[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 173 (Thursday, September 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52818-52820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14695]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO-140-1610-DT-009C]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Roan Plateau Resource 
Management Plan Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement, 
Colorado

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 
Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMPA/FEIS) for the 
Roan Plateau planning area.

DATES: The BLM Planning Regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any 
person

[[Page 52819]]

who participated in the planning process, and has an interest which is 
or may be adversely affected, may protest BLM's approval or amendment 
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 on the inside front cover of the PRMPA/FEIS and in the 
Supplementary Information section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the document, visit the Web site at 
http:www.blm.gov/rmp/co/roanplateau and follow the instructions, or 
write to: Roan Plateau Request, Glenwood Springs Field Office, Bureau 
of Land Management, 50629 Highways 6 & 24, Glenwood Springs, Colorado 
81601.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Goodenow--Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, Steve Bennett--Associate Field Manager, or 
Jamie Connell--Field Manager at the Glenwood Springs Field Office, 
Bureau of Land Management, 50629 Highways 6 & 24, Glenwood Springs, 
Colorado 81601. The Glenwood Springs Field Office telephone number is 
(970) 947-2800. All three can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the PRMPA/FEIS have been sent to 
affected Federal, State, tribal, and local government agencies and to 
interested parties. Copies of the PRMPA/FEIS are available for public 
inspection at the BLM Glenwood Springs Field Office (50629 Highways 6 & 
24, Glenwood Springs, Colorado) or the White River Field Office (73544 
Highway 64, Meeker, Colorado, 81641) during normal working hours (7:45 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except weekends and holidays).
    Interested persons may also review the PRMPA/FEIS on the Internet 
at http:www.blm.gov/rmp/co/roanplateau. Comments on the Draft RMP 
Amendment/EIS received from the public and internal BLM review comments 
were incorporated into the PRMPA/FEIS. Public comments resulted in the 
addition of clarifying text, and development of a new alternative with 
impacts within the range of impacts of the alternatives analyzed in the 
Roan Plateau Draft RMP Amendment/EIS.
    The Roan Plateau Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA) and 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) presents options for management of 
BLM administered lands in the Roan Plateau Planning Area. This includes 
Naval Oil Shale Reserves (NOSRs) Numbers 1 and 3, for which management 
was transferred from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to BLM in 
1997. The Planning Area, which is in west-central Colorado, includes 
approximately 73,602 acres of land (Federal surface, Federal mineral 
estate, or both), and is located in Garfield County with a small 
portion in southern Rio Blanco County. The Planning Area lies north of 
Interstate 70 (I-70) between the towns of Rifle and Parachute.
    Transfer of NOSRs 1 and 3 from DOE to BLM was effected by the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998, Public Law 
105-85 (the ``Transfer Act''). The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment/EIS 
analyzes options for implementing the Transfer Act, which directed the 
BLM to enter into leases, as soon as practicable, with one or more 
private entities for the purpose of exploration, development, and 
production of petroleum. In addition, the Transfer Act stipulates that 
the transferred lands are to be managed in accordance with the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and other laws applicable to 
public lands.
    Five alternatives were published in the Draft RMPA/EIS in November 
2004 ranging from leaving 44,267 acres of the 73,602 acre planning area 
closed to oil and gas leasing (No Action Alternative) to the most 
development-oriented alternative (Alternative V). All alternatives 
would have allowed some development, and would have provided some 
environmental safeguards. Alternative III (Preferred) would have 
deferred leasing atop the plateau until the lower elevations were 
substantially developed, and would have provided substantial 
environmental mitigation atop the plateau. Following the 90-day public 
comment period (extended to 120 days), BLM continued to work with 
Cooperating Agencies, including the Colorado Department of Natural 
Resources (and its agencies the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado 
Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Colorado Geological Survey, 
and Colorado Division of Parks), Garfield County, Rio Blanco County, 
City of Rifle, Town of Parachute, and City of Glenwood Springs. As a 
result of the Cooperating Agency meetings and discussion, the Colorado 
Department of Natural Resources (CDNR) proposed an innovative approach 
to oil and gas development atop the plateau intended to accommodate the 
development of the underlying gas resource while providing substantial 
levels of natural resource protection. The CDNR approach, which has 
been adopted by the BLM as the preferred alternative, would mitigate 
impacts to sensitive resources by requiring phased and clustered 
development within an Undivided Federal Unit on the upper plateau. 
Mitigation under the CDNR proposal would also result from limiting the 
amount of land in a disturbed condition at any one time to 
approximately 1 percent of the total area of the upper plateau (350 
acres).
    Alternatives considered represent possible amendments to the 
current management direction provided by the 1984 Resource Management 
Plan (RMP) for the Glenwood Springs Resource Area (GSRA), revised in 
1988 and amended in 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2002, and the 1997 
White River Resource Area (WRRA) RMP.
    The overarching goal of the PRMP/FEIS is to protect key ecological, 
visual, and recreational values while allowing for the leasing and 
development of oil and gas resources under strict and performance-based 
standards:
     The PRMP/FEIS would designate four Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs), including East Fork Parachute Creek and 
Trapper/Northwater Creek atop the plateau and Magpie Gulch and Anvil 
Points along and below the cliffs, with a combined area of 21,034 
acres.
     The upper area of the plateau would be identified as the 
Parachute Creek Watershed Management Area to meet the special 
management requirements of this particular resource and encompasses 
33,575 acres.
     Protection of stream segments found eligible for 
designation as Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSRs) would also be provided.
     Motorized and mechanized travel would be limited to 
designated routes throughout the Planning Area, except for over-snow 
travel by snowmobile with at least 12 inches of snow cover, and an 
existing area of concentrated OHV use to be designated as the Hubbard 
Mesa OHV Riding Area.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the PRMP/FEIS 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, the BLM will consider the 
e-mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM

[[Page 52820]]

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:
    (1) The name, mailing address, telephone number and interest of the 
person filing the protest;
    (2) A statement of the issue or issues being protested;
    (3) A statement of the part or parts of the plan amendment 
(Proposed Plan) being protested;
    (4) A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that 
were submitted during the planning process by the protesting party or 
an indication of the date the issue or issues were discussed for the 
record; and
    (5) A concise statement explaining why the State Director's 
decision is believed to be 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 protests 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 protests. 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 17, 2006.
Jamie E. Connell,
 Field Manager.

     This document was received at the Office of the Federal 
Register on August 31, 2006.

 [FR Doc. E6-14695 Filed 9-6-06; 8:45 am]
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