[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 164 (Friday, August 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48664-48666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16700]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-060-1610-016J]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Moab Field Office in Grand 
and San Juan Counties, UT

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 (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) hereby gives notice that the Moab Draft Resource 
Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS) is 
available for a 90-day public review and comment period. This notice 
also meets requirements in 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b) concerning potential 
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).

DATES: To ensure that your written comments on the DRMP/DEIS will be 
considered, you should send them to the BLM within 90 days following 
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of 
availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce public 
meetings and other public-involvement activities at least 15 days in 
advance through public notices, news releases, direct mailings, and 
posting on the project Web site at http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html. Public meetings will be held in Moab, Monticello, and 
Salt Lake City, Utah, and in other locations, if warranted.

ADDRESSES: Address written comments to: RMP Comments, Moab Field 
Office, Bureau of Land Management, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532. 
Comments may also be submitted electronically by e-mail to: [email protected]. Comments, including names and addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at the Moab Field 
Office, and will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA). Before including your address, phone number, e-
mail address, or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, be advised that your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review 
your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will 
be able to do so. 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, or to have 
your name added to the Moab RMP mailing list, visit the RMP Web site: 
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html. Or, you may contact 
Brent Northrup, RMP Project Manager, Moab BLM Field Office, 82 East 
Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532, phone (435) 259-2100. To have your name added 
to the Moab RMP mailing list, or to view and download the DRMP/DEIS in 
portable document format (PDF) go to the project Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html. Copies of the DRMP/DEIS are 
also available at the BLM Moab Field Office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DRMP/DEIS addresses public lands and 
resources managed by the Moab Field Office in Grand and San Juan 
Counties, Utah. These lands and resources are currently managed under 
the Grand Resource Area RMP (1985). The planning area includes 
approximately 1.8 million acres of BLM-administered public lands as 
well as Federally-owned minerals.
    The BLM analyzes four proposed alternatives in the DRMP/DEIS:
     Alternative A (No Action): represents continuation of 
existing management under the current management goals, objectives, and 
direction specified in the Grand Resource Area RMP.
     Alternative B: Emphasizes protection of natural resource 
values and landscapes.
     Alternative C (BLM Preferred Alternative): emphasizes a 
balance of resource protection with commodity production.
     Alternative D: emphasizes commodity production.
    Major issues that were identified during public scoping and 
considered in the DRMP/DEIS include: oil and gas development; 
recreation and off-highway vehicle management; special designations 
(ACECs and suitability of rivers for Congressional designation into the 
national Wild and Scenic Rivers System); land areas with wilderness 
characteristics; and transportation and access. The DRMP/DEIS considers 
the designation and protection of ACECs.

[[Page 48665]]

ACEC values and resource use limitations vary by ACEC and the number of 
proposed ACECs and acres vary by alternative (refer to the table 
below). More detailed management prescriptions in these areas are 
provided in the DRMPR/DEIS.

   Acres of BLM-Managed Surface Estate Proposed To Be Managed as ACECS Under the Alternatives in the DRMP/DEIS
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                                                                                 Alternative C
       ACEC values and use limitations         Alternative A    Alternative B     (preferred)     Alternative D
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              Behind the Rocks                              0        \*\17,836         \*\5,201                0
Values: Scenery, cultural, and natural
 systems (including threatened, sensitive
 and endangered plants).....................
Limitations: Manage as Visual Resource
 Management (VRM) Class I in Alternative B,
 and VRM Class II in Alternative C. Apply No
 Surface Occupancy (NSO) stipulations for
 oil and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities [closed in the
 Wilderness Study Area (WSA)]. Limit Off
 Highway Vehicle (OHV) use to designated
 routes.
             Bookcliffs Wildlife                            0       \*\304,252                0                0
Values: Wildlife and cultural...............
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
 and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities (closed in WSAs).
 Limit OHV use to designated routes, and
 allow no new routes.
                 Canyon Rims                                0        \*\23,400                0                0
Value: Scenery..............................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class II. Apply
 NSO stipulations for oil and gas leasing
 and other surface disturbing activities.
 Limit OHV use to designated routes.
   Cisco White-Tailed Prairie Dog Complex                   0       \*\117,481                0                0
Value: Wildlife habitat.....................
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
 and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
 designated routes, and use grazing systems
 to protect prairie dog habitat.
           Colorado River Corridor                          0        \*\50,483                0                0
Values: Scenery, natural systems (including
 threatened, sensitive and endangered
 plants), fish and wildlife.................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I. Apply
 NSO stipulations for oil and gas leasing
 and other surface disturbing activities.
 Limit OHV use to designated routes, and
 impose restrictions on recreation use.
        Cottonwood/Diamond Watershed                        0        \*\35,830           35,830                0
Values: Natural hazards and natural systems.
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
 and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities (closed in WSA).
 Limit OHV use to designated routes, and
 allow no new routes.
   Highway 279 Corridor/Shafer Basin/Long                   0        \*\13,500        \*\13,500                0
                   Canyon
Values: Scenery, wildlife, natural systems
 (threatened, sensitive and endangered
 plants) and cultural.......................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I
 (Alternative B), and as VRM Class II
 (Alternative C). Apply NSO stipulations for
 oil and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
 designated routes.
              Labyrinth Canyon                              0         \*\8,528                0                0
Values: Scenery and fish....................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I. Apply
 NSO stipulation for oil and gas leasing and
 other surface disturbing activities. Limit
 OHV use to designated routes, allow no new
 routes.
              Mill Creek Canyon                             0        \*\13,501         \*\3,721                0
Values: Scenery, cultural, and natural
 systems (riparian/watershed/cold water
 fishery/wildlife)..........................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I
 (Alternative B), and VRM Class II
 (Alternative C). Apply NSO stipulations for
 oil and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities (closed in the WSA).
 Limit OHV use to designated routes, impose
 restrictions on recreation use.
                Ten Mile Wash                               0         \*\4,980         \*\4,980                0
Values: Natural systems (riparian/wetlands),
 wildlife, cultural and natural hazards.....
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
 and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
 designated routes, and impose restrictions
 on recreation use.
              Upper Courthouse                              0        \*\11,529                0            0ROW>
Values: Historic, cultural, paleontological,
 and natural systems (including threatened,
 endangered and relict plants)..............
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
 and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
 designated routes, and impose recreation
 restrictions.

[[Page 48666]]

 
              Westwater Canyon                              0         \*\5,069                0                0
Values: Scenery, fish.......................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I. Close to
 oil and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities. Close to motorized
 travel, allow no new routes.
                 White Wash                                 0         \*\2,988                0                0
Values: Natural systems (riparian dune
 systems)...................................
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
 and gas leasing and other surface
 disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
 designated routes, impose restrictions on
 recreation.
                 Wilson Arch                                0         \*\3,700                0                0
Values: Scenery.............................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I. Apply
 NSO stipulations for oil and gas leasing
 and other surface disturbing activities.
 Limit OHV use to designated routes.
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    Total Acres.............................                0       \*\613,077        \*\63,232                0
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* Acres.


Jeff Rawson,
Utah Associate State Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-16700 Filed 8-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DK-P