[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 209 (Monday, October 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63347-63348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18156]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the BLM intends to amend 
the motorized vehicle route network designations in the CDCA Plan area. 
The affected area is located in Mono County, California. This 
designation encompasses approximately 3.7 miles of the existing Furnace 
Creek Canyon Road, leading up to the Inyo National Forest boundary. The 
proposed land use plan amendment and associated Environmental 
Assessment (EA) will consider whether or not to designate this 3.7 mile 
section of road as an approved route of travel for vehicular access for 
casual public use. The Land Use Plan amendment and EA will fulfill the 
requirements set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), BLM planning 
regulations, and other BLM management policies.

DATES: This notice initiates the public comment period on this plan 
amendment and associated EA. Comments on issues related to the proposed 
Furnace Creek Canyon Road designation can be submitted in writing to 
the address listed below and will be accepted for 30 days from the date 
of publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by sending them in writing to the address 
below or electronically at the Web address below. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your 
name and/or address from public review or disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your written comment. The BLM will honor such requests to the extent 
allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and 
from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials 
of organizations or businesses, are

[[Page 63348]]

available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hector Villabos, Field Office Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 South Richmond 
Road, Ridgecrest CA 93555, (760) 384-5400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The land use plan amendment is needed to 
complete the motorized vehicle access and travel management planning 
initiated under the CDCA Plan and subsequent amendments for the 
Northern and Eastern Mojave Desert (NEMO) area. In its May 2004 NEMO 
Route Designation Amendment, the BLM committed to addressing the 
Furnace Creek Canyon Road in a ``separate planning process.''
    In June 2004, Ridgecrest BLM and the Inyo National Forest entered 
into a Memorandum of Understanding to develop an EA to analyze 
potential impacts of opening the Furnace Creek Canyon Road to vehicular 
traffic. As part of the public involvement process, the agencies 
conducted two meetings (November 6, 2003, in Bishop, California and 
December 10, 2003, in Dyer, Nevada) and a field trip (October 23, 2003) 
to solicit comment on the proposed action. Two additional meetings 
(June 24, 2004, in Bishop, California and June 26, 2004, in Fish Lake 
Valley, Nevada) and a field trip (June 26, 2004) were held to gather 
additional scoping comments.
    Initial scoping for the EA generated nearly 500 comments. 
Attendance at the June public meetings was relatively high--over 115 
people attended the June 24 meeting in Bishop, while nearly 50 people 
attended the June 26 meeting in Fish Lake Valley.
    The Furnace Creek Road EA, EA-650-2005-121, was released for a 30-
day public comment period on January 15, 2005.
    Two additional public meetings were held (February 2, 2005, in 
Bishop, CA and February 3, 2005, in Fish Lake Valley, NV). 
Approximately 4,500 public comments were received on the EA.
    The EA was updated to reflect the public comment received on the 
project. This Notice of Intent serves as notification to the public 
that the EA is still available for review and comment at http://www.ca.blm.gov/ridgecrest/.
    BLM will incorporate the results of the previous public meetings 
and public participation in the joint BLM/Forest Service Environmental 
Assessment published April 24, 2006, in this amendment. The public may 
submit additional comments at this time or change comments already 
submitted.

Hector A. Villalobos,
Ridgecrest Field Manager.
 [FR Doc. E6-18156 Filed 10-27-06; 8:45 am]
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