Fitzhugh Creek ACEC--1,400 acres. Four additional ACECs: Lava, Pit 
River Canyon, Juniper Creek, and Beaver Creek, were considered but not 
included in the preferred alternative.
    The preferred alternative for the Eagle Lake FO includes the 
following ACECs: Pine Dunes ACEC/Research Natural Area (RNA)--2,887 
acres; Eagle Lake Basin ACEC--34,320 acres; Susan River ACEC--2,495 
acres; Willow Creek ACEC--2,130 acres; Lower Smoke Creek ACEC--894 
acres; Buffalo Creek Canyons ACEC--36,515 acres; and North Dry Valley 
ACEC--10,156 acres. One additional ACEC, Aspen Groves, was considered 
but not included in the preferred alternative. The preferred 
alternative for the Surprise FO includes the following ACECs: Massacre 
ACEC--44,780 acres; Bitner ACEC--1,921 acres; and Rahilly-Gravelly 
ACEC--957 acres. Use of public lands within these ACECs would vary, 
depending on the resources and/or values identified in Chapter 2 of the 
Draft RMP/EIS, but would include limitations on off-highway vehicle use 
and ground-disturbing development projects.
    Please note that comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, are available for public review and release under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality by stating this request prominently at the beginning of 
their written comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent 
allowed by law. The BLM will not consider anonymous comments. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
and businesses will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.
    Printed and compact disc copies of the Draft RMP/Draft EIS 
documents have been sent to affected federal, tribal, state and local 
government agencies and to interested publics. The documents are 
available by contacting the Bureau of Land Management Eagle Lake Field 
Office, 2950 Riverside Dr., Susanville, CA 96130. Documents are 
available online at http://www.blm.gov/ca/pa/planning/landuseplanning.html. Additionally, the documents may be reviewed at 
the following BLM offices: California State Office, Information Access 
Center, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, Calif.; Alturas Field Office, 708 
West 12th St., Alturas, Calif.; and the Surprise Field Office, 602 
Cressler St., Cedarville, Calif.

    Dated: August 5, 2005.
Dayne Barron,
Eagle Lake Field Office Manager.

    Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the 
Federal Register April 25, 2006.
[FR Doc. 06-4033 Filed 4-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P