[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 32 (Friday, February 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7670-7672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2678]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-100-07-1610-DP]


Notice of Availability of the Pinedale Draft Resource Management 
Plan Revision and Environmental Impact Statement

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) announces the availability of the Pinedale Draft 
Resource Management Plan Revision and Environmental Impact Statement 
(Draft RMP/EIS).

[[Page 7671]]


DATES: The Draft RMP/EIS will be available for public review for 90 
calendar days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The 
BLM can best use comments and resource information submitted within 
this review period.
    To ensure that the public has an opportunity to comment on the 
draft document, formal public hearings and open houses will be 
scheduled in Jackson, Rock Springs, Marbleton, and Pinedale, Wyoming. 
All meetings, hearings, or other public involvement activities will be 
announced at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media 
news releases, Web site announcements, or mailings.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Draft RMP/EIS have been sent to affected 
Federal, State and local governments and to interested parties. The 
document will be available electronically on the following Web site: 
http://www.blm.gov/rmp/wy/pinedale. Copies of the document will be 
available for public inspection during normal business hours at the 
following locations:
     Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003.
     Bureau of Land Management, Pinedale Field Office, 432 East 
Mill Street, P. O. Box 768, Pinedale, Wyoming 82941.
    Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/rmp/wy/pinedale,
     E-mail: [email protected],
     Facsimile: (307) 367-5329, or
     Mail: Send to the contact listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kellie Roadifer, Team Leader, BLM 
Pinedale Field Office, 432 East Mill Street, P.O. Box 768, Pinedale, 
Wyoming 82941. Ms. Roadifer may also be contacted by telephone: (307) 
367-5309. Requests for information may be sent electronically to: 
[email protected] with Attention: ``Pinedale RMP Info Request'' 
in the subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Pinedale Field Office planning area is 
located in Sublette and Lincoln Counties, Wyoming. It includes 
approximately 922,880 acres of public land surface and 1,199,280 acres 
of Federal mineral estate administered by the BLM.
    The existing Pinedale RMP was completed and its Record of Decision 
(ROD) signed on December 12, 1988. Since completion of the Pinedale 
RMP, as amended and maintained, new information and changed conditions 
within the planning area have resulted in a need for the BLM to update 
that RMP. These changes include but are not limited to: increased oil 
and gas exploration and development activities, heightened public 
awareness of and interest in BLM management actions and permitted uses, 
increasing demand for recreation activities on public lands, increasing 
conflicts between land uses, changes in national policies and 
interests, and expanded scientific knowledge and information.
    Consistent with Federal regulations found at 43 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) 1610.2, the BLM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and initiate its 
revision of the Pinedale RMP (1988). The plan revision process would 
include review and analyses of current conditions, consideration of new 
data, new or revised policies, and consideration of circumstances 
affecting major portions of or the entire geographic area addressed in 
the 1988 Pinedale RMP. As part of the planning process, the BLM would 
develop goals and objectives for its management of the public land and 
resources that it administers. As required by the FLPMA planning 
regulations, the BLM would produce a revised plan and an EIS.
    After its completion and issuance of a ROD, a revised Pinedale RMP/
EIS would establish new land allocations and management guidance for 
the Pinedale planning area. Adoption of the revised RMP/EIS would not 
alter previously approved site-specific activities and developments 
such as the natural gas development of the Jonah Field and Pinedale 
Anticline. Existing leases and development would continue to be managed 
consistent with their respective operating plans and authorizations. 
However, if requested by operators or other permit holders, the BLM 
would consider revising leases and other authorizing instruments to 
incorporate revised RMP guidance or conditions included in its EIS ROD.
    The Draft RMP/EIS describes existing conditions of the physical, 
biological, cultural, historic, and socioeconomic resources of and 
surrounding the planning area. Based on planning criteria and resource 
issues and concerns identified during scoping, alternatives for 
management were developed and impacts analyzed. Concerns about planning 
decisions to be made for the following were considered:
    1. Energy and mineral resources exploration and economic 
development;
    2. Access to and transportation systems on public lands;
    3. Land ownership pattern adjustments;
    4. Fire management;
    5. Livestock grazing and vegetation management, including 
management of non-native and invasive species;
    6. Air and water quality;
    7. Management of impacts land uses and human activities to 
threatened, endangered, candidate and sensitive species, and wildlife 
habitat;
    8. Management of cultural properties, visual resources, 
paleontological resources, recreation activities and off-road vehicles;
    9. Existing lease rights; and
    10. Potential socio-economic consequences of implementing revised 
plan decisions.
    Based on the analyses of alternative management strategies and 
guidance and interdisciplinary team and cooperating agencies 
discussions, the Draft RMP[bs]EIS ensures the 
sustainability of important resources such as crucial big game range 
and other wildlife habitats, air and water quality, scenic views, 
healthy vegetative cover, and soil stability while providing for 
resources uses such as mineral exploration and development, livestock 
grazing and range improvement, motorized and non-motorized recreation 
and economic development opportunities.
    The BLM analyzed four alternatives for resource management planning 
in detail:
     Alternative 1 (No Action): Continues the current 
management goals, objectives and direction specified in the Pinedale 
RMP and ROD (1988).
     Alternative 2: Maximizes the production of resource 
commodities while providing an adequate level of environmental 
protection for other resources.
     Alternative 3: Provides a high level of environmental 
protection for wildlife habitat and other resource values, while 
allowing the production of resources commodities.
     Alternative 4 (BLM Preferred Alternative): Optimizes the 
mix of resource outputs, including production of resource commodities 
and wildlife habitat, while providing an appropriate level of 
environmental protection for all resources.
    As established by the Pinedale RMP, there are two Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACEC), Rock Creek and Beaver Creek, totaling 
approximately 8,900 acres. With the Preferred Alternative, the BLM 
proposes to establish two additional ACECs:
     Trappers Point--(4,000 acres): Values of critical concern 
are big game

[[Page 7672]]

migration corridors, cultural and historic properties, and livestock 
trailing. Within this ACEC, fence construction and surface disturbing 
activities would be prohibited with the exception of activities 
designed to increase big game migration viability. The Area would be 
unavailable for oil and gas leasing. Off-road vehicle (ORV) use would 
be restricted to designated roads and trails and subject to a seasonal 
closure from November 15th through April 30th.
     New Fork Potholes--(1,800 acres): Values of critical 
concern are waterfowl, trumpeter swan, and riparian habitats. With the 
exception of those that would benefit wildlife habitat, surface 
disturbing activities would be prohibited. The Area would be 
unavailable for oil and gas leasing. ORV use would be restricted to 
designated roads and trails.
    Three areas were proposed for consideration as ACECs: Ross Butte, 
White-tailed Prairie Dog and the Wind River Front. While the BLM found 
that these areas meet relevance and importance criteria and effects of 
including these proposals analyzed, none of them were recommended for 
inclusion in BLM's Preferred Alternative. Alternative 4 (Preferred 
Alternative) would establish two Special Recreation Management Areas 
(SMRAs): CCC Ponds and Boulder Lake. Alternative 4 also describes 
special management goals and objectives for Miller Mountain, Ross 
Butte, and the Wind River Front.
    Much of the Pinedale planning area is considered to have a high 
potential for energy development. For those areas with high potential, 
the Draft RMP/EIS considers oil and gas, and wind energy development in 
support of the National Energy Plan and the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
    Performance-based land use objectives would be emphasized in 
Alternative 4 (Preferred Alternative), and applied where appropriate in 
all alternatives except Alternative 1 (No Action). The Draft RMP/EIS 
considers and is in conformance with the BLM's National Fire Plan and 
Healthy Forest Initiative.
    The BLM published its Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the revised 
RMP/EIS in the Federal Register on February 25, 2002. The BLM conducted 
open houses and mailed solicitations for public comments and input. 
Meetings were held to provide the public with an opportunity to gain 
information about the RMP revision process and to submit comments. 
Public meetings were held in the following Wyoming communities: Rock 
Springs, March 3, 2003; Pinedale, March 10, 2003; and Marbleton, March 
11, 2003. During the scoping period the BLM received over 55,000 public 
comments.
    Cooperating agencies assisting BLM in the development and 
preparation of the Draft RMP/EIS included county governments, 
conservation districts, other Federal agencies and the State of 
Wyoming. The BLM contacted tribal governments with possible interests, 
and offered opportunities for participation in the plan revision 
process. In preparation of the Draft RMP/EIS, the BLM considered all 
comments presented throughout the process. Background information and 
maps used in developing the Draft RMP/EIS are available for public 
review at the Pinedale Field Office.
    The BLM welcomes your comments. To facilitate analysis of comments 
and information, the public is encouraged to submit comments in an 
electronic format either through the Web site identified in this notice 
or through electronic mail.
    All comment submittals must include the commenter's name and street 
address. Comments including the names and street addresses of 
respondents will be available for public review at the Pinedale Field 
Office during its 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 from public review or 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.

Donald A. Simpson,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. E7-2678 Filed 2-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P