[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 113 (Monday, June 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34249-34250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14491]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNM01000 L16100000 DO0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Amendment/
Environmental Assessment for the Farmington Field Office Visual 
Resources

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 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
(FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Farmington Field Office (Field Office), Farmington, New Mexico, intends 
to amend the 2003 Farmington Resource Management Plan (RMP) and prepare 
an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) to address the Visual 
Resource Management (VRM) in the planning area. By this Notice, the 
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 RMP 
amendment and associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until July 13, 2011. The date(s), time(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 site at: http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en.html. In order to be included in the Draft RMP 
amendment/EA, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 
scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is 
later. The Field Office will provide additional opportunities for 
public participation upon publication of the Draft RMP amendment/EA.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Farmington Visual Resource Management RMP amendment/EA 
by any of the following methods:
     Web Site: http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en.html.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 505-599-8999 Attn: VRM ID Team.
     Mail: BLM Farmington Field Office, Attn: VRM ID Team, 1235 
La Plata Highway, Farmington, New Mexico 87401.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Farmington Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Janelle Alleman, Outdoor 
Recreation Planner; telephone 505-599-8944; address 1235 La Plata 
Highway, Farmington, New Mexico 87401; e-mail at [email protected]. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to 
contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question 
with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Farmington Field Office, Farmington, 
New Mexico, intends to prepare an RMP amendment and associated EA to 
address the visual resource management in the planning area. The 
planning area is located in San Juan, Rio Arriba, and Sandoval 
Counties, New Mexico, and encompasses 1.4 million acres of public land 
in these counties. 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 RMP completed in 2003 directs the Field Office to conduct 
a review of VRM objectives upon the completion of a new visual resource 
inventory. That inventory was completed in March of 2009. The purpose 
of this RMP amendment/EA is to address the need to update the VRM 
objectives in the 2003 RMP.
    The BLM is required to manage public lands in such a manner as to 
protect the quality of the scenic (visual) values of these lands. The 
RMP amendment/EA will determine if, over time, changes in the condition 
of the visual resources within the planning area warrant changes to VRM 
management objectives, and to what degree. VRM objectives (or classes) 
provide the basic visual management standards for design and 
development of surface disturbing projects on public lands and are 
determined through careful analysis and consideration of other land 
uses, needs and demands. VRM Classes I through IV are designated in the 
RMP and establish

[[Page 34250]]

the allowable threshold of detectable visual modification. The 
associated management objectives dictate the level of protection, which 
range from preservation with a VRM Class I designation to major 
modification with a VRM Class IV.
    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: Rangeland management, 
minerals and geology, outdoor recreation, archaeology, paleontology, 
wildlife, lands and realty, hydrology, soils, sociology, economics, and 
wilderness.
    At present, the BLM has identified the following preliminary 
planning issues: (1) How should visual resources be managed to address 
areas of scenic quality in contrast to increasing development? (2) How 
should changes in the visual resource inventory be used to address 
modifications to the visual resource management classes? (3) What type 
of protective management prescriptions should be considered to address 
visual resources?
    Proposed planning criteria include the following:
    1. The RMP amendment/EA will comply with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies;
    2. For program-specific guidance for decisions at the land use 
planning level, the process will follow the BLM's policies in the Land 
Use Planning Handbook, H-1601-1;
    3. Public participation and collaboration will be an integral part 
of the planning process;
    4. The BLM will strive to make decisions in the plan compatible 
with the existing plans and policies of adjacent local, state, and 
Federal agencies and local American Indian tribes, as long as the 
decisions are consistent with the purposes, policies, Federal laws, and 
regulations applicable to public lands;
    5. The RMP amendment/EA will recognize valid existing rights;
    6. The RMP amendment/EA will incorporate, where applicable, 
management decisions brought forward from existing planning documents;
    7. The BLM staff will work cooperatively and collaboratively with 
cooperating agencies and all other interested groups, agencies, and 
individuals;
    8. The BLM and cooperating agencies will jointly develop 
alternatives for resolution of resource management issues and 
management concerns;
    9. GIS and metadata information will meet Federal Geographic Data 
Committee standards, as required by Executive Order 12906 and all other 
applicable BLM data standards will be followed;
    10. The planning process will provide for ongoing consultation with 
American Indian tribes to identify strategies for protecting recognized 
traditional uses;
    11. Planning and management direction will focus on the relative 
values of resources and not the combination of uses that will give the 
greatest economic return or economic output;
    12. The BLM will consider the quantity and quality of non-commodity 
resource values;
    13. Where practicable and timely for the planning effort, the best 
available scientific information, research, and new technologies will 
be used;
    14. Actions must comply with all applicable regulations and must be 
reasonable, achievable, and allow for flexibility while supporting 
adaptive management principles; and
    15. The Economic Profile System will be used as one source of 
demographic and economic data for the planning process, which will 
provide baseline data and contribute to estimates of existing and 
projected social and economic conditions.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to 
satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3). Native American tribal consultations will be conducted in 
accordance with policy, and tribal concerns will be given due 
consideration, including impacts on Indian trust assets. Federal, 
State, and local agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be 
interested in 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. 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.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of persons who 
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at 
the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), 
Monday through 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.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Linda S. C. Rundell,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-14491 Filed 6-10-11; 8:45 am]
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