[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 130 (Monday, July 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 37259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13241]



[[Page 37259]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ-330-07-1610-DR-082A]


Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Lake Havasu 
Field Office Resource Management Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), and the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) management policies, the BLM announces 
the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) for the Lake Havasu Field Office located in 
Arizona and California. The Arizona State Director will sign the ROD 
making the decisions in the Lake Havasu RMP effective immediately.

ADDRESSES: Printed copies and electronic copies (on CD-ROM) of the ROD/
Approved RMP are available upon request from the Bureau of Land 
Management, Lake Havasu Field Office, 2610 Sweetwater Avenue, Lake 
Havasu City, Arizona 86406. The document is also available via the 
internet http://www.blm.gov/az. To receive a copy of the document, 
contact the BLM via e-mail at [email protected] or call (928) 505-
1200.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina Trafton, Bureau of Land 
Management, Lake Havasu Field Office, 2610 Sweetwater Avenue, Lake 
Havasu City, Arizona 86406. Contact via e-mail at [email protected] 
or call (928) 505-1200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: One of the BLM's objectives during the 
planning process was to understand the views of various publics by 
providing opportunities for meaningful participation. Through 
communication media such as meetings, newsletters and news releases, 
the public was provided opportunities to identify issues that needed to 
be addressed. The public also provided comments during the 90-day 
public comment period on the Draft EIS; these comments were addressed 
in the Final EIS. The BLM coordinated with the four agencies that 
requested Cooperating Agency status (i.e. Arizona Department of 
Transportation, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Reclamation 
and the Federal Highway Administration) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Arizona State Land Department, California Department of Fish 
and Game, adjacent BLM field offices, and other land managing agencies 
within the boundaries of the planning areas. The BLM also initiated 
consultation with tribes, who have oral traditions or cultural concerns 
relating to the planning area, or who are documented as having occupied 
or used portions of the planning area during prehistoric or historic 
times.
    The Approved RMP includes strategies for protecting and preserving 
the biological, cultural, recreational, geological, educational, 
scientific, and scenic values that balance multiple uses of the BLM-
administered lands throughout the Lake Havasu Field Office (LHFO) 
planning area. The planning area encompasses more than 1.3 million 
acres of BLM administered lands.
    The Approved RMP designated five Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACECs): Beale Slough Riparian and Cultural ACEC (2,395 acres); 
Bullhead Bajada Natural and Cultural ACEC (7,090 acres); Crossman Peak 
Scenic ACEC (48,855 acres); Swansea Historic District ACEC (5,973 
acres); and Three Rivers Riparian ACEC (2,246 acres). The following 
types of resource use limitations apply to these ACECs: (1) Grazing 
prescriptions are designed to achieve the desired plant community 
objectives; (2) Recreation facilities are limited to projects that 
protect ACEC values; (3) Camping is limited to developed or signed 
sites; and (4) Motorized travel is permitted only on designated open 
and signed routes.
    The Preferred Alternative in the Draft Resource Management Plan/
Draft EIS (published September 20, 2005) was revised to include 
comments received during the 90-day public comment period. The 
resultant alternative became the Proposed Plan in the Proposed Resource 
Management Plan/Final EIS (PRMP/FEIS), published September 22, 2006. 
The BLM has determined that Proposed Plan will provide an optimal 
balance between authorized resource use and the protection and long-
term sustainability of sensitive resources within the planning area.
    Neither the Arizona nor the California Governors' Offices 
identified any inconsistencies between the PRMP/FEIS and state or local 
plans, policies, and programs following the 60-day Governors' 
Consistency Reviews (initiated August 23, 2006, in accordance with 
planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.3-2(e)).
    One protest was received during the FEIS 30-day protest period. The 
Proposed Plan was clarified based on the one protest received. As a 
result, only minor editorial modifications were made in preparing the 
Approved RMP. These modifications provided further clarification of 
some of the decisions. Additional text was added to clarify the 
protection of wilderness characteristics as well as the impacts from 
Off-Highway Vehicles. The changes between the PRMP and the Approved RMP 
are clearly stated in sections entitled Modifications and 
Clarifications in the ROD. The resultant revised Proposed Plan is now 
called the ``Approved RMP'' and is attached to the ROD.
    The Approved RMP does not contain Implementation Decisions. Future 
activity-level plans will address the implementation of the Approved 
RMP. These implementation plans will be accompanied by any required 
additional site-specific planning and NEPA analysis. Approval of an 
activity plan is an appealable decision). The appeal process will be 
set forth in the future individual implementation (activity or project 
level) plans.

    Dated: May 1, 2007.
Michael A. Taylor,
Acting, Arizona State Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-13241 Filed 7-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P