[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 82 (Thursday, April 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22617-22618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9992]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAC07000 L10200000 EE0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for 
Domestic Sheep Grazing on the Dog Creek and Green Creek Allotments, 
Mono County, CA, and Possible Land Use Plan Amendment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Bishop Field Office, Bishop, California intends to prepare an 
Environmental Assessment (EA), which may include an amendment to the 
Bishop Resource Management Plan (RMP), dated March 25, 1993. By this 
notice the Bishop Field Office is announcing the beginning of the 
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EA and 
possible plan amendment. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing 
until June 1, 2010. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings 
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media and 
the BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop.html. In 
order to be considered in the EA, all comments must be received before 
the close of the scoping period or 15 days after the last public 
meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will provide additional 
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the EA.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the EA and possible plan amendment by any of the following 
methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop.html.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (760) 872-5050.
     Mail: BLM Bishop Field Office, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100, 
Bishop, California 93514, Attn: Jeff Starosta, Rangeland Management 
Specialist.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Bishop 
Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Jeff Starosta, Rangeland 
Management Specialist, telephone (760) 872-5032; mail BLM Bishop Field 
Office, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100, Bishop, California 93514; or e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Bishop Field Office intends to 
prepare an EA that will evaluate a range of alternatives for grazing 
domestic sheep on the Dog Creek and Green Creek allotments in Mono 
County, California. The purpose of this action is to consider whether 
or not, or under what terms and conditions, to issue 10-year grazing 
permits for these two allotments. The selection of any alternative that 
would modify the mandatory terms and conditions of the allotments, or 
that would make all or portions of the allotments unavailable for 
grazing by domestic livestock, would not conform to the Bishop RMP, and 
would therefore require a plan amendment.
    The Dog Creek allotment consists of approximately 6,527 acres of 
public land and 1,148 acres of private land. The Green Creek allotment 
consists of approximately 3,861 acres of public land, 160 acres of 
state land, and 364 acres of private land. The Dog Creek allotment 
includes the majority of the Conway Summit Area of Critical 
Environmental Concern. No threatened or endangered species are known to 
occur in the allotments and there is no designated critical habitat for 
any listed species in either allotment.
    Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae), a federally 
listed endangered species, inhabit the Sierra Nevada Range south and 
west of the two allotments. In the final Recovery Plan for the Sierra 
Nevada Bighorn Sheep (SNBS Recovery Plan), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (FWS) recommended that the Dog Creek and Green Creek allotments 
be closed to domestic sheep grazing due to the risk of disease 
transmission between domestic sheep and bighorn sheep. These two 
allotments were specifically identified by the FWS as posing a high 
risk for disease transmission because of their proximity to occupied 
Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep habitat.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EA. At 
present, the BLM has identified the following preliminary issues: 
livestock management; specially designated areas; cultural resources; 
recreation; invasive, non-native species; social and economic values; 
wetlands and riparian habitats; and vegetation and wildlife, including 
threatened, endangered, and sensitive species.
    Preliminary planning criteria include:
     Incorporating the Central California Standards for 
Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management;
     Complying with Appendix C of the BLM Land Use Planning 
Handbook (H 1601-1) in making resource specific determinations;
     Analyzing allotment closure recommendations provided by 
the FWS in the SNBS Recovery Plan;
     Developing any required plan amendment in compliance with 
the FLPMA, all other applicable laws, regulations, executive orders, 
and BLM supplemental program guidance;
     Considering the extent to which the action alternative and 
any required plan amendment supports the recovery goals outlined in the 
SNBS Recovery Plan; and
     Assuring that any required plan amendment is compatible, 
to the extent possible, with existing plans and policies of adjacent 
local, state, Tribal, and Federal agencies.
    Authorization of any alternative analyzed in the EA may require 
amendment of the Bishop RMP, dated March 25, 1993. By this notice, the 
BLM is complying with requirements in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) to notify the 
public of potential amendments to land use plans, predicated on the 
findings of the EA. If a land use plan amendment is necessary, the BLM 
will integrate the land use planning process with the NEPA process for 
this project. The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting 
process to satisfy the public involvement process for Section

[[Page 22618]]

106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as 
provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The BLM will conduct government-to 
government consultations with relevant Native American tribes in 
accordance with BLM policy, and will give tribal concerns, including 
impacts on Indian trust assets, due consideration. Federal, State, and 
local agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be interested or 
affected by the BLM's decision on this project are invited to 
participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be 
requested by the BLM to participate as a cooperating agency.
    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.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7; 43 CFR 1610.2, 1610.5-5, and 1610.7-
2.

Bernadette Lovato,
Bishop Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-9992 Filed 4-28-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P