[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2412-2413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-556]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCONO3000.L1610000.DSO000]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Grand Junction Resource Management 
Plan, Prepare an Environmental Assessment, and Notice of Realty Action, 
Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent and Notice of Realty Action.

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SUMMARY: The Grand Junction, Colorado, Regional Airport Authority has 
requested the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grand Junction Field 
Office (GJFO) to consider the transfer of title to approximately 720 
acres of public land for airport improvements, including relocation and 
construction of the main runway for the Grand Junction Regional 
Airport. Public Land Order No. 7027 (59 FR 3000 January 20, 1994) 
withdrew these lands from mining claim location in anticipation of a 
need for future airport expansion. The BLM's consideration of the Grand 
Junction Regional Airport Authority's (Airport Authority) request 
initiates a BLM Notice of Intent to initiate a public scoping process 
to amend the BLM GJFO 1987 Resource Management Plan (RMP) and prepare 
an Environmental Analysis (EA). The request also initiates a Notice of 
Realty Action (NORA) to assist the BLM in determining whether granting 
the requested title conveyance is consistent with the needs of the 
Department of the Interior. This notice initiates the public scoping 
process and concurrent opportunity for submission of public comments 
for the EA, RMP Amendment, and NORA.

DATES: Comments on this project, the NORA, or the proposed transfer of 
title to the Airport Authority may be submitted in writing until 
February 28, 2011. The date(s) and location(s) of scoping meetings will 
be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, 
newspapers and the BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.html. In order to be included in the EA, all comments must be 
received prior to the close of the scoping period or 45 days after the 
last public meeting, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Grand Junction Field 
Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2815 H. Road, Grand Junction, 
Colorado 81506, or via fax at (970) 244-3083. E-mail comments may be 
sent to [email protected]. Comments, including names and addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at the BLM GJFO, 
during regular business hours 7:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., Monday-
Friday, except holidays.
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list contact Robin Lacy, Project 
Manager, telephone (970) 244-3028. Project documents may be reviewed on 
the BLM GJFO Web site at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the public scoping process is 
to identify those issues that should be considered in the EA and to 
initiate public participation in the planning process. BLM and Airport 
Authority personnel will be present at scoping meetings to explain the 
proposed action and other requirements for preparing the EA. Interested 
parties can request notification of any encumbrances or other claims 
relating to the land. Customary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
conditions, in draft, that are proposed to be included in a land patent 
from the United States to the Airport Authority will also be available 
for review. The public lands requested for title transfer are within 
the jurisdiction of the BLM GJFO adjacent to the Grand Junction 
Regional Airport in the North Desert and are described as follows:

Ute Principal Meridian

T. 1 N., R. 1 W.,
    Sec. 23, S\1/2\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 24, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    T. 1 N., R. 1 E.,
    Sec. 19, lots 3 and 4, and E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 29, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 30, lot 1, NE\1/4\, and NE\1/4\NW\1/4\.

    The areas described contain approximately 720 acres in Mesa County.
    These are public lands administered by the BLM GJFO and do not 
include any private, State, tribal trust or Federal lands not 
administered by the BLM, the lands proposed for the title transfer to 
the Airport Authority are currently withdrawn from the United States 
mining laws by Public Land Order No.

[[Page 2413]]

7027 (59 FR 3000 (1994)), and are not intended for further segregation.
    The EA will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth by the 
National Environmental Policy Act and associated Council of 
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 1500). The EA will also 
fulfill requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (FLPMA), 43 U.S.C. 1701, Section 516 of the Airport and Airway 
Improvement Act of 1982 (49 U.S.C. 2215), Airport Grant regulations at 
43 CFR 2640, applicable planning regulations at 43 CFR 1600, and BLM 
management policies.
    The purpose of the proposed land title transfer from the United 
States to the Airport Authority is to fulfill the BLM's intent to make 
such lands available to the Airport Authority for a beneficial public 
use as described in the 1991 Memorandum of Understanding between the 
BLM and the Airport Authority. As authorized through the FLPMA, these 
lands will also be considered for title transfer to the Airport 
Authority in an amendment to the Grand Junction RMP. The BLM will 
determine whether or not to transfer title to the lands based on the 
EA, and the assessed environmental impacts of transferring title to the 
lands.
    The purpose of the runway relocation is to comply with the FAA 
design standards by correcting deficiencies related to runway and 
taxiway gradients and to eliminate intersecting runways at the airport. 
The need for the proposed runway relocation is to increase safety at 
the Grand Junction Regional Airport, which is one of the few commercial 
service airports in the State of Colorado that still has a geometric 
runway layout consisting of an intersecting crosswind runway. The 
runway intersection increases the potential for runway incursions, 
which are defined by the FAA as ``any occurrence at an aerodrome 
involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on 
the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and takeoff 
of aircraft.'' Increasing runway safety has been made a high priority 
in recent years and the FAA has published guidance on improving runway 
safety through airfield configuration. Also, several design components 
of the runway at Grand Junction Regional Airport do not meet the FAA 
design standards, including the following:

    Runway 11/29 Transverse Gradient. Portions of the runway exceed 
the maximum recommended design standard of 1.5 percent;
    Runway 11/29 Longitudinal Gradient. A portion of the runway near 
the approach end of Runway 29 exceeds the maximum recommended design 
standard of 0.8 percent;
    Runway 11/29 Connecting Taxiway Gradient. A number of the 
connecting taxiways between Runway 11/29 and parallel Taxiway ``A'' 
exceed the maximum recommended design standard of 1.5 percent; and
    Runway 11/29 and Runway 4/22 Runway Visibility Zone (RVZ). 
Numerous structures obstruct line of sight between runway mid-
points.

    The BLM seeks resource information and data for other public land 
values [i.e., air quality, cultural and historic resources, fire and 
fuels, fisheries, forestry, lands and realty, non-energy minerals and 
geology, oil and gas (including coalbed methane), paleontology, 
rangeland management, recreation, soil, water, and wildlife] in the BLM 
GJFO planning area. The purpose of this request is to assure that the 
planning effort has sufficient information to consider a reasonable 
range of resource uses, management options, and alternatives for the 
public lands involved.
    Proprietary data marked as confidential may be submitted in 
response to this call for coal, oil and gas, and other resource 
information. Please submit all proprietary information submissions to 
the address listed above. The BLM will treat submissions marked as 
``Confidential'' in accordance with the laws and regulations governing 
the confidentiality of such information.
    The BLM GJFO will work collaboratively with interested parties to 
identify the management actions and decisions that are best suited to 
local, regional, and national needs. Potential issues that have been 
identified to date include, but are not limited to the following 
general categories: Wildlife (including birds); vegetation (including 
weeds and invasive plant species); threatened, endangered, and 
sensitive species; public access; visual concerns; cultural resources; 
tribal concerns; rangeland resources; geology and soils; hydrology; 
recreation resources; hazardous materials; air quality; noise; and 
socio-economics. The BLM has established a 45-day scoping period during 
which affected tribes, landowners, concerned citizens, special interest 
groups, local governments, and any other interested parties are invited 
to comment on the scope of the EA. Scoping will help the BLM identify 
the full range of issues that should be addressed in the EA.

    Authority: Airport and Airway Improvement Act of September 3, 
1982 (49 U.S.C. 4761, 49 U.S.C. 47101 et seq., 3 CFR 2640 et seq.).

Helen M. Hankins,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-556 Filed 1-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P