[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 67 (Thursday, April 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17950-17951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7986]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLORV00000.16100000.DO0000.LXSS072H0000 HAG10-0083]


Notice of Intent To Prepare Amendments to the Southeastern Oregon 
Resource Management Plan (RMP), Malheur County, OR, and the Lakeview 
RMP, Lake County, OR, and Associated Environmental Impact Statements.

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, (FLPMA) the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Vale 
District (Jordan Resource Area and Malheur Resource Area) and Lakeview 
District (Lakeview Resource Area) in southeastern Oregon intend to 
prepare Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) to amend the 
Southeastern Oregon RMP (September 2002), Vale, Oregon, and the 
Lakeview RMP (January 2003), Lakeview, Oregon, and by this notice are 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the two RMP 
amendments with associated EISs. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until July 7, 2010. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping 
meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local 
media, newspapers and the BLM Web sites at: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/plans/valermp.php and http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/lakeview/plans/lakeviewrmp.php. In order to be included in the Draft 
EISs, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 90-day 
scoping period or within 30 days after the last public meeting, 
whichever is later. We will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation upon publication of both Draft EISs.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues related to the 
Southeastern Oregon RMP Amendment/EIS by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/plans/valermp.php.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 541-473-3144.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Vale District Office, 100 
Oregon St., Vale, Oregon 97918.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria related to 
the Lakeview RMP Amendment/EIS by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 541-947-6399.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Lakeview District Office, 
1301 South G Street, Lakeview, Oregon 97630.
    Documents pertinent to these proposals may be examined at the Vale 
and Lakeview District Offices.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing lists, contact Jill Silvey, Southeastern 
Oregon and Lakeview RMP Project Manager, telephone (541) 473-3144; 
address 100 Oregon Street, Vale, Oregon 97918; e-mail [email protected], 
or Paul Whitman, Lakeview District Planner, telephone (541) 947-6110; 
address, 1301 South G Street, Lakeview, Oregon 97630; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Vale and Lakeview District Offices intend to prepare RMP Amendments 
with associated EISs for the Southeastern Oregon and Lakeview planning 
areas. The two planning areas are located in Malheur, Lake, Harney, and 
Grant Counties in Oregon and encompass approximately 4.6 million acres 
of public land in the Southeastern Oregon planning area and 
approximately 3.2 million acres of public land in the Lakeview planning 
area. After the BLM completed the Southeastern Oregon RMP and the 
Lakeview RMP in 2002 and 2003, respectively, separate lawsuits were 
filed challenging each RMP. On July 14, 2008, the Ninth Cicuit ruled on 
the Southeastern Oregon RMP in Oregon Natural Desert Association v. 
Bureau of Land Management, 531 F.3d 1114 (9th Cir. 2008). Soon 
thereafter, the BLM filed a petition for panel rehearing of the Court's 
remedy (vacatur of the Record of

[[Page 17951]]

Decision). The matter has been stayed during settlement negotiations. 
The Ninth Circuit stayed litigation regarding similar challenges to the 
Lakeview RMP in Oregon Natural Desert Association v. Gammon, No. 07-
35728 (9th Cir.), pending resolution of the Southeastern Oregon RMP 
case, and to allow for settlement negotiations between the parties. The 
BLM is preparing RMP Amendments/EISs consistent with the 2008 holding 
of the Ninth Circuit.
    The two RMP Amendments/EISs plan to address the following issues:
     Consideration of information from updates of resource 
information related to wilderness characteristics;
     Development of a range of allocation alternatives with 
respect to ORV use, travel, and transportation; and
     Development of grazing management alternative(s).
    The purpose of the public scoping processes is to determine other 
relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental 
analyses, including alternatives, and guide the planning processes.
    The BLM has also identified some preliminary planning criteria to 
guide development of the RMP Amendments, to avoid unnecessary data 
collection and analysis, and to ensure the RMP Amendments are tailored 
to the issues. These criteria may be modified and/or other criteria may 
be identified during the public scoping process. Preliminary planning 
criteria include compliance with all legal mandates of the FLPMA, the 
NEPA, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Administrative Procedures 
Act, the BLM planning regulations in 43 CFR part 1600, and other 
relevant laws. The following planning criteria will also guide the 
planning processes:
     The principles of multiple-use and sustained yield will be 
observed;
     A systematic interdisciplinary approach to integrate, 
physical, biological, economic, and other sciences will be used;
     Priority will be given to the designation and protection 
of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern;
     The best available data regarding natural resources will 
be used, to the extent possible;
     Present and potential uses of public lands will be 
considered;
     The relative scarcity of values and availability of 
alternative means and sites for recognizing those values will be 
considered;
     Long term benefits to the public against short term 
benefits will be weighed;
     Tribal, Federal, and state pollution laws, standards and 
implementation plans will be complied with, to the extent possible; and
     Consistency and coordination with other programs, plans 
and policies will be sought.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the 
BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To 
be most helpful, you should submit comments either prior to the close 
of the 90-day scoping period or within 30 days after the last public 
meeting. 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. The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping 
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days after the 
meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she 
expressed. The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be addressed in 
the RMP Amendments, and will place them into one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of the plan amendments.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP Amendments/
EISs as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. The public 
is also encouraged to help identify any management questions and 
concerns that should be addressed in the RMP Amendments. The BLM will 
work collaboratively with interested parties to identify the management 
decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs 
and concerns.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the RMP 
Amendments in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified. At a minimum, specialists with expertise in the 
following disciplines will be involved in the planning processes: 
Rangeland management, wilderness, travel management, recreation, and 
wildlife.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7; 43 CFR 1610.2.

Larry Frazier,
Acting Vale District Manager.
Carol Benkosky,
Lakeview District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-7986 Filed 4-7-10; 8:45 am]
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