[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 135 (Friday, July 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 40148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11047]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Notice of Availability of the Hollister Proposed Resource 
Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement; California

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 proposed Resource Management Plan/
Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for certain public 
lands managed by the Hollister Field Office.

DATES: The BLM Planning Regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any 
person who participated in the planning process, and has an interest 
which is or may be adversely affected, may protest BLM's approval of a 
RMP. You must file a protest within 30 days of the date that the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes this Notice of Availability 
in the Federal Register. Instructions for filing of protests are 
described in the PRMP/FEIS and in the Supplementary Information section 
of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sky Murphy, 20 Hamilton Court, 
Hollister, CA 95023; (831) 630-5039; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The planning area covers approximately 
278,000 surface acres and approximately 443,806 acres of subsurface 
mineral estate within the following California counties: Alameda; 
Contra Costa; Monterey; San Benito; San Mateo; Santa Clara; Santa Cruz; 
and portions of Fresno; Merced; and San Joaquin counties. The Hollister 
RMP, when completed, will provide management guidance for use and 
protection of the resources in the Southern Diablo Range and Central 
Coast areas managed by the Hollister Field Office. The Hollister 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS has been developed through a collaborative 
planning process. The primary issues addressed include: recreation; 
protection of sensitive natural and cultural resources; livestock 
grazing; guidance for energy and mineral development; land tenure 
adjustments; and other planning issues raised during the scoping 
process.
    The Hollister Draft RMP/EIS was released for public comment on 
October 14, 2005. During the 104 day public comment period, BLM 
received approximately 1500 comments, which are responded to in the 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of 
clarifying text, but did not significantly change proposed land use 
decisions.
    Copies of the Hollister Proposed RMP/Final EIS have been sent to 
affected Federal, State, and local Government agencies and to 
interested parties. Copies of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS are available 
for public inspection at the BLM Hollister Field Office, the Fort Ord 
Project Office, the BLM California State Office, and at the public 
libraries in Hollister, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Jose, and Fresno. 
Interested persons may also review the Proposed RMP/Final EIS on the 
Internet at http://www.blm.gov/ca/hollister.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed Plan/Final EIS may be found at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. 
A protest may only raise those issues which were submitted for the 
record during the planning process. E-mail and faxed protests will not 
be accepted as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides 
the original letter by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by 
the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, BLM will 
consider the e-mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will 
receive full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such 
advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of 
the BLM protest coordinator at 202-452-5112, and e-mails to [email protected].
    Please direct the follow-up letter to the appropriate address 
provided below. The protest must contain:
    a. The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the 
person filing the protest.
    b. A statement of the part or parts of the plan and the issue or 
issues being protested.
    c. A copy of all documents addressing the issue(s) that the 
protesting party submitted during the planning process or a statement 
of the date they were discussed for the record.
    d. A concise statement explaining why the protestor believes the 
State Director's decision is wrong.
    All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following 
addresses:
    Regular Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 
66538, Washington, DC 20035.
    Overnight Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L 
Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.
    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 protest. 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. 
The Director will promptly render a decision on the protest. The 
decision will be in writing and will be sent to the protesting party by 
certified mail, return receipt requested. The decision of the Director 
is the final decision of the Department of the Interior.

    Dated: May 11, 2006.
J. Anthony Danna,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. E6-11047 Filed 7-13-06; 8:45 am]
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