[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 173 (Friday, September 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51465-51466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17718]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-190-07-1610]


Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Hollister 
Resource Management Plan for the Southern Diablo Mountain Range and 
Central Coast of California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Record of Decision (ROD).

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

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) policies, the BLM announces the 
availability of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) for the Southern Diablo Mountain Range and 
Central Coast of California BLM public lands administered by the 
Hollister Field Office. The California State Director has signed the 
ROD, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the 
Approved RMP effective immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD and RMP are available upon request from 
the Field Manager, Hollister Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 
20 Hamilton Court, Hollister, California 95023 or via the internet at 
http://www.ca.blm.gov/hollister.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sky Murphy, Hollister Field Office 20 
Hamilton Court, Hollister, California 95023; Tel: (831) 630-5039; E-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hollister RMP for the Southern Diablo 
Mountain Range and Central Coast of California provides direction for 
managing approximately 274,000 acres of BLM-managed surface acres and 
443,806 additional subsurface acres (mineral estate) in central 
California. The geographic area includes all BLM-managed public lands 
within the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San 
Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and portions of Fresno, Merced, 
Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties. Planning for the Hollister RMP 
officially began with a Notice of Intent published in the Federal 
Register on March 30, 2004 initiating scoping. BLM sought participation 
from the public, tribes, and local state, and federal agencies in the 
development of this RMP and will continue to pursue partnerships in the 
management of the public lands. The RMP describes the actions to meet 
desired resource conditions for vegetation communities, wildlife 
habitats, and cultural and visual resources. It also outlines actions 
for recreation, protection of sensitive natural and cultural resources, 
livestock grazing, guidance for energy and mineral development, land 
tenure adjustments, and other planning issues raised during the scoping 
process.
    The BLM's Draft RMP/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
the Southern Diablo Mountain Range and Central Coast of California 
(October 2005) presented alternatives to help the BLM and interested 
parties understand the various ways of addressing issues in the region. 
Upon evaluation of the alternatives and associated impacts described in 
the Draft RMP/EIS and based on public and agency comments on that 
document, the BLM prepared the Proposed RMP and Final EIS for the 
Southern Diablo Mountain Range and Central Coast of California, which 
was released on July 14, 2006. The Proposed RMP includes the preferred 
alternative identified in the Draft RMP/EIS with minor changes as a 
result of comments received.
    Eleven protest letters on the Proposed RMP were received and 
resolved by the BLM Director. The BLM determined that the Preferred 
Alternative, as described in the Proposed RMP and Final EIS, best meets 
the purpose and need for the plan; however, two (2) minor changes will 
be made to the ROD/Approved RMP. First, a mapping error will be 
corrected to show that BLM public lands in the Clear Creek Management 
Area administrative boundary, which were mistakenly included in 
Appendix A on Figures 25-27 of the Proposed RMP and Final EIS, will not 
be made available for disposal under this Record

[[Page 51466]]

of Decision. Second, if and when BLM acquires certain property, 
described as approximately 5,514 acres at Coast Dairies in Santa Cruz 
County, management decisions for this property will be outlined in a 
separate Record of Decision (ROD).
    The Approved RMP expands the existing 43,357 acre Panoche-Coalinga 
Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) to include an additional 
12,772 acres, and designates two new ACECs (21,980 acres) and one 
Research Natural Area (RNA) for a total of 78,109 acres of special 
designations, which is approximately 3 percent of the planning area. 
The new ACECs include all BLM public lands at the former Fort Ord and 
7,327 acres of BLM public lands surrounding Joaquin Rocks. The Monvero 
Dunes RNA (1,173 acres) is contained within the Panoche-Coalinga ACEC 
expansion.
    The following types of resource use limitations would generally 
apply to these ACECs: (1) Motorized travel would be limited to 
designated routes; (2) limits on land disposal; and (3) limits on new 
mineral development (mineral leasing, locatable minerals and wind 
energy) to protect unique cultural values and special status plants and 
animals. For detailed information, see Chapter 3 and Appendix D of the 
ROD for the Hollister RMP for the Southern Diablo Mountain Range and 
Central Coast of California.
    The Governor of the State of California in his letter dated 
September 15, 2006 stated, ``Pursuant to 43 CFR 1603-2, and after 
consulting with affected State and Local agencies, the Governor's 
Office of Planning and Research (OPR) has not found any inconsistencies 
with any state or local plans, policies, or programs with regards to 
this [Proposed] Resource Management Plan.''
    The decisions identifying designated routes of travel for motorized 
vehicles are implementation decisions and are appealable under 43 CFR 
Part 4. These decisions are contained on Figures 17-21 in Appendix A of 
the RMP. Any party adversely affected by the decisions identifying 
designated routes may appeal within 30 days of publication of this 
Notice of Availability. The appeal should state the specific route(s), 
as identified in Appendix A of the RMP, on which the decision is being 
appealed. The appeal must be filed with the Hollister Field Manager at 
the above listed address.
    Please consult the appropriate regulations (43 CFR Part 4, Subpart 
E) for further appeal requirements. Before including your address, 
phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information 
in your appeal, you should be aware that your entire appeal--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you can ask us in your appeal to withhold your 
personal information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

    Dated: July 26, 2007.
Rick Cooper,
Hollister Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. E7-17718 Filed 9-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P