[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5607-5608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2201]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWY930000-L16100000-DS0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the 
Rock Springs Field Office, Wyoming and Associated Environmental Impact 
Statement and Call for Coal Information

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 (FLPMA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Rock 
Springs Field Office (RSFO), Rock Springs, Wyoming, intends to prepare 
a Resource Management Plan (RMP) with an associated Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is announcing the beginning 
of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. 
The BLM is also soliciting resource information for coal and other 
resources for the planning area. The Rock Springs RMP will replace the 
existing Green River RMP (1997).

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP and 
associated EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until 
April 4, 2011 A series of public scoping meetings will be held in Rock 
Springs, Farson, and Lyman, Wyoming. The meeting times and addresses 
will be announced through the local news media, newsletters, mailings, 
and the BLM Web site at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Planning/rmps/RockSprings.html at least 15 days prior to the event. In order to 
be included in the Draft RMP/EIS, all comments must be received prior 
to the close of the scoping period or 30 days after the last public 
scoping meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will provide additional 
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft 
RMP/EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Rock Springs RMP/EIS by any of the following methods: 
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Planning/rmps/RockSprings.html; E-mail: [email protected]; Fax: (307) 352-
0218; or Mail: 280 Hwy 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the BLM 
RSFO, during regular business hours 7:30 a.m.

[[Page 5608]]

to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information or to have your name 
added to the project mailing list, contact Vera-Lynn Harrison, Project 
Manager, at (307) 352-0259 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
RSFO intends to prepare an RMP with an associated EIS for the Rock 
Springs planning area, announces the beginning of the scoping process, 
and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. The planning 
area includes portions of Lincoln, Sweetwater, Uinta, Sublette, and 
Fremont counties in southwestern Wyoming. The Rock Springs RMP decision 
area includes public lands administered by the BLM RSFO and encompasses 
approximately 3.6 million acres of surface land and 3.5 million acres 
of mineral estate. The decision area excludes private, State, tribal 
trust, or other Federal lands or subsurface mineral estates not 
administered by the BLM.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to identify issues 
that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including 
alternatives, and guide the planning process. Preliminary issues have 
been identified by BLM personnel through an interdisciplinary process 
and include, but are not limited to: cultural and historic resources, 
Native American concerns, energy and minerals development, renewable 
energy and associated transmission infrastructure, fire and fuels 
management, lands and realty actions, paleontological resources, 
recreation management, special designations, lands with wilderness 
characteristics and Wild Lands, vegetation management, livestock 
grazing/rangeland management, visual resources concerns, soil and water 
management, wildlife habitat management including protection of 
sensitive species habitat, healthy landscapes initiative, air quality 
and global climate change, wild horse and burro management, and the 
economic effects of BLM actions. Additional identified BLM management 
concerns include: drought management, forest resources, invasive 
species/noxious weeds, public safety, and the wildland-urban interface.
    Preliminary planning criteria include: (1) The RSFO RMP revision 
will comply with FLPMA and all other applicable laws, regulations, and 
policies; (2) The RSFO RMP revision will analyze impacts from all 
alternatives in accordance with regulations at 43 CFR part 1610 and 40 
CFR part 1500; (3) Decisions in the RSFO plan revision will only apply 
to public lands and the mineral estate managed by the BLM; (4) The 
revision process will follow the Land Use Planning Handbook H-1601-1; 
(5) The planning process will include broad-based public participation; 
(6) The revision process will consider management of lands with 
wilderness characteristics and designation of Wild Lands; and (7) 
Revised RSFO planning decisions will consider and incorporate existing 
plans and policies of adjacent local, State, Federal, and tribal 
agencies to the extent consistent with Federal law and regulations 
applicable to public lands. Parties interested in leasing and 
developing Federal coal in the planning area should provide coal 
resource data for their area(s) of interest. Specifically, information 
is requested on the location, quality, and quantity of Federal coal 
with development potential, and on surface resource values related to 
the 20 coal unsuitability criteria described in 43 CFR part 3461. This 
information will be used for any necessary updating of coal screening 
determinations in the planning area. The coal screening process is 
described in 43 CFR 3420.1-4.
    Proprietary data marked as confidential may be submitted in 
response to this call for coal information. Please submit all 
proprietary information submissions to the address listed above. The 
BLM will treat submissions marked as ``Confidential'' in accordance 
with applicable laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of 
such information. Public participation will be encouraged throughout 
the process. The BLM will collaborate and build relationships with 
tribes, State and local governments, Federal agencies, local 
stakeholders, and others within the community of interest for the RMP. 
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 by the close of the scoping 
period or within 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 by the plan;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues that are beyond the scope of this plan.
    The BLM will explain in the RMP Draft EIS why issues are placed in 
categories two or three. The public is also encouraged to identify any 
management questions and concerns that should be addressed in the plan. 
The BLM will work collaboratively with the 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 plan 
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines 
will be involved in the planning process: Threatened and endangered 
species, wildlife, air resources, vegetation, riparian and wetlands, 
soils, invasive and noxious weeds, rangeland management, fire ecology 
and management, cultural resources and Native American concerns, 
hydrology, geology and minerals, lands and realty, recreation, visual 
resource management, public safety, law enforcement, and geographic 
information systems.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2

Donald A. Simpson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-2201 Filed 1-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P