[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 106 (Friday, June 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32126-32127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8619]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ID 111 1610 DP 049D DBG060003]


Notice of Availability of Draft Snake River Birds of Prey 
National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan and Environmental 
Impact Statement, Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement (Draft RMP/EIS) for the Snake River 
Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA).

DATES: To assure that they will be considered, BLM must receive written 
comments on the Draft RMP/EIS within 90 days following the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes this Notice of Availability 
in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or 
hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days 
in advance through public notices, media news releases, and/or 
mailings.

ADDRESSES: The Draft RMP/EIS will be posted on the Internet at http://www.id.blm.gov/planning and will be mailed to those who have indicated 
that they want a hard copy or a compact disk.
    You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 801-397-2601.
     Mail: Snake River Birds of Prey NCA, C/O Content Analysis 
Group, P.O. Box 2000, Bountiful, UT 84011-2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Sullivan, NCA Manager, Bureau of 
Land Management, Four Rivers Field Office, 3948 Development Ave., 
Boise, Idaho 83705, phone--208-384-3300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NCA encompasses approximately 484,000 
acres of public land along 81 miles of the Snake River. The NCA was 
established on August 4, 1993 by Public Law 103-64 for the 
conservation, protection, and enhancement of raptor populations and 
habitats and the natural and environmental resources and values 
associated with the area.
    Issues identified through public scoping to be addressed in the 
planning process include the following:
     Vegetation: Substantial losses of native shrub and 
perennial grass communities have resulted in smaller and less stable 
small mammal raptor prey populations, which have secondarily impacted 
raptor populations.
     Fuels Management: The landscape-scale change from 
perennial to annual plant communities has altered the natural fire 
regime, resulting in more frequent fires, and greater potential for 
damage to private improvements in the wildland urban interface.
     Recreation: The burgeoning human population and associated 
development in the surrounding area have increased recreation-related 
impacts on soils and vegetation, predominately through off-road vehicle 
use. In addition, unregulated recreational shooting has caused safety 
conflicts with military training activities.
     National Guard: Military activities need to be conducted 
in a way that reduces impacts to soils and vegetation, especially shrub 
communities.
    Four alternative strategies are described and analyzed, as follows:
    Alternative A: (No-Action) Serves as a baseline for comparison with 
the other three alternatives, and proposes no major changes in resource 
management.
    Alternative B: Emphasizes a moderate level of raptor and raptor 
prey habitat restoration and rehabilitation, while accommodating 
recreation, military, and commodity uses that are compatible with the 
purposes of the NCA.
    Alternative C: Places a heavy emphasis on restoration and 
rehabilitation of all non-shrub areas outside the National Guard's 
Orchard Training Area (OTA) to improve raptor and raptor prey habitat. 
Livestock grazing preference would be eliminated, and recreation and 
military training would be substantially restricted to support habitat 
restoration projects.
    Alternative D: (Preferred Alternative) Places a heavy emphasis on 
restoration of all non-shrub areas outside the OTA to improve raptor 
and raptor prey habitat, with moderate restrictions on recreation, 
military, and commodity uses.
    Decision Process: Depending on the number and types of comments on 
the Draft RMP/EIS, the Proposed RMP/Final EIS is expected to be 
published in late 2006. A Notice of Availability of the Proposed RMP/
Final EIS will be published in the Federal Register and through local 
news media. A notice of an approved Record of Decision will be 
published in the Federal Register following resolution of any protests 
or appeals on the Proposed RMP/Final EIS. The official responsible for 
the decision is the BLM Idaho State Director.
    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

[[Page 32127]]

available for public inspection in their entirety. Copies of the Draft 
Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area Resource 
Management Plan/EIS are available in the Boise District Office at the 
above address.

    Dated: February 14, 2006.
John Sullivan,
National Conservation Area Manager.
[FR Doc. E6-8619 Filed 6-1-06; 8:45 am]
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