[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 160 (Monday, August 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46511-46512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16332]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-070-07-1610-DU]


Notice of Intent (NOI) To Amend the Resource Management Plan for 
the Buffalo Field Office, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Buffalo Field Office, 
Wyoming, proposes to amend its 1985 Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
because of changes in circumstances and proposed actions that may 
result in changes in the scope of resource uses and/or changes in 
decisions of the approved plan. The BLM will evaluate the following: 
(1) Management guidance for the Fortification Creek area, (2) 
Designation of an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in the 
Fortification Creek area, and (3) a potential land exchange with the 
State of Wyoming to consolidate ownership and facilitate management of 
the Fortification Creek area. The BLM may consider further land use 
planning decisions for the area surrounding the proposed ACEC.

DATES: Scoping for the proposed plan amendment will commence on the 
date that this notice is published in the Federal Register. The BLM 
will host several public, open house meetings to provide additional 
information about the proposed amendment, and identify any additional 
resource information or concerns. The BLM will announce the dates and 
locations of public meetings at least 15 days in advance through local 
news media, Web site announcements, or mailings. Written comments will 
be accepted for 30 calendar days after the last public meeting.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to the BLM through any 
of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/bfodocs/fortification_creek.html;
     E-mail: [email protected];
     Fax: (307) 684-1122;
     Mail: Fortification Creek RMP Amendment, BLM Buffalo Field 
Office, 1425 Fort Street, Buffalo, WY 82834; or
     By personal delivery to the Buffalo Field Office or at a 
BLM-hosted public meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Bills, Project Manager, BLM 
Buffalo Field Office, 1425 Fort Street, Buffalo, Wyoming 82834, or by 
telephone at (307) 684-1133.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Buffalo RMP and associated Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) were prepared in 1985; the RMP was amended in 
2003. The 1985 RMP identified an area of approximately 12,415 acres as 
having wilderness characteristics and established it as the 
Fortification Creek (Fort Creek) Wilderness Study Area (WSA). The 1985 
RMP also evaluated an area adjacent to the Fort Creek WSA to determine 
whether it met ACEC relevance and importance criteria, but it did not 
designate the area as an ACEC in its Record of Decision (ROD). In 
addition, the 1985 RMP stated that the area surrounding the WSA would 
require special management. However, it did not specify what resource 
values were in need of special management, nor did it clearly describe 
limitations or use restrictions that might be needed to manage those 
resource values. This RMP amendment process will evaluate resources and 
issues related to the planning criteria, including the designation of 
an area surrounding the Fort Creek WSA as an ACEC and the appropriate 
management actions and use restrictions for the ACEC, if designated. 
The Fort Creek area is located in Campbell, Johnson, and Sheridan 
Counties, Wyoming.
    The purpose of the scoping process is to determine relevant issues 
that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis and 
alternatives. Scoping comments will also guide the planning process. 
The BLM will prepare an associated NEPA document, either an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS), based on scoping comments and issues.

[[Page 46512]]

    The BLM has identified the following preliminary issues:
     Management of the Fort Creek Area. Should the BLM 
recommend the area, or a portion of the area, as an ACEC, or should it 
establish a management area (MA) with specific goals and objectives?
     Resource Values and Limitations. If the BLM concludes that 
some or all of the Fort Creek planning area merit establishment of an 
ACEC, what resource values and what measures would be appropriate to 
manage the area and its resources?
    If the BLM decides that the Fort Creek planning area does not merit 
ACEC status, the BLM will determine what resources should be evaluated 
for activities and use limitations within the area:
    1. Uses. Appropriate use and occupancy of the public lands in the 
Fort Creek area for energy resources.
    2. Management Activities. Continue management activities for 
resource values currently identified in the RMP, or generate new goals 
and objectives and use limitations for the protection of steep slopes, 
erosive soils, elk habitat, cultural resources and visual resources.
    3. Landownership Adjustments. Identify opportunities, if any, to 
exchange lands with other landowners including the State of Wyoming for 
the purpose of consolidating public lands and maintaining continuous 
wildlife habitat.
    The preliminary land use planning criteria are:
    1. The amendment will be in compliance with FLPMA and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies. The land use plan amendment process 
will be governed by the planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610 and BLM 
Land Use Planning Handbook H-1601-1.
    2. The proposed action and alternatives will be analyzed in 
accordance with NEPA.
    3. Lands affected by the proposed plan amendment include public 
surface and mineral estate managed by the BLM. No decisions will be 
made relative to non-BLM administered lands or non-federal minerals.
    4. Broad-based public participation will be an integral part of the 
planning process.
    5. The plan amendment will recognize all valid existing rights.
    6. The BLM will work with cooperating agencies and all other 
interested groups, agencies, and individuals. The amended RMP will be 
consistent with existing non-Federal plans and policies, provided the 
decisions in the existing plans are consistent with the purposes, 
policies, and programs of Federal law and regulations for public lands.
    7. The WSA will continue to be managed under the BLM's Interim 
Management Policy for Lands under Wilderness Review until Congress 
either designates all or portions of the WSA as wilderness or releases 
the lands from further wilderness consideration.
    8. The planning process will involve consultation with American 
Indian tribal governments to provide strategies for the protection of 
recognized traditional uses.
    9. The RMP amendment may include adaptive environmental management 
(AEM) principles and protocol to deal with future issues and outcomes.
    All comment submittals must include the commenter's name and street 
address. Comments, including the names and street addresses of 
respondent, will be available for public review at the Buffalo Field 
Office listed above during its business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), 
Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays. Before including 
your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Alan Rabinoff,
Acting State Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-16332 Filed 8-17-07; 8:45 am]
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