[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66918-66919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26835]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-670-08-1610-DR]


Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Eastern San 
Diego County Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The BLM announces the availability of the Record of Decision 
(ROD)/Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Eastern San Diego 
County. The California State Director signed the ROD on October 10, 
2008, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the 
Approved RMP effective immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP are available upon request 
from the Field Manager, El Centro Field Office, Bureau of Land 
Management, 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243 or via the Internet 
at http://www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro. Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP can 
also be obtained from the BLM California State Office at 2800 Cottage 
Way, Suite W 1834, Sacramento, CA 95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Dreyfuss, Eastern San Diego 
County RMP Team Leader, at (760) 337-4400, Bureau of Land Management, 
1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The planning area for the Eastern San Diego 
County RMP is the El Centro Field Office's area of management 
responsibility. Approximately 103,000 acres of public lands are 
administered by the BLM in the planning area. The decisions laid out in 
the ROD will apply only to BLM-administered lands and mineral estate in 
the planning area.
    Planning for the RMP officially began with a Federal Register 
Notice on July 14, 2004 initiating the scoping process. The BLM sought 
participation from the public, tribes, and local, state, and federal 
agencies.
    The RMP describes how the BLM intends to manage the planning area 
to meet desired resource conditions for vegetative communities, 
wildlife habitats, and cultural and visual resources. It also outlines 
management direction for recreation, protection of sensitive natural 
and cultural resources, energy and mineral development, land tenure 
adjustments and other planning issues raised during the planning 
process.
    The BLM's Draft RMP/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
the Eastern San Diego County Planning Area (February 2, 2007) 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 (PRMP/FEIS) for Eastern San Diego 
County, which was released on December 7, 2007.
    Nine protest letters on the PRMP/FEIS were received by the BLM. In 
response to these protests and based on additional policy discussions, 
the BLM decided to clarify and make changes to the Proposed Plan as set 
forth in the PRMP/FEIS, including: (1) Modifying renewable energy 
(wind) related proposals and (2) clarifying and modifying Visual 
Resource Management (VRM) proposals and classifications. On July 28, 
2008, the BLM published a notice in the Federal Register to Provide 
Opportunity to Comment on Changes to the Eastern San Diego County 
Proposed Resource Management Plan for 30 calendar days.
    After considering all of the protests on the PRMP/FEIS and the 
comments received on the proposed changes to the PRMP/FEIS, the BLM 
determined that the Preferred Alternative (Alternative E), as modified, 
best meets the purpose and need for the proposal.
    The decisions designating routes of travel for motorized vehicles 
are implementation-level decisions and are

[[Page 66919]]

appealable under 43 CFR Part 4. These decisions are contained in Tables 
2-19 and 2-20, and Map 2-20 of the Approved RMP. Any party adversely 
affected by the proposed route designations may appeal within 30 days 
of publication of this Notice of Availability. The appeal should state 
the specific route(s), as identified in the ROD/Approved RMP, on which 
the decision is being appealed. The appeal must be filed with the El 
Centro Field Manager at the above listed address.

Vicki L. Wood,
El Centro Field Manager.
 [FR Doc. E8-26835 Filed 11-10-08; 8:45 am]
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