[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 226 (Friday, November 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67902-67903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19771]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM-110-1610-DQ]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan 
(PRMP) for Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National 
Monument.

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 or 
amendment of a RMP. You may file a protest within 30 days of the date 
that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. Instructions for filing of 
protests are described in the Dear Reader letter in the front of the 
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument Proposed Plan/Final EIS and 
in the Supplementary Information section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Bristol, RMP Team Leader, BLM 
Rio Puerco Field Office, 435 Montano NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107; 
e-mail [email protected]; telephone (505) 761-8755.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2001, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National 
Monument was designated a National Monument by Presidential 
Proclamation 7394. The Proclamation referred to the Monument as a 
remarkable outdoor laboratory, offering an opportunity to observe, 
study, and experience the geologic processes that shape natural 
landscapes, as well as other cultural and biological objects of 
interest. The Proclamation directed management of the Monument by the 
Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management. It 
required the development of a Management Plan in close cooperation with 
the Pueblo de Cochiti and the promulgation of regulations for its 
management as the Secretary of the Interior deems appropriate. The 
Monument is located in Sandoval County, New Mexico near other areas of 
interest, the Cochiti Pueblo, Cochiti Dam and Lake, Bandelier National 
Monument and the U.S. Forest Service's Dome Wilderness. Within the 
Monument boundaries are 4,124 acres of Federally owned land, 521 acres 
of State owned land, and 757 acres of land in private ownership, for a 
total of 5,402 acres. These non-federal inholdings were reserved 
through the proclamation as part of the Monument upon acquisition of 
title thereto by the United States. Two parcels of land adjoining the 
Monument (edgeholdings) were determined to have resource values similar 
to those in the Monument. One of them has been acquired (since 
publication of the draft RMP) and is referred to as the ``southwest 
acquisition'' in this RMP. For the second parcel, should it be 
acquired, complementary management decisions have been proposed in the 
RMP. These parcels along with the lands within the monument boundary 
make up the Planning Area of approximately 15,635 acres.
    The Proposed RMP/FEIS describes the physical, biological, cultural, 
historic, and socioeconomic resources in the planning area. The focus 
for impact analysis was based on resource issues and concerns 
identified during scoping and public involvement activities. These 
activities included a 30-day opportunity for written scoping comments 
and public meetings. During the 90-day public review and comment period 
on the Draft RMP/EIS, additional public meetings were held. Issues of 
concern regarding possible management direction and planning decisions 
(not necessarily in priority order) are: Land tenure adjustments, 
access and transportation, recreation (use and development), ecosystem 
restoration, and American Indian uses and traditional cultural 
practices. Three alternatives were analyzed in detail: Alternative A is 
the No Action Alternative representing the continuation of existing 
management plans, policies, and decisions established in the 1986 Rio 
Puerco RMP, as amended, and as implemented through the Tent Rocks Area 
of Critical Environmental Concern Protection Plan, with minimal 
compliance with proclamation requirements. Alternative B represents the 
BLM and Pueblo de Cochiti proposed resource use and conservation 
alternative. Alternative C emphasizes an adaptive management approach 
(particularly for recreation management) with the inclusion of 
additional monitoring. The monitoring

[[Page 67903]]

results would trigger management changes to maximize recreational use 
and facility development while minimizing natural resource degradation 
and depletion. The BLM's preferred alternative is Alternative B with a 
focus on management concerns associated with the Monument while 
complying with the Proclamation and current BLM policies. The 
objectives balance ecological health and resource conservation with 
visitor use, research and environmental education opportunities, and 
recreational facilities development. Copies of the Kasha-Katuwe Tent 
Rocks National Monument PRMP/FEIS have been sent to affected Federal, 
State, and local government agencies and to interested parties. Copies 
of the PRMP/FEIS are available for public inspection at BLM's Rio 
Puerco Field Office 435 Montano NE, Albuquerque, NM and BLM's New 
Mexico State Office 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, NM and other BLM offices 
throughout the State. Interested persons may also review the PRMP/FEIS 
at www.nm.blm.gov. Comments on the Draft RMP/EIS received from the 
public and internal BLM review comments were incorporated into the 
proposed plan. Public comments resulted in clarifying the text of the 
PRMP/FEIS. The acquisition of lands immediately adjacent to the 
southwest Monument boundary after release of the Draft RMP/EIS required 
changes in ownership figures and miles of Federally owned roads and 
trails in the PRMP/FEIS, but did not significantly change proposed land 
use decisions.
    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, 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 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 of a statement 
or 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: August, 9, 2006.
Linda S.C. Rundell,
New Mexico State Director.
 [FR Doc. E6-19771 Filed 11-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P