[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 164 (Friday, August 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49702-49703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19387]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-090-08-1610-DQ]


Notice of Availability of the Kemmerer Proposed Resource 
Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, Wyoming

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 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM) with its cooperating agencies has prepared a 
Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(PRMP/FEIS) for the Kemmerer Field Office planning area.

DATES: BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any person 
who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest 
the BLM's Proposed RMP. A person who meets the conditions and files a 
protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability in 
the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Kemmerer PRMP/FEIS have been sent to affected 
Federal, State, and local government agencies and to interested 
parties. Copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available for public inspection at 
the following locations:

Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, 
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
Bureau of Land Management, Kemmerer Field Office, 312 HWY 189 N, 
Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101
    Interested persons may also review the PRMP/FEIS on the Internet at 
http://www.blm.gov.rmp/kemmerer. All protests must be in writing and 
mailed to one of the following addresses:

Regular Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 
66538, Washington, DC 20036.
Overnight Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L 
Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20035.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Easley, RMP Team Leader, BLM 
Kemmerer Field Office, 312 HWY 189 N, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101; 
telephone--(307) 828-4524; e-mail [email protected] with 
``Kemmerer RMP'' in the subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Kemmerer Field Office planning area is 
located in Lincoln, Uinta, and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming. It 
includes approximately 1.4 million acres of public land surface and 1.6 
million acres of Federal mineral estate administered by the BLM.
    The Draft RMP/EIS was made available for public review for a 90-day 
period on July 13, 2007. The Draft RMP/EIS described and analyzed four 
alternatives for the management of the public lands and resources, 
including the Federal mineral estate, administered by the BLM Kemmerer 
Field Office:
    Alternative A: (No Action): Continuation of the current management 
goals, objectives, and direction specified in the Kemmerer RMP and ROD 
(1986).

[[Page 49703]]

    Alternative B: Provide a high level of environmental protection for 
wildlife habitat and other resource values, while allowing the 
production of resource commodities.
    Alternative C: Maximize the production of resource commodities 
while providing an adequate level of environmental protection for other 
resources.
    Alternative D: (BLM's Preferred Alternative): Optimize the mix of 
resource outputs, including production of resource commodities and 
wildlife habitat, while providing enhancement of environmental 
protection for all resources.
    The key issues addressed by the alternatives are: (1) Development 
of domestic energy sources, including wind power; (2) off highway 
vehicle/snowmobile use and outdoor recreation; (3) National Historic 
Trails and cultural resources management; (4) management of wildlife 
habitat, including special status plant and animal species; (5) special 
management designations; and (6) travel management planning.
    The Draft RMP/EIS included analysis of nine new areas proposed for 
consideration as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The 
BLM found that these areas meet relevance and importance criteria as 
set forth in 43 CFR 1610.7-2, and the impacts of including these 
proposed ACECs were analyzed as part of the alternatives in the Draft 
RMP/EIS.
    With Alternative D (BLM Preferred Alternative), the BLM proposes to 
establish the Bridger Butte ACEC (727 acres); Special status plant 
species ACEC (907 acres); and Cushion plant community ACEC (61 acres); 
and retain the Raymond Mountain ACEC (13,926 acres).
    In addition, in Alternative D, the BLM analyzed the effects of 
opening 3,963 acres for consideration of future coal leasing. The 
proposed coal lease area is situated in T. 17 N., R. 117 W., Section 
18, 20, 30, and 32; T. 16 N., R. 118 W., Section 2; 17 N., R. 118 W., 
Section 24.
    Comments on the Draft RMP/EIS received from the public and internal 
BLM review were incorporated as appropriate into the proposed plan. 
After careful consideration of the comments received, adjustment and 
clarifications were made to Alternative D, BLM's Preferred Alternative. 
As modified, Alternative D is now presented as the Proposed Kemmerer 
RMP in the PRMP/FEIS. The Proposed Kemmerer RMP would provide 
comprehensive, long-range decisions for the use and management of 
resources in the planning area administered by the BLM and focus on the 
principles of multiple use and sustained yield.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the PRMP/FEIS may be found in the Dear Reader Letter of the 
Kemmerer PRMP/FEIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. E-mailed 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-mailed or faxed protest as an advance 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 appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section 
above. 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.

Martin G. Griffith,
Acting State Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-19387 Filed 8-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P