[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 89 (Monday, May 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25876-25877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-10990]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLUTC03000-16100000-LXSS004J0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare Resource Management Plans for the
Beaver Dam Wash and Red Cliffs National Conservation Areas and an
Amendment to the St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan, and
an Associated Environmental Impact Statement, Utah
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; Federal Land Policy and Management Act
(FLPMA) of 1976, as amended; and the Omnibus Public Land Management Act
of 2009 (Pub. L 111-11), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) St. George
Field Office (SGFO), St. George, Utah, intends to prepare Resource
Management Plans (RMP) for the Beaver Dam Wash and the Red Cliffs
National Conservation Areas and an amendment to the St. George Field
Office RMP. The BLM SGFO will prepare a single Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to satisfy the NEPA requirements of this planning
process. By this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.
DATES: This notice initiates public scoping for this planning process
and associated EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing
until June 9, 2010. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media and
at the following BLM Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george.html. In order to be considered in the Draft RMPs and Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS (hereinafter Draft Plans and Amendment/EIS), all comments
must be received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 30
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. We will provide
additional opportunities for public participation upon publication of
the Draft Plans and Amendment/EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to this planning effort by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george.html.
E-mail: [email protected].
Fax: 435-688-3252.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Project Manager,
345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, 84770.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the SGFO.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Keith Rigtrup, Project
Manager, telephone (435) 586-2401, address Bureau of Land Management,
345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah 84770; e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
SGFO, St. George, Utah intends to prepare RMPs for the Beaver Dam Wash
and the Red Cliffs National Conservation Areas and an amendment to the
SGFO RMP with an associated EIS; announces the beginning of the scoping
process; and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. On
March 30, 2009, Public Law 111-11 was signed into law. Section O of
this legislation designated new units of BLM's National Landscape
Conservation System in Washington County, Utah, including two National
Conservation Areas (NCAs)--the approximately 63,500-acre Beaver Dam
Wash NCA and the approximately 45,000-acre Red Cliffs NCA. The new NCAs
have as their identified purposes, the conservation, protection, and
enhancement of their ecological, natural, cultural/historical,
recreational, scenic, educational, wildlife and scientific values, and
to protect each species located in the NCA that is listed as a
threatened or endangered species. The preparation of management plans
for the two NCAs is mandated by Public Law 111-11 and will be completed
through this planning effort. To bring the existing SGFO RMP into
compliance with the new designations and mandates from Public Law 111-
11, the SGFO proposes to amend the RMP to address specific issues and
public land uses. 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 planning
process. The plan amendment will be guided by the planning criteria and
will identify the issues to be resolved, explain or identify the
current management situation, desired resource conditions to be
maintained or achieved, and the management actions necessary to achieve
those objectives. Specifically, the plan amendment will consider
changes to the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) area designations (Open,
Closed, and Limited) approved through the 1999 SGFO RMP. The plan
amendment will also consider nominations for Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern on public lands in Washington County ``where
biological conservation is a priority,'' pursuant to section 1979 of
Public Law 111-11. Preliminary issues for the planning area have been
identified by BLM personnel; Federal, state, and local agencies; and
other stakeholders. The issues include: Air quality, management of
Beaver Dam Wash NCA, management of Red Cliffs NCA, and priority
biological conservation areas.
Preliminary planning criteria include:
1. The public planning process for these NCAs will be guided by
Public Law 111-11, in addition to FLPMA and NEPA.
2. The BLM will use current scientific information, research,
technologies, and results of inventory, monitoring, and coordination to
determine appropriate local and regional management strategies that
will enhance or restore impaired systems.
3. The Joshua Tree Instant Study Area within the Beaver Dam Wash
NCA will be carried forward in all alternatives for management of the
Beaver Dam Wash NCA and the area will continue to be managed under
Interim Management Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review.
4. The Joshua Tree National Natural Landmark within the Beaver Dam
Wash NCA continues to be a valid designation and will be carried
forward in all alternatives for management of Beaver Dam Wash NCA.
5. New Wild and Scenic River proposals will not be evaluated or
analyzed in this plan amendment process. One suitable river segment
under SGFO administration that was not designated into the National
System of Wild and Scenic Rivers by Public Law 111-11 will continue to
be managed in accordance with BLM Manual 8351 Wild and Scenic Rivers--
Policy and Program Direction for Identification, Evaluation, and
Management.
6. Area designations (Open, Closed, or Limited Use) for motorized
recreation will be consistent with the BLM
[[Page 25877]]
National Management Strategy for Motorized OHV Use on Public Lands and
transportation and travel management policy.
7. The designated OHV ``Open'' area of the Sand Mountain Special
Recreation Management Area will remain Open under all alternatives of
the plan amendment, consistent with the agreement for joint management
by the State of Utah's Sand Hollow Reservoir State Park.
8. Motorized travel routes designated through the Red Cliffs Desert
Reserve Public Use Plan (2001) will be carried forward under one or
more alternatives.
9. At least one alternative will identify a ``northern
transportation corridor,'' as mandated by Public Law 111-11.
You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria to the BLM
in writing, at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to
the BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above.
In order to be considered in this planning process, all comments must
be received prior to the close of the scoping period or 30 days after
the last public meeting, whichever is later. 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 plan, and will place them into one of
three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the planning process;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this planning process.
The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft Plans and
Amendment/EIS 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 plan. 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 team approach in the planning
process to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines
will be involved in the planning process: Air quality, archeology,
biology, botany, climate change, ecology, lands and realty,
paleontology, recreation, socio-economics, and soils and vegetation.
Approved:
Selma Sierra,
State Director.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2.
[FR Doc. 2010-10990 Filed 5-7-10; 8:45 am]
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