[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7179-7180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3118]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 53257, LLCAD06800 L17110000 FD0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for a Proposed Land Exchange Between the Bureau of Land 
Management and Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Santa Rosa 
and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, Riverside County, CA

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 
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Palm 
Springs-South Coast Field Office intends to prepare a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed land exchange 
between the BLM and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (Tribe) 
in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument 
(Monument). This notice announces the beginning of the BLM scoping 
process, invites public participation, and describes how the time and 
place of public scoping meetings will be announced.

DATES: One or more public scoping meetings will be held in Palm 
Springs, California, to solicit public input on the issues and impacts 
that will be addressed in the Draft EIS as well as the extent to which 
those issues and impacts will be analyzed. All public scoping meetings 
will be announced at least 15 days in advance of their occurrence 
through local news media and the BLM Web site at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings.html. In order to be addressed in the Draft EIS, 
all comments must be received no later than 30 days after the last 
public scoping meeting. Additional opportunities for public 
participation and formal comment will occur upon publication of the 
Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments on issues and impacts to be 
addressed in the Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: Field Manager, Palm Springs-South Coast Field 
Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262.

Documents pertinent to this proposed land exchange will be available 
for public review at the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office 
located at 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, California, during 
regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except holidays, and may be published as part of the EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Jim Foote, National 
Monument Manager, (760) 833-7136, or by email, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 24, 2000, Public Law 106-351 
established the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. 
In accordance with section 2(b) of the Monument's enabling legislation, 
its purpose is to ``preserve the nationally significant biological, 
cultural, recreational, geological, educational, and scientific values 
found in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and to secure now and 
for future generations the opportunity to experience and enjoy the 
magnificent vistas, wildlife, land forms, and natural and cultural 
resources in these mountains and to recreate therein.''
    On October 13, 1999, the BLM and the Tribe entered into an 
agreement to coordinate and cooperate in the management of Federal 
lands within and outside the boundaries of the Agua Caliente Indian 
Reservation (Reservation) within the Monument. The BLM and the Tribe 
agreed to meet annually to identify specific resource management, land 
tenure adjustment, and joint management goals, including implementation 
of a Memorandum of Understanding for joint identification of 
opportunities for acquisition and exchange of lands within the 
Monument.
    On July 27, 2010, the BLM released Environmental Assessment (EA) 
No. CA-060-0010-0005 and Finding of No Significant Impact for public 
review and comment. This EA addressed the environmental effects of the 
proposed land exchange between the BLM and the Tribe. The public 
comment period for the EA concluded on November 19, 2010; 141 
individuals, eight organizations, and three governmental entities 
submitted comments.

[[Page 7180]]

    Based on public comments and upon further internal review, it was 
determined that preparation of an EIS is necessary to address 
potentially significant effects of this proposed exchange. Information 
in the EA will be integrated into the Draft EIS.
    Public scoping will help determine relevant issues that will 
influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including 
alternatives, and guide development of the EIS. At present, the BLM has 
identified potential effects of the proposed land exchange on cultural 
resources, Native American concerns, minerals, threatened and 
endangered species, invasive species, wild and scenic rivers, and non-
motorized recreation access as preliminary issues for analysis.
    All public comments submitted to the BLM about the EA released on 
July 27, 2010, will be retained, used to formulate alternatives and 
environmental analyses for the Draft EIS, and responded to in the Draft 
EIS. Before including your address, phone number, email 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 
request that your personal identifying information be withheld from 
public review, there is no guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Jim Foote,
Acting Field Manager, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, California 
Desert District, Bureau of Land Management.

    Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq., 43 U.S.C. 1715-1716, 16 
U.S.C. 431 note.

    40 CFR 1507.7, 1508.22, and 43 CFR Subpart 2200.

[FR Doc. 2012-3118 Filed 2-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P