[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 101 (Thursday, May 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31036-31037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12680]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNMF02000 L16100000.DT0000 LXSS026G0000]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Taos 
Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
for the Taos Field Office located in northern New Mexico. The New 
Mexico State Director signed the ROD on May 24, 2012, which constitutes 
the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective 
immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP are available upon request 
from the Field Manager, Taos Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 
226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, New Mexico, or via the Internet at: 
www.blm.gov/nm/taos. Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP are available for 
public inspection at the BLM New Mexico State Office at 301 Dinosaur 
Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad Higdon, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, Taos Field Office, telephone 575-751-4725; 
address 226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, New Mexico 87571; email 
[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 Approved RMP provides broad-scale 
direction for the management of about 595,100 acres of BLM surface 
estate and 1.5 million acres of mineral estate administered by the BLM 
Taos Field Office within Colfax, Harding, Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, 
San Miguel, Santa Fe, Taos, and Union counties and is prepared in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA), and the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended. The Approved RMP, which replaces a land use plan 
completed in 1988, provides updated management decisions regarding land 
tenure adjustments, land use authorizations, mineral resources, 
recreation, renewable energy, special designations, transportation and 
access, wilderness characteristics, visual resources, and other 
resources and uses.
    The Approved RMP was prepared in partnership with cooperating 
agencies, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, 
and Santa Fe County, as well as in collaboration with multiple tribes, 
agencies, organizations, and other members of the public, largely 
through the public participation provided under NEPA. The Draft RMP/
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released for a 90-day public 
review and comment period on June 10, 2010, and identified Alternative 
A as the BLM's preferred alternative. Based on input received from 
cooperating agencies and the public, the preferred alternative was 
modified where appropriate and then

[[Page 31037]]

presented as the Proposed RMP in the Final EIS, released December 2, 
2011, for a public protest period and a Governor's consistency review 
period.
    The BLM received 27 letters protesting decisions contained in the 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS, including decisions regarding mining 
opportunities in the San Pedro Mountains and Ojo Caliente Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), management of the La Cienega 
ACEC, land tenure adjustment opportunities in El Palacio, travel 
management, and protective management of the Old Spanish National 
Historic Trail. While the Governor's consistency review provided input 
from the Governor that the BLM considered in its decision making, the 
review did not identify any specific inconsistency with State plans, 
policies, or programs. As a result of protests receive during the 
protest period, the BLM made one change to the Approved RMP by removing 
language which unnecessarily limited the designation of off-highway 
vehicle routes within the Santa Fe ACEC, described in detail in the 
ROD/Approved RMP. Editorial and formatting modifications were also made 
to the Approved RMP.
    The ROD/Approved RMP does not contain implementation-level 
decisions that may be appealed under the provisions of 43 CFR part 4, 
subpart E. Rather, all decisions are considered planning-level 
decisions and were subject to protest under 43 CFR 1610.5-2 at the time 
the Proposed RMP/Final EIS was made available to the public.

Jesse J. Juen,
State Director.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.2(g), 1610.5-1(b).
[FR Doc. 2012-12680 Filed 5-23-12; 8:45 am]
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