[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 140 (Friday, July 21, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41464-41466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11583]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-060-1610-DP]


Notice of Availability of the Casper Draft Resource Management 
Plan and Associated Environmental Impact Statement, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft Casper Resource 
Management Plan\Environmental Impact Statement (Draft RMP\EIS).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 202 of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (FLPMA) the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in cooperation 
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Park Service 
(NPS), State of Wyoming, county governments, and conservation districts 
located in the planning area, has prepared a draft revision to the 
Casper RMP and associated environmental impact statement. By this 
notice, the BLM announces the availability of the Draft Casper RMP/EIS 
for public review and the opening of the period during which the public 
may submit their comments to the BLM. Consistent with Federal 
regulations, the BLM announces that a public hearing regarding coal 
leasing will be scheduled during the public review period and prior to 
the approval of the final RMP.

DATES: The Draft Casper RMP/EIS will be available for review for 90 
calendar days from the date the EPA publishes the NOA in the Federal 
Register. The BLM can best utilize your comments and resource 
information submissions if received within the review period.
    All meetings or hearings and any other public involvement 
opportunities to submit comments on the Draft RMP\EIS will be announced 
at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media news 
releases, Casper RMP Web site announcements, or mailings.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the Draft RMP\EIS has been sent to affected 
Federal, State, and local Government agencies and to interested 
parties. The document will be available electronically on the following 
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/rmp/casper. Copies of the Draft 
RMP[bs]EIS will be available for public inspection at 
the following locations:
     Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003.
     Bureau of Land Management, Casper Field Office, 2987 
Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming 82604.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Linda Slone, Project Manager, BLM 
Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604. Requests 
for information may be sent electronically to [email protected] with 
``Attention: Casper RMP Information Request'' in the subject line. Ms. 
Slone may also be reached at (307) 261-7520.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft RMP[bs]EIS 
describes and analyzes alternatives for the planning and management of 
public lands and

[[Page 41465]]

resources administered by the BLM Casper Field Office. The 
administrative area is located in east-central Wyoming and includes 
approximately 8.5 million acres of land in most of Natrona County, and 
all of Converse, Goshen, and Platte Counties. Public land in the 
southwestern corner of Natrona County is administered by the BLM's 
Lander Field Office. Within the Casper administrative area, the BLM 
administers approximately 1.4 million acres of BLM-administered public 
land surface and 4.7 million acres of Federal mineral estate.
    Cooperating agencies under NEPA in the preparation of the Draft 
RMP[bs]EIS included the Environmental Protection 
Agency; National Park Service, Fort Laramie National Historic Site; 
State of Wyoming; Converse, Natrona, and Platte Counties; and Converse, 
Natrona, Lingle-Fort Laramie, North Platte Valley, and South Goshen 
Conservation Districts. The Draft RMP[bs]EIS documents 
the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of five 
alternatives for management of BLM-administered public lands within the 
Casper Field Office. When completed, the revised RMP will fulfill the 
obligations set forth by the NEPA, the FLPMA, and associated Federal 
regulations. Because the Draft RMP[bs]EIS addresses 
coal leasing and to meet requirements found at 43 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) 1610.2, a hearing will be combined with a public 
meeting to be scheduled and announced during the comment period 
allotted in this notice. In 1985 the BLM approved the Platte River RMP 
that established management direction for the surface and mineral 
estates and associated resources administered by the BLM Casper Field 
Office, Wyoming. In September 2000 an evaluation of the Platte River 
RMP, predecessor to the Casper RMP, was completed. The evaluation 
concluded that the RMP needed revising to address changing conditions 
and demands on the area's resources.
    Under the provisions found at 43 CFR1610.2 the BLM published a 
Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register, November 20, 2003, 
announcing that it would prepare a revised plan and associated EIS that 
would be used to review and analyze current conditions, consider new 
data, new or revised policies and circumstances affecting the entire or 
major portions of the geographic area addressed in the Platte River 
RMP. To reflect changes in administrative units, the BLM also 
established that the revised plan would henceforth be known as the 
Casper RMP. The Draft RMP[bs]EIS describes the 
physical, mineral, biological, heritage and visual, land, and 
socioeconomic resources in and around the planning area. The focus for 
impact analysis is based on resource issues and concerns identified 
during scoping and public involvement activities and opportunities. 
Potential impacts of concern regarding possible management direction 
and planning decisions (not in priority order) are:
    (1) Energy and mineral resource exploration and development;
    (2) Land ownership adjustments and access/transportation on BLM 
lands;
    (3) Fire management, including wildland-urban interface;
    (4) Wildlife habitat and management of crucial habitat and 
migration corridors;
    (5) Management and the cumulative effects of land uses and human 
activities on threatened, endangered, candidate, and sensitive species 
and their habitat;
    (6) Livestock grazing and management of vegetation, including 
impacts of invasive, nonnative species;
    (7) Air and water quality; and
    (8) Management of cultural, including National Historic Trails and 
paleontological resources, recreation and off-highway vehicle 
management, and visual resource management.
    Four alternatives and a Preferred Alternative were developed and 
are analyzed in detail:
    1. Alternative A. Continuation of Existing Management Direction or 
the ``No Action'' Alternative continues to balance the use and 
development of resources.
    2. Alternative B. Emphasizes conservation of physical, biological, 
and heritage resources with constraints on resource uses.
    3. Alternative C. Provides physical, biological, and heritage 
resource conservation similar to current management while allowing for 
more recreation experiences.
    4. Alternative D. Emphasizes resource uses (e.g., energy and 
mineral development, recreation, and forest products).
    5. Alternative E. Preferred Alternative conserves physical, 
biological, and heritage resources while emphasizing moderate 
constraints.
    There are currently two areas of critical environmental concern 
(ACECs), Jackson Canyon and Salt Creek Hazardous ACECs, totaling 
approximately 249,350 acres of mixed Federal surface and private land 
ownership as established in the Platte River RMP (1985). There are five 
potential ACECs proposed in the draft Casper RMP. These are:
     Alcova Fossil Area--(7,073 acres; mostly federal surface) 
Values of concern include rare fossil tracks and additional fossils 
from two geological periods;
     Black-tailed Prairie Dog Complex--(22,937 acres; mostly 
non-federal surface) Values of concern include protection of habitat 
and other species dependent on prairie dog colonies;
     Cedar Ridge--(21,742 acres; over 60 percent Federal 
surface) Values of concern include historic cultural resources, 
including traditional ceremonial sites in use by the Shoshone, Arapaho 
and other tribes;
     North Platte River--(85,392 acres; mostly non-Federal 
surface) Values of concern include fisheries and wildlife habitats and 
high recreational and scenic values; and
     South Bighorns/Red Wall--(369,325 acres; over 55 percent 
Federal surface) Values of concern include crucial wildlife habitat, 
cultural resources, intact vegetation communities and outstanding 
scenery.
    Alternative E proposes to maintain ACEC status for Jackson Canyon; 
remove ACEC status for Salt Creek Hazardous Area; and add the following 
to be managed as ACECs in the future: Alcova Fossil Area. The following 
areas would be established as special management areas (SMAs): Bates 
Hole, Salt Creek, Sand Hills, South Bighorns/Red Wall, and Wind River 
Basin.
    Agency Preferred Alternative: BLM's preferred alternative is 
Alternative E.
    The Casper Draft RMP[bs]EIS considers, and is in 
conformance with, BLM's National Fire Plan and Healthy Forest 
Initiative. The National Energy Policy is also considered. The 
potential for energy development in the planning area is high, both 
north and west of Casper, Wyoming. Based on the high potential within 
the area administered by the Casper Field Office, the Draft 
RMP[bs]EIS considers oil and gas, coal, and wind 
energy development in support of the National Energy Plan.
    Since the publication of the NOI in the Federal Register, open 
houses, surveys, and mailings have been conducted to solicit comments 
and input. The Casper Field Office has been coordinating with various 
county governments, conservation districts, and the State of Wyoming 
throughout the development of the Draft RMP[bs]EIS. 
Tribal governments with interests in the Casper area were also 
contacted. Starting November 20, 2003, the date that BLM's NOI was 
published in the Federal Register, the BLM has solicited for and 
received in excess of 500 comments from interested parties. In 
addition, a series of public meetings were held to provide the public 
with an opportunity to acquire information

[[Page 41466]]

about the RMP revision process, as well as provide the public with an 
opportunity to submit comments. Public meetings were held in: 
Wheatland, Wyoming, November 10, 2003; Torrington, Wyoming, November 
11, 2003; Douglas, Wyoming, November 12, 2003; and Casper, Wyoming, 
November 13, 2003. All comments presented throughout the process have 
been considered. Background information and maps used in developing the 
Draft RMP[bs]EIS are available for public viewing at 
the Casper Field Office.

How To Submit Comments

    The BLM encourages you to review the Casper Draft 
RMP[bs]EIS, attend public meetings or hearings, and 
submit your comments. Written comments may be submitted as follows:
    1. The Casper RMP Revision Web site at http://www.blm.gov/rmp/casper/ is designed to allow commenters to submit comments 
electronically by resource subject directly onto a comment form posted 
on the Web site;
    2. Comments may be uploaded in an electronic file directly to the 
above Web site;
    3. Written comments may be mailed directly, or delivered to, the 
BLM at: Casper RMP/EIS, Bureau of Land Management Casper Field Office, 
2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604-2968.
    4. Comments may be sent by facsimile to (307) 261-7587; or
    5. Written comments may be submitted during the public meetings and 
hearings that will be held at a later date.
    BLM will only accept comments on the Casper RMP and DEIS if they 
are submitted in the methods described above. To be given consideration 
by BLM all DEIS comment submittals must include the commenter's name 
and street address. Whenever possible, please include reference to 
either the page or section in the document to which the comment 
applies. To facilitate analysis of comments and information submitted, 
we strongly encourage the public to submit comments in an electronic 
format through either the Web site or electronic mail.
    Our practice is to make comments, including the names and street 
addresses of each respondent, available for public review at the BLM 
office listed above during business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), 
Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays. Your comments may 
be published as part of the EIS process. Individual respondents may 
request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street 
address or both from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your written comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent 
allowed by law. Anonymous comments will not be considered. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses will be made available for 
public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: April 21, 2006.
Donald A. Simpson,
Acting Associate State Director.
 [FR Doc. E6-11583 Filed 7-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P