[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60718-60719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24522]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD08000; L51010000; EU0000; LVRWB11B4700; CACA-53705]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan and Associated Environmental Assessment, San 
Bernardino 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, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 
Barstow Field Office, Barstow, California, intends to prepare an 
amendment to the 1980 California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan 
with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) to identify an 80-acre 
parcel of public land for possible direct sale. With this notice, the 
BLM 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 plan 
amendment with an associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until November 5, 2012. The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through 
the local news media. In order to be included in the EA, all comments 
must be received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will 
provide additional opportunities for public participation upon 
publication of the EA as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the plan amendment EA by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 760-252-6099.
     Mail: Birgit Hoover, Realty Specialist, BLM Barstow Field 
Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311.
    Documents pertinent to this notice will be available for public 
review at the Barstow Field Office: 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, 
California 92311.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Birgit Hoover, Realty 
Specialist, BLM Barstow Field Office, telephone 760-252-6035; address 
2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311. 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 for the above 
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Barstow Field Office, Barstow, California, intends to prepare a plan 
amendment with an associated EA for the 1980 CDCA Plan, announces the 
beginning of the scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and 
planning criteria. The planning area is located in San Bernardino 
County, California, and encompasses approximately 80 acres of public 
land that has been identified for possible direct sale. The BLM 
received a request from OMYA, Inc., to purchase the planning area, by 
direct sale, under the authority of Section 203 of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 
1713). However, the public land described above is currently not 
available for sale under the 1980 CDCA Plan as amended, and a plan 
amendment is required to process a direct sale. This plan amendment 
will be limited to an analysis of whether the public land described 
above meets Section 203 sales criteria of FLPMA. 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. Preliminary issues for 
the plan amendment area have been identified by BLM personnel. The 
issues include: Mineral resources, special status species, and cultural 
resources. Preliminary planning criteria include:
    1. Compliance with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other applicable laws;
    2. Coordination with local and county governments; and
    3. Government-to-government consultation with federally recognized 
tribes.
    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 30-day 
scoping period or within 15 days after the last public meeting, 
whichever is later.
    The BLM will use the NEPA public participation requirements to 
assist the agency in satisfying the public

[[Page 60719]]

involvement requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and cultural resources 
within the area potentially affected by the proposed action will assist 
the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources in the 
context of both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate 
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by 
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis 
as a cooperating agency. 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 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 in the plan amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.

The BLM will provide an explanation in the EA as to why an issue was 
placed in category two or three. The public is also encouraged to help 
identify any management questions and concerns that should be addressed 
in the plan. The BLM will work collaboratively with 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 
amendment 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: Minerals and 
geology, wildlife and fisheries, archaeologists, hydrology, soils, and 
lands and realty.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2012-24522 Filed 10-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P