[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 41 (Friday, February 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11139-11140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3942]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ID 111 1610 DQ 049D DBG071006]


Notice of Availability of Snake River Birds of Prey National 
Conservation Area Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final 
Environmental Impact Statement, Idaho

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 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the Snake River Birds of 
Prey National Conservation Area (NCA).

DATES: The BLM Planning regulations (43CFR 1610.5-2) state that any 
person who participated in the planning process and has an interest 
that may be adversely affected may protest the BLM's Proposed RMP. The 
protest must be filed within 30 days of the date that the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes this Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register.
    Instructions for filing protests are described in the Dear Reader 
letter of the NCA PRMP/FEIS and in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Sullivan, NCA Manager, BLM Four 
Rivers Field Office, 3948 Development Ave., Boise, Idaho 83705, phone 
208-

[[Page 11140]]

384-3300; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NCA encompasses approximately 484,000 
acres of public land extending along 81 miles of the Snake River south 
of Boise, Idaho. The NCA was established on August 4, 1993 by Public 
Law 103-64 for the purpose of conserving, protecting, and enhancing 
North America's densest concentration of nesting and migrating raptor 
populations and habitats, and the natural and environmental resources 
and values associated with the area.
    Key components of the proposed plan include land allocations and 
management guidance that provide for:
     Reducing further wildfire-related loss of native shrub 
habitat through aggressive wildfire suppression; however, it is 
anticipated that about 30,000 additional acres of remnant shrub habitat 
could potentially be lost to wildfire.
     Restoring 130,000 acres of degraded shrub habitat to 
stabilize small mammal populations which provide prey for raptors.
     Completing 100,000 acres of fuels management projects to 
protect the economic and ecological investments made in the habitat 
restoration program.
     Restricting or modifying currently authorized National 
Guard military training activities, including the restriction of off-
road vehicle maneuver training on 22,300 acres; limiting vehicle 
maneuver training to non-shrub areas in the remaining maneuver areas to 
protect remnant shrub communities; and providing 4,100 additional acres 
to enhance military maneuvers.
     Remove the Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) 
designation for the Guffey Butte--Black Butte Archaeological District 
ACEC to eliminate redundant protective designations. The Guffey Butte--
Black Butte Archaeological District ACEC was designated prior to 
establishment of the NCA in 1993. The protective withdrawal language 
included in the ACEC designation is redundant with those protections 
provided by the NCA-enabling Act and the Archaeological District 
designation and is therefore unneccessary.
    Copies of the NCA Proposed RMP/FEIS have been sent to affected 
Federal, State, and Local Government agencies and to interested 
organizations and individuals. Copies of the Proposed RMP/FEIS are 
available for public inspection at the BLM Boise District Office, 3948 
Development Ave., Boise, ID 83705. Interested persons may also view the 
Proposed RMP/FEIS on the Internet at http://www.id.blm.gov/id/st/en/prop/planning.1.html. Changes were incorporated into the proposed plan 
based on public comments and internal BLM review of the Draft RMP and 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Public comments resulted in BLM 
incorporating in the Proposed Alternative a new utility corridor south 
of the Snake River to be consistent with proposals being evaluated in 
the West-Wide Energy Corridor Study EIS. Further, BLM removed from the 
Proposed Alternative the proposed expansion of the existing shooting 
management area. No other proposed land use decisions were 
significantly affected, but comments did result in BLM adding 
clarifying language to certain sections.
    As noted above, instructions for filing protests with the Director 
of the BLM regarding the Proposed RMP/FEIS may be found at 43 CFR 
1610.5-2. E-mail and faxed protests will not be accepted as valid 
protests unless the protesting party also provides the original letter 
by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the 
protest period. Under these conditions the BLM will consider the e-mail 
or faxed protest as an advanced copy, and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM 
Protest Coordinator at (202) 452-5112 and e-mails to [email protected]. All protests, including the follow-up letter (if e-
mailing or faxing) must be in writing and mailed to the following 
address:

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               Regular mail                        Overnight mail
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Diretor (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens-   Director (210), Attention:
 Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC    Brenda Hudgens-Williams,
 20035..                                     1620 L Street, NW., Suite
                                             1075, Washington, DC 20036.
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    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be 
aware that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.
    Following resolution of any protests of the proposed decision, a 
record of decision will be signed by the BLM Idaho State Director. A 
notice of availability of the record of decision will be published in 
the Federal Register and will be made available through local media.

Thomas H. Dyer,
Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. E8-3942 Filed 2-28-08; 8:45 am]
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