[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 212 (Friday, November 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62266-62269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21518]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT090-1610-012J]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Monticello Field Office in 
San Juan County, Utah

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) hereby gives notice that the Monticello 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 its 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: www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html. Public meetings will be held in Monticello, Moab, 
Blanding, Montezuma Creek, and Salt Lake City, UT; and in other 
locations, if warranted.

ADDRESSES: Address written comments to: RMP Comments, Monticello Field 
Office, Bureau of Land Management, PO Box 7, Monticello, Utah 84535. 
Comments may also be faxed to the Monticello Field Office at (435) 587-
1518, or submitted electronically by e-mail to: [email protected]. Comments and information submitted on the DRMP/EIS, 
including names, e-mail addresses, and street addresses of respondents, 
will be available for public review and disclosure at the above 
address. The BLM will not accept anonymous comments. 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 can 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Torres, Land Use Planner, 
Monticello BLM Field Office, PO Box 7, Monticello, Utah 84535, phone 
(435) 587-1524. To have your name added to the Monticello 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 
Monticello Field Office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DRMP/DEIS addresses public lands and 
resources managed by the Monticello Field Office in San Juan County, 
Utah. These lands and resources are currently managed under the San 
Juan Resource Management Plan (1991). The planning area includes 
approximately 1.8 million acres of BLM-administered surface lands and 
additional federally-owned minerals under Federal, state, tribal, and 
private lands in the area. Decisions in the Monticello RMP will only 
apply to BLM-administered public lands and federally-owned minerals.
    Major issues considered in the DRMP/DEIS include oil and gas 
leasing, mining, range and livestock management, access and 
transportation, recreation and off-highway vehicle management, special 
status species, special designations (including ACECs and suitability 
of rivers for Congressional designation into the national Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System), and lands with wilderness characteristics.
    The DRMP/DEIS proposes and analyzes five alternatives for future 
management of the public lands and

[[Page 62267]]

resources in the planning area. The alternatives present different 
management balances between the various resources and uses.
    The BLM analyzed five alternatives for the DRMP/DEIS:
     Alternative A (No Action): represents continuation of 
existing management under the current management goals, objectives and 
direction specified in the San Juan Resource Management Plan (1991).
     Alternative B: emphasizes protection of natural resource 
values.
     Alternative C (The BLM's Preferred Alternative): proposes 
balancing resource protection with commodity production.
     Alternative D: emphasizes commodity production.
     Alternative E: provides protection of natural resource 
values with emphasis on protection of non-WSA lands with wilderness 
characteristics.
    As required by law, the DRMP/DEIS considers the designation and 
protection of ACECs. ACEC values and resource use limitations vary by 
ACEC, and the ACECs themselves vary by alternative. (Refer to the table 
below.)

         Acres of Public Land To Be Managed as ACECs Under the Alternatives in the Monitcello DRMP/DEIS
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                                    Alt. A (no                        Alt. C
 ACEC Values and Use Limitations      action)         Alt. B        (preferred)       Alt. D          Alt. E
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Alkali Ridge ACEC...............          39,202          39,196          39,196               0          39,196
Values: Cultural.
Limitations: Closed to private
 and (or) commercial use of
 woodland products except for
 limited on-site collection of
 dead wood for campfires.
 Livestock use may be restricted
 if cultural resources are being
 impacted. No surface disturbing
 vegetation treatments. Any
 treatment must avoid cultural
 sites by sufficient margin as
 to have no impact.
Bridger Jack Mesa ACEC..........           6,260           6,225               0               0           6,225
Values: Near-relict vegetation.
Limitations: Managed as Visual
 Resource Management (VRM) Class
 I. Open for mineral leasing
 subject to No Surface Occupancy
 (NSO) on the mesa top;
 available for geophysical work
 that does not impact the relict
 vegetation communities. Closed
 to the disposal of mineral
 materials. Open to locatable
 mineral entry with approved
 plan of operations, subject to
 stipulations regarding surface
 use of the mesa top, insofar as
 there is no adverse impact to
 vegetation communities.
 Excluded from livestock
 grazing, including grazing by
 saddle stock and pack animals
 allowed for access. Excluded
 from land treatments or other
 improvements, except for test
 plots and facilities necessary
 for study of the plant
 communities, and restoration/
 reclamation activities. Closed
 to Off Highway Vehicle (OHV)
 use. Closed to private and (or)
 commercial use of woodland
 products except for the limited
 on-site collection of dead wood
 for campfires.
Butler Wash North ACEC..........          17,464          17,365               0               0          17,365
Values: Scenic.
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Class I. Open for mineral
 leasing subject to NSO;
 however, the field manager
 would grant an exception to the
 NSO stipulations in the event
 it is determined through an EA,
 or EIS if necessary, with the
 adoption and use of appropriate
 mitigation measures, that the
 project would meet visual
 quality standards for the area.
 Closed to disposal of mineral
 materials. Retained in public
 ownership and withdrawn from
 entry. Closed to private and
 (or) commercial use of woodland
 products, except for limited on-
 site collection of dead wood.
Cedar Mesa ACEC.................         295,336         306,743               0               0         306,743
Values: Cultural.
Limitations: Available for
 livestock use with special
 conditions to protect at-risk
 cultural resources. Closed to
 private and (or) commercial use
 of woodland products except for
 limited on-site collection of
 dead wood for campfires.
 Campfires limited to mesa tops
 and would be closed if there
 are impacts to cultural sites.
 Closed to dispersed camping.
 Limited number of recreation
 permits issued for day hikes
 and overnight camping as
 necessary to prevent cultural
 site damage from over
 visitation. Overnight campers
 must pack out their human
 waste.
Dark Canyon ACEC................          61,660          61,660               0               0          61,660
Values: Scenic, Cultural,
 Wildlife.

[[Page 62268]]

 
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Class I. Closed to oil and gas
 leasing, geophysical work, and
 disposal of mineral materials.
 Retained in public ownership
 and classified as segregated
 from entry (secretarial
 withdrawal would be requested).
 Closed to private and (or)
 commercial use of woodland
 products except for limited on-
 site collection of dead wood
 for campfires on mesa tops.
 Campfires limited to mesa top
 with fire pan (no campfires in
 canyons). Human waste to be
 packed out. Excluded from
 livestock use except Fable
 Valley, where livestock
 trailing and emergency grazing
 (severe winter) would be
 allowed. Closed to OHV use.
 Improvements conditionally
 allowed for wildlife habitat,
 watershed, and vegetative
 treatments that meet VRM Class
 I management. Managed to limit
 recreation use if wildlife
 habitat or scenic values are
 being damaged. Subject to
 conditional fire suppression,
 with motorized suppression
 methods used only if necessary
 to protect life or property.
Hovenweep ACEC..................           1,798           2,439           2,439               0           2,439
Values: Cultural, Special
 Wildlife Habitat.
Limitations: Cultural properties
 eligible for the National
 Register of Historic Places
 would be avoided as necessary
 to provide permanent
 protection. Closed to disposal
 of mineral materials. Available
 for livestock use but may be
 limited if cultural resources
 are impacted. No surface
 disturbing habitat, watershed,
 or vegetation treatments. Any
 treatment must avoid cultural
 sites by sufficient margin as
 to avoid adverse impact. Closed
 to private and (or) commercial
 use of woodland products,
 except for limited on-site
 collection of dead wood for
 campfires.
Indian Creek ACEC...............           8,510           8,510           3,905               0           8,510
Values: Scenic.
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Class I. Open for mineral
 leasing subject to NSO. Closed
 to disposal of mineral
 materials. Retained in public
 ownership and classified as
 segregated from entry
 (secretarial withdrawal would
 be requested). Available for
 geophysical work if VRM Class I
 can be met. Closed to private
 and (or) commercial use of
 woodland products including on-
 site collection of dead wood
 for campfires. Closed to OHV
 use. Dispersed camping not
 allowed in the Indian Creek
 Corridor. Camping allowed only
 in designated sites.
Lockhart Basin ACEC.............               0          47,783               0               0          47,783
Values: Scenic.
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Class I. Surface disturbing
 activities would be prohibited
 unless VRM Class I objectives
 can be met. This would apply to
 mineral leasing NSO decisions,
 and to geophysical work. Open
 for mineral leasing subject to
 NSO. Exemptions may be granted
 on a case-by-case basis if site-
 specific NEPA analysis
 determines that VRM Class I can
 be met. Surface disturbing
 activities would be prohibited.
 Available for geophysical work
 if VRM Class I can be met.
 Closed to disposal of mineral
 materials. Retained in public
 ownership and classified as
 segregated from entry
 (secretarial withdrawal would
 be requested). Closed to
 woodland product use except for
 limited on-site collection of
 dead wood for campfires.
Lavender Mesa ACEC..............             649             649             649               0             649
Values: Relict-vegetation.

[[Page 62269]]

 
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Class II. Non-surface
 disturbing vegetative
 treatments allowed to control
 invasive species and for
 rehabilitation of disturbed
 surfaces. Managed as NSO for
 oil and gas leasing. Open to
 locatable mineral entry with
 approved plan of operations
 (for the sides of the mesa, not
 the top), subject to
 stipulations protecting
 vegetation on the mesa top. No
 campfires allowed. Managed to
 limit recreation use if
 vegetation communities are
 being adversely impacted.
Scenic Highway ACEC.............          79,017               0               0               0               0
Values: Scenic.
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Class I with projects that meet
 these visual quality standards
 allowed. Open for mineral
 leasing subject to NSO with
 exceptions if VRM Class I
 objectives cannot be met.
Shay Canyon ACEC................            5488             119             119               0             119
Values: Cultural.
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Class I. Managed as NSO for oil
 and gas, vegetation, watershed,
 or wildlife treatments/
 improvements. Grazing
 restricted to trailing only.
 With the exception of side
 canyons, hiking limited to
 designated trails. Closed to
 disposal of mineral materials.
 Closed to campfires. Closed to
 private or commercial use of
 woodland products including on-
 site collection of dead wood
 for campfires. Recreation use
 may be limited if cultural/
 paleontological resources are
 impacted. Closed to camping.
San Juan River ACEC.............               0           7,590           7,590               0           7,590
Values: Scenic, Cultural,
 Wildlife, and Natural Systems.
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Classes I, II, and III. Open to
 oil and gas leasing subject to
 NSO. Closed to private and (or)
 commercial use of woodland
 products except for limited on-
 site collection of dead wood
 for campfires; woodland use
 within the floodplain would be
 limited to collection of
 driftwood for campfires. Closed
 to mineral material disposal.
 Retained in public ownership
 and recommended for withdrawal
 from mineral entry. Managed to
 limit recreation use if
 wildlife values are being
 adversely impacted. Restricted
 recreational uses to protect
 cultural, wildlife, and natural
 processes. This would include
 closed areas for camping,
 designated access trails to
 cultural sites, and prohibiting
 ropes and other climbing aids
 for access to cultural sites
 and nesting raptors.
Valley of the Gods ACEC.........          36,800          22,863          22,863               0          22,863
Values: Scenic.
Limitations: Managed as VRM
 Class I. Closed to mineral
 leasing and disposal of mineral
 materials. Retained in public
 ownership but recommended for
 withdrawal from mineral entry.
 No campfires allowed. Closed to
 private and (or) commercial use
 of woodland products.
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    Total.......................         552,184         521,142          76,761               0         521,142
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    Dated: April 26, 2007.
Jeff Rawson,
Utah Associate State Director.

    Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the 
Federal Register on October 29, 2007.
[FR Doc. E7-21518 Filed 11-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DK-P